Oktoberfest: bigger and brew-ier than ever
People hold out their mugs to catch beer during a previous Oktoberfest celebration in Coeur d'Alene.
Oktoberfest returns to downtown Coeur d'Alene from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and noon to 8 p.m. Saturday.
This year's festivities will feature three biergartens, six live music acts and a variety of Oktoberfest-themed games and activities. Sixteen participating businesses will contribute food samples, beverages and themed decor to help bring the festival to life.
“Oktoberfest is such a fun staple event in the fall,” said Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association Marketing Coordinator Mackenzie Macomber. “We've worked hard to bring a lot more to the event this year.”
The Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association is adding a third biergarten this year, Brauer's Biergarten, which will host local breweries including Outpost, Trails End and Vantage Point Brewing. Brauer's Biergarten will be located at 417 E. Sherman Ave.
The other two biergarten locations are the No-Li Biergarten at Rotary Centennial Park and the Bier Haus Prostgarten at the corner of Lakeside Avenue and Fifth Street.
Live music acts this year include Oskar and the Spins, Laketown Sound and the Heather King Band. Traditional activities such as the Tapping of the Keg, Steinholding Contest and Best Dressed Contest will return, along with the new Pretzel Toss Competition, debuting at 1 p.m. Saturday at the No-Li Biergarten.
According to Macomber, the Downtown Association typically sees about 1,800 people at Oktoberfest but expects that number to increase to about 2,000 this year.
“We're really trying to get some foot traffic into participating businesses,” Macomber said. “It's our mission as an organization to support these businesses.”