Tampa Bay Oktoberfest: Which Events Are Still On, Canceled

TAMPA BAY, FL — Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, German beer-lovers can still safely celebrate Oktoberfest in the Tampa Bay area. While some major events have been canceled, many businesses and organizers are offering scaled-down events with a focus on health and safety precautions.

And if you're not up for a gathering of any size, you can still check out some of the region's authentic German restaurants for your beer and bratwurst fix. Here are a few events you won’t want to miss.

Celtoberfest

This clash of Celtic and Bavarian cultures results in a unique annual event presented by the New World Celts at Motorworks Brewing, located at 1014 9th Street W. in Bradenton. On Friday through Sunday, the venue offers three days of Celtic music mixed with "all the traditional Oktoberfest stuff," said Barry Elwonger, Motorworks director of sales and marketing.

Those attending can expect to see a mixture of kilts and lederhosen, he added. "There's a stein-hoisting competition and we’ll have some brats, and we’ll also have some Celtic-inspired food fare at the same time, like an Irish whiskey special. It’s a melding of the worlds and it's just gotten bigger each year."

The event takes place outdoors in Motorworks 16,000-square-foot beer garden, the largest in the state, Elwonger said. Attendees will be spaced out, hand sanitizer will be available and masks are required when not seated at a table, he added.

Learn more about Celtoberfest, including how to purchase single-day tickets and three-day passes, online here. Tickets range from $5 to $40.

Good'toberfest

Good Liquid Brewing Company, located at 4824 14th Street W. in Bradenton, hosts its third annual Good’toberfest Saturday from 2 to 8 p.m. Petra & Teresa will perform while The Schnitzel Trailer food truck serves up authentic German fare. Good Liquid will also, naturally, have German brews on tap, including the return of their German Chocolate Cake Stout. In addition to indoor seating, there’s an outdoor beer garden for those interested in socially distancing outside, and masks are encouraged.

DunderFest 2020

DunderFest 2020, the popular annual Oktoberfest event hosted by Mr. Dunderbak's Biergarten and Brewery, located 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Tampa, continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m. Earn Dunder tokens, which can be traded in for prizes, as you eat and drink. The brewpub boasts that it has "the biggest selection of German beer in the state" on social media. Attendees can enjoy German food and live music, as well.

Biergarten Grand Opening at the German American Friendship Society of Pinellas

Though the German American Friendship Society of Pinellas, located at 8098 66th Street N. in Pinellas Park, has canceled it annual weekends-long Oktoberfest celebration this year, it's still the best place to experience authentic German culture in Pinellas County. The venue offers traditional German dinners on Saturday nights and watch parties whenever FC Bayern Munich football team plays. The society will also celebrate the grand opening of its new biergarten, built during the pandemic closure, Oct. 25, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $5 general admission and $2 for GAFS members.

Oktoberfest at Fermented Reality Biergarten

Fermented Reality Biergarten, a 40-tap beer garden located at 615 Channelside Drive in Tampa, celebrates Oktoberfest Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The ceremonial bier tapping begins at 12 p.m. with the stein hoist contest taking place at 5 p.m. There will also be liters of Paulaner (and other beers) as well as contests throughout the day.

Octoberfest at the Grove at Wesley Chapel

The Grove at Wesley Chapel, located at 6015 Wesley Grove Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, hosts an Octoberfest celebration Oct. 23-25. The event features live music, carnival rides and games, and a pumpkin patch. There will also be a special circus performance by The Incredible Hernandez Thrill Show.

Laugerhaus Oktoberfest

Laugerhaus Brewery & Grill, located at 3438 East Lake Road S. in Palm Harbor, hosts its 13th annual Laugerhaus Oktoberfest Oct. 24 from 1 to 11 p.m. Alpine Doc performs in the biergarten while attendees enjoy authentic Schweinshaxen prepared on the rotisserie and other German fare. There will also be more than 20 German beers on draft.

Enjoy the German culinary experience

If an Oktoberfest gathering isn’t for you this year because you’re avoiding large groups, you can still enjoy German food and beer at these eateries throughout the Tampa Bay region:

• Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus, 3246 East Bay Drive, Holmes Beach
• The Edelweiss Restaurant, 611 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton
• Lucky Frog Restaurant, 4625 Cortez Road W., Bradenton
• Siegfried’s Restaurant, 1869 Fruitville Road, Sarasota
• Curry Up King Authentic German Street Food, 935 N. Beneva Road, Sarasota
• Heinrich’s German Grill, 8420 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota
• German Knodle, 951 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
• Berlins Doener, 4195 34th Street. S., St. Petersburg
• German Bistro II, 1300 E. Bay Drive, Largo
• Taste of Berlin, 526 Oakfield Drive, Brandon
• Old Castle Restaurant, 3830 Sun City Center Blvd., Ruskin
• Schiller’s German Delicatessen, 4327 W. El Prado Blvd., Tampa

What events have been canceled this year?

Many Oktoberfest events, unfortunately, canceled this year because of the pandemic. To avoid confusion as you make your plans, here's a list of what's been canceled in 2020:

• German American Friendship Society of Pinellas Oktoberfest, usually held most weekends in October in Pinellas Park.
• Sarasota Oktoberfest, scheduled for Oct. 16-18 at JD Jamel Park in Sarasota.
• Oktoberfest Beer Walk, originally scheduled earlier this month in downtown Venice.
• Oktoberfest Tampa, set to celebrate its 10th anniversary at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.
• Upper Tampa Bay Oktoberfest, usually held at Tampa Bay Downs by the Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Do you know of an Oktoberfest or German-inspired event you'd like to see included? Email Tiffany.Razzano@Patch.com.