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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 some of Snicklefritz Kitchen’s Oktoberfest mustard, perfect on a sausage or for dipping vegetables.
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, October 10th from 12pm-6pm
Friday, October 11th – 11am-9pm
Saturday, October 12th – 11am-9pm
Sunday, October 13th – 11am-9pm.
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. with Danny Michel headlining on the main stage from 8:30 pm.
Willkommen Platz After Parties Series
Grab your friends and keep the Oktoberfest vibes going all night long. As part of the Willkommen Platz After Parties Series, on Friday, October 11, Moonshine will perform from 10pm-1am at The Coop Wicked Chicken, 1 Queen Street North, and Silvia D and the Boyfriend take to the stage at Grand Trunk Saloon (87 King Street West) from 10 pm-1am, both in downtown Kitchener.
The Willkommen Platz After Parties Series is sponsored by Happy Dad and the Downtown Kitchener BIA.
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 some of Snicklefritz Kitchen’s Oktoberfest mustard, perfect on a sausage or for dipping vegetables.
Get spicy with Mott’s Clamato Caesar Best Caesar in Town® finale
Following nation-wide Mott’s Clamato Caesar mixing competitions, winners from each regional competition are all coming together on October 12th at Oktoberfest’s Willkommen Platz in downtown Kitchener to be judged on creativity, presentation, garnish and most importantly tasteful zing! Cheer on the Best Caesar in Town® contestants, learn a new twist to an old classic and celebrate Canada’s largest Bavarian festival as well as one of its favourite cocktails. The BEST CAESAR IN TOWN® FINALE takes place on Saturday, October 12 from 12:15 – 1:15 pm and 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm.
Don’t miss Willkommen Platz
– Tasting the Thanksgiving poutine prepared by Chef D complete with Ontario Turkey, stuffing and gravy
– Sipping an Oktoberfest caeser made with Mott’s clamato
– Taking a Snyder’s of Hanover pretzel flight paired with beers from local brewer TWB
– Making a photo button of your time at K-W Oktoberfest
– Visiting the Schnickelfritz family craft area presented by Nutrum
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 on :
Thursday, October 10th from 12pm-6pm
Friday, October 11th – 11am-9pm
Saturday, October 12th – 11am-9pm
Sunday, October 13th – 11am-9pm
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.
Willkommen Platz After Parties Series
The party doesn’t end once the entertainment in the Willkommen Platz shuts down!
Pop in to the Grand Trunk Saloon on Saturday, October 12 from 10pm-1am as The Vaudevillian takes to the stage with their knee-slapping, jugband tunes that will have you boogying the night away. Find the Grand Trunk Saloon at 87 King Street West, Kitchener. Over at Sugar Run, Jiggity James Trio will have the crowd dancing and grooving from 10pm-1am as part of the Willkommen Platz After Parties Series, sponsored by Happy Dad and the Downtown Kitchener BIA.
Getting to K-W Oktoberfest
Leave the driving to us and take the LederGOsen Line (GO Transit) leaving Union Station on October 12th, arriving in Kitchener early afternoon after making stops at Bloor GO, Weston GO, Malton GO, Bramalea GO, Brampton GO, Mount Pleasant GO, Georgetown GO, Acton GO and Guelph GO stations. The train will leave Kitchener in the evening and make return trips to all the same GO stations before ending at Union Station before midnight. Tickets are $24.99 each and can be purchased online until 6pm on Friday, October 11, 2024.
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, Williams Fresh Cafe, 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.
Other must-dos in the Willkommen Platz
– Snacking on authentic German food from Chef D and Berlin 95 and having an authentic German beer from Erdinger
– Taking a Snyder’s of Hanover pretzel flight, paired with beers from local brewer TWB
– Reaching higher heights while bouldering the climbing wall offered compliments of Grand River Transit
– Making a photo button of your time at K-W Oktoberfest
– Shopping for unique souvenirs in the vendor village (tip: for unique souvenirs check out Idle & Wood Candle Co’s Oktoberfest-themed candles
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.
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.
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 some of Snicklefritz Kitchen’s Oktoberfest mustard, perfect on a sausage or for dipping vegetables.
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.
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
