The golden hues of autumn are popping up everywhere — in trees, store displays and sunsets. But for beer lovers, fall offers up its own fall display with ales, lagers and stouts, and all will be ready for sampling at Oktobeerfest 2012.
“It’s awesome, and you’ll see a lot of craft beers you wouldn’t normally find. It really gives you a chance to sample a lot of things – you might find a pumpkin ale or something with apple cider,” said Vallerie James of Mannix Marketing, a sponsor for the event.
Oktobeerfest will be held at the Malta Drive-In from 1 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13. It will feature nearly 30 craft beers, many of them from New York. The entry fee is $5, with a special carload rate of $25, and food and beer purchases then vary once you’re in the gates.
This is the festival’s third year, and it will include live music from Herb Liebenhagen, Headband Jack and Bluz House Rockers. There will also be German and American food vendors.
“Everything from your classic bratwurst and knockwurst and sauerkraut to wood fired pizza … popcorn, pretzels … just vendors galore,” said A.J. Bodden, a founder of the festival. “It’s a really neat, fun atmosphere, it’s a great way to spend a fall afternoon.”
The event is being put on by Saratoga Festivals, a large-scale events company operated by Bodden and Garth Ellms. The pair started the festival business a few years ago and in addition to Oktobeerfest, they put on Saratoga Brew Fest and the Parrot Head Festival, among others, which give area beer lovers opportunities to savor the flavors all year long.
“We both grew up here … so we’re very tied in with the community. Every event we do is the result of people requesting events like this. People now are looking for alternatives to your traditional (things) like going to a bar or restaurant,” said Bodden.
The first two Oktobeerfests were held at the Ellms Family Farm. Bodden said he approached Ed Caro, owner of Malta Drive-In, and he was all for the idea. Bodden pointed to a few reasons for the switch, including the venue’s proximity to downtown Saratoga and I-87 along with the growing popularity of the event.
“It’s just a more convenient location. … And just the logistics of hosting an event on a farm has tends to be a little bit of a challenge,” said Bodden.
The inaugural year of the event saw about 1,000 visitors, and the second drew 2,000 guests.
“This year we’re hoping for 3,000. We’ve definitely been in a growth mode for few years here, and the reason why is that it’s a unique event but it’s an inexpensive ticket to buy. … It’s just $5 to get in,” said Bodden.
At Oktobeerfest, you can expect to sample beers from well-known brewers like Saranac and Samuel Adams to local favorites including Olde Saratoga Oktoberfest.
“We wanted to have a good variety of beer,” said Bodden, “everything from pumpkin beers to German and craft beers. It’s really a good time.”
“They do a great job at putting this on. It gives the community a place to go, with a relaxing atmosphere,” said James.
The Malta Drive-In is located at 2785, Route 9, Malta. Visit oktobeerfestny.com for further details on the event. Shuttles to and from the Drive-In will be available in Saratoga Springs