Black Forest Inn, Minneapolis MN

OKTOBERFEST 2013!

Oktoberfest began as a wedding celebration. In the fall of 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria was married. The celebration continued for two weeks and the idea of it has lasted for almost 200 years!

Oktoberfest 2013 is happening right now!
Join in the fun! See your friends, neighbors - maybe even you!

See some of the fun we've had during Oktoberfest over the past few years!
Watch this space - new photos will be added throughout during Oktoberfest 2013!

View the 2013 slideshow →

View the 2012 slideshow →

View the 2011 slideshow →

View the 2010 slideshow →

View the 2009 slideshow →

View the 2008 slideshow →

2013 Oktoberfest Events
(as of 9/5/13)

While most people associate Oktoberfest with lots of beer drinking, it's always been a carnival-like celebration in Germany.

There are rides and games, and Munich holds the annual poster contest (an idea we've borrowed!)

Oktoberfest menu cover contest
» view contest guidelines

» see the previous winners!

The foods that you will see on every corner at Oktoberfest include Roast or Rotisserie Chicken, Pretzels and, of course, sausages. We've got all those food and great German beer too! (check back for Oktoberfest food specials menu)

» Take a look at our Oktoberfest food specials menu!

So join in the fun this fall at the Black Forest Inn! Festivities include: Grimm Night! Silent movies! Krautrock! Wagner Night! Celebrity keg tapper! Tubas! Deep fried stuff! Prizes!

» See below for details & schedule of events.

Day One: Prost! Night
Friday September 27, 2013
The best way to start Oktoberfest is with a toast! Celebrate fall, beer, and each other with a toast. We'll have some for you to read, or make up your own. Standing up to toast is encouraged. Speaking from the heart is essential. Rhyming is optional. Prizes will be awarded for exceptional toasts.
6:00 – 8:00 pm Samples of Berentzen liqueurs, Apple, Pear and Cherry
6:00 – 7:30 pm Live music!Alphorns! The Matterhorn Trio will play outside in our beer garden
7:30 pm Ceremonial Keg Tapping & restaurant-wide toast
7:30 – 9:30 pm Toasting!
7:30 – 9:30 pm Live music!Jim ten Bensel on horns and Denny Malmberg on accordion

Paulaner Night!Glassware and prizes!
Poster and Menu Cover Contest winner unveiled.
Get your picture taken with the giant pretzel!

Oktoberfest 2008

Day Two: Strongman Night
Saturday September 28, 2013
We challenge you to a test of strength! Our strongmen are ready to face all competition. What kind of circus is this? It's our kind of circus. Feats of strength! Sideshow acts! Beer!
6:00 – 9:00 pm Our team of strongmen perform feats of strength! They will challenge you to competitions like the Masskrugstammung!* You could win prizes!
[*In the Masskrugstammung contest, competitors each hold a full liter (a masskrug) of beer at shoulder height, straight out in front of you. The first to bend the elbow or let the arm drop loses.]
6:30 – 9:00 pm Live Music!Jim ten Bensel on horns and Denny Malmberg on accordion

Hacker-Pschorr Night!Win Hacker Pschorr beer! Win Hacker Pschorr prizes!
If you can beat one of our strongmen in a contest of strength, you win a fabulous prize!

Day Three: Angela Merkel Night
Sunday September 29, 2013
Austerity is the new black! Join us in celebrating Germany's answer to the Iron Lady. She may not be able to keep a coalition government together but she has such a practical haircut. Wear your best tweed suit!

10:30am – 2:30 pm Form your own austerity plan; expect others to follow it.
2:30 – 6:00 pm Survive challenges from twelve rival political parties.
6:00 – 8:30 pm Endure short stint as EU chair
8:30 – Midnight Form coalition government and struggle to hold it together.

Köstritzer Night!Buy a mug of Köstritzer and you will get a mug of Köstritzer. It could be worse.
Angela Merkel souvenirs giveaway!
Handy tips for celebrating Angela Merkel!

Day Four: The Wurst Night of Oktoberfest
Monday September 30, 2013
We'll celebrate sausages with sausage specials, mustards galore and fantastic sausage-enhancing condiments. Order the "brat bar" and choose your sausages and sides. Swim in sauerkraut. Pile your plate with pickles. Relish some relish. You deserve our best. We'll give you our wurst.

Brat bar includes: Handmade bratwurst, Handmade chicken curry sausage, Weisswurst, Polish sausage, celery relish, fried peppers, fried onions, sauerkraut, homemade Bavarian Sweet mustard, Maple mustard, Horseradish sauerkraut sauce, Curry ketchup, rye bread, potato salad, red cabbage and pickles. All that sausage goodness for $15.00

5:00 pm – 10:00 pmThe Brat Bar Is open!

6:30 pm – 9:00 pm Live Music! Mark Stillman on accordion

Grain Belt Night!Buy any Grain Belt and get a logo pint glass free (while supplies last!)
Also, enter the drawing for a Grain Belt prize package!

Day Five: Tuba Tuesday – Local Brew Night
Tuesday October 1, 2013

If we were in Germany right now, we wouldn't be drinking imported beer, we'd be drinking German beer, which is to say, local beer. So, tonight we drink local! And nothing says drinking like tubas.

6:30 pm – 9:00 pm Live Music! Dan Turpening on accordion
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Local beer trivia! Win a Surly Donut from Glam Dolls! All day tuba promotion.
All day local beer promotion.
All day fun (it stands to reason)

Random pint glass giveaways
Possible spontaneous bursts of tuba playing.
Bring in your tuba for a free beer. Tubas are big, so we'll give you a big beer to go with it.

Day Six: Grimm Night
Wednesday October 2, 2013
In our Forest, we've got food & beer. In other forests, magic and mystery lurk. Join us for a celebration of creatures and cures, of witches to watch out for and the monster within us. Don't forget to leave a trail of breadcrumbs so you can find your way home again…

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Samples of Schwartz Hog, a premium herbal liqueur

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Grimm stories, told at your table (by request)
6:30 pm– 9:00 pm Live Music!Dreamland Faces, an accordion and saw duo

Millstream Night!Buy any size Millstream Oktoberfest and get a pint glass free!

Dry ice in the fountain!

Day Seven: Reunification Day
Thursday October 3, 2013
This is a real German holiday – celebrating the return to one unified Germany. In honor of Reunification Day, we are helping foster other, smaller reunifications. We'll have cards and envelopes for you to address to a long lost relative, an old friend, a seldom seen neighbor or anyone else. The card says "Let's Reunify!" and enclosed is a five dollar gift certificate to the Black Forest Inn, good for one year. Plenty of time to plan your own reunification!

All day! Reunification cards available

6:00 – 8:00 pm Samples of Schwartz Hog, a premium herbal liqueur

6:30 – 9:00 Live Music!Eric Ray on accordion

Schells Night!
Prizes! Win a piece of the Berlin Wall!
We pushed the tables together. Get it? We re-unified them.

Day Eight: Schlager Night
Friday October 4, 2013
Schlager is German for "hits" and we have them for you. Uh-oh, der Kommisar's in town! German music went top 40 in the '80s and we are totally going to release 99 Red Balloons.

6:00 – 8:00 Samples of Berentzen liqueurs, Apple, Pear and Cherry
6:30 – 9:00 pm Live music!Horn player Jim ten Bensel and accordionist Mark Stillman perform hits from the '80s. Yeah, that’s right. Don't just Rock Me Amadeus, Rock Me Amadeus on the accordion and tuba!

7:30 pm Balloon release (don't worry, we're releasing 99 biodegradable red balloons!)
8:00 – Midnight Zodiak Berlin spins Krautrock in the banquet space!

Big hair.

Day Nine: Tie the Knot Night
Saturday October 5, 2013
As you know, originally, Oktoberfest was a wedding celebration. So we're going back to its roots and honoring the original Oktoberfest tonight. Get married! Renew your vows! Celebrate your anniversary! We have all the fixin's: ministers, flowers, bridesmaids, wedding cake, and a giant pretzel.**

7:00 pm – 9:30 pm Live music!Dreamland Faces, an accordion and saw duo
All day weddings

Summit Night!Enter the prize drawing for a Summit prize package (a sweatshirt, a hat, a case of beer and some glasses)!

**Seriously, you could have your wedding here. Call us. And don’t forget to get your marriage license seven days in advance.

Day Ten: Drain the Keg Night
Sunday October 6, 2013
We don't want to lug any barrels home with us after the party, so we're going to start dropping the price of beer at 2 pm and keep dropping it until the beer is gone. Seriously.

Um, besides the beer…? What else is there?

2:00 pm – 8:00 pm Price on ½ liters of beer drops $0.25 per hour
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Price on ½ liters of beer drops $0.50 per hour

6:00 pm– 8:30 pm Live music!Mark Stillman on accordion

Congratulations to our 2012 Drawing winners!

Thanks to everyone who participated in last year's Oktoberfest!
See you again this year!