Pizza Plant Presents Annual Tim’s Beer Show Tasting Event

The man who helped usher in the modern day craft beer movement in Western New York, Buffalo beer’s godfather and Flying Bison Brewing brainchild, Tim Herzog, will once again host New York’s longest running beer event, Tim’s Beer Show, at Pizza Plant Transit on Oct. 22 (7pm). The curated tasting experience features Herzog hosting a unique journey through beer, from light to dark to extreme as you sample, discuss and learn. Tickets are $50 and include a tasting glass, Pizza Plant breadsticks and 12 4oz. beer samples. Tickets can be purchased at Pizza Plant.

Tap & Craft Festival Comes to Riverworks This Weekend

The Tap & Craft Festival is coming to Buffalo Riverworks this weekend on Saturday, October 4, featuring more than 30 craft breweries, cideries, wineries and distilleries. There will also be live music from Buffalo Dead Alliance. Tickets still remain – VIP ($45 pre-sale only) includes a tasting glass, four hours of sampling, VIP-only tastings, pretzel necklace, and more. General admission ($35 pre-sale, $50 day of) includes a tasting glass and sampling. Designated Driver tickets are also available for $10. You can purchase tickets at tapandcraft.com. There will be a limited amount of tickets available at the door day-of.

And if you’re still thirsty after the festival concludes, the official after party takes place at BriarBrothers Brewing. Your festival wristband gets you $6 draft pours.

Hofbrauhaus Buffalo to Release Festbier

Hofbrauhaus will tap their Festbier on Oct. 2 (6 pm) with a ceremonial keg tapping parade led by special barrel tappers The Mafia Babes. The event will benefit the P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer Collaborative with live music, raffles for prizes such as signed Josh Allen and Dawson Knox memorabilia, Hofbräuhaus Stein Club Memberships and more, craft vendors including Threaded & Laced, Buffalo Braid Co., Charmed at the Bar, and more. Hofbrauhaus’ Festbier closely resembles the Americanized version of Oktoberfestbiers with notes of toasted bread, caramel and fruit, and, according to the brewery, pairs well with rich foot such as pork and sweet desserts like apfel stuedel. For reservations, visit www.hofbrauhausbuffalo.com.

Buffalo Brewing Company Beer Sale

Buffalo Brewing Company is blowing out their beer inventory, both in cans and on draft, at their Myrtle Avenue taproom, with a huge beer sale this week. All draft beer is buy-one-get-one free this week and cans, both 16oz. 4-packs and 12oz. 6-packs, are $9.99, including Manru Lager, Sunday Sauce Cream Ale, 1976 Grodziskie, Refined Simplicity Czech Dark Lager, Pineapple Cream Ale, 1825 NEIPA, Blanc Kolsch, All Shored Up Cream Ale, 1789 ESB and Golden Snowbeer. The sale will run as long as supplies last.

Oktoberfest Celebrations in Full Swing This Weekend

This weekend is big one for Oktoberfest celebrations and parties all across Western New York. Oktoberfest at Steel Leaf Brewing (October 3-5) features the launch of their Festbier, German-inspired food specials, seasonal beers, contests, giveaways, games, stein-holding competitions  and more. Beer Kind Brewing Kindtoberfest (October 4) features new beer releases, food from Happy Tacos, cider donuts, kids’ activities, festive movies and more. At Oktoberfest at Gowanda Brewing (October 4), there will German beer such as Festbier, Oktoberfest, Schwartzbier and Pumpkin Ale, German food specials and live music, stein-hoisting competition, chicken dance contest and more. Woodcock Brothers’ annual Cocktoberfest (October 4, North Tonawanda) features German music, authentic German food, beer specials, and more. JL Fest 2025 at Johnson’s Landing is a two-day fall festival (October 3-4) filled with live music from Nineties By Nature, Crush Crush Crush and Hazzard County Band, food, vendors, photo booths, multiple bars, VIP section, axe throwing, mini petting zoo and more. Prost!

Hamburg Brewing to Release Special Stout Mix Pack

Colder weather is on the horizon and Hamburg Brewing is getting everyone ready with the release of a special mixed stout pack on October 8 (6-9 pm). The Nitro Stout Six Mix includes two cans each of Nitro OMS (oatmeal milk stout), Espresso Martini (milk stout with espresso) and S’Mores Stout (stout with marshmallow and graham cracker). There will be beer samplings, 6-packs available to go, live music from Maui Jim (7 pm), food specials and more. The release party is free and open to the public.

Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on X (@buffbeerleague), Instagram, Threads and Untappd (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).

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Magic Bear Beer Cellar Introduces OktoBEARfest Offering

Magic Bear Beer Cellar has introduced a new curated Oktoberfest beer pack just in time for the upcoming fall beer season. The OktoBEARfest Offering is essentially a fall beer advent calendar, featuring a mixed 12-pack assortment of Oktoberfests, Marzens, and Festbiers to enjoy throughout the Oktoberfest season, which takes place from September 20 to October 5. Pre-sale for the OktoBEARfest Offering begins August 15 at https://www.magicbearbeer.com. Beer boxes cost $39 plus tax. There is a limited quantity available.

Thin Man Drops Mafia Light For New Football Season

Football is officially back in Western New York for another season and Thin Man Brewery is releasing a new version of their flagship Pills Mafia to welcome the Buffalo Bills back to the field. Mafia Light is an ultra-light and crushable lager that clocks in at 3.5% and 80 calories. “Whether you’re mowing the lawn, ripping a day session, or making it to 8 pm for a prime time game, this beer is made for all scenarios,” Thin Man says of the new beer. Mafia Light is available now wherever great craft beer is sold.

Kölsch Fest Returns to 42 North Brewing

Starting at noon on August 16, 42 North Brewing will be pouring their Kölsch-style ale in traditional 7oz. Stange glasses for Kolsch Fest. Each pour is $3 and they will keep coming until you tell your beertender to stop. At 5 pm, Captain Tom and the Hooligans take the stage and you can pair your Kolsch pours with German-inspired eats from the Fat Bob’s @42 North kitchen — hearty and savory foods made to complement the Kölsch. The event is free to attend. Traditional dress is encouraged.

Frequentem, Smoldered Society Takeover at Moor Pat

Moor Pat is hosting a collaborative tap takeover with Frequentem Brewing and Smoldered Society on August 15 (12 pm). In addition to their latest collab, Engineered Hysteria Zested Pilsner, a 3.9% melon zested pils brewed with Saaz and Motueka hops and cold conditioned on oak spirals, Frequentem will have their Black Lager, Peak Amplitude NEIPA (Motueka), Just Fruit (Pineapple, Coconut, Banana) and Just Fruit (Strawberry Daiquiri), and Smoldered Society will bring Strike Anywhere Czech Pils and Chud Life, a fruited sour collab with Atrium Brewing, with strawberry, cheesecake, lemon, graham cracker and lactose. There will be some cans of Engineered Hysteria available to go.

Shalooby Loofer’s 2 Years of Magical Beers

Clarence’s Shalooby Loofer Brewing is turning two and they are celebrating two years of magical beers on August 23 (1 – 10 pm). There will be live music from Eric Weinholtz (2 – 5:30 pm) and Jordan Cohen 6 – 9 pm), the Loffer Tuber’s Fry Truck will be slinging food, and there will be beer flowing from the brewery’ 13 taps, as well as their Mixer Elixer beer-based cocktails, cider, wine, soda and NA options. And if you weren’t aware, Shalooby Loofer is donating $1 from each pint sold in the taproom to help build a school in Nepal through buildOn.

Would you fancy $50 to spend at Shalooby Loofer’s second anniversary party? You’re in luck, because Step Out Buffalo has partnered with the brewery to give away a $50 gift card to the brewery. To enter, all you need to do is click here, enter your name and email, and you are all set. You can also enter via SOB’s Instagram page (just search for the giveaway post). This giveaway runs through August 17.

Giveaways From Buffalo Pedal Tours, Big Ditch, Wing Fest, Seneca Sips

There are a number of great boozy giveaways right now to enter. Buffalo Pedal Tours has partnered with Resurgence Brewing, Frequentem Brewing and Hofbrauhaus to give away $50 off a holiday pedal tour, and $50 gift cards to each brewery. You can enter here. Content runs through August 15. Big Ditch and 1911 Established have teamed up to give away a custom YETI Tundra 45 cooler. You can enter here through September 5. Consumer’s Beverages are giving away a pair of tickets to the National Wing Festival (August 30-31). You can enter here. The winner will be selected August 15. SOB is also working with Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino to give away a pair of tickets to Seneca Sips Beer & Wine Festival (September 13) and an overnight stay. You can enter here through August 18. Good luck!

Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on X (@buffbeerleague), Instagram, Threads and Untappd (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).

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WNY Beer Week Wraps Up With WNY Wet Hop Festival

WNY Beer Week concludes with the first-ever WNY Wet Hop Festival at Rusty Nickel Brewing on Sept. 28 (12pm). The event, presented by the Hop Growers of New York and the WNY Brewers Guild, features approximately 20 wet hop, or fresh hop, beers from breweries across New York State, all brewed using fresh, locally-harvested hops. Guests can sample each beer, purchase pints, and learn more about hops through experiences like hop rub stations and interactive demonstrations. Hop growers and brewers will also be on hand. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased here. Tickets include samples, stainless steel cup, and more.

Buffalo Brewing Company To-Go Beer Sale

Buffalo Brewing Company is blowing out their current beer stock with a new beer sale, which features discounted cans to-go and certain drafts on site at their taproom. For a limited time and while supplies last, cans of Buffalo Brewing’s 1865 Maibock, 1910 Czech Pilsner, 1856 Cran Raz Wheat and 1976 Grodziskie are $11 per 16oz. 4-packs out the door (no limit, cannot be combined with other discounts). Also for a limited time, you can get $5 half liter pours of their 1976 Grodziskie at their Myrtle Avenue taproom.

The Beer Keep Third Anniversary Celebration

Elmwood’s The Beer Keep is celebrating their third anniversary on Sept. 28 with an all-day party that starts at noon. The event will feature limited draft and packaged beer releases, $2 beer shot, dollar dogs (beef and vegan), Twisted Tea shotgun competition (2pm), The Tiny Keep presents Akloh. Live (4pm), late night DJ set from Nor.th Star & Skkribbz B2B DJ set (8pm) and more. The event is free and open to the public.

Rising Storm Tasting, Collaboration Release at Magic Bear

The collaborations keep coming at Larkin’s Magic Bear Beer Cellar, the latest being Avon’s Rising Storm Brewing Company. The new creation is Beary Creamy, a fruited sour brewed with 240 pounds of blackberries and raspberries, as well as marshmallow and vanilla. The beer will be released on draft at Magic Bear on Sept. 26. Rising Storm will also be sampling a number of their other beers to celebrate the release. Beary Creamy will be tapped at 5pm, followed by weekly trivia from DJ Trivia.

Another Round of Oktoberfest Events This Weekend

It’s Oktoberfest season and there are plenty of venues celebrating the season, which traditionally runs Sept. 17 through Oct. 3. Woodcock Brothers will host the Fall Brewers Fest (Sept. 27) with beer sampling and specials, live entertainment and food, Fall Fest at Canalside (Sept. 28) will feature beer sampling from Resurgence Brewing, Pumkingfest at Southern Tier Brewing (Sept. 28) will feature the entire Pumking family (including 3 new varieties), pumpkin bowling and live music from Apple Jack, Tim Britt Band and Black Widow, the Orchard Park Germanfest Bar Crawl (Sept. 28) will feature stops at First Line Brewing and Wayland Brewing and the Harvest March & Oktoberfest at Gene McCarthy’s (Sept. 28) will feature a parade, keg blessing, ceremonial Ofest tapping, live music, beer and food.

WNY Real Beer Expo at Flying Bison Brewery

Cask beer will be celebrated during WNY Beer Week at the WNY Real Beer Expo at Flying Bison on Sept. 27 (5pm). Tickets for the event are $30 and include seven 10oz. pours of cask conditioned beers from The Ridge West Seneca, Brickyard Brewing, Britesmith, Flying Bison, Old First Ward brewing, 1927 Brew House and Hofbrauhaus. Presale tickets are available at Flying Bison and are limited to 50. The brewery will be open to the public during the event.

Five New Mortalis Brewing Beer Coming This Week

Mortalis Buffalo is dropping a handful of new beers this week on Sept. 26. The Fillings Are Mutual, a fruited smoothie sour, a collaboration with Other Half Brewing, features concord grapes, granola and coconut to emulate New York grape pie, Beholder: Peach Parfait is a fruited smoothie sour brewed with peaches, granola and yogurt, Iris Double IPA is brewed with Citra and Strata hops for notes of passion fruit, strawberry, and grapefruit and Pallas DIPA is brewed with hand-selected Citra and HBC1019 hops for notes of Valencia orange, honeydew melon and stone fruit, will be available on draft and in 16oz. 4-pack cans. Hyperion Imperial Coffee Stout is brewed with almonds, Haitian cacao, toasted coconut and Columbia Huila coffee (available in 500ml bottles).

Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).

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Tickets on Sale for Third Annual Tap & Craft Festival

The third annual Tap & Craft Festival, coming to the Niagara Falls Convention Center on Oct. 5, will feature craft brews from more than 40 craft breweries, wineries and cideries from Upstate New York, live music from The Far Trio, artisan market, food and more. Tickets are $35 and include admission, commemorative tasting glass and unlimited samples. Designated Driver tickets are $10. VIP tickets include a special release from Mortalis Brewing, exclusive beverage selections curated by Brewed & Bottled, Magic Bear Beer Cellar, The Lock Tender, One Stop Brew Shop and Alchemy Wine & Beer and more. Purchase tickets at www.tapandcraft.com.

Pressure Drop Brewing to Close Elmwood Avenue Taproom

Pressure Drop has announced that their taproom located at 1672 Elmwood Avenue will close at the end of the month. Their last day open will be Sunday, Sept. 29. The announcement was made on their social media channels. While no further details were announced, the brewery said that their beer will still be available at select retailers, beer stores, bottle shops, bars and restaurants around Western New York. Their beer also sees distribution in Rochester, Syracuse and Eastern Pennsylvania. Pressure Drop opened the location in March of 2022. The brewery announced in July of 2023 that they were for sale.

WNY Beer Week Returns Sept. 19-28

The 2024 Western New York Beer Week, presented by the WNY Brewers Guild, will take place Sept. 19-28. Things will get underway on Sept. 19 with an Opening Reception at Resurgence Brewing, then from there, featured events include Buffalo Beer Goddesses 12th Anniversary Party at Mr. Goodbar (Sept. 19), Brewer’s Cornhole Tournament at The Ridge West Seneca (Sept. 22), Nickel City BrewZ Cornhole Tournament hosted by Buffalo Beer Geeks (Sept. 24), WNY Real Beer Expo at Flying Bison (Sept. 27), Brewer’s Bottle Share at Magic Bear Beer Cellar (Sept. 27) and WNY Wet Hop Festival at Rusty Nickel (Sept. 28). Find more at wnybeerweek.com.

Lockport Brewpub Shuffle Becomes Twisted Locks Brewing

Lockport Brewpub Shuffle, a project at 13 W. Main St. in Lockport first proposed in 2021, will now continue under the name Twisted Locks Brewing. The proposed project from brothers CJ and Matt Martin will see the 22,490-square-foot former Kendzie’s Lanes building converted into a ground floor entertainment space, which will feature four regulation-size shuffleboards, bocce courts and cornhole boards, a microbrewery featuring a seven-barrel craft brewing system expected to be installed by November and restaurant, along with four apartments on the upper floors. The Martins bought the building in 2022.

Oktoberfest Celebrations in Full Swing This Weekend

It’s Oktoberfest season and there are plenty of venues celebrating the season, which traditionally runs Sept. 17 through Oct. 3. Wayland Brewing’s second annual Oktoberfest (Sept. 20-22) will feature stein specials, live music from Invisible Touch, German food, ax throwing and more, Rationales will host DEADtoberfest with WNY Dead (Sept. 21), Mystic Hills Brewing will host Oktoberfest (Sept. 21) featuring spent grain pretzels, stein holding competition and German beer flight specials, Pumkingfest at Southern Tier Brewing Buffalo (Sept. 21) will features live music from Interstate Daydream and Tiny Music, exclusive merch and a Pumkingfest Taste Off with Chai Pumking, Maple Pumking and Pecan Pumking (vote for your favorite) and live music (1pm, 5:30pm, 9pm) and a special beer tapping (6pm) at Hofbrauhaus Buffalo. Resurgence’s Oktoberfest (Sept. 21) will feature live music from the Polka Boys Band, stein hoisting & pretzel eating contests, beer samplings, German food and beer specials, and more.

Brickyard Brewing to Release Pair of New Lagers

On Sept. 20, Brickyard Brewing will release a pair of new lagers, Dusk Amber Lager and Dawn Pale Lager. Dawn is an unfiltered Czech Pale Lager brewed with SAAZ Shine hops for notes of citrus and lightly toasted malt and Dusk is a Czech Amber Lager, which features a soft mouthfeel, light roast, toasted nuts and dark fruits. Both beers are available on draft and in 4-pack cans to go. Both cans feature special, limited edition mirrored labels.

Seneca Brewtopia Beer Festival at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino

The first ever Seneca Brewtopia Beer Festival at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino will take place on Nov. 23. Breweries scheduled to attend include Resurgence Brewing, BlackBird Cider Works, Founders Brewing, Great Lakes Brewing, 42 North Brewing, Labatt, Wicked Weed and Kona Brewing with more to be announced. Tickets are $40 (if purchased before Oct. 1) and $55 (if purchased Oct. 2 or after) and include commemorative sampling glass, $15 ticket exchange voucher and a soft pretzel. Tickets for the event can be purchased here.

Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).

The post Buffalo Beer Buzz: Tap & Craft Fest, Seneca Brewtopia Beer Fest, Oktoberfest, Pressure Drop Elmwood to Close, Twisted Locks Brewing, WNY Beer Week, Brickyard Lagers appeared first on Buffalo Beer League.

The leaves are changing, there’s a noticeable chill in the air and the beer in your glass is getting darker – things that can only mean one thing – it’s Oktoberfest season. And while there are plenty of venues all across Western New York to help celebrate the season with a cold beer in hand, only one offers a traditional German experience over the entire course of Oktoberfest, which traditionally runs September 17 through October 3.

So, what is Oktoberfest? It dates back to the 1810 wedding of King Ludwig I and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, where the citizens of Munich were invited to attend, and was held on the fields in front of the city gates. In honor of their wedding, celebrations abounded, such as horse races, parades, beer and wine tastings, dancing, music, theatre performances and more. Over the years, Oktoberfest has transformed and evolved to become the world’s largest annual beer festival, with more than six million international and national visitors attending the event annually.

Hofbrauhaus Brew Master Scott Shuler says that, in order to ensure they have enough beer for the entire duration of Oktoberfest, they begin their brewing preparations in June.

“Oktoberfest, or Wiesn (Vee-zen), is a celebration that started out as a wedding celebration in 1810 of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese,” Shuler said. “It has grown over time into the world’s biggest beer festival. Each year it begins on the third Saturday of September and runs to the first Sunday in October. It’s a celebration of tradition, beer, food, and fun. We begin brewing for Oktoberfest at the end of June to make sure we have enough beer to last us for the entirety of our festival. We run our Oktoberfest from September 17 – October 30.”

Oktoberfest is an event that has truly stood the test of time. Sure, if you’re reading this, you probably know it was a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic each of the last two years, but did you know that isn’t the first pandemic that Oktoberfest has fallen prey to? In 1854 and 1873, the event was canceled due to two different cholera outbreaks. There was no Oktoberfest in 1866 because Bavaria was involved in the Austro-Prussian War, and then, in 1870, the Franco-Prussian War forced the cancellation of the festival. There is also still an open investigation into the 1980 bombing that killed 13 people and injured over 225.

While Oktoberfest beer refers to two beer styles – a traditional Märzen lager and a paler Festbier, commonly served at Oktoberfest itself. It’s this type of authenticity that you can expect from the beer served during Oktoberfest at Hobrauhaus. Look for their Festbier and Oktoberfestbier on tap all throughout Oktoberfest at the Haus.

“We tapped out Festbier for our September release to allow the imported Oktoberfestbier to be tapped in October,” Shuler said. “We brew our Festbier to be an American version of an Oktoberfestbier.  It is coppery-amber, sweet, and finishes lovely.  This is a favorite of our brewery staff. We are importing the Oktoberfestbier from Munich and will be tapping this on Thursday, October 6. This is a delightful beer and a time-honored tradition to enjoy. It is 6.3% ABV, drinks light and flavorful, and finishes smooth.”

Hofbrauhaus’ Oktoberfest features something for everyone, including keg tappings, parades, beer dinners, Sausagefest, live music, 80’s party and more. Above all else, Shuler says to expect a fun time, regardless of when you stop in during Oktoberfest.

“Expect a huge fun time,” Shuler explains of Oktoberfest at Hofbrauhaus. “Every Friday and Saturday evening, we will have a special Mayoral barrel tapping (The Mayor of Munich performs the initial barrel tapping to kick off Oktoberfest in Munich). There will be a pair of beer and food pairing dinners, special bands, lots and lots of beer and pretzels, and a sausage eating contest.”

Here’s what Hofbrauhaus has on tap during their week’s long Oktoberfest celebration:

• Sept. 16 – Beer Choir Hymnal
• Sept. 17 – Sausage Fest: Oktoberfest Kickoff (Sabres Alumni Brian Gionta will serve as honorary Mayor and there will be live music from Parkside Avenue Brass and DJ Bobby Berlin)
• Sept. 18 – Live music from Hank and Die Haus Band
• Sept. 19 – Game Days at The Haus
• Sept. 20, 21 – Live music from Die Haus Band
• Sept. 22 – Live music with Auslanders & Beer Pairing Dinner
• Sept. 23 – Live music from Auslanders
• Sept. 24 – Live music from Hank & Katie, Parskide Avenue Brass, Steinholding Competition
• Sept. 25 – Game Days at The Haus
• Sept. 26 – Live music from Buffalo Touch Lite
• Sept. 27 – Live music from Dave Gannon
• Sept. 29 – Canadian Day featuring The Strictly Hip
• Sept. 30 – Totally 80’s Oktoberfest Party featuring NERDS GONE WILD
• Oct. 1 – Live music from Hank & Katie and Parkside Avenue Brass

“I look forward to the people,” Shuler says. “Oktoberfest is a great time to mix and mingle with our patrons. Everyone is having fun and enjoying every minute they are here. It is a cool opportunity to talk with everyone about their favorite Oktoberfest memories.”

For more information, visit www.hofbrauhausbuffalo.com/events.

Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).

The post Hofbrauhaus Offers a Traditional German Oktoberfest Experience appeared first on Buffalo Beer League.

The season of Oktoberfest, the world’s largest celebration of beer, is upon us, and many area establishments are celebrating. Though the annual event officially takes place on September 16 this year, Oktoberfest spans a period of two weeks, with millions of people around the world taking part each year.

Since the early 19th century, revelers have gathered together to celebrate, consuming seemingly endless amounts of beer, while enjoying traditional Oktoberfest foods such as sausages, pretzels, potato pancakes and roast pork and chicken. Traditionally, there are parades, amusement rides and games to enjoy as well.

A number of breweries right here in the Buffalo-Niagara region are getting in the Oktoberfest spirit and we took it upon ourselves to compile all of those beery events into one place. Consider this your handy-dandy one-stop shopping for your Oktoberfest season. So, get out your lederhosen, grab your favorite beer stein and get to it.

Gordon Biersch will tap their annual Fest Bier (5.6%) on Sept. 13 at their FestBier Tapping Party (6pm). Live music will be provided by the Auslanders and there will be passed apps, games and giveaways. Beers will be 2 for $10 with all proceeds going to benefit the ALS Association Upstate New York Chapter.

Flying Bison Brewing’s annual Oktoberfest party returns on Sept. 16 (12pm) with traditional German beer hall music from the Frankfurters. $10 admission will get you a souvenir 16oz beer stein and a drink ticket, and bratwurst, franks, potato salad and sauerkraut will be available for purchase.

That very same day, Resurgence Brewing will host their own Oktoberfest celebration. Two stein hoisting competitions will be held for men and women, collector beer steins will be available for $10 (includes your first fill and $1 off after that), Wayno’s BBQ will be onsite, there will be live German music during the day and dance music at night, a beer truck and big tent in the parking lot, lawn games, bag toss, and more.

New York Beer Project will host the NYC Oktoberfest, the first of their two consecutive weekend Oktoberfest celebrations, on Sept. 17 (4pm). This modern day Oktoberfest features music from JJ Swing from 4pm – 8pm, as well as Bavarian pretzels, Oktoberfest games and prizes, German sing-a longs and prizes for best German costumes. NYBP will also have two German beers for the party – Red IPA, brewed with German cherries with flavors of Bavarian kirsch liqueur, and PROST! German Lager.

NYBP returns with their German Oktoberfest on Sept. 24 (4pm). Live music from 4-8pm will be provided courtesy of the Bergholz German Band.

The first annual Oktoberfest bash at Brickyard Brewing Company in Lewiston takes place Sept. 23-24. The first time event will feature German food, live music and specials on Brickyard Brewing’s Dunkel, Oktoberfest and other fall beers.

The annual OFest! Harvest March will take place on Oct. 1 at Gene McCarthy’s/Old First Ward Brewing. There will be the tapping and blessing of the ceremonial cask of Oktoberfest, a parade through the streets of the Old First Ward and live music and German food specials all day.

Buffalo Iron Works presents Oktoberfest: Local Edition 2017 on October 7 (4pm). Local Oktoberfest beers will be available from Resurgence, 12 Gates Brewing, Flying Bison, Community Beer Works, New York Beer Project, 42 North Brewing and Southern Tier Brewing. Entertainment and dancing with The German American Musicians “Buffalo’s BIG German Band!” will be followed by a special performance from Mike Gantzer of Aqueous & Rob Compa of Dopapod. Tickets are $5 (includes admittance) and $25 (includes admittance and 20 tickets for beer/food) and are available at www.buffaloironworks.com.

Thin Man Brewery will celebrate Oktoberfest on Oct. 15 (11am). Tickets for the event are $10 in advance ($15 day-of), which includes a signature Thin Man Oktoberfest stein and your first pour. VIP tickets are $50 in advance ($60 day-of) and include an all access upstairs pass, unlimited food and beer throughout the day along with signature Thin Man Oktoberfest stein. Thin Man will also have a tent out front of the brewery and German music as well.

For even more Oktoberfest happenings in and around Buffalo, check out Step Out Buffalo’s coverage at https://stepoutbuffalo.com/oktoberfest-events-happening-september-wny. And if you need a ride home, try Lyft. New users can download the Lyft app and use the promo code ‘BNBA’ to receive four $5 credits towards rides.

 Brian Campbell is a co-founder/Brand Manager of the BNBA’s enthusiast arm, Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at buffalobeerleague@aol.com, on Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague), Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague) and www.buffalobeerleague.com.

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