CINCINNATI — A new beer garden at this year’s Oktoberfest Zinzinnati will showcase local craft beers and allow sports fans to catch a game on an 11-by-6-foot video screen.
The Zinzinnati Bier Garten will open at Third and Race streets during Oktoberfest, scheduled Sept. 16-18.
The annual German heritage beer festival relocated from Fifth Street to Second and Third streets between Walnut and Elm this year to accommodate the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar, which will begin operations on Friday.
Sam Adams, a sponsor of Oktoberfest, will offer samples of three new beers, brewed exclusively in Cincinnati, at the Zinzinnati Bier Garten. Visitors can then taste and vote on their favorite of the three. Sam Adams will release the most popular for a limited time as the “513 beer” in Cincinnati and the surrounding area.
“Sam Adams has been a proud partner of Oktoberfest Zinzinnati for many years,” said Jim Koch, Sam Adams brewer and founder and a Cincinnati native, in a press release.
Other local breweries and beers featured at the new beer garden include:
- Braxton: Haven Hefeweizen; Oktober Fuel; Storm Golden Cream Ale; and Twisted Bit Dortmunder Lager
- MadTree: The Great Pumpcan; Happy Amber; Lift; PSA; and Shade
- Rhinegeist: Cougar; Crash; Franz; Puma; and Truth
- Rivertown: Divergent; Dunkel; Insurrection; Pumpkin; and Roebling
The Zinzinnati Bier Garten, along with other Oktoberfest stations, will also have a 50-inch flat-screen television screen and live entertainment throughout Oktoberfest weekend. The entertainment schedule is:
Friday, Sept. 16
- 5-7 p.m.: die Pässe (The Passports)
- 8-11 p.m.: Mak Show (Shut Up & Drive)
Saturday, Sept. 17
- Noon-3 p.m.: Robin Lacy & Tanzparty (DeZydeco)
- 4-7 p.m.: Schwan (Swan)
- 8-11 p.m.: Das Whamenschnitzels (The Whammies)
Sunday, Sept. 18
- Noon-3 p.m.: Naked Karate Fräuleins (Girls)
- 5-9 p.m.: Gee Your Band Schnellz Vunderba (Smells Terrific)
