CINCINNATI — The organizers behind Oktoberfest Zinzinnati are tapping deep into the annual German festival’s zeitgeist this year.
The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber announced on Thursday it is expanding the World’s Largest Chicken Dance to all nine of Oktoberfest Zinzinnati’s stages, which will once again line West Second and Third Streets between Elm and Walnut Streets Downtown.
“Expanding the Oktoberfest Zinzinnati World’s Largest Chicken Dance to nine stages is a new and fun way to certify that Zinzinnati is home to the World’s Largest Chicken Dance — and to show our nation that Zinzinnati is America’s Oktoberfest,” stated Lori Salzarulo, Oktoberfest event manager in a Cincinnati USA press release.
This year “local media celebrities will lead the massive audience from each of Oktoberfest Zinzinnati’s stages” at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. Traditionally, the World’s Largest Chicken Dance has traditionally been led by an individual or group grand marshal from Oktoberfest’s main stage at the corner of Elm and West Second Streets.
Expanding the chicken dance to nine stages isn’t the first big expansion that Cincinnati USA has revealed for this year’s Oktoberfest Zinzinnati.
Last month the chamber announced the festival will officially kick off at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20 instead of its traditional 5 p.m. first-day start time. Oktoberfest’s hours will now be 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
The annual Running of the Wieners dachshund race will also take place a day earlier at 11 a.m. Thursday along Freedom Way.
"Oktoberfest is one of these unique Cincinnati traditions. It is a weekend to be treasured in Cincinnati,” said Brendon Cull, senior vice president and COO for Cincinnati USA. "We’re proud of our community heritage. We think there is a growing appetite for that as we continue to add to that and introduce new things for people.”
For more information visit www.oktoberfestzinzinnati.com.
