Funky Buddha

Sep 20, 2023

Jennifer Lett / South Florida Sun Sentinel Funky Buddha presents Oktoberfest will return to Jaco Pastorius Park in Oakland Park Oct. 6-8. In all their amber beer-guzzling, stein-lifting, oompah band-playing glory, Oktoberfest celebrations are back in South Florida. Of course, our celebrations — packed with racing wiener dogs, Jägermeister on the New River and unlimited craft beer in a food hall — are a different vibe from the authentic fests you’ll find in, say, Munich, Germany. For those pining for tradition, there are live webcams galore offering bird’s-eye views of the beer tents and lederhosen parades at the legendary festival . Still, we happen to think Broward and Palm Beach counties are bastions of good Bavarian taste. Raise a hefty stein for these seven local bashes of brats and beer — many authentic, some not very — scattered across bars, breweries and German-American clubs. And remember, revelers, that a rideshare is your best “freund.” Oktoberfest at Dream State Brewing 3 p.m. daily through Oct. 1 at 115 NW Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale (at Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery); 954-329-2551; DreamStateBrewery.com As an all-you-can-drink fest inside a food hall, what this festival lacks in cultural authenticity it makes up for with, well, an unholy amount of beer for $35. Starting at 3 p.m. daily, the food hall will offer a speciality menu of German cuisine, and that unlimited beer bracelet grants access to suds from participating breweries including Prison Pals, Unseen Creatures Brewing and Blending, Invasive Species Brewing, Gulf Stream Brewing, Yeasty Brews, Orchestrated Minds and Tripping Animals Brewing. Michael Laughlin/South Florida Sun Sentinel Thousands of people attend the annual Oktoberfest celebration at the German American Society of Greater Hollywood, returning for three weekends this year Sept. 23, Oct. 7 and Oct. 21. (Michael Laughlin/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Oktoberfest at the German American Society of Hollywood Sept. 23, Oct. 7 and Oct. 21 at 6401 Washington St., Hollywood; 954-322-6227; GermanAmericanClubHollywood.org This family-friendly bash will unspool over three weekends, with entertainment including music by accordionist Bob Houston, Bavarian folk dancing by the Original Auerhahn Schuhplattlers, plus righteous clogging action from Pure Dynamics Cloggers. There will also be cocktails, wines, games and rides. Admission: $12 at the door. Wharftoberfest Noon Sept. 23 at The Wharf Fort Lauderdale, 20 W. Las Olas Blvd. ; 954-372-7606; WharfFTL.com For a river-adjacent Oktoberfest experience, raise das boot at The Wharf, downtown Fort Lauderdale’s reliable, open-air party monster. The pop-up biergarten will feature live German music along the New River, costumed revelry, decor and this killer pairing: Buy one shot of Jägermeister, receive a free German brew. Wharf vendors Knotty Burgers, The Piefather, Crème de la Crêpe and Los Altos Taqueria will serve food. Admission, which is free, allows children and leashed dogs until 6 p.m., after which The Wharf switches to a 21-and-older crowd. Michael Laughlin / Sun Sentinel Four-legged contestants compete in the Dachshund Dash, one of the centerpiece events at Funky Buddha presents Oakland Park Oktoberfest. The bash will return Oct. 6-8. (Michael Laughlin/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Funky Buddha Brewery presents Oakland Park Oktoberfest 6-10 p.m. Oct. 6, 1-10 p.m. Oct. 7 and 1-7 p.m. Oct. 8 at Jaco Pastorius Park, 4000 N. Dixie Highway, Oakland Park; 954-630-4507; OaklandParkFl.gov What makes Oakland Park, of all cities, the authority on Oktoberfest? The answer is a compelling story of … oh, look, a dachshund wearing an alpine hat and dirndl! Holy hefeweizen, that’s adorable. But where were we? Right: The city’s annual Bavarian celebration will return for three days at Jaco Pastorius Park alongside its centerpiece event, the Dachshund Dash, the annual running of costumed weenies to the finish line. There are also apple strudel-eating contests, stein and beer barrel races, and live music from Sepp Diepolder, Alpine Express and the ubiquitous Auerhahn Schuhplattlers. Next-door bierhaus Funky Buddha will handle the food and suds, which include Floridian Hefeweizen, Buddhafest (a caramel-accented amber marzen) and Saaz Matters (an earthy, herbal and crisp pilsner). Cost is $5 for general admission and free for children younger than 12. Oktoberfest at Mathews Brewing Co. 2 p.m. Oct. 7 at 130 S. H St., Lake Worth Beach; 561-812-3738; MathewsBrewingCompany.com Owner Dave Mathews’ 117-seat taproom in Lake Worth Beach is throwing a free-to-enter, daylong Oktoberfest bash in its dog-friendly beer garden with live bands, including power trio Maximum Friction (5-7:30 p.m.) and West Palm Beach country-rockers 56 Ace Band (8-11:30 p.m.) The brewery’s hefeweizens, Vienna and German lagers will cost $6.25 a pint, and Tightlines food truck will be on hand. Tom Ervin / Sun Sentinel Mark Johnson of Boynton Beach holds the Florida flag while people sing during the parade of flags at the annual Oktoberfest at the American German Club of the Palm Beaches. This year’s 49th annual event will return over two weekends Oct. 13-15 and Oct. 20-22. (Tom Ervin/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Oktoberfest at American German Club of the Palm Beaches Oct. 13-15 and Oct. 20-22 at American German Club of the Palm Beaches, 5111 Lantana Road, Lake Worth Beach; 561-967-6464; OktoberfestFlorida.com Over the course of two weekends, South Florida’s largest and most-authentic German bash draws north of 35,000 visitors. That’s a lot of bratwurst. The oompah band-playing, lederhosen-sporting, black forest cake-serving celebration returns with another round of family-friendly carnival rides. The American German Club of the Palm Beaches’ 49th annual event will also have live music from AGC Volkstanzgruppe, Black Thorne Pipe & Drum Band and Germany-based crowd-pleasers Heldensteiner HeuBodnBlosn, along with flag parades, Bavarian folk dancers — and no shortage of savory German cuisine. Cost is $7 to $10 (free for children younger than 7), plus $20 for clubhouse parking and $25 for optional unlimited rides, via Eventbrite.com . Fort Lauderdale Firefighters’ 11th annual Oktoberfest 2-6 p.m. Oct. 14 at 309 SW 26th St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-761-1532; Facebook.com/FLFireBA Raising money for sick and injured firefighters is the ambitious goal behind this fundraising bash, which will pit five to 10 home brewers in a competition judged by beer experts. Proceeds from the $25 admission benefit the Fort Lauderdale Firefighters Benevolent Association . “This is a fund that we grow in case, god forbid, something happens around the corner and firefighters need help,” says organizer Aaron Caja, a driver-engineer at Station 29 in east Fort Lauderdale. “When that need arises, the money will be there.” Pompano Beach restaurant Checkers Old Munchen will donate the food and ticketbuyers can taste unlimited beer samples. Home brews will be assayed by Julian Siegel (Tarpon River Brewing), Jimmy DiFrisco of LauderAle, and certified beer cicerone Gary Fuller. Tags: