The history of Oktoberfest dates back over 200 years to the 1810 wedding celebration of Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in Munich.
The following year, the Bavarian Agricultural Association decided to continue the festival, marking the beginning of a tradition. In 1818, the event got crazy with the addition of a merry-go-round and swing sets. Chickens, a Ferris wheel and electricity followed over the years, contributing to making the Munich Oktoberfest the biggest party on planet Earth.
My father, the child of German immigrants, found something sentimental and captivating in local Oktoberfests here in Southern California. Much of my boyhood Septembers and Octobers were spent sitting in beer gardens, listening to polkas and waiting patiently for my father to finish his cultural reminiscing. As a result, my lifelong involvement in Oktoberfests was imprinted early on in life.
When Van Nuys Busch Gardens closed its doors in 1979, my father focused on festivities closer to our new home. Luckily, in the early ’80s, the Carlsbad Oktoberfest began. It’s 43 years later, and the Carlsbad Oktoberfest is bigger than ever.
The San Diego beer industry celebrates Oktoberfest in various traditional and unique ways.
To kick off the season, the Carlsbad Rotarians hold Carlsbad Oktoberfest on Sept. 20. Thomas Arnold, Carlsbad Oktoberfest chair, promises “a focus on authenticity for this year’s event.”
Taking place underneath a massive tent, the Carlsbad Oktoberfest will serve imported German beers, specialty foods, and offer games, music and fun for all ages. Pro tip: A speakeasy will be hidden in the corn maze if you’re brave enough to look for it.
The 52nd annual La Mesa Oktoberfest — the Großvater of San Diego Oktoberfests — runs Oct. 3-5. It’s an event not to be missed by the Oktoberfest enthusiast. Part of the three-day event includes the Dackledorf Dachshund Village (so furry friends can celebrate too).
Here in North County, we have many more Oktoberfest-related activities, events and beers to enjoy. In fact, we show up at the party early.
On Sept. 2, Karl Strauss released its annual Oktoberfest Marzen Lager for the 37th year in a row. “Our German roots are represented in this true-to-style icon, and we can’t wait to raise a stein full of this beloved beer and start the party this Oktoberfest season,” Brew Master Paul Segura said via press release; $15 stein and fill with same-day $6 refills show the Karl Strauss team takes the starting early seriously.
Burgeon Beer Company and Mother Earth also get an early start with their Sept. 13 festivities. All Burgeon locations will celebrate with new beer releases, costume contests, music and games all day. They’ve brewed a special release, medium-bodied, slightly floral and herbal festbier for the event.
Mother Earth is also serving an authentic German lager, but has Cali-Screamin, their seasonal pumpkin vanilla cream ale, available already.
Cody Gagnon, owner and head brewer of Michi Brewing in San Marcos, is making a festbier so true to style that he’s even crafted the water profile to match the water used in Munich.
Blue Fire Brewing in San Marcos collaborated with the I Like Beer team to brew a specialty beer for Oktoberfest.
“We are harkening into the ye-olde days when malts were made over an open wood fire and the resulting beer would be smoky,” head brewer Tommy Gordon said. “This is a style that hails from Bamberg, Germany, and we sourced our barley and hops from Bamberg for this beer.”
The Blue Fire-ILB Rauchbier will be released with a live podcast and name-the-beer event. “The smell reminded me of a bag of Lays BBQ chips when we were kids,” said Jeff Riccitelli, co-host of ILB, who was hands-on during the whole process. Come out and join us for this delicious but hard-to-find beer style on Sept. 26, 5-7 p.m. at Blue Fire Brewing.
Pure Project has its Ledgebier, a Vienna lager, available now. Specialty Steins will be available on Sept. 19, and on Oct. 2, they will host a soft pretzel class at the Vista location.
Booze Bros will also celebrate on Oct. 2 with specialty 32-ounce steins, music and food specials including brats and a Helles Lager.
The Brewers Taproom in Encinitas serves two Oktoberfest beers (along with an exceptional lineup of other beers). Manager Travis Hudson sets up two kegs – one a traditional German import and the other a local Oktoberfest offering. At that point, the race is on to see which keg kicks first.
Also in Encinitas, the annual Oktoberfest & Artisan Faire returns for a 29th year on Sept. 28.
To finish the long Oktoberfest run, the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotarians will host their 14th annual Rancho Beernardo on Oct. 11. While not strictly an Oktoberfest, Beernardo has all the requisites: beer, music and good cheer.
For more information on the Carlsbad, La Mesa and Encinitas Oktoberfests and Rancho Beernardo, visit their websites. Our local breweries and taprooms frequently post events and beer releases on their social media pages.
Prost!
Jeff Spanier is the co-host of I Like Beer the Podcast. Follow Spanier’s adventures on Instagram @ilikebeerthepodcast.
