(Media Credit/46137 via Flickr)
Hurra fur bier! It’s Oktoberfest season, and Blast has gathered information about the up-and-coming New England beer festivals that will have you dancing to Oompah music, yodeling to your heart’s content, chugging German beer from your stein, noshing on pumpkin-themed food, playing keg bowling, and…chicken dancing?
Connecticut
October 14: Brewfest at the Beach, The Pavilion at Ocean Beach Park, New London
The rain-or-shine event will feature live music, food, over 150 different types of beer, and ahh, that fresh sea air!
6 p.m. to 9 p.m., tickets $25 in advance/$30 at door.
October 15: The Connecticut Tigers Octoberfest and Chili Cook-Off, Dodd Stadium, Norwich
Baseball, beer and chili–what more could you want? At The Second Annual Connecticut Tigers Octoberfest and Chili Cook-Off, you get all three, along with live music and a free commemorative pint glass if you’re one of the first 500 people to attend!
October 22: Harvest Bounty Wine & Brew Fest, Litchfield Community Center, Litchfield
Taste from the plentiful bounty at this fest, including beers from 20 brewers, a diverse selection of wines from Litchfield’s Village Wine Cellar, and grub from local vendors. Be entertained by live music while competing in the balloon pop game for the chance to win prizes.
4 p.m. to 8 p.m., tickets $20 in advance/$25 at the door
Maine
October 8: Acadia Oktoberfest, Smuggler’s Den Campground, Southwest Harbor
Celebrate the season surrounded by foliage on Mount Desert Island, sampling dozens of brands of beer from 20 Maine breweries while listening to live music, eating food, and perusing 30 craft booths to satisfy your need for homemade trinkets. It’s the way a weekend should be, eh?
11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., tickets $25 full admission/$10 for an alcohol-free day (but who would want that?).
October 15: Beer and Pemaquid Mussel Fest, Marshall Wharf Brewing Co., Belfast
Munch on Belgian-style frites and fresh local mussels served four ways, enjoy live music, and flex your drinking muscles by sipping on some of the 30 different beers available for tasting!
Doors open at 5 p.m., tickets $25/$5 for non-drinkers.
Massachusetts
October 8: Boston New Music Initiative Beer Festival, Back Bay Grand Ballroom, Boston
Drink beer for a good cause! Sample beer from over 10 breweries, listen to live music and feast on food from local vendors. Proceeds will support the BNMI and the local arts community.
6 p.m. to 10 p.m., tickets $40
October 8: Pumpkin Fest, British Beer Company, Franklin
Pumpkins: It’s not fall in New England without them, and there will be pumpkins galore at the British Beer Company’s (aptly named) Pumpkin Fest! There will be seven pumpkin beers on tap, pumpkin cocktails, crispy pumpkin seeds and pumpkin painting for your lil’ pumpkin. Pumpkin-themed food will be featured on the menu all day, including Pumpkin Bisque served in baby pumpkins with toasted pumpkin bread, Mini Pumpkin Arancini, Pumpkin Pulled Pork Ravioli and Pumpkin Bread Pudding with pumpkin brandy sauce. Yum!
October 15: Wormtown Brewery O-Fest, Union Station, Worcester
Brought to you by the Wormtown Brewery, this Oktoberfest will feature live music from local bands, German grub, and lots and lots of beer. Hurra fur bier!
6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., $10 cover.
October 23: New England Beer Fest, Julio’s Liquors, Westborough
Local beer? Check. Local food? Check. Pricey tickets? No way! There will be beer from over 20 local breweries for tasting, and lots and lots of beer enthusiasts!
1 p.m. to 4 p.m. It’s FREE!
New Hampshire
October 8-9: Oktoberfest, Attitash Resort, Bartlett
Even die kinder can enjoy this Oktoberfest, with their own games and activities! For die erwachsenen, there will be a stein holding competition, a keg toss, mechanical bull-riding, and bier galore. For everyone, there will be German food and live Bavarian music from the world renowned King Ludwig Band.
12 p.m. to 6 p.m. October 8; 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. October 9; tickets $10 for guests 21+/$5 for guests ages 6 to 20/Free for ages 5 and under.
October 8-9: Oktoberfest, Loon Mountain, Lincoln
Ah, Loon Mountain: gondola skyrides, mountain biking, a climbing wall, a bungee trampoline, horseback riding…and an Oompah band? That’s right; it’s Oktoberfest at the mountain. Enjoy German beer, lots of German food, a stein-holding contest, a yodeling contest, and lawn games. The best part? The event is FREE to enter!
Festivities begin at 11:00 a.m. on both days.
October 15: New Hampshire Brew Fest, Redhook Ale Brewery, Portsmouth
Get in the Granite State spirit in the backyard of the Redhook Ale Brewery, where you can listen to live bands and sample over 100 craft beers from 30 breweries. Get a complimentary tasting glass and pour to your heart’s content.
1 p.m. to 4 p.m. matinee session, tickets $25 in advance/$35 at door; 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. evening session, tickets $30 in advance/$40 at door. VIP tickets available.
Rhode Island
October 8-10: International Oktoberfest, Newport Yachting Center, Newport
Beer lovers unite! This rowdy Oktoberfest offers a great variety of brews in their international biergarten and authentic Austro-German cuisine. Also expect a keg-tapping ceremony, yodeling, folk dance performances, live music, and a kid-friendly area.
12 p.m. to 9 p.m. October 8, tickets $20; 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. October 9, tickets $20; 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. October 10, tickets $12; Three-day pass $40. Kids 12 and under free with an adult.
Vermont
October 8-9: Octoberfest, Harpoon Brewery, Windsor
This Octoberfest will feature a wide selection of beer in its biergarten, Oompah music, German food, chicken dancing, German cake-eating contests, and a keg bowling game. There will also be a road race and free tours of the brewery offered all weekend long!
12 p.m. to 6 p.m. October 8 and 9, tickets $15/free for children under 12.
Leave a Reply