Oktoberfest Zinzinnati USA 2024

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati USA 2024

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is traditionally the nation’s largest Oktoberfest and the second largest in the world to the original Oktoberfest in Munich.

• Visiting for the Oktoberfest? Stay close to downtown and all the festival celebrations at the Lytle Park Hotel, rated “Superb” by guests with a stunning rooftop bar, modern gym, spacious rooms and impressive decor.

The Festival

• The event showcases the rich German heritage of Southwestern Ohio, as well as tasty samples of German-style music, food and beer. First held in 1976, the event has grown to be North America’s largest Oktoberfest with over 500,000 people attending each year.
• The Oktoberfest takes place on  6 blocks of Fifth Street; from Race Street to Broadway in Downtown Zinzinnati. The event attracts more than 500,000 people and host 7 different stages with live shows and performances. It is a truly authentic german festival complete with traditional food and fun rides.

Festival Hours

• Thursday,  5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
• Friday,  11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
• Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
• Sunday,  11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

The Events

Part of what makes Oktoberfest Zinzinnati so great are all of the crazy, uniquely Cincy events going on during the festivities.

• The Running of the Wieners
  Friday,  at 11 a.m. Freedom Way between Walnut and Rosa Parks.
  Watch dozens of dachshunds dressed as hot dogs run in heats of 10 to their owners, with one lucky pooch to be named “King of the Wiener Dogs.”
• The Gemuetlichkeit Games
  Friday,  12 p.m. on Freedom Way between Walnut and Rosa Parks.
  Watch the beer stein race and the beer barrel roll challenge.
• The Opening Ceremonies
  Saturday,  at 11:30 a.m. on the Main Stage, 2nd and Elm.
  The official opening ceremonies where Sam Adams founder Jim Koch will be tapping the keg.
• World Brat Eating Championship
  Sunday, at 2 p.m. at the Braxton Fass Bar Stage, 3rd & Walnut
  The World champion eater, defends his crown as these weapons of mass digestion show Zinzinnati the true meaning of intestinal fortitude!
• World’s Largest Chicken Dance
  Sunday,  12 p.m. on The Main Stage at 2nd and Elm.
  One of the ways this celebration distinguishes itself from the others is the chicken dance – thousands of dancers have congregated every year since 1994 when Zinzinnatians set the record for the largest Chicken Dance in the world. This year, it’ll be lead by Thane Maynard from the Cincinnati Zoo.

The Food

When thinking about what you should eat, keep these numbers in mind from the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. At the last Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, people ate…

• 87,542 metts, 80,500 bratwurst, 64,000 sauerkraut balls, 56,250 sausages, 24,649 potato pancakes, 23,004 soft pretzels, 20,000 cream puffs, 16,002 strudel, 6,000 jumbo pickles, 3,600 lbs. of sauerkraut, 1,875 lbs. German potato salad, 702 lbs. Limburger cheese, 700 pigtails, 400 pickled pigs feet.

The Beer

There will be plenty of Marzen on tap as many of Cincy’s best breweries, and many great out-of-town breweries, bring in their trucks to serve the masses. If you’re a fan of the Oktoberfest style lager, don’t miss out on some of the hard to find versions. As always, drink responsibly and make sure you’ve got a ride home if you need one.

Where to stay during Oktoberfest in Cincinnati

The following hotels are close to the city’s top attractions and a short ride to the Oktoberfest events:

Kinley Cincinnati,  21c Museum Hotel,  The Lytle Park Hotel,   XV Beacon Hotel