Inaugural Oktoberfest event aims to bring authentic German vibe to Newport's Fort Adams
With only a few more days left of summer, there are noticeable changes that are once again beginning to take shape.
The leaves are starting to turn hues of brown, orange, yellow and red while the air has more of a crisp to it as the temperatures slowly decreasing. Fall is on its way and in Germany this means the world’s largest beer festival known as Oktoberfest is making its return.
Over the past few decades, this jubilant libation-fueled event has grown to become a worldwide occasion, with numerous cities putting on their own version of it. That includes the City-by-the Sea, with the Newport Oktoberfest taking place at Fort Adams State Park on Sept. 18 from 2 to 5:30 p.m.
In partnership with Gray Matter Marketing, Portsmouth’s Ragged Island Brewing Company will be sponsoring Oktoberfest. The event is part of a 10-year history between Gray Matter Marketing and the Fort Adams Trust of putting on fundraisers, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the trust.
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“Just before the pandemic, a plan was made to bring an authentic Oktoberfest experience to Fort Adams with the design of making it the largest annual fundraiser for the Fort Adams Trust,” said Matt Gray, president of Gray Matter Marketing and the owner of Ragged Island. “Oktoberfest in (the German state of) Bavaria is a multi-week beer festival that typically begins mid-September and runs through the first Sunday of October. Our goal is to bring some of the fun and excitement of this event to the fort on a single afternoon this year. If all goes well, there are plans to make this a two-day event in 2023.
"With authentic music and food, commemorative beer steins, a large beer garden tent filled with tables and benches, we hope to create a fun atmosphere on the north lawn reminiscent of the famous party in Munich," Gray said. "All beer and wine are included in the ticket price for this 21-plus event and tickets are limited to under 1,000 for the first year to ensure we have a great event.”
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Along with beer from Ragged Island, the event will feature offerings from fellow local breweries Rejects Beer Company and Taproot Brewing Company. To maintain the authenticity of Oktoberfest, there will be three German breweries — Paulaner, Spaten and Weihenstephan — participating. There will also be German wine will be provided by Newport Vineyards.
When it comes to live music, the Schwarze Schafe German Band will be providing an interactive and entertaining experience with their brand of high-energy, up-tempo “volksmusik."
Last but not least, authentic Bavarian food, including bratwurst, sauerkraut, roast chickens and giant pretzels, will be for sale courtesy of McGrath Clambakes & Catering and GG’s Pretzels.
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Check-in for Oktoberfest will begin 30 minutes before the gates open, and no one without a ticket or under the legal age of 21 will be admitted. Attendees can either have the ticket barcode ready to be scanned via their phone, or they can do it the old-fashioned way by printing it out and bringing it to the event.
Tickets are non-refundable and there are no exceptions, but for those who end up not being able to attend and have tickets are welcome to gift or sell them to someone else. The event is also not responsible for private transactions regarding ticket resales.
For more information, possible updates and everything else you need to know, visit newportoktoberfest.com.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Newport RI Oktoberfest to be held at Fort Adams State Park Sept. 18
