Snowbird Revamps Oktoberfest With New Event Series and Expanded Festival Footprint

Ladies and gentlemen, grab your steins and lederhosen. Snowbird's 52nd Oktoberfest—set to begin tomorrow, August 10th—has received a makeover this year, including an expanded festival footprint and a brand new event, the Brewer's Dinner Series.

The Oktoberfest vendor village, called Der Marktplatz, will be larger than it once was to provide more space for guests.

The Brewer's Dinner Series is scheduled for select Fridays between August and September. During the event series, attendees will ride the Aerial Tram to Hidden Peak, Utah’s highest restaurant in elevation. There, they’ll enjoy dinner with a local brewer served alongside handpicked beer. Live music is also on the menu. Tickets are $100 per person.

In a press release, Snowbird noted that this year’s Oktoberfest focuses on expanded dining options. Of course, the Bavarian food we all know and love is available—think Jaeger Schnitzel and Bratwursts—but you can also try other lesser-known dishes, like Flammekueche Pizza.

“We’re eager to welcome folks back to an enhanced rendition of the Oktoberfest they know and love,” said Snowbird President and General Manager Dave Fields.

As far as beverages go, I hope you like beer. A whopping 50-plus brew varieties are on tap at Snowbird’s upcoming Oktoberfest, including offerings from local Utah breweries and traditional German-style beers. Among them is Salt Flats Brewing’s Save the Lake Pilsner, a portion of the proceeds from which will benefit Great Salt Lake conservation efforts. There’s nothing like drinking (responsibly!) for a good cause. You can save a few bucks on beer if you reuse your previous 1-liter Snowbird Oktoberfest beer stein or mug. These mugs will be available to purchase for the stein hounds among us.

The festivities last through October 13th, occurring every Saturday and Sunday from noon to six p.m., along with Labor Day. Attendance is free, but parking costs $12 per vehicle due to limited availability and to encourage carpooling. Parking inventory updates can be viewed with the Snowbird mobile app.

While the biergarten, food, live music, and local vendors might be the main draw, plenty of additional activities at Snowbird are available during Oktoberfest, like Scenic Tram Rides or the ZipWhipper® and Mountain Coaster. If I were you, I’d let those brats and beers settle before trying anything too crazy.

The tradition of Oktoberfest first started about two centuries ago in Munich, Germany, to celebrate the marriage of Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen to the Bavarian crown prince. As the festival evolved, beer halls became a centerpiece. These days, during Munich’s Oktoberfest, millions of liters of beer are consumed. The jury’s out on the size of Snowbird’s beer dent.

Snowbird hosted its first rendition of Oktoberfest in 1972, led by Art Brogli, Horst Fiedel, and Marianne and Horst Young. The Youngs, who owned a Salt Lake City-based deli, served German food. Fiedel, a Bavarian bandleader, brought the tunes. As for Brogli? He yodeled. Since then, the event has expanded, with tens of thousands of attendees across its multi-week run time.

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