NKyTribune staff
Oktoberfest Zinzinnati showcases the rich German heritage of Cincinnati, as well as tasty samples of German-style music, food and beer. First held in 1976, the event has grown to be North America’s largest Oktoberfest with more than a half million people attending each year.
A couple enjoys the festivities at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2015 (photos and images courtesy of Oktoberfest Zinzinnati).
The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), partnering with the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, will kick off the 40th Annual Oktoberfest Zinzinnati in German style on Friday, from noon to 2 p.m. at the airport’s Welcome Point, lower level of Terminal.
As part of the celebration, the Pete Wagner Band will play traditional polka music, and Bavarian pretzels will be served to travelers at CVG.
“As the front door to the community we’re excited to partner with the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber to welcome visitors to our region and kick off Oktoberfest 2016,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG.
The personal-finance website WalletHub took a close look at 2016’s Best Cities to Celebrate Oktoberfest and Cincinnati topped the list.
Courtesy of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber (click to enlarge)
To determine the best cities for partaking in the epic German festival, WalletHub’s number crunchers compared the 100 largest cities across 20 key metrics, ranging from “percentage of German population” to “number of beer gardens per capita” to “average price for Oktoberfest festivals and parties ticket.”
WalletHub also included a list of fun and interesting facts about the event in its Oktoberfest By The Numbers infographic.
While Oktoberfest Zinzinnati may not be quite the same as a trip to Munich, it is a pretty good substitute for those who can’t afford to shell out the $5,000 WalletHub estimates a trip to the German city for its festival would cost.
In 1994 Oktoberfest Zinzinnati established a world record, as proclaimed by the Guinness Book of Records in its 1995-97 editions, with 48,000 participating in the World’s Largest Chicken Dance.
This year, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati will be held on Second and Third streets, between Elm and Walnut in downtown Cincinnati. There are many public and private parking garages downtown within walking distance of the festival site.
Rich Walburg, communications director, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber said greeting weekend visitors at the airport is a great way to welcome them to Oktoberfest Zinzinnati.
“As America’s Oktoberfest — a world-class event, we want to roll out a huge German welcome to greet our visitors,” Walburg said. “This is a fun way we’re highlighting Cincinnati’s history to travelers from all over the world.”
For more information about Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, including a complete list of vendors, events and activities, click here .
