The Annual Encinitas Oktoberfest is the premiere city-wide event presented by the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce. The Encinitas Oktoberfest coincides with the Deutschland start of Oktoberfest in mid September. We first celebrated Oktoberfest in 1994 and the 2013 event was the 18th annual. Encinitas’ German roots go back to one of our five communities, the northeastern colony of Olivenhain, founded in 1884 by German farmers.
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world’s largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the Munich event.
The Encinitas Heritage Oktoberfest starts at the corner of El Camino Real and flows down Mountain Vista Drive to Wandering Road and gives everyone a chance to eat, drink, shop and be German for the day. The event features about 200 craft booths, food (authentic German sausage and side dishes), cold beverages, Bavarian band, dancers, and more.
In 2006, the Encinitas Heritage Oktoberfest began a shift toward an arts & craft event. Typically, artesian and crafters have first priority of booking. The Encinitas Heritage Oktoberfest brings together community and heritage, and will focus on vendors with handcrafted, original products, as well as products that flow with this Southern California seaside community.
The 18th Annual Encinitas Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest was held along a six-block marketplace at Mountain Vista Drive and El Camino Real on Sunday, September 22, 2013.
[slideshow_deploy id=’1132′]
For more information about the Oktoberfest visit http://encinitasoktoberfest.com/