Dust off Your Lederhosen for Duluth Oktoberfestival - Sept 13-15!

The Duluth Oktoberfestival celebrates its 5th anniversary of family-friendly fun - in German Style - Sept 13-15!

Duluth Oktoberfestival is here, which means it’s prime time to celebrate German culture. Music, dancing, traditional German attire, games, and plenty of food and drink are all part of the fun.

This year, Duluth Oktoberfestival will celebrate its 5^th anniversary. Ryan Kern, President of Kern and Kompany, produces the event.

“The Duluth Oktoberfestival is a family festival in the spirit of the Oktoberfestival celebrations that take place across Bavaria in Germany,” Kern explained. “The event is more than just bier; it’s a celebration of German heritage and how traditional Oktoberfest celebrations take place. They are very family-inclusive, bringing together families and neighbors to celebrate.”

There are several reasons to consider taking part. “Dressing up in your favorite Lederhosen and Dirndl is a good time, plus you’ll get buttons for being authentic,” Kern noted. (Oktoberfestival personnel give these buttons out for free, to those who made the effort to wear authentic attire).

“And, the Duluth Oktoberfestival is basically a free event because your admission ticket comes with a German beverage,” he added. “All the games (both adult and youth) are free. It’s really a great opportunity for the community to enjoy Bayfront Festival Park with music, games, and new experiences.”

Logistics

Oktoberfestival will take place September 13 – 15, 2024, at Bayfront Festival Park. As noted, there will be food, beverages, games, music, and much more. The event will happen rain or shine, as the bier hall is housed under a massive tent structure.

“The event is outdoors, but the main bier hall is under a tent and features the largest free standing tent structure ever erected at Bayfront Festival Park,” Kern said. “Walking into the tent feels like walking into a real German bier hall and needs to be experienced!

“We’ve worked very hard to provide an authentic experience by bringing in bier tables, benches, and décor direct from Germany. It’s a fantastic space for celebration. In addition to the tented bier hall, the park will be filled with games and activities for adults and children.”

A variety of ticket options are available. Please use this link to learn more. Tickets | Duluth Oktoberfestival

Food and Drink

Plenty of authentic Bavarian cuisine – courtesy of Blackwoods – will be served at the event. This year’s menu includes Bratwurst, Chicken Schnitzel, Spaetzle, Black Forest Stew, pork wings, pretzels, and apple crisp.

And, of course, plenty of cold, refreshing beverages will be available, too. Duluth Oktoberfestival’s official German bier is Paulaner, which is imported directly from Germany. Varietals will include:

Munchner Lager

This classic bier from Munich has a perfect balance of malty character and the light bitterness of hops.

Hefeweizen

This wheat bier classic from Munich is a traditional, unfiltered hefeweizen that is naturally hazy, and silky gold under a strong head of foam.

Oktoberfest Marzen

This full-bodied amber bier, with its rich malt flavor and dark toffee notes, has an underlying fruitiness and masterful hop balance.

Oktoberfest Bier

This golden lager is Germany’s #1 Oktoberfest bier. Deep golden color, full-bodied and wonderfully mellow, it offers a balanced harmonious taste and the pleasant fragrance of hops.

Grapefruit Radler

Naturally cloudy grapefruit flavoring meets Paulaner’s tasty Münchner Lager. This tangy thirst-quencher is the perfect accompaniment: fruity-tart, 100% natural and not too sweet.

Jägermeister and cold brew coffee shots will also be available.

Fun and Games

Duluth Oktoberfestival provides fun for the entire family. Live music, an arts and crafts festival, and helicopter rides are part of the celebration. There are plenty of activities specifically designed to keep the kids occupied, too, including inflatables, a bouncy house, cookie decorating, a kids’ stein holding competition, and more.

The adorable and hilarious Dachshund Derby is another popular part of the weekend. From the Oktoberfestival website:

“If your wiener dog feels the need for speed, comes from an impressive blood line, or just dresses well enough to come in last and still merit a photo finish, feel free to enter them in the third annual Dachshund Derby, presented by Lake County Veterinary Clinics. From adults to puppies, all wiener dogs are welcome to participate. The derby will pit all the registered Dachshund pups against each other in a timed race from one end of a grass track to the other.”

Please note that Dachshunds are the only dog breed allowed at the event, and are only allowed to attend during the Dachshund Derby on Sunday.

Additionally, there is an original song that was composed and recorded specifically for the event! You can listen to the song here: https://duluthoktoberfestival.com/things-to-know/

The Duluth Oktoberfestival theme song will also be played throughout the weekend.

Festmaster/Frauline

Two Duluth Oktoberfestival ambassadors will be chosen, and pronounced Festmaster/Frauline. Past honorees have included former Duluth Mayor Don Ness and his wife, Laura, among other notable residents.

“The Festmaster and Frau are typically community members who have demonstrated their commitment to our community, and their role is to welcome everyone to the Duluth Oktoberfest as ambassadors of our community,” Kern said. “Being chosen as the Festmaster is considered a great honor, and patrons usually attend the opening ceremony to collect buttons from the Festmaster each year as collectibles.

“The Festmaster and Frau (Frauline) won’t be announced until just prior to the opening ceremony,” Kern added. “They’ll have the honor of tapping ‘The Golden Keg,’ which was importuned from Germany to open the festival.”

Lingo

Care to practice your German? Below are a few popular phrases you may hear during Oktoberfestival:

Dirndl: (Dern-dull) The traditional German dress you’ll see on staff as well as guests who love to get into the spirit of Oktoberfest.

Lederhosen: (Lay-der-hose-in) This literally translates to “leather pants.” You’ll see a lot of men sport these trendy trousers in all kinds of styles.

Guten Appetit!: (goo-ten app-a-teet) How we wish you bon appetit.

Noch ein Bier, bitte: (nock ine beer bit-a) You’ll want to commit this to memory; it’s how you ask for “Another beer, please!”

Prost!: (Prōst) This is how we say, “Cheers!” You’ll also hear ein Prost, which means “a toast.”

Brezen: (Bray-tsun) Pretzel. There’s no shortage of these twisted traditions, made fresh and served hot.

O’zapft is!: (Ō-tsapft is) literally means “It’s tapped!” This is the opening cheer when the first keg is tapped, kicking off Oktoberfestival.

Schunkeln: (Shoon-kulln) It’s the ideal drinking “dance” because you don’t even have to stand up! Just stay seated and when the Schunkeln song comes on, lock arms with your neighbor and sway side to side.

Eins, zwei, drei: (ines tsvy dry) “One, two, three.” You’ll hear this a lot, like at the start of the stein-holding contests. Here’s how to get really legit and count with your fingers in German: one is the thumb, two is the thumb and forefinger, and three is thumb, forefinger, and middle finger.

Oans, zwoa, g’suffa!: (ōnns tswō g’zoo-fa) “One, two, drink up!” Enough said.

Zicke zacke, zicke zacke, hoi hoi hoi!: (tsick-a tsack-a, tsick-a tsack-a, hoy hoy hoy) Another common band call-out, usually followed by Prost! and a hearty chug of bier.

Plan a Safe Ride Home

With all the fun and merriment, it is important to remember to plan a safe ride home. Designated driver admission for the event is only $5.

Duluth Oktoberfestival also partners with Northeast Minnesota JOYRIDE. Guests at the event can grab a JOYRIDE voucher to put towards a safe and sober ride home.

Rewarding

For Kern and his family, producing Oktoberfestival is a highly rewarding endeavor. “Bringing the generations together - children, teens, adults and grandparents – makes it a multigenerational event,” he noted. “We really love the idea of sitting at a table and singing German songs with your family, neighbors, and friends.

“We really focus on creating events that are family-oriented,” he added. “As parents of a high schooler and middle schooler, we always look for events that we can all attend as a family.

“The Duluth Oktoberfest is no different, in that we created this event with family in mind. We see families with members of all ages joining us for the celebration. Children, parents, and grandparents all participating together is what sets this event apart – it’s truly a multigenerational event for the entire family.”

For more information about Oktoberfestival, please visit Duluth Oktoberfestival | German Oktoberfest | Duluth, MN

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Andrea Busche is a Duluth + regional freelance writer and small business owner. She is credited with over 1,000 bylines in local print and digital publications, and has been a frequent contributor to Destination Duluth since 2017.