History of Oktoberfest in the USA

Yukta poddar

Sep 28 .

A Celebration of German Beer, Food and Festivities

Bring up Germany and a beer lover’s thought will immediately turn to the greatest celebration of beer culture in Munich – the Oktoberfest. One of Europe’s most extravagant annual celebrations of all things beer that attracts over 6 million visitors every year. The beer festival represents Bavarian heritage and offers much more than simply beer. The anticipation of beer enthusiasts for the festival every year adds to the popularity and fuels the urge to learn more about how this German event got popular across the globe. Oktoberfest is held in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running annually from late September to the first weekend in October.

In addition to beer, you’ll find traditional Oktoberfest food such as Hendl (chicken), Schweinebraten (roast pork), Schweinshaxe (grilled ham hock), Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), Würstl (sausages) along with Brezeln (Pretzel), Knödel (potato or bread dumplings), Käsespätzle (cheese noodles), Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes), Sauerkraut or Rotkohl/Blaukraut (red cabbage) and Bavarian delicacies as Obatzda (a spiced cheese-butter spread) and Weisswurst (a white sausage).

The start of the festival can be traced back to 1810. However, the first Oktoberfest was staged to publicly celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Bavaria on October 12, 1810. Over the years, the participation of local breweries shifted the focal point to enthusiastic consumption of local brews and traditional German food. The popularity of the festival and traditional German beer spread in many countries across the globe including the United States. Each year hundreds of Oktoberfest celebrations are held in the country. The nationwide enthusiasm for the beer fest can be better understood by the history of the beer industry.

Commercial breweries were already set up in New York City, then known as New Amsterdam, in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. A drastic change in the dynamic of the US brewing industry was introduced by German migrants in the 1830s. The growing German demographic reshaped the brewing industry of the USA. Big names like Budwiser can demonstrate the significance of German brewing companies in America. The Czech-style beer was founded by Adolphus Busch and Eberhard Anheuser, who migrated from Germany. Another German migrant, Frederick Miller founded The Miller Brewing Company which was responsible for the first commercially successful low-calorie beer called Miller lite. Apart from the influence of German migrants in the industry, craft brewers took inspiration from Europe for bold flavors and set up breweries dedicated to Belgian-style beer. Apart from the notable influence from Germany, the experimentation by craft brewers for unique styles and tastes built a strong community of beer lovers that actively engaged with local breweries for authentic and quality beer.

Among the hundreds of nationwide celebrations of Oktoberfest, the one held in La Crosse, Wisconsin is one of the largest, and longest-running in the USA. Also known as Oktoberfest USA, the beer carnival sees a crowd of over 100,000 annually. For the last six decades, brewing tradition and German heritage have been celebrated through parades, balls, pageants, and concerts during the autumn festival.

Wondering how did it all begin in La Crosse? The search for authenticity and tradition lead to the beginning of the autumn festival in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Before 1921, the city had a tradition of celebrating winter carnival to promote tradition and tourism in the city. However, economic difficulties and unpredictable weather shut down this traditional celebration. Months later, a need to renew traditions and bring back the community-wide tradition of celebrating together was felt by the officials and the leaders of the city. An official, John Dickow, who was enchanted by the colorful festival of early harvest in Munich, put forth the idea of bringing the German-origin festival to the city. The success of the idea can be seen to this day.

To find out more information on La Crosse Wisconsin’s Das Beste Oktoberfest – September 29th – October 1st click here: https://www.oktoberfestusa.com

Craft beer is not just a product but an experience for many. Every brewery in your town or neighborhood has a distinctive essence or style associated with it. Traditional festivals like Oktoberfest help in bringing together a community of people adjoined by their love for craft brew and culture.

Here is a list of some of the more popular German cultural events and Oktoberfests around the USA for 2022. Some have already taken place, so mark your calendar for 2023.

Leavenworth Washington Oktoberfest 24th Annual

September 30th – October 1st

October 7th – 8th

October 14th – 15th

https://www.leavenworthoktoberfest.com

Big Bear Lake California Oktoberfest 52nd Annual

Saturdays and Sundays

September 10th – November 5th

https://bigbearevents.com/oktoberfest/

Helena Georgia Oktoberfest 52nd Annual

Thursday – Sunday

September 8th – October 30th