St. Joe’s Oktoberfest 2021
As we try to go back to the way it was, festivals are coming back in the Erie area. With the ability to be outside, even though we assumed large crowds would form eventually, we thought it would be great to stop by Oktoberfest at the beginning of the day, when they were just getting started. Keep reading to learn more about Oktoberfest and what we did while we were there!
Location:
Oktoberfest hosted by St. Joe’s is located at 147 West 24th Street, Erie, PA 16502.
Oktoberfest at St. Joe’s is held 5 p.m.-11 p.m. on Friday October 1st, 1 p.m.-11 p.m. on Saturday October 2nd, and 12 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday October 3rd. This festival has free parking and free admission.
Property Description:
This Oktoberfest in Erie, PA is located on the property of St. Joseph Church. You will find a few large tents set up, most with tables in them, and a few tables set up outside of the tents. You do have the ability to go inside of the community center to get your food and purchase raffle tickets. We will say, when we did go inside it was very crowded, so just be aware of that.
What to Do:
First and foremost, in order to purchase your food at Oktoberfest, you’ll need to purchase tickets, so find a ticket sales table and purchase your tickets! We found the ticket sales pretty easily; we can tell you for sure that one is located inside of the community center and another is located in the beer tent. Each ticket is equivalent to $1.
There is a TON of German food available at Oktoberfest! Although we weren’t there to eat a meal, we saw a lot of people enjoying some delicious looking eats and treats. You can get a bratwurst sandwich, sauerkraut balls, a Limberger cheese sandwich, Oktoberfest pizza (mustard sauce, Swiss cheese, bratwurst, and onion) or cheese/pepperoni pizza, German waffles, German potatoes, and so much more! There are also full dinners available inside of the community center! Those dinners include pork and sauerkraut, Sauerbrauten, and Bavarian goulash.
There is a Bavarian Coffee House hosted by The Tipsy Bean located in a tent outside, where you can get a ton of sweet treats and different types of coffee. We kept it simple and got some cut out cookies that were adorned as beer mugs, and a very large lemon cookie with an Oktoberfest design on it.
There is also a mini store set up across from the Bavarian Coffee House, where you can get German souvenirs of all sorts! They had a great dachshund hat that appeared as if the dog was laying on your head. They also had several flower headbands and crowns, and even headbands with little Bavarian hats on them! And you can get the Bavarian hats as regular size, too! There were also many German t-shirts available for sale, as well as other German trinkets and decorations.
Being at Oktoberfest, we just had to try something from the beer tent. Although there were several beers available inside the beer tent, we didn’t opt for a traditional Oktoberfest beer. We did, however, try a hard cider with a black cherry spin on it, and it was really good. There are also 5 different wines you can try while you’re there!
One thing that we did at Oktoberfest that we definitely want to highlight is watching the dachshund races! Unfortunately, this event is only available on Saturday, so if this is something that interests you put it on your calendar for next year! The famous dog Max from Bianchi Honda was there to cheer on his fellow dachshunds. All of the little wiener dogs were so cute, and the announcer was hilarious as he set up the competition! It was so funny to watch the dogs run, as some of them had no idea what they were doing. The races featured pups of all ages, including a 10 week old puppy! So cute! All in all, it was a great experience and the littles loved to be around all of the dogs! Because of these races, Oktoberfest is a dog friendly event! We saw a ton of different dogs, leashed of course, walking around with their humans! So if you’re looking for a great time and the ability to bring your dog, head over to St. Joe’s!
They also have over 170 baskets inside that they are raffling off, so be sure to get your raffle tickets! Basket tickets are 50 cents, but there are also 8 premium baskets, for which tickets are $3 each.
Who Can Go:
Everyone is able to come to Oktoberfest. Be aware that crowds can develop, so if you’re pushing a stroller or wheelchair you may have a hard time getting through at times. and remember, this event is dog friendly outside!
Final Thoughts:
For never attending Oktoberfest at St. Joe’s before, we thought it was really cool to finally see it in person this year. We think it’s one of those festivals in Erie County that we will continue to attend year after year. With no fee to get in, it’s a great opportunity to get out of the house in the beginning of Fall and enjoy all things German.
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[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with St. Joe’s Oktoberfest in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]
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