We’ll raise a stein to this one. The city’s biggest Oktoberfest celebration returns to Downtown Tampa this fall with the 17th annual Oktoberfest Tampa taking over Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park for a full weekend, October 30 – November 1. The festival was originally scheduled for the second weekend in October, but was rescheduled due to bad weather.
The three-day festival attracts thousands to the Riverwalk every year, as the festival grounds are filled with tents, kegs, meat and endless choruses of “Prost!” and “ein prosit” raining down. Single day GA, VIP and private table tickets are available now.
ADVERTISEMENT
The experience more closely mimics the real thing in Munich, compared to other Oktoberfest celebrations around the area. The family-style seating means you squeeze in wherever you can underneath a tent, while servers bring out stein after stein of traditional German beers and plates full of Bavarian fare.
In addition to food and drink, the festival features Bavarian games every day, from classic stein hoisting to hammer swings, keg rolling, grain bag tossing, and even a mustache competition. You’re welcome to sign up, though often it’s more fun to kick back with a dunkel and just watch it all unfold.
The festival has become popular enough that it’s actually up for a USA Today readers award for best Oktoberfest celebration in the country. Organizers work hard to make it as authentic as possible, and it shows in the results all weekend long.
GA tickets start at $10 and get you into the grounds for all the action, though the TPA VIP tent is an excellent deal with great food and free beer refills. If you have a big group, getting a private table with catered food is an attractive option, as well.
Learn more, get tickets, and check out all the details here.
