Dust off your dirndl because Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is back this weekend.
As America's largest Oktoberfest celebration, the event has been honoring the region's German heritage with food, fun and plenty of beer since 1976. And from Sept. 16-18, hundreds of thousands of people will descend on Second and Third streets downtown to get their gemütlichkeit on. (Last year saw 700,000 attendees, according to the website.)
Favorite big events are returning — including the beloved Running of the Wieners — with some novel attractions. Event producer the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber says 30% of this year's food vendors are new, and in addition to highlighting German entertainment, this year's music lineup has been co-curated in partnership with Radio Artifact.
And with the fun comes plenty of street closures. Second and Third streets between Elm and Walnut will be closed for the festival itself, but the City of Cincinnati is shutting down some streets early to prep.
- Second Street will be closed between Elm and Walnut starting at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 14
- Third Street between Elm and Walnut streets
- Race Street between Fourth Street and Freedom Way
- Vine Street/Rose Parks Street between Fourth Street and Freedom Way
- Freedom Way between Marian Spencer Way and Rosa Parks Street
- Theodore M Berry Way closed west of the roundabout
Oktoberfest Zinzinnati takes place 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sept. 16; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sept. 17; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sept. 18. Admission is free.
Read CityBeat's story for everything you need to know about Oktoberfest.
For more information about Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, visit oktoberfestzinzinnati.com.
Stay connected with CityBeat. Subscribe to our newsletters, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google News, Apple News and Reddit.
Send CityBeat a news or story tip or submit a calendar event.
