I love the month of October. Fall colors, pumpkins, candy corn and cooler weather. It’s the best month of the year.

For those of us that live around Tempe, this month is special for one other reason – Four Peaks Oktoberfest at Tempe Town Lake. That glorious weekend of beer, bands, food, beer, games, fun, beer and lederhosen is upon us again. From October 11 – October 13, 2019, thousands will flock to Tempe Town Lake and listen to great music and sample great beer. In addition to live music, there are rides, games and lot of food. If you can, try and get there early Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday.

Friday night has plenty of events to start off the weekend! Four Peaks Brewing Company, the title sponsor of this year’s event, will have their Kilt Lifter Tap Room, consisting of a variety of beers, TVs playing college football, NFL games and MLB playoffs. Small Goal Soccer will also be kicking off their 4v4 soccer tournament, Soctoberfest, on Friday night with the coed bracket. Close the night off with live performances from bands 2 Tone Lizard Kings, Black Bottom Liners and more.

Saturday, the festivities continue all day long. To start off, there will be AZTV7 Das 28th Oktoberfest Runnin’ for the Bräts, including a 10K Run, a 5K Run/Walk and a 1 Mile Run/Walk. The men’s 4v4 bracket of Soctoberfest will take place over the course of the day, and AZ Sports League is offering a coed grass volleyball tournament for those wanting a change from fussball! There is a laundry list of bands playing Saturday, as well – playing polka, cover songs, country, rock and alternative – followed by headliners Instant Classics and Wyves.

Sunday, start your day with a kickball tournament hosted by AZ Sports League. We can’t forget to mention the Main Event Entertainment Dachshund Invitational (schedule is TBA). It’s your chance to see 32 Pure-bred German dachshunds race each other in eight four-dog heats. The grand finale will have the top-4 dogs. Dance the day away with the Lyft Polka Dance Stage, and keep dancing into the night with the final headliner of the weekend, Duane Moore & Mogollon.

Oktoberfest at Tempe Town Lake isn’t just for adults. There are a lot of activities for kids to enjoy all weekend. Kinderfest runs from Friday through Sunday and will have all sorts of games, crafts and activities for kids. The amusement park rides are a big hit with visitors of all ages.  

Ultimately, for me anyway, the best part of Oktoberfest is the beer and the food. Beer gardens will have tons of different local and international beers to choose from, including wide array of German beers. lf you’re not much of a beer drinker, there are plenty of wine varieties to try, too. Von Hanson’s Meats & Spirits will be serving traditional brats and sauerkraut. A definite must try. You’ll also be able to find other classic carnival foods such as turkey legs, corn dogs, nachos and funnel cakes. Check out the full list of food and drink offerings at this year’s festival.

I hope I was able to give you a little glimpse into some of the fun and excitement you can expect this weekend. And, you’ll support a great cause. Proceeds from the Four Peaks Oktoberfest at Tempe Town Lake benefit international student exchange programs from the Tempe Sister Cities.