10/5/2018 -- KC Oktoberfest

Kansas City's largest traditional Oktoberfest celebrating Bavarian-style bier, food and music.

Festival Amenities and Entertainment
Modeled after the traditional Munich Oktoberfest in Germany, KC Oktoberfest will feature German-style bier from KC Bier Co., food vendors, two bands from Germany, local entertainers and musicians, Chicken N Pickle Games Area, shopping and crafts, carnival rides and other family-friendly activities and entertainment. In addition to the expansive festival grounds, bench-style seating for more than 1,800 attendees will be available under the Crown Center terrace tent and a second German Bierhalle-style tent. Key details on each are listed below, with full details available at www.kcoktoberfest.com.

Bier and Wein (Wine)
To reduce cup waste and provide a proper Bavarian-style Oktoberfest experience, attendees must have a mug to be served bier. Commemorative mugs will be available in half-liter ($3) and liter sizes ($5), with fills and refills for $6 (half-liter) and $12 (liter).

The official festival bier is Festbier, a clean, crisp and malty Vienna-Style Lager brewed by KC Bier Co. with 100% imported German malt and hops. All four KC Bier Co. year-round bier, including Dunkel, Hefeweizen, Helles Lager and Pils will be available with Festbier, water and soft drinks at several beverage stations throughout the festival.

The Spezial Bier and Wein Tent will offer additional small-batch and seasonal bier varieties from KC Bier Co. and red and white German and Alsatian wines. A full list of bier served at Oktoberfest can be viewed at www.kcoktoberfest.com.

Entertainment
The main entertainment stage will feature two bands from Bavaria that have played hundreds of shows on the Oktoberfest circuit throughout Germany and Europe, in addition to local musicians and entertainers.
• Die Schornsteinfeger, Bavaria, will perform from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 5, and from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 6.
• Die Wilderer, Bavaria, will perform from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Friday, Oct. 5, and Saturday, Oct. 6.
• The Happy Wanderers, Kansas City, will perform from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 6.
• Bram Wijnand’s Polka on Steroids, Kansas City, will perform from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 6.

Food Vendors
Traditional Bavarian-style Oktoberfest food specialties including KC Bier Co. Bavarian pretzels, sausages, schweinshaxe and char-broiled chickens will be available in addition to festival favorites including cotton candy, funnel cakes, kettle corn, nuts and more.

Primary food vendors will include local restaurants Chicken N Pickle, featuring their famous chicken; and Grünauer, an Austrian-German restaurant in the Freight House District in downtown Kansas City.

Food vendors will accept cash and credit/debit throughout the festival grounds.

Games and Competitions
Chicken N Pickle will host a games and competitions area to include classic lawn games including bags, washers and giant Connect 4. A competition schedule will include keg rolling, relay races, heavy hammer strike and a traditional Masskrugstemmen stein holding competition. Sign-ups for all competitions will open Monday, Aug. 20 at www.kcoktoberfest.com.

Carnival and Kids Activities
Four carnival rides will be open throughout the duration of the festival, ranging from high-energy rides such as the Paratrooper, Roc-o-Plane, and the Sizzler to classic rides like the Merry-Go-Round. Ride tickets can be purchased on-site at the festival. Traditional carnival games like ring toss, milk bottle toss and others will be offered for free.

Adventurous festivalgoers also can try their hand at axe throwing at Blade & Timber’s mobile lanes in the main festival square. Certain age limitations apply.