Break out the lederhosen, steins and oompah music as the 12th annual Ocean Beach Oktoberfest is ready to roll Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7-8 in the coastal community.
Southern California’s wildest and only Oktoberfest party at the beach will feature live music, a beer garden, contests, a beer tasting and a $1,000 Sausage Toss competition.
Denise (Denny) Knox, executive director of Ocean Beach MainStreet Association (OBMA), the community’s Business Improvement District (BID), said the annual fundraiser benefits many organizations.
“All the people pouring beer are working for their own charities all geared towards youth sports,” said Knox adding, “The OB Community Foundation is raising funds for local youth sports with their OB Brat Trot. OB MainStreet is raising funds for beautification projects and maintenance projects in the commercial areas of Ocean Beach.”
Noting the BID is looking forward to the fall classic just like everyone else, Knox added, “This event is very popular and brings a lot of shoppers downtown. It’s the kind of event where you can pop in the beer garden to hear your favorite band, and then meet friends up and down the street. “And, since we allow re-entry to the beer garden, people can come and go as they please. Lots of people enter the various contests and really enjoy being near the beach for all the activities.”
Knox added Friday night’s bands are on the main stage in the beer garden while Saturday, in addition to the main stage in the beer garden, “the Seaside Stage will be on the grassy area along with our all-ages area full of merchandise booths and food booths.”
The two-day festival kicks off with live music in the beer garden at 4:20 p.m. Friday will also feature the festival debut of the OB Oktoberfest Band, a cross-pollination of musical cultures. Contests on Friday include stein holding, the balloon blow and the new “das booty flip” with a cash prize.
Saturday’s festivities will include a drill instructor workout on the beach at 8 a.m., the annual Brat Trot, a 2k family beach run at 9 a.m. and a 5k at 10 a.m. that ends at the beer garden. Registration is available at www.OBBratTrot.org.
Saturday’s fun also includes a free area with beachside food and craft vendors as well as an all-ages stage on the grassy area at the foot of Newport Avenue starting at 9 a.m. All-ages performances will include the traditional oompah band and local music artists.
The Saturday beer garden schedule is highlighted by a German brewfest tasting from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The event will feature unlimited tastings of 12 authentic Bavarian and homegrown Oktoberfest beers. The special tastings dubbed “Poured with Courage” tastings will be served by active and retired wounded service members on behalf of The Warrior Foundation Freedom Station, which will share in the proceeds. Tasting tickets are $30 and will be sold online at www.OBOktoberfest.com prior to the event and at the gate as long as they last.
Traditional bratwurst-eating, stein-holding contests and the outrageous balloon-blow, as well as the annual Ms. Oktoberfest competition, will also be held Saturday. Once again, participants will compete for cash prizes in the infamous, one-of-a kind Sausage Toss competition. A cash prize of $1,000 is guaranteed to the winner.
The event ends each night at 11 p.m.
Admission to the beer garden is $5 and supports the Ocean Beach community. Shuttles will run throughout both days from Pacific Beach and on Saturday from Pacific Beach and Normal Heights. The last shuttle will leave Ocean Beach at 11 p.m.
OB Oktoberfest is presented by Ocean Beach MainStreet Association, Hoy Hoy Boys and the Ocean Beach Community Foundation. Within the past decade, the OB Oktoberfest has raised more than $200,000 for local nonprofit organizations.
For tasting tickets and more information, visit OBOktoberfest.com. OB Oktoberfest
When: 4:20 to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7 and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8 in the pier parking lot in Ocean Beach.
What: 9 a.m. Brat Trot beach run; 3:45 p.m. Ms. Oktoberfest on Saturday.
Info: OBOktoberfest.com