The 2011 Zenner’s Oktoberfest at Oaks Park takes place Friday through Sunday, September 23 through 25.
The authentic German beer and food (e.g. Zenner’s sausages, chicken schnitzel, braised red cabbage, sauerkraut, German Potato Salad, and Tater Tots!) is reasonably priced, and two festhallen and a multitude of outdoor picnic tables means there are plenty of places to sit down with your beers and friends.
Entertainment is provided by a multitude of polka-y bands, including Greg Meier, the Polkatones, Still Kickin’, the Country Dutchmen, Wisler Accordion, and more.
Compete in (or watch) contests like the pretzel toss, condiment art, chicken dance, and sausage eating contests, the Oktoberfest Bear Hug Race throughout the weekend.
In addition there’s a vendor village where you can buy lederhosen and dirndls, and plenty of stuff for the kids.
Admission is $5 for adults 16 to 61, $3 for 62 and over, and kids get in for $2. Friday the fest goes from 3pm-midnight (rides 6pm-10pm), Saturday, 11am-midnight (rides noon-10pm), and Sunday 11am-7pm (rides noon-7pm).
This is one of Heather‘s favorite Portland festivals, because of the weiner dog races of course. I’m especially fond of the beer and accordion music!
We usually attend on Friday night, which is usually rather laid back (it is Senior Excitement night at the fest after all). But it serves as a nice way to ease into a full weekend of festing (Saturday night we hit the Polish Festival, which unfortunately is always on the same weekend). To give you an idea of what to expect, check out our reviews from past years:
Heather’s:
Mine:
And here’s a weiner dog race video!
Weiner Dog Race! from Mile73 on Vimeo.
