Oktoberfest (noun): An autumn festival held in Munich, Germany, in late September and early October, featuring the drinking of beer. It was a little too hot this early October in Louisiana to mark

Munich by Veronika Lee in 2017

the occasion but you don’t need to put away your lederhosen and dirndls just yet. Say “Prost!” the last three weekends of the month at DEUTSCHE HAUS with traditional music, beers, and more. Music, dancing, and a Schnauzer parade (open to all breeds!) featuring both local and out of state bands with some playing traditional German music and some not so traditional — experience all this and more at the annual Oktoberfest celebration at Deutsches Haus.

In November 1928, Deutsches Haus was formed from the merging of Deutsche Gesellschaft von New Orleans, whose origins date back to 1848, and several other active Deutsche groups in the city of New Orleans at the time. In the same year, Sigmund Odenheimer, a German immigrant, became the first President of the Deutsches Haus, located at the original 200 South Galvez Street location. Bringing together the city’s five German men’s choirs was his first order of business. Although Mr. Odenheimer’s granddaughter, Carol Odenheimer Kaplan, never knew her grandfather, she honors his memory by graciously volunteering at the Oktoberfest each year.

Throughout the country, the German clubs, or Deutsche Haeuser, were established to provide accommodations for the members of the men’s and women’s choirs to meet and rehearse. Today, the Deutsches Haus stands at a new location — 1700 Moss Street — for Germans and lovers of the culture alike.

This year’s Oktoberfest festivities will feature German food such as brats, sauerkraut, German cheese, Bavarian-style pretzels and desserts. Of course, over 20 different German beers and nine different wines and over 20 different schnapps will be available to consume alongside family-friendly oompah music and dancing chickens. There will be the annual Masskrugstemmen Beer Stein Holding Contes daily and a German souvenir shop.

This year’s festival will be held for three consecutive Fridays and Saturdays in October starting Oct. 13-14. Subsequent celebrations will be held Oct. 20-21 and 27-28. Events will be held Friday 4-11 p.m. and Saturday 1-11 p.m. Please note, volunteers are especially needed to work the October 21 date. 

Cash admission is available for $10 at the gate only. For more information about Deutsches Haus, Oktoberfest, German classes, and volunteer opportunities, click here.