Oktoberfest season starts today, Sept. 17, with the Munich Oktoberfest officially back after two years off due to the pandemic. The 16 days of festivities will kick off with the ceremonial tapping of the first beer barrel by the mayor of Munich, who opens the fest with the Bavarian exclamation “O’zapft is!” (“It’s tapped”).
The six breweries allowed to produce the traditional Oktoberfest beer served at the fest start to pour, with the beer made with the same ingredients and recipes used each year. The strict German Purity Law of 1487 (Reinheitsgebot) applies, producing the famed marzen beer with a rich golden yellow color.
Beer lovers on Long Island also have plenty of opportunities to celebrate the festival with authentic German marzens, food and music, and traditional contests that have really caught on here including strain-inducing stein holding competitions.
Oktoberfest Events on Long Island
Destination Unknown Beer Co. (DUBCO) in Bay Shore will hold its 4th annual Dubtoberfest on Sept. 17 featuring German-style beers and pumpkin beers from DUBCO and 14 breweries from the Long Island Brewers Guild.
Other member breweries include Bay Shore neighbors Great South Bay, Ghost Brewing and The Brewers Collective. The festivities will include a stein holding competition and food from Geenas Weenas food truck.
Das Biergarten in the West End of Long Beach will hold its 8th Anniversary Oktoberfest Celebration kicking off on Sept. 17 with live music under its tent and German beer and food. The festivities will continue for the next two weekends with live music in the tent.
Plattduetsche Park in Franklin Square, Long Island’s premier German biergarten, will hold its Ompahfest on Sept. 18 with live music from German bands who march in the Steuben Day Parade in Manhattan on Sept. 17. There will be plenty of German beer and food, plus dancing and lots of activities for kids.
Oktoberfest celebrations will continue at Plattduetsche Biergarten for the first three weekends in October with live music from German bands including Die Spitzbaum, Die Schlauberger and Alex Meixmer.
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TJ Finley’s in Bay Shore will hold its 15th annual Oktoberfest celebration on Sept. 24 with live music, German food and beer, and a stein holding competition.
Barrier Brewing in Oceanside will hold its first annual Barrier Oktoberfest celebration on Sept. 25 featuring music from The Bratwurst Boys, dancing and traditional Oktoberfest contests including stein holding and hammer strike.
Barrier will have 10 German-style beers on tap including Frau Blucher rauchbier, schwarzbier black lager, Oktoberfest marzen, hefeweizen. kolsch and gose. Barrier’s 3rd Rail food truck will also feature a special Bavarian menu.
Tanger Outlets in Deer Park will host its second annual Oktoberfest craft brew fest on Oct. 1 featuring tastings of locally brewed beer and cider. Running from 1-5 pm, the fest will have live music and food will be available for purchase, including German specialties.
Garvies Point Brewery will hold its 2nd annual Oktoberfest celebration on Oct. 9 at its newly expanded brewery and restaurant on the waterfront in Glen Cove. The celebration will include an unlimited Oktoberfest buffet, fresh German-style beers, and stein holding and costume competitions.
Greenport Harbor Brewing will hold its Oompahfest on Oct. 16 at the brewery in Peconic featuring its FestBier, a special menu in its restaurant, stein holding competition and live music from Die Spitzbaum.
German restaurants on Long Island are also a great place to celebrate the season with traditional Oktoberfest beer and food. Oak Chalet in Bellmore will have live music on Wednesdays and Thursdays from Sept. 22 through Oct. 27.
Other restaurants include Prost Grill in Garden City, Village Lanterne in Lindenhurst, Pumpernickels in Northport and Shippy’s Pumpernickel in Southampton.
A full list of Long Island Oktoberfest events can be found online at LIBeerGuide.com/li-oktoberfest. Prost!
Bernie Kilkelly is the editor and publisher of LIBeerGuide.com.
