iIt's that time of year again, when we lift our steins, munch on pretzels, and chow down on bratwurst!
Oktoberfest was first created in 1810 to honor the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig's marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. We've only had one Prince here in the U.S.--and he's gone now--and marriage celebrations are no longer the point anyway. Eating, drinking and laughing are!
The holiday is being recognized across all five boroughs. Here are some of the parties that we thought looked the best:
Chelsea Market will celebrate from Thursday, September 29th through Sunday, October 2nd. Vendors will join in on the fun with themed food and live music will be available.
Reichenbach Hall's celebration kicks off on September 15th and runs through Halloween, with live polka music, games and fun for the whole family. This midtown beer hall has German festbiers on tap, with sauerbraten, goulash, wursts and schnitzel on hand to chow down on.
Loreley Biergarten on the Lower East Side will be celebrating Oktoberfest through Halloween. An indoor and heated outdoor beer garden awaits you here, with specialty items available every day of the week, like rotating Oktoberfest craft beers, seasonal craft ciders, and soft-baked pretzels. On the weekend, check out their pig roasts and keg tappings.
TALEA, a woman-owned brewery with two locations--in Cobble Hill and Williamsburg--celebrates on September 30th from noon to 5:30 PM. The $50-$60 admission gets you your own stein glass, which you can put to good use with bottomless refills for two and a half hours. Games will be on hand (and you'll be sooo good at them after that third beer).
Sit outside at Watermark Bar at Pier 15 in the Financial District daily through October 29th and chug liters of beer for $15, scarf down ginormous pretzels and brats, dance to polka on and join in on Oktoberfest-themed games.
Oom-pah, people!
Image via Nikada/iStock
