Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest

[Cagiva650]

I left this message on the K-W's Oktoberfest website. I wonder if they have forgotten about beer altogether?

"I've searched your website but I can not find any reference to Bavarian or Oktoberfest beers being available at your "Oktoberfest". Beer is an important part of the Munich Oktoberfest but I find no mention of it on your website. With several wonderful breweries in the K-W area there must be some fine brews for this event? I am interested in attending this years Oktoberfest, My wife and I had a short visit several years ago and had fun and will be in the area again this year. Please tell me this is not the "Disneyland" version of Oktoberfest.

Frank McDonald
Torbay Newfoundland"

[Cagiva650]

A quick reply from the K-W Oktoberfest.



Frank,

Thank you for your interest in Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest.

We do serve beer in all of our Festhallen, located throughout the Kitchener-Waterloo region. Our major Sponsor is Molsons, so you are likely to find all Moslons products within our Festhallen. As well, some places serve Brick Beer from the Brewery here in Waterloo, and some serve Rickard's products. The only European beer we serve is Heineken. However, we do serve Schnapps and Jaggermeister, as well as a selection of other liquors.

While our primary service is Festhallen that serve beer, we prefer not to be known as simply a beer festival, as we do have many other activities that cater to all ages.

Please feel free to email with any other questions you may have.

Prost!

[JesseM]

Uh, sorry to burst any bubble you may have, but our "Oktoberfest" is a pretty bastardized, and North Americanized version of the real thing, riddled with moronic stereotypes of Germans. The most exciting part of our fest for me is always the Polka dancing. That's about it. Oh, and also the cheaper prices on stuff from Hans Haus (I have literally hundreds of Hacker-Pschorr coasters, that all together cost 3$). In terms of real beer, the Castle on King, literally a five minute drive from most of the festivities, always features a number of genuine Oktoberfest beers, which I can't wait to enjoy this year.

It has a lot to do with the beer-ignorance of KW (The Castle and the handful of craft breweries really don't infiltrate the minds of people in macro-assimilation-land), but also the stupid "family-friendly" approach to the whole fest. In reality, the real Oktoberfest could never be done a justice in North America, as people have so many pre-conceived notions on what is really "German", or more specifically Bavarian, and also our more conservative view on alcohol. If we can't even have legitimate beer gardens, we're never going to have anything close to the real Oktoberfest. People think throwing up some sausage stands, playing Polka music, dressing up in girdles and lederhosen, and drinking beer of any kind, after the sun goes down of course, is distinctly German. No one really cares that KW was settled by German farmers mainly from Prussia, not Bavaria, and Oktoberfest is almost purely a Bavarian thing, but try teaching any of that to the morons hopping around to watered down Polka, holding plastic beer cups with Molson logo's on them, and wearing cheap green hats. Nobody cares. Nobody wants to hear it. As long as the city is making money, it'll always be this way.

Personally, I still enjoy Oktoberfest. I just have to try my best to ignore all the faux-German aspects to it. Having the ability to Polka is key. The food tends to be really good, and they do a decent job of cleaning up the downtown core for the duration of the week. King and Benton, one of the main areas of the festival, is great to be around, because at any other part of the year it's inhabited by the homeless, semi-homeless, mentally fragile, single mothers I went to school with in grade 9, and generally the sort of people viewed as "unpleasant" (please don't interpret that as me looking down on them).

The strange thing though, is that people actually from Munich, Vienna, and other places in Europe, as far as Budapest, visit KW for our Oktoberfest. I'm not sure if they're just visiting to see some family, but they partake in the festival. I've always wondered how offended they might be by a lot of it.

[Tapsucker]

Ironically, if they just were honest and called it the Molson Frat Boy Party, they would probably attract more visitors, make more money and Molson would get a better return on their sponsorship by hitting their target audience square on.

I stumbled on an Oktoberfest kick off party in the Distillery District a few years back that, while small, was far more tasteful in both the entertainment and the beer. I wonder if those still go on?

[Malcolm]

The last time I went to the KW Octoberfest I got kicked out of some giant beer hall and told not to come back. I'm still honouring their wishes.

[Belgian]

The strange thing though, is that people actually from Munich, Vienna, and other places in Europe, as far as Budapest, visit KW for our Oktoberfest. I'm not sure if they're just visiting to see some family, but they partake in the festival. I've always wondered how offended they might be by a lot of it.

Appreciate your honest account of the "Kanaderfest." I have never set foot near the Kit-Loo, never mind this version of Oktoberfest. Sounds like they need to make this event more "authentic" but still it might be a lot of fun for its own sake.

As far as what Germans think, are they offended? Those traveling here may have an opinion that their beer, food & culture may be 'better" at home, yet they still really love to visit our quaint new land - and besides I think they are quietly tickled by ALL they see go on here, being the 'wordly' Euro-folk they are.

[JesseM]

I suppose you're right Belgian. They might just see it as a different take on their own fest, and in that sense can appreciate it, and not get offended. I've never seen anyone get upset at any of the festivities, so I wasn't suggesting that they do get offended.

"Kanaderfest", haha, that's actually a really good term for it. I think people here will stick to Oktoberfest though, they want to feel like they're really experiencing Bavarian culture.

I guess the only thing that puzzles me now, is why they would willingly miss out on the real Oktoberfest to come see ours, but being "worldly Euro-folk" as you say, it would just be a touristy thing to do, and they can enjoy the real Oktoberfest any year they like. Like I said, I generally enjoy the KW Oktoberfest, I'm able to put aside my resentments of MolBatts and just not take any of it too seriously.

[JesseM]

I'd also like to add that Walter Ostanek is never a bad guy to have around town! (he's the renowned Canadian Polka artist who's won a number of grammy's).

[Bytowner]

Uh, sorry to burst any bubble you may have, but our "Oktoberfest" is a pretty bastardized, and North Americanized version of the real thing, riddled with moronic stereotypes of Germans. The most exciting part of our fest for me is always the Polka dancing. That's about it. Oh, and also the cheaper prices on stuff from Hans Haus (I have literally hundreds of Hacker-Pschorr coasters, that all together cost 3$). In terms of real beer, the Castle on King, literally a five minute drive from most of the festivities, always features a number of genuine Oktoberfest beers, which I can't wait to enjoy this year.

It has a lot to do with the beer-ignorance of KW (The Castle and the handful of craft breweries really don't infiltrate the minds of people in macro-assimilation-land), but also the stupid "family-friendly" approach to the whole fest. In reality, the real Oktoberfest could never be done a justice in North America, as people have so many pre-conceived notions on what is really "German", or more specifically Bavarian, and also our more conservative view on alcohol. If we can't even have legitimate beer gardens, we're never going to have anything close to the real Oktoberfest. People think throwing up some sausage stands, playing Polka music, dressing up in girdles and lederhosen, and drinking beer of any kind, after the sun goes down of course, is distinctly German. No one really cares that KW was settled by German farmers mainly from Prussia, not Bavaria, and Oktoberfest is almost purely a Bavarian thing, but try teaching any of that to the morons hopping around to watered down Polka, holding plastic beer cups with Molson logo's on them, and wearing cheap green hats. Nobody cares. Nobody wants to hear it. As long as the city is making money, it'll always be this way.

Personally, I still enjoy Oktoberfest. I just have to try my best to ignore all the faux-German aspects to it. Having the ability to Polka is key. The food tends to be really good, and they do a decent job of cleaning up the downtown core for the duration of the week. King and Benton, one of the main areas of the festival, is great to be around, because at any other part of the year it's inhabited by the homeless, semi-homeless, mentally fragile, single mothers I went to school with in grade 9, and generally the sort of people viewed as "unpleasant" (please don't interpret that as me looking down on them).

The strange thing though, is that people actually from Munich, Vienna, and other places in Europe, as far as Budapest, visit KW for our Oktoberfest. I'm not sure if they're just visiting to see some family, but they partake in the festival. I've always wondered how offended they might be by a lot of it.

Um Jesse... have you been to the actual Oktoberfest? It is, well, a "pretty bastardized, and North Americanized version of the real thing, riddled with moronic stereotypes of Germans". In my experience, Germans revel in their stereotypes, they certainly aren't against putting on stupid clothes, getting ripped roaring drunk and eating sausages. The only difference is that the beer is, marginally, better.

[JesseM]

I'm sorry if this sound condescending, but I think I have a pretty solid idea of what KW's Oktoberfest is like.

That being said, you raise a good point, everyone loves to get smashed and Polka . Keep in mind a huge factor of the whole thing though is the beer, and the lack of knowledge in most people around here, not just of what fest beer is supposed to be, but of their own German heritage.

I'll admit my initial assessment of the whole thing in that first paragraph was a tad harsh.

[JesseM]

Sorry I was on my way out when I typed that. I also meant to add that once you've witnessed one of the 'Rocktoberfest', or even worse, 'hip-hoptoberfest' events that takes place annually, you start to resent them. You get a sense that a lot of people are just whoring out the Oktoberfest name to capitalize on it's popularity. Which makes sense business-wise, it just serves to degrade the over-all festival in my opinion. Like, seriously? Hip-hoptoberfest? Really? Come on.

[Bobbyok]

I'm sorry if this sound condescending, but I think I have a pretty solid idea of what KW's Oktoberfest is like.

I think Bytowner was referring to the real Oktoberfest in Germany, not the one in KW. Your post didn't really make it sound like you got his meaning. But I'll admit maybe I'm misreading yours.

[KwaiLo]

I lived in Waterloo for about 4 years before I moved to Cambridge 7 years ago, all of these years are above the age of majority.

I take Oktoberfest for what it is, and enjoy it as such. While the beer is a large part of the celebrations both in Germany, and here, that is not the only part. It is worth the trip to K-W to see, especially if it has you stay to see some of the rest of the area.

As well, Munich's starts September 20th this year, and K-W's starts October 10th, so you could easily check out both.

And I never mind seeing the Dirndls.

[Bytowner]

I think Bytowner was referring to the real Oktoberfest in Germany, not the one in KW. Your post didn't really make it sound like you got his meaning. But I'll admit maybe I'm misreading yours.

You are correct sir. Oktoberfest in Munich is a bit of a parody of itself, so no need to be too hard on Kitchener's fest. Although I agree that it's odd to hold a clone of a festival in which beer is the major focus and not actually make beer the focus of the festival. It's like putting on a wine show and not serving wine to make it "family friendly".

[Belgian]

I guess the only thing that puzzles me now, is why they would willingly miss out on the real Oktoberfest to come see ours, but being "worldly Euro-folk" as you say, it would just be a touristy thing to do, and they can enjoy the real Oktoberfest any year they like.

The real Oktoberfest is a huge corporate-style event.... it is no longer romantic or quaint in the slightest. Even as I seem to barely remember it 30 + years ago it had a definite character of cultural antiquity about it, a bit of spooky old-time Carnival charm. Times change & it got way too big to remain like that. Even my family in Bavaria who go every year acknowledge it has become sort of an expensive, over-hyped "obligation" every year, but they keep going out of fond tradition.

These 'Worldly Euro-Folk" (quoting you quoting me) - well they love to travel everywhere, that's the point. They don't qualify the value of their frequent travelling on how much a place is just like home, it's more like they just have a strong sense of pride in having seen all these new places.