Few festivals are more consistent, or internationally celebrated, than Germany’s Oktoberfest.

The nearly 3-week-long festival that begins in late September and leads up to the first Sunday in October, is the world’s largest beer festival/fair attracting more than 6 million people to Munich, Germany, each fall. 

And back home in Tallahassee, we celebrate too.

While Tallahassee's own Elder Care Services’ Annual Oktoberfest may not match up in scale to Germany's, it certainly matches it in terms of consistency as Elder Care gets set to host the 20th Annual Oktoberfest celebration on Sept. 28 at the Centre of Tallahassee. It's a night of great food, music and — of course — German-style beer, all in the name of philanthropy. 

Elder Care Services has been the lead aging services agency in Leon County since 1971 and maintains a mission to improve the quality of life for seniors by ensuring they’re not socially isolated and can stay in their homes.

“Elder Care Services has grown since the early 1970s from a meal delivery service to five different operations," Elder Care Services Communications and Public Relations Coordinator Abby Cook said. "And while Leon County’s senior population has grown over the years, the rate of our grant funding has largely remained the same. In terms of creative ways to attract funding, what better way to do that than a beer festival?”

This year’s 20th anniversary event will feature the festive energy and German themes that make a traditional Oktoberfest celebration great: carnival games, food, music and unlimited samples of beer and wine.

But it will also feature a few exceptional offerings for VIP guests. 

One offering is a “brew school” of sorts with selected brewers from the North Florida Brewers League. The class will feature exclusive tastings of homebrews while the brewer discusses the intent, process, and tasting notes for his or her featured beer. Another VIP exclusive to keep an eye out for is “Shallow End Kolsch" — a collaboration beer from Deep Brewing Company and the Tallahassee Beer Society made especially for this event.

We hope to see you there!

2nd Annual Oktoberfest at Township

If you’re familiar with Tallahassee’s For The Table Group Hospitality Group — which runs Tallahassee staples Madison Social, Township, Centrale, SoDough, and others —then you know they’re all about throwing a party.

And their approach to Oktoberfest is no different. 

For the second year in a row, Township will be shutting down Woodward Avenue and Madison Street in order to create a “German beer and food wonderland” for its 2nd Annual Tallahassee Oktoberfest on Sept. 29. It will once again feature German-style beers, games, food, and music -- all set against the backdrop of Doak Campbell Stadium.

One difference from Year 1 to Year 2, however, is that the 2nd Annual Fest will offer unlimited beer samplings AND a tent featuring our local breweries’ German-style beers. Each ticket comes with a commemorative liter boot with lanyard that includes a fill of Proof Brewing Company’s Oktoberfest or Lager.

Proof releases 'Prooftoberfest' in cans

Proof Brewing will – for the first time ever – release limited edition 6-pack cans of their FestBier “Prooftoberfest” on Friday at noon in the tasting room. Supplies of this rich and full bodied seasonal beer are limited, so be sure to make time to stop by. 

Proof's last special can release - "Warpath Imperial IPA" - sold out in less than 45 minutes two weeks ago.

GrassLands' Beer Garden is done

GrassLands announced that Sept. 21 would be the date for their Octoberfest celebration.

The event, set to mark the grand opening of GrassLands’ beautifully renovated beer garden, will see the return of “Firedrake” – the brewery’s Octoberfest Lager – plus custom steins, Oktoberfest music and hand-crafted sausages served by Tallahassee’s St. Evers Sausage House.

Lake Tribe not out of the 'Woods' Yet

Join Lake Tribe Brewing this weekend as they round out their Wildwoods Project: Volume II sours by releasing the 6th and final barrel aged wild ale of their 2018 series, “Casa Ross'a.” 

Casa Ross’a is a wild ale brewed with red grape wine and then aged in a French Oak Cabernet Sauvignon barrel. Local music group “The Common ‘Taters & the Turn-Ups” will also be on hand to play live from 5-8 p.m.

Ology to pour in Colorado

The team at Ology Brewing is celebrating the start of Oktoberfest in a major way: by pouring at The Great American Beer Festival, in Denver on Sept. 20-22.

GABF, which attracts more than 60,000 attendees and more than 800 breweries, has become North America’s premier beer festival. Want to know which beers they’re bringing to Colorado in addition to their deliciously tropical “Heliocentric Distortion” double IPA? Be sure to tune in to our 97.9 ESPN Radio show — "Saturday Morning Bottle Share" — on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. as we host head brewer Nick Walker and co-owner Paul Woodward.

Look for Deep's Oktoberfest beer 

Deep, which will have its recently canned beers poured at The Great American Beer Festival as part of the Florida Brewers Guild pavilion, reminds you to check the tap lists at your favorite Tallahassee restaurants and bars. 

Deep kicked off its celebration of fall flavors and German-style beers earlier this month, releasing “Deeptoberfest” into local distribution. In addition to welcoming the delivery of their new brewhouse this week, Deep will be bringing the heat this weekend by tapping “Vertigose” — a delicious mango, lime and habanero Gosé.

The TLH Beer Society is a group of avid craft beer lovers that was co-founded by Tallahassee native Matthew Crumbaker. Follow them on social media at Facebook.com/TLHBeerSociety, or @TLHBeerSociety on Twitter and Instagram. You can also email them at: tlhbeersociety@gmail.com.