Oktoberfest celebrations bring taste of Bavaria to Las Vegas
About three weeks remain in October, with four big Oktoberfest events in Las Vegas. Here are the highlights. Prost!
Downtown Container Park
From 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 15, Container Park’s autumnal beer walk returns, sponsored by Samuel Adams.
The event features bottomless Oktoberfest beers from local and regional breweries; Jäger Girls offering free samples of the new Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee liqueur; stein hoisting competitions with gifts and prizes; live entertainment from Oompoporama, a local German party band; a seasonal photo booth on the lawn; and the Container Park’s bars and restaurants.
Must be 21 and older to attend. Purchase $35 tickets at bit.ly/ContainerOktober. Container Park is at 707 E. Fremont St.
Hofbräuhaus
Hofbräuhaus kicked off its 18th annual Oktoberfest celebration Sept. 9 with Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman tapping the first keg, following the tradition of the mayor of Munich tapping the first keg to launch the annual Oktoberfest in that city.
Hofbräuhaus Oktoberfest runs through Oct. 31. Every Friday and Saturday during the event, a celebrity guest will tap the keg to inaugurate the festivities that evening. Among the tappers ahead are singer Sarah Hester Ross, famed Vegas drag queens Larry Edwards (Hot Chocolate) and Roxy Brooks, “Fantasy” burlesque performers and singer Frankie Moreno.
During Oktoberfest, folks can sample the Oktoberfestbier served at the festival in Munich. Hofbräuhaus imports the full-bodied lager from the same batches brewed for the Oktoberfest tent in the Bavarian capital. The Oktoberfest menu offers daily specials to pair with Hofbräuhaus brews:
■ Monday: Biergulasch — Beef braised in goulash spices and dark beer.
■ Tuesday: Braumeister’s Schweinebraten — Pork roast with creamy Brussels sprouts and roasted Yukon potatoes.
■ Wednesday: Jägerhackbraten — German meatloaf topped with creamy mushroom sauce.
■ Thursday: Räucherplatte — Various smoked Bavarian meats and sausages.
■ Friday: Rouladen — Braised beef roll with bacon, onions and pickles.
■ Saturday: Schweinshaxe — Crisp pork shank.
■ Sunday: Schmankerl Tower — Bavarian meat or poultry specialties served in three tiers.
New this year, Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas is offering guaranteed seating in the main hall with its Oktoberfest VIP package featuring a table for either eight or 10, with the price used as a food and beverage credit toward the bill. Single VIP tickets feature prime family-style seating in the main hall, with the price paid used as a food and beverage credit.
Hofbräuhaus is at 4510 Paradise Road. Details/reservations: hofbrauhauslasvegas.com/oktoberfest.
Mount Charleston Lodge
Pine Dining, the pop-up dinner series at Mount Charleston Lodge, will host two Oktoberfest experiences on Oct. 15 and 16, with seatings from noon to 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 6 p.m. each day. The event features an Oktoberfest buffet, beer from local Ellis Island Brewery, music, and stein holding and pretzel eating contests. As always, the views are pitcher perfect.
Purchase $85 tickets at mtcharlestonlodge.com/pinedining. Mount Charleston cabins may be booked at mtcharlestonlodge.com. Parking is limited; carpooling is recommended.
Yard House
Through Oct. 23, all three Yard House locations in Vegas are celebrating Oktoberfest with their standard selections of craft and imported beers on tap, as well as pours of Give ’Em Helles Lager (house beer for Yard House), Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest-Marzen, Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier, Sam Adams Octoberfest and Weihenstephaner Festbier.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ItsJLW on Twitter.