INAUGURAL Loveland Oktoberfest on tap for this weekend

Chamber brewing up a fun fall kickoff this Friday-Saturday September 24-25

By Chuck Gibson  

LOVELAND, OH (September 22, 2021) – The idea for Loveland to host an Oktoberfest began brewing back in 2018, was digested and ready to be poured out for fall 2020, but COVID curtailed the foamy head. . . until now! The inaugural Loveland Oktoberfest is here this Friday-Saturday, September 24-25.

All the German heritage traditions will be featured in a fun-filled Oktoberfest weekend in, and around, Historic Downtown Loveland. A Biergarten, live music on stage, contests, a keg procession and plenty of German fare from all the local restaurants will be available. The Little Miami River Chamber Alliance (LMRCA), local businesses and sponsoring partners will transform downtown Loveland into a Bavarian style German festival for a couple days. Cee Cee Collins, LMRCA President says businesses, city leaders and the community are excited it’s finally here.

“We’re very excited about it,” said Collins. “People were coming up and saying why don’t we do Oktoberfest; I mean residents, business owners and some of our city staff and government. We’re so excited to finally do it.”

That was in 2018. By the end of 2019, Collins was ready to make it happen for 2020. We all know the rest of that story.  She says they’ve partnered with Warsteiner (the German beer) along with CancerFree Kids, local restaurants and other local businesses to bring Germany to Loveland for the weekend Oktoberfest.

“Warsteiner is bringing out the emporium,” Collins said. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s like a transformer, a little bigger than a food truck and then it just unfolds into this whole beer garden bar area. It looks really cool.”

The “Emporium” arrived Wednesday afternoon and is already set up near Nisbet Park. CancerFree Kids wanted to get involved and will ultimately benefit by receiving all the tips from the sales there. It is a fun element of bringing Germany alive for everyone in Loveland for two days. Collins credits a great committee for coming together with the community, the sponsors, and the city leaders to create a special brew of fun.

“The city was a big part of it, CancerFree Kids, Warsteiner; we all came together with the business owners and put the plan together,” Collins explained.

It all begins early in the day with some “family friendly” activities. A “wiener dog” race is scheduled for Saturday afternoon (4:30 p.m. Nisbet Park). Collins says there’s been a lot of interest in that. All you have to do is show up with your wiener dog (Dachsund) to race – no pre-registration is necessary.

“The dogs will race from point A to point B,” said Collins. “We’re going to time them and there will be prizes. It’s really pretty simple, but we’re going to have some fun with that.”

The plan is to get the party started at 4 p.m. Friday with the opening of the Biergarten and the Stein Slide. Live music is on the Main Stage (Set up near Nisbet Park) at 6:30 Friday with Counting Skeletons. There will be performers from Premier Dance & Tumbling doing a variety of acts including German performance.

“We’re all adapting to our German heritage as this grows,” Collins said. “We’re all going to be Germans for a couple days.”

There will be cloggers performing. Saturday evening will feature the Zinzinnati Bier Band live on stage 6-10 p.m. They are fresh off performing at the Cincinnati Oktoberfest just last weekend. In keeping with the German tradition, another highlight event will have Loveland Mayor Kathy Bailey helping to lead the ceremonial Keg procession and tapping of the keg Saturday at 5:30.

“We’re going to have a keg procession,” said Collins. “Not very far, but we’d love everybody to join us. We’ll meet next to Paxton’s. We have an official Warsteiner Keg the Mayor of the City and Chamber President will help process over to the main stage by Nisbet Park.”

Once there, Loveland resident and Cincinnati TV personality Randi Rico will talk everyone through the keg tapping.

“We are very excited that LMRCA agreed to take on this event,” said Mayor Kathy Bailey. “It will be a wonderful addition to all the other events we offer the community.”

Next up on Saturday will be the finals of the Stein Hoist competition which will begin with preliminary rounds held in the local bars and restaurants Friday at 6:30. Each of the competing bars and restaurants will have up to six competitors hoisting an authentic Warsteiner Stein with 14-16 ounces of beer, holding their arms straight out in front of them for as long as they can. That is already shaping up to be very competitive contest among local bar owners boasting they have the best “Stein Hoister”.

“Friday we have the preliminaries in about 12 different locations with up to six people doing the Stein Hoist contest.” Collins explained. “They’ll get t-shirts, they’ll get beer, and Warsteiner Steins just for participating. “The winner goes on to the Saturday evening finals. The Works thinks they have the winner. Paxton’s thinks they do. I think I spotted the winner at Ramsey’s.”

Collins says she saw a young man there and told Ramsey’s manager better get that guy. Randi Rico will emcee the Stein Hoist final on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Everyone will want to be there for that. At the same time, Collins wanted to emphasize the earlier portion of each day will provide for some real family friendly activities for the kids. There will be face-painting and a variety of other family friendly activities along the Jackson Street walkway. The inaugural Loveland Octoberfest promises to be fun for everyone and Das Gut for Loveland. There will be a FREE shuttle Saturday only from LECC parking lot. Come on down and tap into all the fun. 

“We’ll have everything from schnitzel to strudel, to sauerkraut balls; we’ve got a whole variety,” Collins said. “We’re all getting in the spirit of it. People just need to come down enjoy the food, enjoy the beverages, and enjoy the live entertainment.”

LOVELAND OKTOBERFEST – Fri-Sat, September 24-25

Friday: 4-10 p.m. Live music, Stein Hoist preliminaries. Lederhosen Contest at Bishop’s Quarter

Saturday: 4-11 p.m. Wiener Dog Race, Live entertainment, Live music, Ceremonial Keg Procession and Keg tapping. Local TV personality Randi Rico will emcee the Stein Hoist Finals.

CLICK HERE for complete Oktoberfest schedule from the LMRCA

NOTE: A complete list of the German fare available from the restaurants can be found on the LMRCA Facebook page.