By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com San Diego Blogger
Ein Prost!
It’s Oktoberfest time around the world and in San Diego there’s two big festivals that will have you thinking you’re in Munich.
Well, maybe not quite, but close enough.
There are two major festivals in San Diego, one taking place over two weekends and another just one the first of October. At each, you can drink beer out large steins, listen to oompha bands and do the chicken dance.
El Cajon Oktoberfest
Put on by the German American Societies of San Diego, it is two weekends, Sept. 27-19 and Oct. 4-6.. The hours are 4-10 on Fridays, Noon-10 on Saturdays and Noon-9 on Sundays.
It features an oompha band brought in from Germany, lots of German beers and raffle drawings with the grand prize being a trip for two to Germany.
The cost is $15 ($5 on Sundays) and beers are $8.
The address is: 1017 S Mollison Ave, El Cajon
Website: Oktoberfest 2021!
La Mesa Oktoberfest
This fun of this event is packed into a single weekend, Oct. 4-6. Billed as San Diego’s largest Oktoberfest celebration, it is in La Mesa Village (right at a trolly station) and it’s a full-on Germany-style party.
There are three stages with bands ranging from oompa to rock covers, a DJ and enough chicken dancing to have you swinging in circles. It is free to enter, tho there is an $8 charge to get into the three – yes three – beer gardens. New this year is a sit-down Munich-inspired Bier Hall. There are also VIP options, $15, $30 with two beer tickets and $39 & $45 for beer stein and a then chicken or alpine hat.
La Mesa Oktoberfest Dates & Hours
• Friday, October 4: -10 p.m.
• Saturday, October 5, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Sunday, October 6: Noon-8 p.m.
Address: 8273 La Mesa Blvd.
Website: lamesaoktoberfest.org
San Diego East Village Oktoberfest
This is the eighth time that Quartyard and the East Village Association have combined to host Oktoberfest. The 2024 date is Saturday, Oct. 5 and it goest from Noon-6 p.m.
Taking place at Quartyard, the East Village Oktoberfest is a kind of German/Mexican (hey it’s San Diego!) hybrid Oktoberfesrt celebration. The cost is
Participating breweries are Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Ketch Brewing, Mother Earth Brew Co, Stone Brewing Co, Fall Brewing Company, Enegren (Classic Style Lager & Ales), Societe Brewing Company and Knotty Brewing
Music is from LA’s All-Women Top Bavarian Party Band, LADYHOSEN, Cover Band Experience by Alicia The Band (Rock, Cumbia, Ska, Reggae) with a mega mix by DJ Boogie Blanco.
Participating eateries are El Comal, TNT Pizza and Nava Sausage.
Tickets cost between $10-$25 and VIP tickets are $60 (plus the usual service fee, of course). Tickets can be purchased here.
Those images are from the event’s official websites. PubClub has not yet been to either to take our own photos.
You should research your images before you post them. One of them is from another Oktoberfest in Lake Arrowhead and the stage image is from years past when a real production company ran the event.