GO Transit introduces 'LederGOsen' Oktoberfest train

Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest is hoping to bring more GTA residents to this year’s festival via GO Train, thanks to a new pilot partnership with Metrolinx.

A special “LederGOsen Line” will run on Saturday, October 12, with the train leaving Toronto’s Union Station at 12:38 p.m.

The train will stop at the Bloor GO, Weston GO, Malton GO, Bramalea GO, Brampton GO, Mount Pleasant GO, Georgetown GO, Acton GO and Guelph GO stations, before arriving in Kitchener at 2:26 p.m.

Tracy Van Kalsbeek, Executive Director of Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, is hoping between 600 and 900 people could be on that trip.

“Maybe even more, depending on the popularity of this,” Van Kalsbeek told CTV News.

Guides will be available to bring travellers to Willkommen Platz, the Bavarian village set up during Oktoberfest weekend in downtown Kitchener, featuring food, beverages, free family-friendly activities and live entertainment.

“If you have interest in having fun in any way, there’s really something for everyone at Oktoberfest,” says Ashley Lansink, acting director of marketing for Explore Waterloo Region, noting activities scheduled for October 12 include KIDtoberfest, DOGtoberfest and numerous live musical performances.

The train will depart Kitchener at 10:05 p.m., make all the same stops on the route back, and arrive back at Union Station at 11:49 p.m.

Tickets for the round trip cost $24.99.

Pre-pandemic, Oktoberfest could bring in upwards of 700,000 visitors. Attendance in 2023 was estimated at about half that: between 300,000 and 350,000 people.

Organizers hope that ongoing efforts to modernize the festival and roll out new initiatives will help boost attendance.

“The festival has really looked to evolve and reimagine itself over the last five years or so, and we’ve really put a big focus on being welcoming and inclusive to everyone,” says Van Kalsbeek.

Van Kalsbeek cites efforts to bring in Bavarian food options that don’t include pork products and Oktoberfest-themed souvenir clothing that costs a fraction of traditional tracht.

Oktoberfest contributes millions of dollars to the local economy each year, and it is hoped that those who come to visit it will return to the region to see what else it has to offer.

“We really believe that once people visit the region for an event like Oktoberfest, they’re going to want to return and discover even more,” says Lanskink. “There’s so much to see and do here.”

In another effort to encourage Torontonians to attend, Oktoberfest will be promoted on Wednesday, September 11 at Union Station and the Skywalk. There will be animated Bavarian interactions, selfie stations, giveaways and visits with Onkel Hans.

“Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest -- we’ve been here for 56 years. We’re a part of the brand makeup of Waterloo Region, and something to be celebrated. Come and be Bavarian with us during the festival!” says Van Kalsbeek.

Oktoberfest runs from Friday, September 27 to Sunday, October 19, 2024.