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Plan your visit to Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest!
The sounds of accordion music fill the air. Steins of cold beer wait for the first notes of Ein Prosit. Old friendships are renewed as everyone gathers to Be Bavarian once more. Onkel Hans and Tante Frieda are excited to see visitors don their Tracht, raise a stein, polka around, and enjoy delicious Bavarian cuisine from our German Clubs and local restaurants at Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, one of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations in the world.
Whether coming for the day to eat and play or staying a night or for the weekend to prolong the fun, K-W Oktoberfest has something for families, friends, pet-lovers and/or groups looking to experience Canada’s Greatest Bavarian Festival without having to travel to Munich, Germany.
Friday, October 11, 2024
Get the party started
Kick the weekend off by joining the official keg tapping in Willkommen Platz at 12 p.m. with bands – The Golden Keys, Walter Ostanek, Stacey & Shane Guse Honky Tonk Cocktail Hour and Romeo Sex Fighter – taking the mainstage throughout the day and into the evening, food trucks, and vendor markets for picking up local souvenirs including Idle & Wood Candle Co’s Oktoberfest-themed candles (with a portion of proceeds going to our local food bank), and local hot-sauce sensation Ginger Goat Hot Sauce who’s preparing a spicy mustard in collaboration with K-W Oktoberfest.
Inside the biergartens, Erdinger and six of our Ontario craft bier partners will be slinging brews which pair perfectly with Oktoberfest Beer Nuts, traditional schnitzel, sausage on a bun and even the new Oktoberfest poutine as you raise a stein and polka around. The space will be buzzing until well after the sun sets.
After all, this is Canada’s Greatest Bavarian Festival.
Find the Willkommen Platz at King Street from Queen Street to Water Street. This area will be car-free with parking free after 5 p.m. at the downtown lots. For a full list of locations, visit: https://www.kitchener.ca/en/parking/find-a-place-to-park.aspx.
But there’s more than just beer on offer in downtown Kitchener. KIDtoberfest kicks off its weekend programming (Friday – Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.), perfect for families with kids aged 3-10 (and kids at heart), featuring traditional music and dancing, Bavarian activities and performances by family favourites.
Festival swag
To amp up your festival look, pop by Hans Haus (beside Carl Zehr Square) for festive swag – essentials include a hat and feather and the 2024 pin, but we think our t-shirt selection is rather trendy too!
Find us in the Willkommen Platz. The shop is open Thursday and Friday 3 – 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Top tip: Purchase your essential swag pack by October 1st so we can mail it to you prior to your arrival at K-W Oktoberfest.
Bavarian nights
Experience Bavaria right here in Kitchener-Waterloo and book a traditional German dinner at one of the region’s Festhallen: Concordia Club, Hubertushaus, Habsburg Haus, Schwaben Club, and KoolHaus (Bingemans).
Top tip: Advanced tickets are required at some venues and we highly recommend booking in advance regardless to ensure entry.
Round out the night hopping between Festhallens and dancing the night away (many of which are open until 1 a.m.), or join the party at KoolHaus (Bingemans) when Dorfrocker takes to the stage.
Back in the Willkommen Platz, the party rolls on until 10 p.m. Visit one of the Willkommen Platz After Parties at great local hotspots like Grand Trunk Saloon, The Coop Wicket Chicken and Sugar Run Bar.
Eat, play, stay. Then repeat.
Stay for the night or take in the weekend festivities by booking a hotel room – The Walper Hotel in the heart of the Willkommen Platz action, Crowne Plaza Kitchener-Waterloo just steps away from the downtown action or the Delta Hotels Waterloo if planning to add some Festhallen experiences to your itinerary.
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Rise, then stein
Start the day with a wander through the St. Jacob’s Market and get an early taste of Oktoberfest with a stop at the Apple Fritter Co (it’s worth the wait), grab some meats and cheeses from the deli section to create a charcuterie board later in the day (or take a taste of the market home), and top off with some preserves from Kitchen Kuttings.
The market will also be hosting its first annual Polka and Play and Onkel Hans and Tante Frieda will be there to celebrate, along with the Oktoberfest WunderWagen.
Learn about another German-speaking community in the Kitchener-Waterloo area during a visit to the Mennonite Story, located at the St. Jacob’s Market.
When hunger strikes, sample German fare outside of the city centre at Metro Restaurant, Crowsfoot or the Old Heidelberg House. If in Uptown Waterloo, pop into Beertown for local brews and the Oktoberfest menu.
Oktoberfest kicks into overdrive in downtown Kitchener
Downtown K-W Oktoberfest activities shift into overdrive as DOGtoberfest presented by Nutram kicks off in Gaukel Block, just steps from the Willkommen Platz. Bring your fluffy friends for trick training advice, pack walks, Sniffscape courses, contests and other furry shenanigans your pooches won’t want to miss.
Children aged 3 – 10 (and kids at heart too) will enjoy KIDtobfest’s lineup of traditional music and dancing, Bavarian activities, and performances by family favourites inside the Rotunda at Kitchener City Hall. Free loot bags and popcorn for the kids! Join the festivities from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Look out for Onkel Hans and Tante Frieda, as they join in the festivities too.
And it’s all free!
Experience Bavaria in downtown Kitchener-Waterloo
In the Willkommen Platz, grab some grub from one of the food trucks and join in the festivities – polka, live music and even a Caesar competition. Taking the mainstage throughout the day and into the evening are Weiss Blau, Walter Ostanek, Always on Friday, The Boo Radley Project. Sixty vendors in the markets provide the perfect opportunity to grab some unique souvenirs including Idle & Wood Candle Co’s Oktoberfest-themed candles (with a portion of proceeds going to our local food bank), and local hot-sauce sensation Ginger Goat Hot Sauce who’s preparing a spicy mustard in collaboration with K-W Oktoberfest.
Inside the biergartens, Erdinger and six of our Ontario craft bier partners will be slinging brews which pair perfectly with Oktoberfest Beer Nuts, traditional schnitzel, sausage on a bun and even the new Oktoberfest poutine as you raise a stein and polka around. The space will be buzzing until well after the sun sets.
Find the Willkommen Platz at King Street from Queen Street to Kitchener City Hall. This area will be car-free with parking free after 5 p.m. at the downtown lots. For a full list of locations, visit: https://www.kitchener.ca/en/parking/find-a-place-to-park.aspx
Top tip: Pop by Hans Haus for festive swag to complete your festival look – essentials include the hat and feather, but we think our t-shirt selection is rather trendy too! Find Hans Haus in the Willkommen Platz near the main stage. The shop is open Thursday and Friday 3 – 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bavarian Nights at K-W Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest fun doesn’t stop as night falls.
Experience Bavaria right here in Kitchener-Waterloo and book a traditional German dinner at one of the region’s Festhallen – Concordia Club, Hubertushaus, Habsburg Haus, Schwaben Club, and KoolHaus (Bingemans).
Top tip: Book your dinner tickets in advance to avoid disappointment.
Round the night out hopping between Festhallen and dancing the night away to traditional music, or join the party at Bingemans Koolhaus when Germany’s Dorfrocker takes to the stage until the wee hours of the morning.
Downtown, My Son The Hurricane headlines in the Willkommen Platz, kicking off at 8:30 p.m. But if haunted walks are your thing, join Schneider Haus National Historic Site’s Bloody Berlin walking tour through downtown Kitchener’s back alleys and side streets to hear stories of murders, executions, grave robbing and villainous doctors by the scary, sexy, or just plain weird characters that have called Kitchener home.
After all that fun, we suggest a stay at one of our downtown partners – The Walper Hotel in the heart of the action, Crowne Plaza Kitchener-Waterloo just steps away from the downtown action, or the Delta Hotel Waterloo if planning to add some Festhallen experiences or venturing out in the Region of Waterloo to your itinerary.
Sunday, October 13, 2024
Guten Morgen!
Enjoy a bit of a sleep in then linger a little longer at one of our downtown cafes – Matter of Taste or Lucero – to fuel another day of K-W Oktoberfest festivities that may or may not involve raising a stein, polkaing around, and enjoying delicious Bavarian cuisine. Inside the Willkommen Platz’s bier garten, make it a boozy coffee with Murphy’s Law Moonshine.
Festival fun kicks off mid-morning
DOGtoberfest presented by Nutram and KIDtoberfest presented by Tim Hortons both kick off at 11 a.m. with activities planned until 6 and 7 p.m. respectively Bring your pooch along for trick training advice, pack walks, Sniffscape courses, contests and other furry shenanigans your furry friends won’t want to miss.
The action in the Willkommen Platz kicks off at the same time with Weiss Blau, Walter Ostanek, Moonshine bringing the polka. Raise your stein in the biergarten, savour authentic German cuisine from one of our food vendors, hunt for unique finds at our local vendor market, or sing along in front of the stage at one of our live performances.
Find the Willkommen Platz at King Street from Queen Street to Water Street. This area will be car-free with parking free after 5 p.m. at the downtown lots. For a full list of locations, visit: https://www.kitchener.ca/en/parking/find-a-place-to-park.aspx
Children between the ages of 3 – 10 and kids at heart will enjoy KIDtobfest’s lineup of traditional music and dancing, Bavarian activities, and performances by family favourites. Join the festivities from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday inside the Rotunda at Kitchener City Hall. KIDtoberfest is presented by Tim Hortons.
And it’s all free!
Top tip: Grab any last-minute festival swag and souvenirs of your time at K-W Oktoberfest – hats, feathers, t-shirts and pins – at Hans Haus between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. before the shop closes for the weekend. Find us in the Willkommen Platz, near the main stage.
Beyond K-W Oktoberfest in the Willkommen Platz
In between the action downtown, explore the restaurant scene by sampling the Oktoberfest menu at BeerTown in uptown Waterloo, or venture out of town to sample traditional German cuisine at Metro Restaurant, Crowsfoot or the Old Heidelberg House.
Delve into local history at the Schneider Haus National Historic Site (open 11 – 4:30), the home of some of the area’s earliest non-Indigenous settlers, Joseph and Barbara Schneider. Visit the restored Georgian-style wood-frame home, spring house, the wash house, the bake house, woodshed, and the privy as part of your visit.
It’s also family day at three of our local Festhallen: Concordia Club, Schwaben Club, and Hubertushaus – making this a perfect time to enjoy the festive ambiance for all ages. Just note, Schwaben and Hubertushaus close at 3:30 p.m. while Concordia keeps the party going until 6 p.m.
The fun continues in the Willkommen Platz as the sun sets
The Festhallen may be closing up shop early today, but in the Willkommen Platz in downtown Kitchener, revelers can raise their stein in the biergarten, savour authentic German cuisine from one of our food vendors – don’t miss the turkey poutine – and hunt for unique finds at our local vendor market, or sing along in front of the stage at one of our live performances.
For local finds, seek out Idle & Wood Candle Co’s Oktoberfest-themed candles (with a portion of proceeds going to our local food bank), and local hot-sauce sensation Ginger Goat Hot Sauce who’s preparing a spicy mustard in collaboration with K-W Oktoberfest.
Inside the biergartens, Erdinger and six of our Ontario craft bier partners will be slinging brews which pair perfectly with Oktoberfest Beer Nuts, traditional schnitzel, sausage on a bun and even the new Oktoberfest poutine as you raise a stein and polka around. The space will be buzzing until well after the sun sets.
As the sun sets The Redhill Valleys and Nate Haller takes to the stage from 8:30 p.m., we’ll be swapping our Tracht for cowboy boots as K-W Oktoberfest goes country.
Eat. Stay. Play. Then repeat.
After a Sunday well spent at K-W Oktoberfest, we highly recommend staying the night. If only because the next morning, the streets are lined with locals and visitors from near and far for the much anticipated Thanksgiving Day parade, kicking off this year at 9:30 a.m.
Our top hotel picks for easy parade route access being the The Walper Hotel and the Crowne Plaza Kitchener-Waterloo in downtown Kitchener, or the Delta Hotel Waterloo .
Top tip: Purchase your bleacher seat for the Thanksgiving Day Parade in advance for $10+HST, particularly for those who may prefer to sit rather than stand for the duration of the 2+-hour parade.
Monday, October 14, 2024
Rise and shine! It’s parade day. And you’ll want to stake out your spot before the parade kicks off at 9:30 a.m.
The Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade will be even bigger in 2024 with more floats, inflatables and bands. Well-known, American sportscaster Jack Armstrong, the voice for the Toronto Raptors on TSN and NBA TV Canada, will be the 2024 official Grand Marshal for this year’s parade.
Grab bleacher seats or stand street side as the parade travels up Weber Street and finishes at Bridgeport Road at the corner of Weber Street around noon.
Top tip: Purchase your bleacher seat in advance for $10+HST, particularly for those who may prefer to sit rather than stand for the duration of the 2+-hour parade.
Pop by the Mayor’s Oktoberfest Market in Uptown Waterloo from noon until 4 p.m where vendors, food and live music await along. And perhaps a special visit from none other than Onkel Hans.
Before saying farewell, join the family day festivities at one of our local Festhallen – Concordia Club and Habsburg Haus for traditional German fare. We highly recommend booking tickets in advance, noting that both clubs are open from 12 – 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Monday.
K-W Oktoberfest Willkommen Platz
