Dust off the lederhosen, on Saturday, Sept. 20, Alvarado Street Brewery is holding their first ever Oktoberfest at the historic Colton Hall lawn in Monterey.
The open-air, daytime event, will be the brewery’s largest to date.
“This is the first time we’ve ever held anything this large or done anything ticketed,” said Brock Bill, Alvarado Street Brewery’s director of marketing.
In true Oktoberfest-style, a massive beer tent with two, long communal tables will be set up on the government building lawn.
“It’s all brick-laid sidewalks and when you look at Colton Hall, it’s this beautiful, pillared building in the back, with this really nice green grass stretching all the way in the front,” said Bill. “We’re going to decorate the inside of the tent and allow people to sit on the lawn as well—people will find their spot, hang out with their friends.”
Attendees will be able to sample German-style lagers from up to 20 different breweries, in addition to Alvarado Street Brewery’s lineup of lagerbeir.
“We love our lager program here,” said Bill. “It’s a really beautiful style that has a lot of nuance to it.”
The event is also a chance for the brewery to showcase other standout producers, like Bierstadt Lagerhaus from Colorado, North Park Beer Company and There Does Not Exist.
“We’re lucky enough to know some of the best lager producers out there,” said Bill.
There will also be live sounds by DJBadDJ, maker booths, and activities fitting for the bucolic outdoor setting such as tug-of-war, sack races and other lawn games.
A stein-holding competition will find out who can hold a one-liter beer stein the longest.
Traditional Munich beer hall fare like pretzels and bratwurst will be served by The Meatery, a Seaside butcher shop and frequent Alvarado Street Brewery collaborator.
The event’s nonprofit partner is the Monterey Firefighter Community Foundation.
And while lederhosen are optional, they are recommended.
“Regular beer fests are fun and everything, but to have a cultural aspect to it and bring the community together is what we wanted to highlight,” said Bill.
The event is ticketed. There is a discount admission for non-drinkers.
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Alvarado Street Brewery brings Oktoberfest to Monterey
Reporting by Roseann Cattani, Salinas Californian / Salinas Californian
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
