Mt Lemmon Oktoberfest

Ever since Tucson’s Oktoberfest shut down, the only chance to experience a decent Oktoberfest without traveling 100 miles is up on top of Mt. Lemmon.
The bratwurst is decent. The mountains/​forest are semi-​reminiscent of areas in Hessen. The music is wonderful. Unfortunately, it looks like it will be raining here shortly. However, it is still a beautiful wonderful starvation from Tucson heat.

After hearing about Oktoberfest on Mt. Lemmon from a few friends, I decided to check it out this weekend, especially since Tucson no longer has any decent Oktoberfest events anymore. Being nearly 30 degrees cooler than below, it was a nice escape for a Sunday.
I’m not really sure what I was expecting, but a little more would have been nice. The prices were a little expensive, and luckily I was able to share food. $ 6 for a bottle of beer poured unprofessionally (lots of head) into a cup was a little much, as was $ 10 for a brat, one side, and a pretty horrid piece of bread that I guess was a bun.
The music was ok, entertaining enough, and who doesn’t love making a fool of themselves doing the chicken dance? If I had kids, they would have been entertained, but luckily I had brought some folding chairs — on my friend’s recommendation — and enjoyed some talk with friends and admired the view.
However, the major disappointment for me was the bathrooms. As someone with a tiny bladder, it pains me already to use the bathroom several times, much less in toilets as bad as these. Several portable toilets line the parking lot and all of them are filled to the brim with toilet paper and human excr– uh… you get the point. They were also very dirty. They at least had hand sanitizer available. Normally, I’m not as disgusted with porta potties as most people, but these needed serviced a long time ago.
All in all, I may go again next year, but I’d probably combine it with a nice hike at Marshall Gulch or the Palisades trail. Otherwise, it’s a little overhyped and overpriced.

My family and I were excited to see what the Oktoberfest on Mt. Lemmon was all about. We headed out on our 1 ½ hour drive, enjoying the views the whole way up to the top. We were a little confused as to where this event was taking place, as there were no signs to direct you. With the help of gps and a little bit of guess work, we managed to find where to park ($ 5) and were told that the Oktoberfest was being held right across the road. The family and I headed toward the distant sound of polka music. I have to say, I appreciate what these people are trying to do but we were very disappointed. You have to stand in line to buy food tickets for the very tiny selection of pretty pricey food. The area gets very congested because it’s all so small. We opted to wait on the food and check out the event. When headed up the staircase toward the stage and had to pass the food area… people, this is basically set up like a family bbq. The food might be delicious but we didn’t eat any. Let’s be honest, when you think oktoberfest, you think beer. Does everyone picture beer steins? I pictured beer steins. Guess what? No beer steins. You got bottled beer that you could poor into plastic cups. As for entertainment, there was a little old polka trio on the stage playing for about 20 people. My family and I were there for about 10 – 15 minutes before we decided to just head in to the town of Summerhaven to try the fudge we’d heard about. So, maybe older folks, beer in plastic cups and expensive brats are your kind of thing. If so, you will probably really enjoy Oktoberfest on Mt. Lemmon.

It’s windy and cooler than Tucson, so wear warm clothes. They have a picnic area on the slopes. Great for tossing a ball or flying kites.
The beer selection is not great, but enough variety to satisfy most.
If you time it right you can miss the traffic. We left Tucson around 1:30 and got there around 2:30. We left the place at 4:15 and home around 5. There are plenty of highway partol officers on the way so slow down.
Hours are 12 – 5 weekends till Oct 13.
We should have a Unilocalers corner or a UYE here one weekend :)

The Mt. Lemmon Oktoberfest is one attraction available on a fall weekend trip to Mt. Lemmon, but I wouldn’t call it the main attraction. The food is expensive and lackluster – $ 6 for a brat on a bun… and an extra $ 4 for sauerkraut? The beer selection is also decent, but there is (in theory, at least) a three-​beer limit. Family friendly, yes, but Bavaria this isn’t. The only recommendable features of the event are the entertainment and the joy of sitting in grass on the side of a mountain. Even then, though, bring your own blanket and an umbrella or a hat since most of the seating is not shaded. I got bored after about an hour and a half of sitting in the sun. Plus, let’s face it, there’s only so much polka that I can stand.
If you’re planning to go to Oktoberfest, I recommend bringing some friends to offset the cost of parking and share food. Then combine the trip with a visit to one of Mt. Lemmon’s other attractions: a visit to Summerhaven, a camping trip, or a hike. It’s 1.5 miles from ski valley to the summit trailhead, and some great views along the way.

Mt Lemmon Oktoberfest is an annual Oktoberfest held up at Ski Valley, just outside of Summerhaven. It runs on Saturdays and Sundays and the parking is $ 4. First, a warning: dogs are apparently not cool here. This is a bummer for me as I enjoy taking my dog to outdoor events like this. She is well-​behaved and never causes a problem. Still, Tucson businesses tend to be dog unfriendly (dare I say hostile), so I am not surprised.
On to the show! There are some German dancers, a polka band, a few beers (in bottles), and some awesome German food. The food saves it. Good brats, red cabbage, and potato salad. The price is hefty, but your best deal is to split the large 2 brat plate ($ 12). It is enough food for two. The other cool thing to do is take a ride on the gondola while you are enjoying the German ambiance. Also, the cool temps up there are a welcome respite from Tucson It is a nice diversion for an afternoon. Pair the Oktoberfest with a short hike and you have yourself a volksmarsch kind of day. Bring a DD.