CARLSBAD — Oktoberfest season is back in North County, and Carlsbad and Encinitas, including the historic Olivenhain neighborhood, are raising steins for three straight weekends of German food, live music and family fun.
The first festival takes place from noon to 8 p.m. on Sept. 20 at the Carlsbad Strawberry Fields. Organizer Thomas K. Arnold said the move from the first week in October to late September was intended to align with the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.
Arnold added that, like in Munich, the event’s organizers, Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary and Rotary Club of Carlsbad, aim to make the festival a larger, family-friendly affair.
“Our whole goal is to make Oktoberfest as authentic as possible,” Arnold said. “We’re trying to bring the whole spirit of a big festival here to Carlsbad.”
The event, produced by Carlsbad’s two rotary clubs for the past 43 years, includes family activities such as a corn maze, along with a wide variety of food and drinks. A speakeasy hidden in the corn maze will debut this year, Arnold said.
The Big Lucky, a Los Angeles-based band, will perform traditional German brass tunes. Arnold emphasized that the event will offer much more than bratwursts and beer.
“This time everybody is involved,” he said.
Tickets are $15, with presale information available on the event website.
The following weekend, Sunday, Sept. 28, the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce will host its 29th annual Oktoberfest and Artisan Faire from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event will feature a dog costume contest, local craft beers, authentic German brews and more than 125 artisan vendors.
Carol Knight, community relations and membership director for the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce, said planning began in March.
“Each year it gets bigger and better,” Knight said. “I get really excited about Oktoberfest because it’s a great community event.”
She noted that the dog costume contest was inspired by visitors who had already been bringing dressed-up pets to the event. The festival, which has drawn more than 15,000 attendees in previous years, will be held on Mountain Vista Drive, between Wandering Road and Rambling Road. Admission is free. For more details, please visit the event website.
The final Oktoberfest of the season is set for Sunday, Oct. 5, at the Olivenhain Meeting Hall grounds. The band Our Song will perform a mix of German music and American pop standards, according to a press release.
Ticket prices vary by age and whether alcohol and food are included. Visitors who purchase tickets online will also receive a complimentary Munich-style pretzel from the San Diego Pretzel Company. Tickets are available on the event website.
