Hackettstown Holds Ninth Annual Oktoberfest

Hackettstown’s annual Oktoberfest kicked off on Friday, Sept. 26 and continued through Sunday, Sept. 28 along Main Street. The local organizations of Hackettstown BID, Czig Meister Brewing Company, Grand Avenue Tavern, and Man Skirt Brewing collaborated to host the annual event. 

Oktoberfest has many things to offer to people of all ages. Events are hosted each day–along with vendors and food–all themed around the fall season. Oktoberfest offers free admission and is only a short walk from campus to Main Street. 

“Oktoberfest has become a staple for me and my family to go to. It’s a nice little festival in our sleepy area. I try to make it a point to come yearly.” said attendee Cassandra Vorse. 

You may find yourself asking, what is Oktoberfest? Well, it’s a German-themed yearly fall celebration that includes many events that tend to center around beer drinking. 

Oktoberfest started in Germany in 1810 when Prince Regent Ludwig married Princess Therese in Munich, Germany. They celebrated with horse races and had children wear traditional Bavarian folk costumes. The people of Munich enjoyed this festival so much that they did it again the next year, and the next… and the next. Since then, Oktoberfest has expanded and become a staple of the autumn season well beyond the borders of Germany. 

Oktoberfest offers all kinds of vendors, from small bakeries to artists. Many of the vendors were headquartered in Hackettstown, like Kilhaney’s Pickles and Hackettstown High School’s Cheerleaders. 

It's not just a vendor event. Local merchants leave their doors open, welcoming anyone curious enough to wander in. Many have specials only offered during Oktoberfest, First Place Tattoos included; they ran a buy-one, get-one piercing sale as well as some flash tattoos.

“I thought Oktoberfest was really fun. There were many fun things to see and do, and I was able to get a bucket of coffee from Greene's Bean Cafe, so I was very happy.” said Carlee Nigro, Cyclone Chronicle staff writer. 

This year, the hosts of Oktoberfest made it a point to have more kid-friendly options. A Kid’s Zone was added and included a few carnival games and blow-up slides to keep the kiddos entertained. 

“The little one’s loved it this year and had a blast playing on the slides,” said attendee Lani Throssell. “Last year, I remember them being rather bored, but this year they were so excited, especially when they discovered the carnival games.” 

Traditionally, Oktoberfests, in general, feature German food like pierogis and bratwurst; Hackesttown's fest not only had the traditional food but also some additional options from some Main Street favorite food spots. Marley's Gotham Grill’s food truck was up and running, offering their classic wings. Another food truck offered bacon-on-a-stick with all kinds of flavors like jerk and mango habanero. EuroDeli2Go was the go-to spot for German traditional food. They had pierogis, polka dogs, and more. 

Another Oktoberfest tradition is the wiener dog races- a tradition where Dachshunds are released onto a racetrack to see which is the fastest. Czig Meister held a live broadcast on Saturday of a wiener dog race held elsewhere earlier in the day and then held their own.

The biggest events were held at the different beer companies, but there were plenty of smaller events scattered along Main Street. If you were lucky enough, you may have spotted wandering bands like Peter and the Wolf Gang.

In addition to bands and events, there were contests including a Potato Sack Race, Beard/Mustache Competition, and Steinhold Competitions.

Hackettstown's Oktoberfest is a fun and free experience for people of all ages. It’s the perfect way to prepare for a spooky season.