We spent a weekend in Cincinnati and planned to visit Kings Island’s Halloween Haunt and a few other spots, including the Sign Museum. However, we stumbled upon Oktoberfest and discovered it’s the biggest one outside of Munich. With that revelation, we decided to head to the festival for some German food and beer. We arrived early, around 11:30 a.m., just as the event opened, and were pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to park and walk to the festival grounds.
Oktoberfest was a vibrant scene, with numerous food tents, beer stands, and plenty of lively activity. We grabbed a couple of beers, priced around $9, which seemed reasonable for a festival. There was no entry fee, which was a nice bonus. As we wandered through, we sampled garlic mushrooms, goulash with spätzle, and some cabbage noodles, which were surprisingly spicy but delicious. There were food trucks, vendors selling unique hats and steins, and several live bands playing throughout the day.
Despite the heat—it was about 90°F—the atmosphere was fun and festive. We took in the sights, enjoyed the German-inspired dishes, and even struck up a conversation with a fellow festival-goer who, like us, was raving about the cabbage noodles. The festival had everything from pretzels to strudels, and we capped our visit with a half cheese strudel, which was flaky and sweet.
Overall, Oktoberfest in Cincinnati exceeded our expectations. The size and energy of the event were impressive, and while we only did one lap, it took us about an hour and a half to take it all in. With plenty of beer, food, and live entertainment, this event was definitely worth the spontaneous visit. Two thumbs up from us—if you’re ever in Cincinnati in September, be sure to check it out!
website: https://oktoberfestzinzinnati.com/
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