Oktoberfest Huntington Beach - Old World Oktoberfest

 
36th Annual Oktoberfest Old World German Restaurant
September 8 - October 27, 2013, oldworld.ws

Oktoberfest promises to be the best year yet at Old World Village in Huntington Beach. This year will bring on the oom-pah zing that fun-seeking party animals love. From Dachshund Races to German Oktoberfest bands, sexy shot girls in dirndls with their trays of liqueurs to mix with your bier (beer) and pretzels, to men in lederhosen dancing, this is not your normal Huntington Beach event. The photo calendar provides dates and links.

The annual celebration  of the popular German festival season includes a live band direct from Germany that plays traditional German polkas and rock & roll tunes known in the USA.  Bratwurst, German beer, Schnapps, liqueur shots, strudel, sauerkraut and more are served in style at the Old World Restaurant German beer hall during this 6-week event. Oktoberfest is a celebration Huntington Beach, California has enjoyed for several decades. It is an event for mom, dads, teens, college students and even tiny tots and kids. At Oktoberfest, people young and old get out on the dance floor to the Chicken Dance. Lederhosen, dirndl skirts, beer steins, shot girls, wiener-dog races and German food make this celebration a necessary part of locals and tourists' diets.

While Huntington Beach Oktoberfest isn't the only such event in California (there are over 100,) it is probably one of the most exciting. Here's a slide show from Huntington Beach other Oktoberfest events around California.

A German parade and dachshund races kick off the event in Bavarian style. Oktoberfest at Old World has something for everyone. There are pony rides, a petting zoo and children's activities at Kinderfest each Sunday. Everyone can join in the Chicken Dance or Zillerthaler Wedding March. The formal launch of Oktoberfest takes place at an Oktoberfest parade.  Following German tradition, the official beer barrel of the festival are escorted along the parade route through the cobblestone streets of Old World Village, followed by keg-tapping at the beer garden.

Old World Village was designed in the style of an authentic Bavarian Village with homes located in second story quarters above shops and restaurants. There's a church in the village, Huntington Beach Old World Village Church - St. Judas Chaddeus,
that holds a service each week in German. It is quite popular for weddings and can facilitate 120 guests in the chapel. The village includes German delis and bakeries,  a shop with cut crystal collectibles, another shop that sells clocks and steins and an authentic Rathskellar where acts such as Lonnie and his accordion are featured regularly (see calendar of events).

It's easy to believe you are in another country when visiting Old World Village where German is spoken regularly. Red cobblestone walkways lead to buildings that are adorned with murals that depict regions of Europe. Old World Village was once inhabited primarily by German shop owners. In recent years, a mix of shops with services such as tax preparation can be found in the village. Directly across the street several feet is where you can spend the night after drinking and dancing at Oktoberfest. Be safe and book a hotel room instead of driving home.

Oktoberfest is held at Old World Village's Old World Restaurant. From the San Diego Freeway (405), exit at Beach Boulevard toward Huntington Beach. Go south to Center Ave. Look for the lit sign and the globe of the the world at the shopping center across the street from Hotel Huntington Beach and Bella Terra (Huntington Beach) Mall. On busy weekends, parking attendants direct the traffic. Wednesday and Thursday nights are less crowded for those who seek a table where they can sit. Otherwise, come early on weekend evenings. Need a place to stay' Huntington Beach Hotels & Resorts