An annual tradition that has happened for over 200 years will be upon us starting Friday, September 25th at the Black Forest Inn, OKTOBERFEST!
Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria got married in 1810 and decided the celebration should last for two weeks (well of course).
The best place in the Twin Cities to celebrate this decidedly German tradition is of course the Black Forest Inn. They know the right mixture of beer, sausages, roast chicken, pretzels and music to celebrate this tradition right.
With each night having a unique theme, you can celebrate every night of Oktoberfest without doing things twice. So check out their calendar of events or the list below to make sure you know what is on tap for the evening. You can toast, eat dumplings, or even get married (yes, I said, get married)!
There is even a menu cover contest, so get your entry in, guidelines are here.
Oktoberfest starts next Friday, so we hope to see you there, who knows, you might even end up in one of their slideshows of people partying for Oktoberfest.
DAY ONE – Friday September 25, 2015
Prost! Night
The Theme:
The best way to start Oktoberfest is with a toast! Celebrate fall, beer, and each other with a toast. We’ll have some for you to read, or make up your own. Standing up to toast is encouraged. Speaking from the heart is essential. Rhyming is optional. Prizes will be awarded for exceptional toasts.
The Schedule:
6:00 – 7:30pm Alphorns – the Matterhorn Trio will play outside in our beer garden
7:30 Ceremonial Keg Tapping & restaurant-wide toast
7:30 – 9:30 Toasting!
7:30 – 9:30pm Live music! Jim ten Bensel on horns and Mark Stillman on accordion
8:00pm The Blue Angel (Der Blaue Engel, 1930) showing in banquet space
The Extras:
Paulaner Night! Buy any Paulaner beer and get a logo glass for $1 (while supplies last; one per customer)
Sample Paulaner beer with the Paulaner girls!
Poster and Menu Cover Contest winner unveiled.
Get your picture taken with the giant pretzel
German movies in banquet space courtesy of Film 4M
DAY TWO – Saturday September 26, 2015
Maskenball Night
The theme:
It’s a costume ball and you are invited! Mysterious looks and fantastical outfits will intrigue you all night long. Mistaken identities will not be ruled out. Prizes for great costumes.
The schedule:
6:00 – 8:00 Try a sample of Kleiner Feigling, a tasty fig liqueur
7:00 – 9:30pm Live music! Dreamland Faces, an accordion and saw duo
8:00pm The Golem (1920) showing in the banquet space
The extras:
Beer!
German movies in banquet space courtesy of Film 4M
DAY THREE – Sunday, September 27, 2015
Is Your German Better Than a 5th Grader’s?
The theme:
The German language isn’t that hard! It’s pretty much phonetic and it’s fun to speak. There’s kids all over Germany who speak German! So you should be able to, also!
The schedule:
6:00pm Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau dir. 1922) showing in banquet space
6:30 – 9:00pm Live music! Mark Stillman on accordion
8:00pm Nosferatu (W. Herzog dir. 1979) showing in banquet space
The extras:
Kids from the Twin Cities German Immersion School will be here to school you in German.
20% of our food sales today will go to support the Amity Aid program at the Twin Cities German Immersion School. This program brings young German teachers here to work for up to a year with students in the Twin Cities.
Beer! For the adults!
German movies in banquet space courtesy of Film 4M
DAY FOUR – Monday September 28, 2015
The Wurst Night of Oktoberfest
The Theme:
We’ll celebrate sausages with sausage specials, mustards galore and fantastic sausage-enhancing condiments. Order the “brat bar” and choose your sausages and sides. Swim in sauerkraut. Pile your plate with pickles. Relish some relish. You deserve our best. We’ll give you our wurst.
Brat bar includes: Handmade bratwurst, Handmade chicken curry sausage, Weisswurst, Polish sausage, celery relish, fried peppers, fried onions, sauerkraut, homemade Bavarian Sweet mustard, Maple mustard, Horseradish sauerkraut sauce, Curry ketchup, rye bread, potato salad, red cabbage and pickles. All that sausage goodness for $16.00
The Schedule:
Brat Bar 5:00pm – 10:00pm
6:30 – 9:00pm Live music! Mark Stillman on accordion
The Extras:
Surly NEIN release party! Be the first to try it! Surly Prizes! Special ‘Surly bar’ in the beer garden! Surly beer galore!
Bring your tuba and get a free beer. You may be required to play your tuba to earn the beer.
DAY FIVE – Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Freudian Slip Night
The Theme:
No id, no service. No ego, no strudel. Do not repress your desire to experience this night. You might see some slips!
The Schedule:
7:00 pm The Doctor is in. Tell him about your mother.
The Extras:
Grain Belt Night! Win Grain Belt prizes!
DAY SIX – Wednesday, September 30, 2015
HAUNTED BLACK FOREST NIGHT
The theme:
We’ve been here for 50 years and the building is well over a hundred years old. It’s possible that there is more to us than meets the eye! Join us for a journey into the unseen world, via the basement, and maybe you’ll meet someone or something from the past…
The schedule:
6:30 – 9:30 pm Tours of the basement with the Twin Cities Paranormal Society. Tours leave on the half-hour, every hour, and last for approximately 45 minutes. First come first serve. Also, talk with representatives from the Twin Cities Paranormal Society any time this evening about your own haunted spaces!
The extras:
Summit Night! Get a Summit pint glass! Win Summit prizes! Meet Summit people!
DAY SEVEN – Thursday, October 1
Weisenheimer Night
The theme: There’s a special quality to German humor that, well, eludes many of us. But making fun of the Germans, that’s a whole ‘nother story! Join us for a night of jokes, gags and silliness. Enter the Weisenheimer contest! Throw some rotten tomatoes! Laugh your cares away!
The schedule
6:30 – 9pm Live music! The Happy Wanderers, an accordion and tuba duo
7:00 – 9pm Schells beer samples & prizes
9:00pm Schells prize drawing – enter to win a free brewery tour, gas card and one night’s stay at the Holiday Inn New Ulm!
The extras:
Schells Night!
“Weisenheimers Wanted” billboard contest
DAY EIGHT – Friday, October 2
Berliner Night
The theme
Berlin in the 20s was the capital of the Weimar Republic and was home to the artistic avant garde of Europe. As the world slowly sank into darkness, Berlin lit up the night with cabarets, concerts, performances and parties. If you have a hard time imagining Germans having that much fun, you need to come to Berliner night!
The Schedule:
7:00 – 9:30pm Live music! Dreamland Faces, an accordion and saw duo
8:00 – 11:00pm Zodiak Berlin spins the Krautrock in the music lounge (also known as the banquet space) with special guests! And a special screening of the Krautrock documentary!
The Extras:
Berliners (jelly doughnuts) free for dining customers
Spaten Night! Buy any Spaten beer and get a logo glass for $1! (One per customer; while supplies last)
DAY NINE – Saturday October 3, 2015
Tie the Knot Night
The Theme:
As you know, originally Oktoberfest was a wedding celebration. So we’re going back to its roots and honoring the original Oktoberfest tonight. Get married! Renew your vows! Celebrate your anniversary! We have all the fixin’s: ministers, flowers, bridesmaids, wedding cake, and an atmosphere of love.**
The Schedule:
6:30 – 9:00pm Live music! Jim ten Bensel on horns and Denny Malmberg on accordion
All day weddings & vow renewals
The Extras:
It’s Reunification Day also! That’s a real German holiday, for real. And it kinda fits with our theme. What does it mean to you? In honor of Reunification Day, we are helping foster other, smaller reunifications. We’ll have cards and envelopes for you to address to a long lost relative, an old friend, a seldom seen neighbor or anyone else. The card says “Let’s Reunify!” and enclosed is a five dollar gift certificate to the Black Forest Inn, good for one year. Plenty of time to plan your own reunification!
We pushed the tables together. Get it? We re-unified them.
Hacker-Pschorr night! Buy any Hacker-Pschorr and get a logo glass for $1
**Seriously, you could have your wedding here. Call us.
DAY TEN – Sunday October 4, 2015
Drain the Keg Night
The Theme:
We don’t want to lug any barrels home with us after the party so we’re going to start dropping the price of beer at 2pm and keep dropping it until the beer is gone. Seriously.
The Schedule:
2:00 pm – 8:00 pm Price on ½ liters of beer drops 0.25 per hour
6:30 – 9:00 pm Live music!
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Price on ½ liters of beer drops 0.50 per hour
The Extras:
When the keg goes, the boot (or glass or t-shirt or mug) goes! Prizes for the person who ordered the beer that blew the keg. There’s 18 beers on tap, folks!
