Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest back in full form
It’s the return of beer, bratwurst and Bavarian music.
Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest kicked off Friday with festivities set to stretch over a four-weekend period this year.
Inside the Schwaben Club, past president Glenn Herold was among those busy setting up Friday morning.
“We’re going to have the traditional German food, we have the schnitzel and the cabbage rolls,” Herold said.
This year, festivities are kicking off two weeks earlier than in past years.
“Bringing it earlier into September allows us to absolutely have a better chance of good weather,” Bingemans president Mark Bingeman said.
Over the next four weekends, drinks will be toasted, dancing will be had and German cuisine will be eaten.
The official keg tapping ceremony will take place Friday, Oct. 7, followed by the parade on Thanksgiving Monday.
“We are so excited for that. We’re going to have some new floats this year,” said Allan Cayenne, Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest president.
This year is the first K-W Oktoberfest without COVID-19 restrictions since before the start of the pandemic.
“We’re really excited to be back this year and welcoming people back to a lot of in-person events that they’re familiar with and the Oktoberfest they know and love,” Cayenne said. “At the same time, we have some new events this year that are going to cater to everyone, maybe people who feel more comfortable being outside.”
Some pandemic events like the Wunder Wagon will remain.
A full list of Oktoberfest events is available here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.