St. Benedict Oktoberfest

I first was able to go to this festival this year and I’m so glad that I did! I purchased a stein and then my beer pours were bigger and my beer tickets for cheaper (definitely worth it). The beer selection this year was completely AMAZING! I was blown away by the number of options and they had plenty of people pouring so I never had to wait that long.
The street that they shut down offers shade so they have plenty of tables and seating so you can find a comfortable spot to relax. They have vendors for some shopping, musical entertainment, and a bounce house for the kids.
Maybe next year I’ll be able to enjoy the food too :)

I went on Friday night and had a great time. The southbound Belmont entrance is busier than the the other entrances into the festival, such as Belmont northbound one, just FYI.
The wurst platter and giant pretzel are tasty and a great value. The pretzel is buttery and awesome. Of course, the beer selection is impressive and has many specialty Oktoberfest, German and Pumpkin flavored drafts though the «line» (more like moving crowd) is pretty intense. But, of course, if you don’t like crowds, don’t go to festivals on Friday nights. Fun atmosphere.

If you like crowds, go on the Saturday. If you like shorter beer and food lines, go on the Sunday. The weather was glorious yesterday. Though we missed out on trying some of the beers because they ran out, there were still plenty to choose from. The weiner schnitzel was great. The pretzels were great. Everything was great… if you like German food. The entertainers danced and sang. The kids jumped in the moon bounce. There could’ve been more vendors there selling their wares… didn’t see anything interesting to buy. Good times! GREAT BEER!

This great neighborhood Oktoberfest celebration has been taking place on a Friday and Saturday in September since 2005. The St. Benedict parish has German roots, and hence they decided to host an annual event with German music, dancing and food.
My favorite part of this event is the featured breweries. Local brewers set up shop and sell a few of their special brews. Last year Blue & Bray Brewing Company, Clipper City Brewing Company, Erie Brewing Company, Extra Billly’s Brewery, Legend, Olde Richmond Beer Co., Richbrau, The St. George Brewing Co., Starr Hill Brewing Company, Victory Brewing Company and Weeping Radish Farm Brewery were all on site with artisan beers for sale. The church just happens to be located a few blocks from my apartment, so I love to come set up shop for the afternoon and sip a bunch of different brews. There were also a few wineries present, including Big Tattoo Wines, Horton Vineyards, Prince Michel and White Hall.
Along with the alcohol, there’s German food for sale, including a wurst platter, roast pork platter, wurst on a bun, giant soft pretzels and assorted desserts. I must admit, a giant soft pretzel is my favorite accompaniment for freshly brewed beers.
There are also activities for kids, chicken dance contests, German dancers and live German music.