Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest
17 Benton Street N2G 3G9 Kitchener, ON, Canada

A big shout out to our restaurant partner, Proof Kitchen + Lounge for putting together a delicious dinner package as part of our VIP tickets for this year’s virtual event! Do you have your tickets yet? Proceeds go towards Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region!

DID YOU HEAR THAT?! $10 off tonight for anyone who shows up in their tracht!!!! Thanks for keeping the K-W Oktoberfest spirit alive, Chef D!!

DO WE EVER HAVE SOMETHING EXCITING TO SHARE WITH YOU Oktoberfest in April by ChefD!!!! Here are all of the details:... On April 25, that is this Sunday, TOMORROW, you can drive over to Deer Ridge Golf Course parking lot between 2pm and 7pm, place your order and they will bring it out to your car for you! Menu includes the following: Sausage and Schnitzel Warm Potato Salad Sauerkraut Black forest cake in a Jar 2 Person Dinner $25 4 Person Dinner $50 6 Person Dinner $75 Very safe, very fun, very tasty!!

New Contest just in time for #TakeoutDay! As our official pledge to support our local restaurants, KWO is excited to announce #KWOTakeoutBingo! To play: ... CHOOSE your bingo card: The Downtown, The Uptown, or the The All-Around Town PICK a square and start ordering! POST a photo of your order by sharing to your stories or posting on your feed TAG the restaurant, @kwoktoberfest and use #KWOrestaurantbingo Every eligible post showing a completed square will be entered to win weekly prizes from now until the contest ends at midnight on May 21. Complete an entire row in traditional Bingo style and yell ONKEL by sending us a DM with photos of your completed row to be entered to win GRAND PRIZES, including a subscription to our BRAND NEW Oktoberfest Boxes launching this fall, UpTown Dollars courtsey of Uptown Waterloo, restaurant gift cards from Downtown Kitchener BIA and more! ONKEL winners will be chosen on Friday, May 21. Let’s make sure our favourite restaurants are here to stay! Don't see your favourite restaurant? Send us a DM and we'll add it to future cards!

Today, as we wrap up celebrating National Volunteer Week, we would like to recognize our second recipient of last year’s K-W Oktoberfest Volunteer of the Year Award, Mike Stranz. Mike has provided 35 years of service with K-W Oktoberfest!! His list of contributions is quite extensive, we are so proud to have him as part of the Oktoberfest family. Mike has been involved with the following committees:... International Talent (now Festival Entertainment) 1985 - 2007 Board of Directors 2009 Miss Oktoberfest Gala Ball 2010 - 2017 OktoberfestHaus 2018 - 2019 Wow, thank you so much for all your hard work and commitment to this festival, Mike! Congratulations on being named K-W Oktoberfest’s Volunteer of the Year in 2020!

While we continue to celebrate National Volunteer Week, we wanted to take a moment to highlight one of the recipients of last year’s K-W Oktoberfest Volunteer of the Year Award, Kelvin Yee. Kelvin has provided 9 years of service with the festival. He served as a Miss Oktoberfest chaperone from 2012-2019 and will continue to serve as a chaperone for the Oktoberfest Ambassador. This is a year-round commitment!... He is committed to the festival, cares about his role and takes pride in what he does, we are so grateful for you Kelvin! Thank you for your service and congratulations on being named one of the Volunteers of the Year in 2020!!

In honour of National Volunteer Week, a week that recognizes the significant contributions of volunteers in our community, we would like to say a BIG thank you to each and every one of the volunteers who dedicate their time and energy into our festival. Your passion, skills and commitment make this Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest possible and we are so grateful for you. Keep your eyes peeled this week for some special volunteer highlights!... Fun fact: did you know that Oktoberfest has over 400 volunteers each year? When we say this festival would not exist without you, we mean it. THANK YOU!!!

K-W Oktoberfest Rogers Women of the Year event is just over a month away! Join us in celebrating some of the outstanding women in our community and get inspired by keynote speaker Samra Zafar!

DO YOU HAVE YOUR TICKETS YET?!? The nominations are in and the Rogers Women of the Year Awards are shaping up to be a powerful evening. This year's event will look much different than that of past years but we have some exciting things planned for our attending guests!... Do you know someone who has been nominated? Do you want to support women in our community? Do you enjoy listening to powerhouse speakers? Join us on May 4th at 7:30pm!

The K-W Oktoberfest family is deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Ron Doyle. Ron was a passionate community builder who pushed boundaries for good, a driven business person, a champion of the arts and someone who loved people, especially his family. He supported this community and K-W Oktoberfest is honoured to have had the chance to work with him. Kitchener has lost a local hero and we would like to extend our deepest condolences to Ron's family and friends.

GET YOUR NOMINATIONS IN! The K-W Oktoberfest Rogers Women of the Year Awards highlight women in our community in these categories: Arts & Culture; Community Service; Entrepreneur; Health & Wellness; Lifetime Achievement; Professional; Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math (STEAM); and Young Adult. Nominate your choice(s) for Women of the Year and enjoy the evening with inspiring, local women. Nominees can be women who are involved in the community, an inspiration to o...thers, motivational, someone who embraces change or demonstrates initiative, someone who recognizes and confirms success in others, someone who touches people’s lives in a more quiet and compassionate way, etc. The options are endless! ***Nominations close on March 15, 2021*** and the nomination process can be found at https://www.oktoberfest.ca/woy/.

We have made the executive decision to close all pin and ornament sales TODAY at 5pm. ***That means you have less than 2 hours to get your orders in.*** This is to ensure that all items get shipped out in time to arrive to customers by Christmas.... If you have been waiting to order, or eyeing the pin or ornament, now is your chance to grab it. Here is the link to order: https://kitchener-waterloo-oktoberfest-shop.myshopify.com/

You asked for an in-real-life sneak peek of the limited edition KW Oktoberfest Christmas ornament and we don't like to disappoint so, here it is! Isn't it adorable?! We have been busy packaging these up and mailing them out so they get to you in time to put on your Christmas trees! There's still time to order but not many left! This is your fair warning - unlike the 2020 pin, this ornament will never be available for purchase again! RUNNNNN! Before they are gone!... Get yours here: https://kitchener-waterloo-oktoberfest-shop.myshopify.com/

THIS IS YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Our limited edition 2020 Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest ornaments are almost sold out!!! This is your chance to get yours if you've been eyeing it down. Unlike this year's pin, there will not be a second opportunity to order an ornament - once they are gone, they are gone forever.... Visit https://kitchener-waterloo-oktoberfest-shop.myshopify.com/ to grab yours before they sell out!

CONTEST!!! Who needs Onkel Hans on their tree?!?! Tag them for a chance to WIN an ornament for you and one of your friends.... 1. Follow @kwoktoberfest 2. Tag a friend who love Onkel Hans for a chance to win (1 tag = 1 entry) BONUS - Share to your story for an extra entry. Don't forget to tag us! Entries must be received by 11:59pm on December 6th. Winner will be announced December 7th. Get one for you, and a few for the crew! Link in bio.

Your two favourite local festivals can now have a home in your heart and on your tree! NEW this year we bring you the Onkel Hans and Christkindl Market ornament. Get yours today! Quantities are very limited and we will not be re-ordering.

Did you tune in to the CTV parade special today? What was your favourite memory? Although we weren't able to be physically together on parade day, for the first time in K-W Oktoberfest history, we would like to say thank you to all of the viewers who tuned in to "Prost together, apart" with us! And once again, we would like to ask you to consider donating to The Food Bank of Waterloo Region through the Onkel Hans Food Drive at www.oktoberfest.ca. Today is the last day, let's ...make it count! Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's your friendly reminder NOT to go to the parade route today, there will be no in-person parade. HOWEVER, you can watch the CTV Kitchener Thanksgiving Day Parade Special live at noon TODAY at Malt & Barley Public House? They'll be open from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and will be serving Oktoberfest-inspired menu items like this one - Das Sauerbraten Abendessen! This German style marinated beef pot roast is served with Spätzle, farmers veg, house gravy & crispy onions. It's available for dine in or takeout!

PSA: there are only a few of these "PROST! TO OKTOBERFEST" candles (that smell like lager and Bavarian beer nuts) left from our Onkel Hans Food Drive partners, IDLE & WOOD Candle Co.! By purchasing one of these candles, TODAY OR TOMORROW, you will be directly supporting The Food Bank of Waterloo Region because a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Onkel Hans Food Drive. It's the perfect way to keep the Oktoberfest spirit alive in your house, even after the festiva...l finishes, while simultaneously helping people in need! Visit www.idleandwood.ca to order. PROST! TO OKTOBERFEST!

On behalf of all of us at Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, THANK YOU! Thank you to all of our sponsors, volunteers, staff, and YOU, the viewers! We can proudly say that Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest 2020 was a huge success because of you. If you are like us, and not ready for hang up your tracht quite yet, visit one of our restaurant partners for some schnitzel or Oktoberfest sausage today! ... And of course, don't forget, there is no parade this year but you can tune in to CTV tomorrow at 12pm for a special broadcast, taking a look back at the last 52 years! AND there is still time to donate to the Onkel Hans Food Drive at www.oktoberfest.ca! Happy Thanksgiving weekend everyone!

We hope you have been enjoying the Taste of Oktoberfest series presented by Schneiders on our social media pages as well as throughout Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Live! We have several more segments coming up on the stream today, just click this link to tune in https://vimeo.com/event/242690/7b3fc6a923

We have the perfect family activity coming up at 4pm on the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Live Stream... @Wavy is going to be taking us through some Oktoberfest trivia! Join us right from the comfort of your own couch, send us your selfies and trivia question answers!... Just for fun, tell us an awesome fact you know about Oktoberfest that the general population may not know!

Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Live kicks off for part 2 this morning at 10am! We've got lots of family friendly events for the first half of our show! Think root bier keg tapping, @kobblerjayshow , crafts for kids, music and lots more!... Thank you to each and every one of you who tuned in last night, we are looking forward to connecting with you again today - keep those shoutouts and requests coming on our social media pages!! And just in case you missed it, here is the internationally-accessible link to watch along https://vimeo.com/event/242690/7b3fc6a923! OKTOBERFEST IST WUNDERBAR!!!

Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest LIVE is on now! The Golden Keys are on stage until 6:30! https://vimeo.com/event/242690/videos/466712658/

It's #KWOFeatureFriday time! This week's community member that we are super proud to feature is Lindsay Kalbfleisch, joined by her wife Leah and their two sons Levi and Otis (in the cutest mini tracht, to boot)! We interviewed Lindsay about her K-W Oktoberfest story and here is what she had to say:... 1. What are your first Oktoberfest memories? When I was a kid my dad played the trumpet at a festhalle. I have memories of him leading the baby elephant walk on I thought it was so cool! I also have memories of attending family day as a kid and then rolling in to Thanksgiving dinner in my dirndl. 2. What are your favourite Oktoberfest activities? Family day at Concordia Club is still my favourite part of the festival. I love the music, the food, the dance floor, and celebrating with friends and family of all ages. I am also a big fan of So You Think You Can Tanz! 3. What are your favourite Oktoberfest foods? Sausage. On. A Bun. No sauerkraut. Lots of mustard. No contest. 4. How have you creatively celebrated K-W Oktoberfest this year? On opening day, my family got all dressed up in our Oktoberfest best for an at-home Oktoberfest dinner. We will also be featuring a giant Grainharvest Breadhouse Inc. pretzel at our Thanksgiving dinner this weekend. Turns out this year celebrating = eating (#2020). 5. Do you have any fun stories from Oktoberfest you'd like to share? Too many. In 2016 I co-hosted KWOs Opening Ceremonies and asked Justin Trudeau on a polka date. He low key declined (tragedy). In 2015 I was lucky enough to attend Oktoberfest in Blumenau Brazil as a KWO Ambassador. That was quite an adventure! There never seems to be a dull moment when Oktoberfest is involved. Thanks so much for sharing your K-W Oktoberfest story with us Lindsay, and thank you for supporting the festival for all these years! Check out some of the memories Lindsay shared with us, below!

Get your party hats on because Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Live starts TODAY! Near or far, we hope you join us, here is the link that will allow us to prost together, apart: https://vimeo.com/event/242690/7b3fc6a923 Thank you to each of the below sponsors, this event would not be possible without you! Ontario Government, Canadian Heritage, Schneiders, Sherwood Systems, Region of Waterloo, ERDINGER Weissbräu, Waterloo Brewing, Creemore Springs, Heffner Toyota, Zehrs, Tim Hortons, Mercedes-Benz Kitchener-Waterloo, Pepsi, Scotiabank, H.H.D. Imports Inc., Domino's Pizza, Greater KW Chamber of Commerce, BDO and Stumpf Fire Protection.

We are proud to be partnering with the Sexual Assault Support Centre, again this year, in reminding you to have a safe and consensual Oktoberfest. Please watch this video that SASC has created for us to help foster consent culture throughout our festival and community: https://drive.google.com//15OFE0UU03qtanf20CSz-iUFuNm5uLoK And remember, "only ja means ja!"

This is the last weekend to participate in our restaurant program! Have you visited any of our German Club partners or Micro-Festhalle partners yet? There is still time to indulge in some delicious Oktoberfest feasts! ... Here is a full list of participants that you can visit: https://www.oktoberfest.ca/oktoberfest-restaurant-program-/

TOMORROW! Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, will be accessible internationally! We have been working hard getting ready for Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest 2020 and can't believe it is almost here! This year's festival looks very different, being virtual, but we are excited to bring it to the comfort of your own home, safely and responsibly.... Here is the full schedule of events: https://www.oktoberfest.ca/kitchener-waterloo-oktoberfest-/ There is still time to register for FREE if you have not done so yet!

CONTEST CLOSED CONTEST!!! Who are you going to watch Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest LIVE with? Tag them for a chance to WIN a $25 gift certificate to the @waterloobrewing Beer Store!... 1. Follow Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest and Waterloo Brewing 2. Tag the people in your bubble you’ll be watching Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest LIVE with for a chance to win (1 comment = 1 entry) BONUS - Share to your story for 1 extra entry. Don't forget to tag us! Entries must be received by October 9 at 11:59 am. Winner will be notified October 10. Must be 19+ to enter. This contest is not affiliated with Facebook or Instagram