Leavenworth Oktoberfest adds carousel, new beer and expanded family fun

LEAVENWORTH — After kicking off fall with the Autumn Leaf Festival, Leavenworth will roll straight into Oktoberfest, celebrating Oct. 3-4, 10-11, and 17-18.

Additions this year include a carousel at the Kinderplatz, a Bier Tent with more tap locations, and the addition of Hofbräu beer to the menu. Along with German imports, the menu will feature local selections from Icicle Brewing Company, Blewett Brewing Company, and Doghaus Brewery.

New this year, the Kinderplatz Carnival will not require admission to enter, and will also be open on the first two Sundays of October (Oct. 5 and 12, from noon to 4 p.m.). The Kinderplatz will be open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and noon to 9 p.m. on Saturdays. With the addition of a carousel, activities will include a root beer garden, free lawn games, face painting, a 62-foot Ferris wheel, and more. While entry is free, some carnival games and rides will have a fee.

According to the official Oktoberfest program, the Street Fair will include food and retail vendors such as hand sculpted steins made from horns from Bushel and Bee, Bavarian hats and accessories from The Hat Shop, traditional clothing from Moe’s Trachten Shop, and sweet treats from Der Snow Cave, to name a few.

For adults, games will be interspersed between music performances, from stein holding competitions to mustache showdowns, costume contests and pretzel tosses. This year’s lineup includes the return of S-Bahn for all three weekends, joined by West Coast Prost, German yodeler Michael Stoessl, and Austria’s Die Jungen Weststeirer. Fan favorites such as Manuela Horn, European Takeout, and the Aqua-Nets will also return, along with traditional acts including The Smilin’ Scandinavians, Ted Lunka Polka Band, AlpenFolk, and the Enzian Schuhplattler Dancers.

At 2 p.m. each Saturday, city staff and community members will gather at the Front Street Gazebo to tap the keg and cheer “O’zapft is!” meaning, “It’s tapped!” in German.

Free shuttles will run approximately every 30 minutes on Fridays and Saturdays during the festival, starting one hour before opening – 5 p.m. on Fridays and 11 a.m. on Saturdays – and ending at 12:15 a.m. The routes include Icicle Road, Sleeping Lady, Willkommen Park and Ride (behind Safeway), Ski Hill Drive, and more; passengers can wave to signal a stop. Event organizers suggest using Leavenworth Shuttle & Taxi for those in need of ADA accommodations, as the Oktoberfest shuttle is not ADA accessible.

More details on shuttle service, event schedules and tickets can be found on the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce’s website: leavenworth.org.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media