Oktoberfest returns to Columbus with plenty of food, fun and games this weekend

Hosted by the Schmidt family — who, for over a century, have remained a hallmark of Columbus’s German culture and cuisine — Oktoberfest returns this year Friday through Sunday.

“There’s something for everybody (at Oktoberfest), whether you’re 2 or 92,” said Carla Epler, the festival’s executive director.

The festival will once again be held at the Ohio Expo Center, with plenty of beloved events like the Craft Bier Garden, kids activities at the Kinderplatz and the keg press competition available for festival-goers of all ages to enjoy. Locally made goods, arts and crafts from up to 85 exhibitors will also be displayed in the Marktplatz Pavilion.

New to the list of events this year is "fingerhakeln," or traditional German finger wrestling, which will be hosted inside the festival’s Heidelberg Hall on Saturday and Sunday.

During the game, Epler said, “you can flip your opponent clear over the table. It’s crazy.”

The weekend’s activities will be preceded by an official kick-off party on Thursday at Hofbräuhaus Columbus, with the venue’s Bavarian bier flowing from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

So, before you put on your best leather lederhosen shorts and secure your beer steins, read up on what to know before you go.

What are the hours for Oktoberfest?

The festival will run from 5 p.m. to midnight on Friday, from noon to midnight on Saturday, and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Where exactly will the event take place?

Rain or shine, Oktoberfest will take place in the Ohio Expo Center, Interstate 71 and East 17th Avenue, in the North Commercial, South Commercial and Rabbit/Poultry buildings.

How much does it cost to get into the festival?

Admission to the festival is free. Food and beverages will be available for cashless purchase inside the event. According to the festival’s website, a portion of all beverage and food proceeds will go to support local charities.

“There are lots of different organizations that benefit from Columbus Oktoberfest,” Epler said, explaining that those working the festival are paid volunteers from various local nonprofits, high school sports teams and the like.

How much will it cost to park?

A slight increase from last year’s prices, parking at the Ohio Expo Center will be available for $12 per car. There will also be a pedestrian’s entrance along 11th Avenue for those using a rideshare service or walking to get to the festival.

The Central Ohio Fall Home Show is also taking place this weekend. Shuttles will be available to transport guests from Oktoberfest to the home show and back.

What type of entertainment will there be?

Whether you enjoy tapping your foot to live music or flexing your muscles in a friendly game of "keg press," there are events for each and every kind of Oktoberfest attendee.

Live music is scheduled throughout the weekend across the event’s two stages: the Heidelberg Hall Stage and the Hofbrauhaus Prost Hall. Columbus rock band RockHouse will return as a headliner this year, performing at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Hofbrauhaus Prost Hall.

Other bands returning to the Oktoberfest stages this year include Sound of Sorgenbrecker and SteinHeben.

Starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, the "Gemütlichkeit Games" located in the ODNR Amphitheater will test professional athletes in a series of historically accurate German competitions, including the "Steinstossen," (Stone Throw) first introduced in Germany in 1860. To finish out the day at 7 p.m., the athletes will tackle the ultimate challenge in the "Steinheben" (Bavarian Stone Lift), in which participants test who can lift a 508-pound stone the highest.

Epler’s personal favorite game to observe is the keg toss, where a player has to hurl a keg over a bar that is raised higher each round, similar to the pole vault activity in track and field.

It’s “mesmerizing” to watch, Epler said.

On Sunday, the games will open up for amateurs, with registration starting in the ODNR Amphitheater at 1 p.m., followed by a keg toss and Steinstossen.

Thus far, 24 professional competitors are registered to participate in Saturday’s games. A full schedule of the games and links to register can be found online: columbusoktoberfest.com/events-and-entertainment/.

What's available for kids?

Arts and crafts, inflatables, live music, face painting and lots of other kid-friendly activities will take place throughout the weekend at the Kinderplatz area, located right in front, near the festival’s entrance.

"Sunday Family Funday" will feature a princesses and superheroes breakfast, bubble runs and a royal and super parade. Families are encouraged to register for Sunday’s special events in advance at kidslinked.com/Home/CalendarEvent/11249.

How many food and drink vendors will there be?

The number of food vendors will be nearly double what was offered at last year’s Oktoberfest.

“To us, that’s a sign that the economy is back and people are ready to be out and about,” Epler said about the 15 vendors serving food this year.

Alongside classic festival treats like Kona Ice, Mini Donuts and Cosmic Kettle Corn, the vendors will also, of course, include Oktoberfest staples: German potato salad, sauerkraut, jumbo cream puffs and more from Schmidt’s Sausage Haus.

And no Oktoberfest would be complete without an ample offering of imported, micro and domestic beers. This year's Oktoberfest will pour suds from: Paulaner Munich beer, Hofbrauhaus, Saucy Brew Works, Lost Coast Brewery and McKenzie's.

gtucker@dispatch.com

@tucker0527

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Biers flowing, stones throwing at Oktoberfest starting Friday