Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is an annual German-heritage festival in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. Based on the original Munich Oktoberfest, it is billed as the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the United States[1] and second largest in the world.[2] First held in 1976, as of 2023 it hosted over 700,000 attendees each year.[3][4] It is held along six blocks of Downtown Cincinnati.[5]
Location and length
The festival for years was held on 5th Street. In 2016 the festival moved to 3rd Street to clear room for Cincinnati Streetcar construction.[6] In 2021 it expanded to four days and in 2023 returned to 5th Street.[7]
Events
Oktoberfest Zinzinnati claimed the world record for the largest Chicken Dance in 1994, with over 48,000 participants.
The festival includes the World Brat Eating Championship[8][9][10] and also the Running of the Wieners, in which dachshunds and dachshund mixes ("wiener dogs") race in 75-foot heats, wearing hot dog costumes.[9][11][12]
COVID-19
In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerts were virtual instead of live. In both 2020 and 2021, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati was recognized as the world's largest Oktoberfest because Munich's Oktoberfest was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic two years in a row.[13][14]
Other Greater Cincinnati Oktoberfests
Cincinnati has a large percentage of the population with some German ancestry, and there are multiple Oktoberfests held in and around the downtown area as well as outlying suburbs.[15][16]
Cincinnati's Germania Society has held an Oktoberfest since 1971.[17][15] The Donauschwaben Society also holds an Oktoberfest.[17][15]
Covington, Kentucky, directly across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati and considered part of Greater Cincinnati, has since 1979 held an Oktoberfest in its Mainstrasse Village.[18][15] Newport, Kentucky, also directly across the river from Cincinnati, holds an annual Oktoberfest.[17][15]
References
- ^ "Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati". Fodor's Travel. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
- ^ "Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati". Cincinnati USA. 2014-04-25. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
- ^ Sanderson, Emily (2023-09-15). "Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2023: Everything you need to know". WLWT. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "Downtown Cincinnati could host a whopping 780K people this weekend. Here's why". The Enquirer. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "What is Oktoberfest Zinzinnati?". Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
- ^ Brownfield, Andy (19 July 2016). "Oktoberfest Zinzinnati moving to new location". Cincinnati Business Journal. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ "Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2023 moving back to 5th Street, extends to 4 days". WCPO 9 Cincinnati. 2023-07-06. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "World eating champ defends title at Ohio contest". The News-Herald. Southgate, Michigan. Associated Press. 18 September 2011.
- ^ a b Dreier, Natalie (17 September 2021). "Top dog: Wiener dogs race kicks off Oktoberfest celebrations". WSB. Atlanta. Cox Media Group. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ "Man breaks world record at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati during brat eating contest". WKRC. 18 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2023 – via Local12.com.
- ^ "1-year-old Maple crowned winning wiener in Cincy's Running of the Wieners". WCPO. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ "Annual 'Running of the Wieners' race during Oktoberfest 2022". Cincinnati Enquirer (photo gallery). 16 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ "Pandemic won't stop Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2020". WCPO. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ Smith, Ashley (8 September 2021). "Oktoberfest Zinzinnati adds extra day to become world's largest Oktoberfest for 2021". Fox19. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Cincinnati Oktoberfest Guide for 2023 · 365 CINCINNATI". 2023-06-24. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ Horn, Dan. "How German is the Cincinnati region? We're on the leaderboard, but not No. 1". The Enquirer. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ a b c "5 can't miss Oktoberfest celebrations in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky". www.visitcincy.com. 2023-08-03. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "Everything you need to know about Covington's Oktoberfest celebration". WCPO 9 Cincinnati. 2023-09-08. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
External links
This page was last edited on 5 March 2024, at 14:10