Friday

Running of the Wieners & G-Games

12:00 – 2:30PM

The Running of the Wieners will feature 100 dachshunds donning costumes while running approximately 75 feet, in heats of ten, to its owner waiting at the finish line. The winners from each heat will compete in a final race to determine Zinzinnati’s fastest wiener dog.

Gemütlichkeit means goodwill, cordiality or friendliness. The idea of gemütlichkeit began after the Napoleonic war in 1815 and before the Revolutionary wars started in 1848. People in Germany were tired of war and politics (sound familiar?) and decided, instead, to spend their spare time focused on family and friends.

While Oktoberfest Zinzinnati’s Gemütlichkeit Games (or G-Games) are a competition between members of Zinzinnati media, the contests remain cordial and friendly. Mostly.

Events will include the beer barrel roll and the beer stein carry, in which participants carry six one-liter steins, filled with Samuel Adams, to the finish line. Scores are based on time and the least amount of beer spillage.

Festhaus Musig

3:00-7:00pm

We’ve played professionally since we were 15 years old. From the Beer Barrel Polka, the Chicken Dance to the Zillertaler Hochszeitsmarsch, our set list combined numbers over 800, including over 300 authentic and current German and Austrian songs.

Combined we play the Steirische (button) accordion as well as the traditional piano accordions, trumpet, saxophone, clarinet, guitar and drums.

The Royal Klobasneks

8:00-11:00pm

The Royal Klobasneks are a traditional polka band from Cincinnati, Ohio. The band has been delighting dancers and festival goers since 2010, under the direction of Matt Tolentino, who plays accordion and sings in up to seven languages.

Instrumentation is that of a traditional ‘old-time’ polka band boasting 7 musicians. This traditional sound reflects the proud culture of this music in the United States and the classic polka music of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, based in German and Czech origins. This tradition is key to our unique sound; our sound is an immediate departure from other bands – a sound that has been heard at numerous festivals throughout the country, and has been featured on the Mollie B Polka Party, enjoyed by captive audiences and dancers alike.

The Royal Klobasneks are a true dance band, but can put on a fine show, as well. With a broad selection of polkas, waltzes, and pop songs for added variety, there's something for everyone.

Gerhard Albinus Band

11:00am-2:00pm

We are a High Energy Accordion fronted full on Party Rock Band.
Playing stuff ya; know, it’s like having the “mp3 player” in shuffle mode.We keep our audiences engaged and shaking the tail feathers.

Gerhard Albinus is an American born native German speaker.
He had to learn English from the neighborhood kids and elementary school.

The River City Polkatz

3:00-6:00pm

The River City Polkatz draw on thirty years’ experience in playing music together. Merging a wide range of influences from polka, waltzes, traditional German Oktoberfest tunes to pop, swing and country western our goal is to provide a fun atmosphere. From the duck dance to the schunkelwalzer we love to have the audience to participate and spread the feeling of “Gemutlichkeit” (good times) to Oktoberfest events.

Vereins Musikanten w/ Kolping Sängerchor

7:00-11:00pm

We are the areas largest, year round German band. We have been playing together since 1996, when we were formed by combining the Donauschwaben and Kolping brass bands. Since then we have also added members of the Germania society and Bavarian clubs to our band. Our name, Vereins Musikanten literally translates as “Club Musicians”. We also have an English name, “Cincy German Band”, if Vereins Musikanten is too difficult to remember.

We have a full band and several singers, which allows us to perform traditional and popular German music. Most of our songs are sung in German. While we do play a few American songs, we only play them since they are popular at festivals in Germany.

Pete Wagner Schnapps Band

11:00am-2:00pm

We play a variety of eclectic and ethnic music. You probably heard many stories about how the chicken dance came to be, here is the truth. My dad was at Munich Oktoberfest in whatever year that was, and came back with the song “dance Little bird dance” he made copies of the music and passed it on to all the band leaders that were playing that year.
The PWB was formed in 1954 and Pete's son Paul has taken oven since 1986.

Jess Lamb & The Factory

3:00-7:00pm

Jess Lamb and The Factory’s live shows have been described as spiritually awakening, uplifting and community empowering, feat. some of Cincy’s most talented musical legends. This collective is a little bit pop, a touch of R&B, sometimes rock n’ roll + a lot of soul, performed by one of the best pianists/vocalists in the country.

Lamb;s latest works have been defined by John Diliberto (Echoes Radio, NPR) as “spiritually inclined dream pop,” bringing a rich array of influences and collaborations to recording sessions.

Jess Lamb received worldwide recognition on Season 14 of American Idol. Her latest album, You Are (Best of Echoes Radio 2021) is available on all streaming platforms.

Siri Imani Productions

8:00-11:00pm

Cincinnati Schnapps Band

11:00am-3:00pm

With such a long history, the band has been through a variety of personnel lineups. We play contemporary arrangements of traditional German favorites along with a variety of American rock, country and jazz. The Band has been led by our founder, John Gulasy, since it began in 1978. We have performed at festivals & events in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida.

Sally Lukasik Oktoberfest Trio

4-7:00pm

Cincy Brass

11:00am-3:00pm

The Cincy Brass is a local 9-piece group made up of Jazz & Studio musicians from the Tri-State area. Expect to hear your favorite songs covered in a New Orleans party band style mixed with that Cincy funk!

Ein Stein

8:00-11:00pm

Created just two years ago, the Ein Stein German Band (“Really Smart German Musik”) was formed primarily out of members of the Westside Community Band, based in Delhi. In addition to playing many traditional published arrangements of German and Austrian polkas and waltzes, the band also creates and performs its own arrangements written for their 8-member group.

Polka Warriors

12:00-3:00pm

We play authentic Bavarian Oktoberfest style musik but don’t take it too seriously.
We will fight for your right to — Polka!

The Bavarians

5:00-9:00pm

The Bavarians band plays original german music with original german instrumentation.

The Bier Her Mini Band!

11am-2pm

The band’s instrumentation consists of electronic digital accordion and electronic digital drums. You can hear Traditional German Music played on today’s most advanced digital instruments!

Smittie’s Schnapps Band

2:00-6:00pm

The band’s instrumentation consists of clarinet, baritone, accordion and drums. George “Smittie” Smith founded the band in the 1950’s. Jacque Shoemaker (trumpet) then led the band up until 2014. Smittie’s Schnapps Band continues today playing Traditional German Music in the Cincinnati area.

The Fest Meisters

7:00-11:00pm

The band’s instrumentation consists of trumpet, baritone/trombone, drums, accordion and bass. Three of the five band members also sing. The band performs traditional German Music along with a few American Classics.

The Whammies

1:30-4:30pm

Soul Shadow

5:30-7:00pm

Live, high-energy professional band fueled by speed, power, dizzying rhythmic patterns, and powerful vocals, covering hard-driving rock, and blues, featuring Led Zeppelin classics

Doghouse

8:00-11:00pm

Doghouse has been rocking the Tri-State for 16 years playing classic & modern rock, some dance and pop music. Doghouse has opened up for acts such as Styx, Eddie Money, 38 Special and Foreigner. The band has recently performed in New York City and as far south as Knoxville Tennessee.