Editor’s note • This article is part of 150 Things To Do, a reporting project and newsletter exploring the best that Utah has to offer. Click here to sign up for the 150 Things newsletter.
Snowbird’s Oktoberfest is in full swing, and the annual beer festival is bursting with food, entertainment and plenty of drink.
This year’s festival kicked off in mid-August and runs every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 17. The festival runs from noon to 6 p.m. and admission is free, though Snowbird has implemented a $10 parking fee and the resorts website “strongly encourages” guests to carpool.
With so much to do — and options changing each weekend — it’s only natural that visitors might be wondering, “Where do I start?”
Raise a glass!
Oktoberfest wouldn’t be Oktoberfest without a wide array of beers — and Snowbird’s biergarten is a big part of why the festival attracts more than 60,000 visitors each year, according to the Utah Office of Tourism.
At this year’s Oktoberfest, visitors can sample over 50 varieties of brews from traditional German-style beers to a wide variety from Utah breweries like Moab Brewery, Bohemia, Uinta and Squatters.
[Read more: The Salt Lake Tribune recently spoke to some local brewers about why Oktoberfest is such a big deal in Germany and here in Utah. Their answer: It’s about family.]
Food choices include German dishes such as bratwurst, weisswurst, sauerkraut, apple strudel, spaetzle, beef rouladen, pretzels and Bavarian roasted almonds. Both beer and food are purchased a la carte.
Beyond the beirgarten
There’s more to enjoy at Oktoberfest than just food, drink and music.
Over 30 local and regional artists sell their crafts here. Take a wander around Der Marktplatz to see what’s on offer, find the perfect souvenir or get an early start on holiday shopping.
And — for kids and adults alike — there are plenty of ways to enjoy the mountain air and work off excess energy. Along with bungee trampolines and inflatables for kids, you can test your physical prowess in the Woodward WreckTangle, a ninja obstacle course built for adults and kids, with 10 challenges that include balance beams, rope swings and half pipes.
Snowbird’s other iconic attractions all operate during the festival as well, including the Aerial Tram, Alpine Slide and Mountain Coaster, where riders’ carts are pulled to the top of a 3,120 foot long before an exciting ride back to the bottom. speedy speeding back to , where they ride to the bottom.
Play on
Oktoberfest offers pretty much nonstop music, with two stages in the main festival area and an Alphorn performance from the top of Hidden Peak each day at 3 p.m. The B&B All-Stars play the Oktoberfest Halle stage each weekend, along with Euro Express Band (Oct. 2-3) and Salzburger Echo (Oct. 9-10 and Oct. 16-17).
Chickadee Stage performers include: Whiskey Fish (Oct. 2), You Topple Over (Oct. 3), Brother Chunky (Oct. 9), Telluride Meltdown (Oct. 10), Nate Robinson Trio (Oct. 16) and The Proper Way (Oct. 17).
For a full list of Snowbird’s summer activities, see snowbird.com/summer-activities.
Editor’s note • 150 Things To Do is a reporting project and weekly newsletter made possible by the generous support of the Utah Office of Tourism. Sign up for the 150 Things newsletter here.