Northwest Oktoberfest Schedule Released

From The October Fest: The 3-day festival is Washington’s Largest Munich-Style Oktoberfest celebration, featuring authentic live music and entertainment in two themed Festhalles; The Munich Festhalle and the NEW Bavarian Festhalle, including “The Queen of Oktoberfest” and ‘swing girl’ Manuela Horn with her brand-new show, plus, direct from Nashville, 5-time Grammy Nominee LynnMarie and her accordion is back, and this time she’s bringing The Nashville Polka Guys with her!

Oktoberfest NW also features German biers, wine and authentic foods, Bier-lympics, Stein Dash 5K, Hammerschlagen®, Wiener Dog races on Sunday, a Sports Haus with TV’s & games like beer pong & corn hole toss, and more.

Oktoberfest NW welcomes families to enjoy the authentic Oktoberfest spirit with activities for the kids, including arts & crafts by the German School of Tacoma, ½ Mile Kids Root Beer Run, authentic Maypole dance, free pumpkin decorating, face painting, and delicious root beer in the Root Bier Float Garden, kids Hammerschlagen®, and a scavenger hunt, plus:

NEW BAVARIAN HALLE: Oktoberfest NW has created a new covered festhalle; the Bavarian Halle! The Bavarian Halle is located across from the Munich Festhalle and will celebrate German style music on the Bavarian Halle Stage with polka, polka rock, and oompah bands on Friday and Saturday. Headliners on the Bavarian Halle Stage include Manuela Horn (Friday, Oct. 5 at 9:35pm-10:55pm) and LynnMarie & The Nashville Polka Guys (Saturday, Oct. 6 at 8:45pm- 10:55pm). Featured acts include Dopplebock and The Bavarian Bier Garden Band. Plus, you can buy bier tickets, and the NEW ‘Blinkie Stein’ in here too. Prost to the Polka!

HEADLINING ACTS:

Manuela Horn: The Queen of Oktoberfest has performed at Oktoberfest Northwest for over 7 years! She is our Host, Headliner & Swing Girl! Oktoberfest Northwest officially crowned her the "Queen of Oktoberfest" in 2015. Manuela brings the fun for our late-night crowd with her original set of polka parodies and classics. Manuela Horn performs on the Bavarian Halle Stage on Friday, Oct. 5, and on The Munich Festhalle Stage on Saturday from 9:15pm-11:15pm. Yodeleyeehoo!

LynnMarie: FIVE-TIME GRAMMY NOMINEE. The squeeze box player and vocalist, the first female artist ever to win a Grammy nod for Best Polka Album, fuses high-energy rock, country, Americana and the traditional music of her ethnic heritage to wow crowds everywhere, from Oktoberfests, to music festivals, coffee houses and Europe! LynnMarie & The Nashville Polka Guys perform on the Bavarian Halle Stage on Saturday from 8:45pm-10:55pm, and on the Munich Festhalle Stage on both Friday and Saturdaythroughout the day, and into the night. For the complete entertainment lineup, visit www.oktoberfestnw.com

VIP EXPERIENCE: Take your Oktoberfest Northwest experience to the next level as a VIP guest at the exclusive VIP Only Area with Private Bar located right by the Munich Festhalle Stage inside the Washington State Fair Events Center. The VIP Experience package includes:

• Same-day Admission (Must be 21 or older with ID)
• Exclusive VIP Only Area with Private Bar located right by the Festhalle Main Stage in the main event with easy access to Dance Floor!
• Limited Edition German Bier Poured in VIP ONLY: along with three additional German biers and wine.
• 'Meet & Greet' with our host Manuela Horn, The Queen of Oktoberfest
• Official Stein with 2 beverage tickets (The tickets can be used for bier, wine or cider - all non-alcoholic beverages excluding water can be purchased at restaurant booths or Root Bier Garden within the festival)
• Official Oktoberfest NW Souvenir Drinking Glove
• Light Appetizers/Snacks (served from 7:00 p.m. while supplies last)
• Skip the Bier Ticket Lines! Additional beverage tickets can be purchased at VIP ONLY line at adjacent ticket booth - cash or credit card accepted.
• Souvenir Oktoberfest lanyard (wristband provided for in/out privileges during event)
• VIP-only Hammerschlagen® stump
• No-host coat rack within VIP Lounge Note: VIP guests can arrive any time at Oktoberfest NW, however, the VIP Guest Experience Lounge is open at the set times mentioned above. (Oktoberfest NW doors open atnoon on Friday and 11:00 a.m. on Saturday)
• WHEN:Friday, Oct. 5 & Saturday, Oct. 6 from 5:00pm-11:30pm.
• LOCATION:Munich Festhalle near the Main Stage
• PARKING:FREE at the Blue Lot. Entrance and parking at Blue Gate ONLY!

TICKETS:

Super Early Bird: $75 (limited qty)
Pre-Event: $85 (until sold out)
On-site: $95 (if available) Oktoberfest VIP Tickets - Click to Purchase

NOTE: VIP Experience is for 21 & Up Only. VIP guests can arrive any time at Oktoberfest NW, however, the VIP Lounge is open at the set times mentioned above.

PUMPKIN SMASHING – A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ATTEMPT: Experience a Guinness World Record in the making when, for the first time in Oktoberfest NW history, Ron Sarchian will attempt to smash the most pumpkins in ONE MINUTE!!! WHY? Because, Ron 'Record Man' Sarchian breaks world records - 7 in fact, and, it's 'smashing' good entertainment, of course! Ron Sarchian broke his very first Guinness World Record, the “Punchbag Marathon” and punched a 100 lb. heavy bag for 36 hrs. & 3 min in 2004. Breaking Guinness World Records is Ron’s way of honoring his parents, and his plans to break more, continue with the upcoming 'Pumpkin Smashing' at Oktoberfest NW! This, you don’t want to miss!

WHEN: Friday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Outdoor Biergarten near the NEW Bavarian Halle
COST: FREE! Be warned that pumpkins will be flying – get your camera ready!

Note: All pumpkins used in this record world attempt meet Guinness World Records specifications, and will be donated to Washington State farms post event.

HAMMERSCHLAGEN®: In 2005, we introduced Hammerschlagen® to the Pacific Northwest and it quickly became one of the most popular Oktoberfest Northwest activities. While there are all-play games available all weekend, we host the very popular Official Hammerschlagen® Tournament of Champions on Friday, Oct. 5th (7pm-8pm) with signups starting at 5pm, & Saturday, Oct. 6th (6pm-8pm) with signups starting 4pm. It’s a first come, first serve sign up system & at the end we crown our newest Hammerschlagen® Champion.
Prizes
1st: $200 + T-shirt Voucher, Free Stein Voucher +$20 Fest Bucks + Framed Photo on the Wall of Champions for Life!
2nd: $100 + T-shirt Voucher + Free Stein Voucher +$10 Fest Bucks
3rd: $50 + T-shirt Voucher + Free Stein Voucher
BAVARIAN BIER-LYMPICS: Have you got what it takes to be a Bavarian Bier-lympics champ? We only require a sip of your pride! Teams between 2 and 4 will battle it out through a course of four challenging and fun activities including the Brat Toss, TP Lederhosen, Stein Holding and of course the famous Hammerschlagen® to see who will take the title of Bavarian Bier-lympics winners.
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 6
HOURS: 1pm - 2:45pm. Winners announced at 4pm.
WHERE: Weiner Dog Stadium inside Munich Festhalle
COST: FREE to join the games (You & your team just have to pay for general admission that day.)
ONLINE SIGN-UPS: Teams can sign up in advance HERE!
ON SITE SIGN-UPS: Teams may sign up at the Hammerschlagen® tent until Saturday, Oct. 6th at noon if space available. (First come, first serve).

Prizes

1st - Bottle Opener "Gold" Medals, Stein of your choice, 2 beer tickets, food vouchers & t-shirt voucher (plus, bragging rights!)
2nd - Stein of your choice, 2 beer tickets, & food vouchers
3rd - Stein of your choice & 2 beer tickets
STEIN DASH: After having a record attendance last year, The Stein Dash 5k returns and is better than ever as the “Ultimate Beer Run.” This year, participants will run 3.1 miles around the fairgrounds with a souvenir stein and have the option to get a taste at three ‘Beer Stops” along the route. Water will also be available. The race ends inside of the Oktoberfest Northwest Munich Festhalle where the participant’s first drink (beer or root beer) is on the ‘Haus.’ The 5k takes place on Sunday, October 7th at 10:30 a.m. and all ages are welcome. (Those under 21 will be served root beer at the race.) Register NOW at www.steindash5k.com. Entry: $37 pp increases to $42 pp on September 15. Use Code OKTOBERFEST to receive a $5 race entry discount.
1/2 MILE KIDS ROOT BEER RUN: Hot on the Stein Dasher’s heels in 2018 will be little Stein Dashers, because we are inviting children 10 & under to participate in the Kids 1/2 Mile Root Beer Run. Race starts at noon.
All 1/2-mile kids’ participants will receive:
- Kids Root Beer Run "racing" cape
- 5oz root beer chug at the 1/4-mile mark
- Free entry into Oktoberfest Northwest
- Stein Dash Mug
- First root beer on us!

Register: steindash5k.com for only $15 and bring the whole family!
FAMILY FEST ZONE AT OKTOBERFEST NW: What’s Oktoberfest NW without a little kinderfest for the children? Stop by the Root Bier Garden in the Munich Festhalle, a family fun zone dedicated to the ‘kinder’ with free airbrush tattoos and face painting on Saturday and Sunday, a scavenger hunt, arts and crafts, pumpkin decorating, a kids Hammerschlagen®, and of course, delicious Root Bier Floats. Plus, on Sunday, October 7, it’s Family Day with all-ages general admission at half price at $7.50 courtesy of The News Tribune and Star 101.5 FM: children 12 and under are free all weekend, and as a special entertainment treat for the kids, Manuela Horn’s famous “Kinderfest Show” is back! This fun, interactive polka dance show & sing-a-long for all ages will have children smiling from ear-to-ear. Manuela will host her Kinderfest Show on Sunday, October 7 from 2:20pm - 3:15pm from the Munich Festhalle Stage.
THINK TWICE: New, this year at Oktoberfest NW, Think Twice will be onsite with their mission being to help people make more informed decisions about drinking and driving, so before you leave Oktoberfest NW this year, visit the Think Twice booth:

• LYFT: 20% off 2 rides to/from the Washington State Fair Events Center for ALL users for the entire event. USE CODE: OFNW18
• Single-use, Pass/Fail 0.08% DUI Test units available for $2.00 each.
• The test informs the user in 60-seconds if they are below OR above 0.08% BAC.

The breathalyzer includes a $10.00 Uber promo code for all new Uber users. Uber code will be provided onsite with purchase of breathalyzer.
For more details on Oktoberfest NW, visit www.oktoberfestnw.com
Oktoberfest Northwest is a collaborative effort between Festivals Inc. (producers of the Bite of Seattle®) and the Western Washington Fair Association. www.oktoberfestnw.com

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