New York City's 6 Best Oktoberfest Festivities
Prost! It's the time of year where everyone just loves to celebrate German culture, heritage and traditions in New York City. Oktoberfest kicked off on Saturday, September 21 with lively celebrations almost non-stop until Sunday, October 6. Visit these Big Apple restaurants, bars and special events for seasonal brews and authentic German garb and grub. By Sarah Shaker.
More: NYC's Best Beer Gardens
Loreley Restaurant & Biergarten on the Lower East Side kicks off its annual Oktoberfest on September 21, and will be going strong with six weeks of events that coincide with Loreley's 10th anniversary. From September 21 – October 31, this will be the longest Oktoberfest celebration in the US (and possibly the world), going beyond the traditional Oktoberfest period and continuing until an Oktoberfest Halloween Party. Oktoberfest beers will be on tap including Hofbräu Oktoberfest, Spaten Oktoberfest and Schneider Wiesen Edel-Weisse with rotating daily specials. Events will include two Oktoberfest Beer Tasting Dinners and Loreley's annual Sausage Festival.
Join the NYCWFF's first tribute to Oktoberfest at Studio Square in the indoor and outdoor beer garden on Sunday, October 20th, from 2:00pm – 5:00pm. Enjoy cold brews and a variety of dishes, including Andrew Zimmern's new line of sausages at this walk-around tasting. German-inspired specialties and desserts will be showcased from restaurants such as DBGB, Pilsener Haus & Biergarten, Brauhaus Schmitz, Edi & the Wold, and Bronwyn.
The world's biggest fair comes to Blaue Gans in TriBeCa September 20 - October 5. Join in on daily dinner specials, imported German brews and ticketed Happy Hour Fridays and Saturday Brunches. For $47 a party ticket will get you unlimited brunch on September 28 and October 5 from noon to 4:00pm or happy hour specials on September 20, 27 and October 4, including sausage, pretzels, strudel, mimosas and all tap beers.
On Saturday, September 21, DBGB will kick off a month-long Oktoberfest celebration filled with hard-to-find German beer specials, a multi-week offering of their Choucroute Royale special, a large-scale Beer and Brat dinner and special contests giveaways on DBGB's social media handles with the hashtag #dbgboktoberfest. The Oktoberfest Dinner Event will take place on Wednesday, October 2, in the Bar Room, where guests can feast on a menu of house-made charcuterie, Choucroute Royale, a sweet creation from pastry chef Mymi Eberhardt and unlimited Oktoberfest beers. Tickets are $75 per person, tax and gratuity additional.
Both locations of the high-end sports bar will be offering a beer and pretzel special for a casual Oktoberfest celebration. For $20, you can order a bucket of Oktoberfest beers (2 German and 2 local) served alongside Windsor's signature Pretzel Poppers. The special is available September 24 - 27.
For those who consider Hoboken the sixth borough, Pilsener Haus & Biergarten is the place to be at their Third Annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, September 21 through the end of October. Special Oktoberfest Biers will be offered, including traditional German brews, premium imports and American Craft beer. Viennese Chef Thomas Ferlesch will present Austro-Hungarian favorites, including Faschierter Braten (Country Style Meatloaf) and Schweinshaxen (Pork Shank). There will also be live music all month from traditional to heavy metal polka.
Sarah Shaker is the founder of the blog Bright Lights, My City.
