Did you know it’s already time for Oktoberfest in Oregon?! Surprisingly, Oktoberfest doesn’t actually start in October. Traditionally, it begins in the middle of September, and runs roughly through the first Sunday in October.
I am 25% German, and until recently, had no knowledge of what this “holiday” actually meant. I thought it was just an excuse for people to wear lederhosen, pretend to enjoy oompah bands, gobble down bratwurst and consume copious amounts of specialty brewed beer. Turns out, that’s pretty much it, but it’s origins are slightly more interesting.
Below is a brief history of the popular German beer festival, a few places around Oregon where you can celebrate, and a four promo codes for our fall runs, so keep reading to get a discount on beer run fun!
What is Oktoberfest?
On October 12, 1810, King Ludwig I married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen in Munich Germany. According to Wikipedia,
The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the royal event.
There was a big horse race, a parade, some singing by a children’s choir, vendors, and some form of beer. Year after year it grew, occasionally having to be canceled due to war, or cholera outbreaks, but the people loved it so much, it never died.
In 1880, electric light illuminated more than 400 booths and tents. In 1881, booths selling bratwurst opened and the first beer was served in glass mugs in 1892. Hopefully they didn’t chill them.
During the two world wars, things got a little ugly. The Nazi’s used the celebration as a propaganda tool, and Jews weren’t allowed to participate. In the 1950’s, the festival began with a, “twelve-gun salute and the tapping of the first keg of Oktoberfest beer at 12:00 p.m. by the incumbent Mayor of Munich with the proclamation “O’zapft is!” (“It’s tapped!” in the Austro-Bavarian dialect).” Traditionally, the first litre of beer is served to the Minister-President of the State of Bavaria.
Inevitably, these celebrations and traditions have spread out around the world, and today, look differently than they once did. The United States has started their own Oktoberfest traditions, some of which don’t look anything like the original.
Where Can you Celebrate Oktoberfest in Oregon
Nearly every brewery, beer-bar and tap-room will be having some sort of Oktoberfest specials and deals during the celebration. Below are three particularly interesting ones.
Mount Angel is a Bavarian-themed town just outside of Salem. Their Oktoberfest festivities appears on all of the top 10 lists for best Oktoberfest’s in the United States. “The town’s Oktoberfest, which started in 1966 as a harvest festival, is now the biggest festival in the Northwest, attracting more than 350,000 people for 4 days of live music, free “Kindergarten” rides and shows, street dancing, arts and crafts, traditional biergarten (and weingarten) and more than 50 food chalets.”
The 13th annual Bend Oktoberfest will take over downtown Bend with more than 20 different beers, Bavarian wines, food, wiener dog races, a yodeling contest and more. It is totally free, and open to all ages. Enjoy,
…fun games, silly events, and being a part of the Bend community. Join us for the wiener dog race, traditional music, dancing, beer bong, stein holds, and so much more!
Loyal Legion, one of my favorite places to grab a pint in Portland, celebrates their Oktoberfest from September 16-October 3. Their 99-tap, all Oregon beer bar boast a HUGE selection of Oregon Oktoberfest and German-style beers, along with German food and beer specials and more.
For more options, checkout the Oregon guide to Oktoberfests by Samantha Bakall on OregonLive.com.
Oktoberfest Discounts to Run!
Starting today through October 3, we have a number of great discount and promo codes you can take advantage of.
- The first 5 people to use promo code OktoberfestFREE will get free entry to any fall run.
- The first 5 people to use promo code Oktoberfest15 will get $15 off any fall run.
- The first 5 people to use promo code Oktoberfest10 will get $10 off any fall run.
- The first 5 people to use promo code Oktoberfest5 will get $5 off any fall run.
Check the schedule and join us this fall!
How are you celebrating Oktoberfest in Oregon this year?
