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. 30-Oct. 2 and Oct. 7-9. 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 $10 ($5 on Sundays) and beers are $7.
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, Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Billed as San Diego’s largest Oktoberfest celebration, it is in Le Mesa Village (right by 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 a $5 fee to get into the three – yes three – beer gardens. New this year is a sit-down Munich-inspired Bier Hall.
The event runs from 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Address: 8273 La Mesa Blvd.
Website: lamesaoktoberfest.org
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.
Those images are from the event’s official websites. PubClub has not yet been to either to take our own photos.