OKTOBERFEST!
Oktoberfest began as a wedding celebration. In the fall of 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria was married. The celebration continued for two weeks and the idea of it has lasted for almost 200 years!
Oktoberfest 2011 is already here!
Join in the fun! See your friends, neighbors - maybe even you!
See some of the fun we're already having during Oktoberfest!
Watch this space, as new pictures will be added every day!
View the 2011 slideshow →
View the 2010 slideshow →
View the 2009 slideshow →
View the 2008 slideshow →
2011 Oktoberfest Events
(as of 9/9/11)
While most people associate Oktoberfest with lots of beer drinking, it's always been a carnival-like celebration in Germany.
There are rides and games, and Munich holds the annual poster contest (an idea we've borrowed!)
Oktoberfest menu cover contest
» view contest guidelines
» see the previous winners!
The foods that you will see on every corner at Oktoberfest include Roast or Rotisserie Chicken, Pretzels and, of course, sausages. We've got all those food items, and great German beer too!
So join in the fun this fall at the Black Forest Inn! Festivities include: the final David Hasselhoff Night! Marlene Dietrich Night! Photo opportunities! Kabarett! Deep fried stuff! Prizes!
» See below for details & schedule of events.
Don't forget to enter our Grand prize drawing! We have several great prizes this year.
Win a Language class of your choice at the Germanic-American Institute! Wow!
Your choice of a German, Russian or Italian class, for one adult or child. Classes range from 12 to 18 weeks. Up to a $410 value!
Win a Spaten 66 qt cooler and two hooded sweatshirts! Go camping in Spaten style!
(For more information, visit: www.gai-mn.org)
Enter throughout Oktoberfest. Grand Prize drawing will be Sunday night, October 2. (Need not be present to win.)
Day One: Prost! Night
Friday September 23, 2011
The best way to start Oktoberfest is with a toast! Celebrate fall, beer, and each other with a toast.
We'll have some for you to read, or make up your own. Standing up to toast is encouraged. Speaking from the heart is essential. Rhyming is optional. Prizes will be awarded for exceptional toasts. Alphorns, celebrity keg tapper, and Burlesque round out the opening night fun.
6:00 – 7:30 pm Live music!Alphorns with the Matterhorn Trio
7:30 pm Ceremonial Keg Tapping & restaurant-wide toast: will Sven be our celebrity keg tapper again this year?
7:30 – 9:30 pm Live music!Jim ten Bensel on horns and Nancy Lovegrin on accordion
9:00 pm Kabarett in banquet space by Le Cirque Rouge
Paulaner Night!Buy any Paulaner and get a logo mug for $1 (while supplies last!)
Poster and Menu Cover Contest winner unveiled.
Get your picture taken with the giant pretzel!
Day Two: Marlene Dietrich Night
Saturday September 24, 2011 Marlene Dietrich Night
The most glamorous night of Oktoberfest! Back when stars had style and personality, no one was more stylish or more intriguing than Marlene...
6:30 – 9:30 pm Live Music!Dreamland Faces, an accordion and saw duo
9:00 pm Burlesque in banquet space! Featuring Le Cirque Rouge
Hacker-Pschorr Night!Buy any Hacker-Pschorr and get a logo mug for $1
(while supplies last!)
Day Three: Vienna Night
Sunday September 25, 2011
The name Vienna conjures up a cosmopolitan, elegant city and the classic Kaffehaus. Torten und Kaffee? Ja wohl! Enjoy coffee and cake, maybe a little classical music; discuss the events of the day. Spend Sunday in Vienna! Food specials all day.
Stiegl Night!Buy any Stiegl (a good, Austrian beer) and get a logo mug for $1 (while supplies last!)
Special price for a slice of cake with coffee $7.50 (regularly $8.95)
And a special price on - what else, Wiener Schnitzel!
Day Four: Vier Factor
Monday September 26, 2011
The Wurst! So Offal! The brat bar returns with four sausages. The Organ Recital reprises with four varieties of variety meats. And… tubas? Yes, tubas! (Vier is pronounced "fear" and means four. Get it?)
Brat bar includes: Handmade bratwurst, Handmade chicken curry sausage, Weisswurst, Polish sausage, celery relish, fried peppers, fried onions, sauerkraut, homemade Bavarian Sweet mustard, Maple mustard, Horseradish sauerkraut sauce, Curry ketchup, rye bread, potato salad, red cabbage and pickles. All that sausage goodness for $15.00
Side of pan fried Sweetbreads $6.00
Side of pickled tongue $6.00
Side of heart Bordelaise $6.00
Side of veal bone marrow $6.00
The works and/or to share $20.00
Brat Bar 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Organ Recital starts at 5:00pm
Grain Belt Night!Buy any Grain Belt and get a logo pint glass free (while supplies last)!
Bring in your tuba for a free beer. Tubas are big, so we’ll give you a big beer to go with it.
Day Five: Freudian Slip Night
Tuesday September 27, 2011
No id, no service. No ego, no strudel. Do not repress your desire to experience this night. You might see some slips!
7:00 pm The Doctor is in. Tell him about your mother.
Franziskaner Night!Buy any Franziskaner and get a logo tall pilsner glass for $1 (while supplies last!)
Day Six: Sturm und Drang Night
Wednesday September 28, 2011
Get your angst on! Join us in celebrating one of the most prolifically creative periods in German cultural history – bad moods and all. We can't be limited to a schedule. You never know when inspiration will strike.
Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther will be given away as prizes. You win one if you think that's funny.
We will have little dolls if you want to throw yourself - in effigy - into the fountain.
Köstritzer Night(it was Goethe's favorite beer!) Buy any Köstritzer and get a logo glass for $1 (while supplies last!)
Day Seven: Big Brain Night
Thursday September 29, 2011
The Germans have spawned some of the biggest brains in the world – ever heard of Einstein, Einstein? But now it's your turn to flex your brain muscle. So put on your smarty-hosen & prepare for Das Trivia! The Trivia Mafia will be here to challenge your Germanic knowledge.
8:00pm Trivia begins
9:00pm Schells prize drawing – enter to win a free brewery tour, gas card and one night's stay at the Holiday Inn New Ulm!
Tonight we will donate 20% of our food sales to the Germanic-American Institute's Kinderstube German Immersion Preschool!
Prizes for trivia winners: gift certificates! T-shirts!
Schells Night!Buy any Schells and get a logo pint glass free (while supplies last!)
Day Eight: David Hasselhoff Night :The Final Year : Cheeseburgers Half Off
Friday September 30, 2011
Need we say more? We honor Mr. Hoff-tastic himself tonight (He's big in Germany!) The main event is the giveaway of an array of excellent un-Hoffingly-believable prizes. This is the last year, people. Win now or forever hold your peace.
8:00pm – 11:00pm Prize giveaways
7:30 – 10:00pm Malibu girl giving away samples. Try a sample of Malibu! (this is in reference to Baywatch. Get it?)
Spaten Night!Buy any Spaten and get a logo glass stein for $1 (while supplies last!)
Cheeseburgers are seriously half price.
Day Nine: Grimm Night
Saturday October 1, 2011
What lurks deep in the Forest…? In our Forest, we've got food & beer. In other forests, magic and mystery lurk. Join us for a celebration of creatures and cures, of witches to watch out for and the monster within us. Don't forget to leave a trail of breadcrumbs so you can find your way home again…
6:30pm – 9pm Live music!Dreamland Faces, an accordion and saw duo
Summit Night!Buy any Summit and get a logo pint glass free (while supplies last!)
Dry ice in the fountain!
Day Ten: Drain the Keg Night
Sunday October 2, 2011
The party doesn't end til the beer is gone, right? We don't want to lug any barrels home with us after the party, so we're going to start dropping the price of beer at 2pm and keep dropping it until the beer is gone. Seriously.
2:00 pm – 8:00 pm Price on ½ liters of beer drops $0.25 per hour
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Price on ½ liters of beer drops $0.50 per hour
Live music!Horn player Jim ten Bensel and accordionist Nancy Lovegrin
9:00 pm Grand Prize drawing*
(*Need not be present to win)
The Extras:
Besides the cheap beer? What else is there?
Congratulations to our 2010 Drawing winners!
Grand Prize
Summit Neon Sign: Anna Brelje
Grand Prize
Language class at the GAI: Rose Allen
Great Brats & Beer Steins
5 lb brawurst: Steve Payne
Great Brats & Beer Steins
2 one liter 200th Anniversary of Oktoberfest ceramic mugs: Paul Allen(of no relation to Rose Allen!)
Desperate Hausfrau People's Choice
Everything's Perfect Hausfrau: Stylist AmberLee at Moxie
Desperate Hausfrau Judge's Choice
Better off a Hausfrau: stylists Team Head to Toe
Best Home Brew People's Choice
"Golden Hoard" Belgian Amber: brewer Kurt Smelser
Schells Brewery Tour & trip to New Ulm:
Andrew Shimota
Thanks to everyone who participated in this year's Oktoberfest!
See you again next year!