Wunder Garten’s 6th Oktoberfest Party
Now that we’ve made it past Labor Day, we’re fast approaching that time of year when there’s an Oktoberfest celebration happening in seemingly every other neighborhood, if not every other block. Many of these German-inspired festivals run all weekend long, over multiple weekends — and that is certainly the case with the 6th annual event launching next Friday, Sept. 18, at NoMa’s popular climate-controlled outdoor beer garden.
Over the course of five weekends, the focus will be on select German and German-style beers, from the classic Märzen-style brews from Bavarian breweries including Spaten, Franziskaner, and Hofbräuhaus, to special Oktoberfest concoctions from several of America’s leading craft breweries, including Devil’s Backbone, Port City Brewing, and Great Lakes Brewing. Options including beer tasting flights and one-liter pours in souvenir steins.
Food will be available from Caliburger, a Bavarian-style delicatessen, and La Buena Empanadas, plus a pig roast courtesy of local BBQ-favorite The Federalist Pig every Friday between 3 and 9 p.m. Meanwhile, Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. are dedicated to patrons’ canine companions via Dogtoberfest, where costumes are encouraged. Saturdays bring more costumes plus scheduled activities ranging from raffles to Steinholding contests to “other games suited for our socially distant environment.”
There are guidelines, however: mandated face masks, proper social distancing, groupings of six seated customers maximum, and cashless transactions. Oktoberfest runs weekends to Oct. 18. Tables for up to six are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, while cabanas for up to six can be rented in advance. Wunder Garten is at 1101 First St. NE. Visit www.wundergartendc.com.