Prost! to October
Oktoberfest at Revolutsia
Another business is bringing the authentic flavors and atmosphere of the iconic German festival to Wichita. Manu and Austin English, owners of German restaurant Prost and neighboring Ze German Markt, are celebrating the season with their fifth annual German-inspired Oktoberfest celebration, October 5–7, at Revolutsia. The event will feature three authentic festbiers from Munich, German music, dancing and German food — all served by staff dressed in traditional lederhosen and dirndl.
“All of our beer comes from Germany, all of our food is handmade just like from Germany, all of our tables come from Germany, our glassware is from Germany, the beer is typically poured right in the glass, so there are little things we’re doing to make it as authentic as we can to Germany,” Austin said. “We want to give that, ‘Hey, I’ve been to Oktoberfest,’ feel to those who have never been.”
Each ticket will get you entrance to the event, your first liter of beer, and a branded glass stein imported from Germany for you to keep. Each liter of festbier after the first will cost $14, which is the everyday rate at Prost. Entrance is free for those who aren’t drinking, and food will be available for purchase (including vegetarian and vegan options), as well as all the favorite snacks and German items stocked at Ze German Markt.
Follow Prost (@prost_wichita) and Ze German Markt (@zegermanmarkt) on social media for ticket information.
Oktoberfest-inspired celebrations have made fall the best time of year to celebrate beer, and ICT Bloktoberfest is bringing local brews together for festival goers to experience them all at one event.
This year, Xclusive Events is partnering with the City of Wichita for the eighth annual ICT Bloktoberfest celebration on October 13 and 14 at Naftzger Park. This is the first year that Naftzger Park will host the event, providing more space to expand the already popular festival.
Friday night is all about beer, with one of the largest beer events in Wichita: Beer Fest. The event is for adults only and requires a ticket, (plus there are options for VIP tickets) which includes a tasting stein and unlimited samples of local, regional and German beers. Many of Wichita’s local breweries will bring signature Oktoberfest brews to the event.
VIPs can find local liquor brands and distilleries in the VIP zone at Beer Fest. Ron Knackstedt, director of marketing and events with Xclusive Events, says Beer Fest sold out last year with 700 tickets sold, and — despite increasing the capacity to 900 tickets this year — he’s expecting another sold-out event.
“We always try to add something new and exciting every year, just to keep it fresh,” Knackstedt said. “I think that’s what makes it successful: People are not always expecting the same old thing. We are going to add something new to it each year.”
While Friday is for adults only, ICT Bloktoberfest becomes kid-and-dog friendly on Saturday with a festival geared toward families. Saturday’s events include an all-day local vendor market and food truck rally, live music, wiener dog races, the ICT Dad Bod contest and much more.
“Sometimes these big beer festivals can be for adults only, so that’s one thing we like to do with Bloktoberfest, yes, have Friday be an adult day, and let Saturday be a kid friendly, dog friendly, family friendly day for free,” Knackstedt said.
The wiener dog races and the ICT Dad Bod contest have generated a lot of excitement in the last several years, bringing both bigger crowds and more contestants.
“The last few years we started the ICT Dad Bod competition, and it is hilarious. I think last year we probably had three thousand people standing there watching the Dad Bod competition,” Knackstedt said. “The kids love the wiener dog races; that’s always a huge hit. There are always a couple hundred dogs out there, so it’s a great time.”