Oktoberfest in Fargo-Moorhead

By Chris Larson

cjlarson75@gmail.com

Of course we can count on Wurst Bier Hall to bring a 207-year-old traditional German celebration to the local community. Just like with their oft-celebrated food and beer menu, they bring a heavy dose of heritage and tradition to this once-a-year celebration of German food and beer by beginning the festivities on the third Saturday in September and running them through the first Saturday in October.

Unlike the celebrations in the motherland, which are traditionally held in the meadow of Therese in the centre of Munich, the Wurst Bier Hall will be celebrating in the Alleyway off 6th street and 1st Avenue in downtown Fargo on Fridays and Saturdays through October 1st.

If you are looking for traditional food like that served at the parties in Germany, Wurst’s menu always features traditional German foods like sausages, dumplings, and cured ham which should all pair quite well with your favorite Oktoberfest brew. They will also be grilling up fresh pretzels outside in the alley.

If you can’t find your favorite Oktoberfest beer on tap at Wurst during their 3 week Oktoberfest push, it probably won’t be available in our local market. In addition to the great lineup that includes “fest” beers from Paulaner, Hacker Pschorr, Drekker, and more, they will have three special Oktoberfest casks scheduled to be tapped on each Saturday of the ‘fest.

September 17th they will tap the Schell’s cask, a traditional German marzen brought to you by Minnesota folks with strong German roots. On September 24th, they will crack into the German brewery Hofbrau’s cask, and on the last day of the fest, October 1st, you can get a cask-conditioned pint of O’Fest from Fargo Brewing Company.

What we most commonly call Oktoberfest beers are almost always Marzens, a seasonal beer with a history that explains the reason for the Oktoberfest season. Historically this style was brewed in March (März in German is "March") using a special recipe that would allow the beer to resist spoiling while the brewing of new beer was forbidden between the end of April and the end of September.

According to Aaron Hill of Fargo Brewing Company, before refrigeration was invented the addition of slow-fermentation yeast and the cellaring of the beer in the summer months made it possible for this style to be brewed in March and still drinkable at the end of September. A style born from environmental restrictions, this beer was coveted throughout the summer months and any remaining beer was brought to the Oktoberfest in late September and shared with friends and family.

Before the recent surge in pumpkin-flavored beers in the fall, Oktoberfest/Marzen beers arriving in local liquor stores and on tap at your local watering hole was the ultimate sign that summer had ended and a sure sign of a change to cooler days and colder nights.

Aaron might also suggest you give out a strong tradition German cheer of “Prost!” when drinking an Oktoberfest beer like Fargo’s O’Fest. You can try their Saaz dry hopped version of O’Fest to close out the festival on October 1st.

Food and beer aren’t the only traditional Bavarian party offerings that Wurst will be serving up at their Oktoberfest celebrations. A variety of games and feats of strength will be occurring throughout the weekends including stein hoisting contests, the ever popular Das Boot and the nail driving challenge of the Hammerschlagen.

Stein hoisting participants on October 1st can qualify for a free three-day trip to Las Vegas to compete in the national Sam Adams Stein Hoisting Competition. Wurst will be awarding prizes throughout the fest for games participants.

Dale Damien and the Beats and Amanda Standalone will be performing throughout the fest as well. Check out Wurst’s facebook page for more details on dates and times of performances, toss on a pair of Lederhosen and grab a group of friends to really get into the spirit of togetherness while you hoist a stein of delicious Marzen to the sky and shout out a healthy Oktoberfest “Prost!”