Saturday

Opening Ceremonies

12:00-1:00pm

The Oktoberfest Zinzinnati official ceremonies are a great way to experience the region’s rich German heritage. They feature music, beer, dancing, beer, and a procession of local German groups throughout the event. The procession will visit and dedicate each bier garten and fest tent. Co-founder and chairman of Boston Beer, Jim Koch, returns this year to join the zelebration.

Stein Hoisting Challenge

2:00pm

The ultimate test of strength and endurance, competitors must hold a one-liter stein of beer, straight out, without bending an elbow or spilling any beer. One male and one female-identifying winner each receive a custom 3ft Sam Adams Stein, a $250 gift card to the Cincinnati Sam Adams Tap Room and other Sam Adams swag.

Best Dressed Oktoberfest Contest

4:00pm

Guests dressed to impress in their German best will want to enter the Samuel Adams Oktoberfest Best Dressed Contest. Wear a dirndl or lederhosen – be authentic, get creative and you could win fun prizes from Samuel Adams.

The Enzian Tanzgruppe + Chicken Dance

5:00-6:30pm

Vereins Musikanten

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.

The River City Polkatz

11:00am-3:00pm

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.

Festhaus Musig

4:00-7:00pm

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.

Gerhard Albinus Band

8:00-11:00pm

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.

The Bavarians

1:00-5:00pm

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

Kyle Hackett

6:00-8:00pm

I use a loop station to create organic rhythms, bass lines and guitar parts. I try to put my own creative spin on all the songs you hear!

Siri Imani Productions

8:00-11:00pm

Germania Jagdhornbläser Gruppe

12:00-2:30pm

As part of the Germania organization, we bring musicians and hunters together to play traditional German hunting songs and fanfares. We have performed in Germany several times including the Munich Oktoberfest Parade in 2017.
Catch us at various cultural festivals and events throughout the year!

Sally Lukasik Oktoberfest trio

3:30-6:30pm

Pete Wagner Schnapps Band

11am-2pm

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.

Ein Stein

3:00-6:00pm

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.

Kolping Sängerchor

1:30pm-3:30pm

Cincinnati Schnapps Band

6:00-10:00pm

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.

Smittie’s Schnapps Band

12-4pm

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

5-11pm

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.

Mike Wade & The Nasty NATI Brass Band

11:00am-2:00pm

We are Cincinnati’s premier Brass Band that delivers an all exciting show compiled of high energy rhythms and different styles of musings from New Orleans Second-Line, DC Go-Go music, Ohio FUNK, Latin Styled music, original compositions and Detroit/Chicago House music. The group received an very strong review in the music business longtime famous magazine DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE.

Kenny Welch Band

3:00-6:00pm

DV8

7:00-11:00pm