OKTOBERFEST 2017 IS HERE!
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 over 200 years!
Oktoberfest 2017 is here!
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 are added throughout during Oktoberfest!
View the 2017 slideshow! →
View the 2016 slideshow →
View the 2015 slideshow →
View the 2014 slideshow →
View the 2013 slideshow →
View the 2012 slideshow →
View the 2011 slideshow →
View the 2010 slideshow →
View the 2009 slideshow →
View the 2008 slideshow →
Oktoberfest 2017 Events!
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 foods and great German beer too!
So join in the fun this fall at the Black Forest Inn!
See below for details & schedule of events.
Grand Prize Drawing TBA!
2017 Schedule of events!
Day One: Prost! Night
Friday September 29, 2017
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 – 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 & Ron Kalman on horn and accordion
Hacker-Pschorr Night!Buy any Hacker-Pschorr beer and get a logo glass for $1 (while supplies last; one per customer)
Poster and Menu Cover Contest winner unveiled!
Get your picture taken with the giant pretzel!
Day Two: Tie the Knot Night
Saturday September 30, 2017
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 an atmosphere of love.**
**Seriously, you could have your wedding here. Call us. And don't forget to get your marriage license seven days in advance.
6:30 – 9:00 pm Live music!Black Walnut Stomp, a New Orleans style jazz trio!
All day weddings & vow renewals
7:00 pm The Wedding - yes! It's real!!
All day weddings & vow renewals
Ayinger Night!Buy an Ayinger Oktoberfest and get a logo stein or t-shirt for $1 (while supplies last; one per customer) (sadly, there aren't that many of them!)
Day Three: Is Your German Better Than a 5th Grader’s?
Sunday, October 1, 2017
The German language isn't that hard! It's pretty much phonetic and it's fun to speak. There are kids all over Germany who speak German! So you should be able to, also!
12:00 – 8:00 pm Practice your German! Be challenged by a 5th grader!
12:00 – 2:30 pm Live music!Dan Turpening on accordion!
6:30 – 9:00 pm Live music!Mark Stillman on accordion!
Kids from the Twin Cities German Immersion School will be here to school you in German. 20% of our food sales today will go to support the Amity Aid program at the Twin Cities German Immersion School. This program brings young German teachers here to work for up to a year with students in the Twin Cities.
Schell’s Night!Play Schells games and win Schells prizes!
Schells Prize drawing:Win Beer for a Year!
Day Four: The Wurst Night of Oktoberfest
Monday October 2, 2017
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 $16.00
Also included: Unterberg! (because you might need a digestiv after all that sausage goodness!)
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm The Brat Bar Is open!
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm Live Music!Mark Stillman on accordion!
Summit Night!Buy any Summit beer and get a logo pilsner glass for $1
Bring your tuba and get a free beer!Play your tuba and get a Summit hat and t-shirt!
Day Five: Reunification Day
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
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
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm Live Music!Dale and Samuel Dahmen on accordion and concertina!
Prizes!Win a piece of the Berlin Wall!
We pushed the tables together.Get it? We re-unified them.
Day Six: Yodeling Night
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
We're going crazy tonight, Alpine-style! Yo! Yo! Yo-de-lay-hee-hoo!
6:30 – 9:00 Live music!Yodeling and stuff with Eric Ray and Jim Strehlke of Alpensterne!
Yodeling karoke!
Beer yodels!!
Stiegl Night!Buy any Stiegl and get a ½ logo glass stein for $1!
Day Seven: Dumpling Night
Thursday, October 5, 2017
We're not taking any sides in any ongoing dumpling wars. There're all delicious to us! We'll have the best and the biggest, the fluffiest and the heartiest, a-meal-in-itself-ers and the dessert type dumplings. The Dumpling Appreciation Society meets here today!
6:30 – 9:00 pm Live music!TBA...
Dumplin’ Chunkin’!
Dumpling (food) specials!
Surly Night!Buy any size Surly Fest bier and get a logo mug for $1!
Win Surly prizes!
Day Eight: Grimm Night
Friday, October 6, 2017
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…
6:30 – 9:00 pm Live music!Andy McCormick on accordion!
Dry ice in the fountain!
Fair State Brewing Night!Buy a Fair State Fest beer and get a logo stein for $1!
Fair State samples & prizes!Win a brewery tour and other prizes!
Day Nine: Fake German Accent Night
Saturday October 7, 2017
It is what it is, people. You vill haf fun!
6:30 – 9:00 pm Live music!Pumpcorn, an accordion and trumpet duo!
6:00 – 9:30 pm Actors roaming around speaking in fake German accents
Paulaner Night!Buy any Paulaner beer and get a logo stein for $1 (while supplies last; one per customer)
Win prizes!We’re giving away a 5 Liter ceramic Paulaner mug! Wow!
Day Ten: Drain the Keg Night
Sunday October 8, 2017
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.
2:00 pm – 8:00 pm Price on ½ liters of beer drops 25¢ per hour
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Live music!Mark Stillman on accordion!
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Price on ½ liters of beer drops 50¢ per hour
Prizes for the person who ordered the beer that blew the keg!!
When the keg goes, the boot (or glass or t-shirt or mug) goes! There's 18 beers on tap, folks!
Congratulations to our 2016 Drawing winners!
Thanks to everyone who participated in last year's Oktoberfest!
See you again this year!