Oktoberfest At Montclair Brewery Will Have Beer Garden, Music

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A popular Oktoberfest celebration is returning to the Montclair Brewery for 2022.

The wife-and-husband-owned microbrewery will hold its annual Oktoberfest from 12:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24. It will feature four local bands, a local deejay, local food offerings and over 25 locally brewed Montclair Brewery craft drinks. The event will also include activities such as a U.S. Stein Holding-sanctioned competition, giant Jenga and cornhole.

Over the years, the brewery has become well-known for its tributes to Black history and West African culture. But the annual Oktoberfest event is a chance to also share what they know about German beer culture – with a distinctly Montclair twist, according to co-owner Denise Ford Sawadogo.

“We’ll have stein-holding competitions and the official tapping of the first keg, and we encourage people to come dressed in Oktoberfest inspired clothing, if they wish,” she said.

In addition, local eateries such as Butler & the Board Charcuterie and Ray’s Luncheonette are expected to prepare special Oktoberfest inspired menus for the event, which will also tap into the area’s local music scene (see below).

“We are excited to be partnering with many local artists and businesses, especially now that we are mostly out of the pandemic and we all have to stick together and help each other out as much as possible,” co-owner Leo Sawadogo said.

The festivities will take place at the brewery’s Outdoor Beer Garden and indoor taproom at 101 Walnut Street in Montclair. Advance general admission tickets are $22 and VIP tickets are $30 and include guaranteed covered seating. Each ticket entry includes one free drink ticket and the first 150 ticket purchasers will receive a souvenir Oktoberfest stein and commemorative pin. Most drinks will be at a reduced price during the event. A limited number of tickets can be purchased at the door for $25.

Children are welcome and must have a ticket. However, infants being held or in a stroller do not need a ticket. Although pets are normally allowed at the brewery, they will not be permitted during the Oktoberfest event. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://montclair-oktoberfest.eventbrite.com.

Here’s what to expect this year, the Sawadogos said:

DRINKS – “To celebrate the event, Montclair Brewery is presenting a wide variety of exciting drinks. In true Oktoberfest fashion, they will have their Czech style pilsner, Claremont Pilsner, and their new Oktoberfest style amber dunkel lager, Blue Stripe and their popular full-bodied German style, MB Lager. They are also thrilled to release their new Blue Mountain Rush dark lager (schwarzbier) with chocolate and coffee notes, inspired by the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Both of their lambics, the Raspberry Frambois and the Strawberry Lambic are expected to be on tap as well as their selection of gluten-free hard seltzer cocktails. A variety of non-alcoholic craft drinks such as MB craft root beer and pineapple ginger beer will also be on tap.”

MUSIC – “Montclair Brewery Oktoberfest live music segment opens up at 2 p.m. with Montclair native, DJ Olive, known as DJ No Requests. Montclair-based Jazz quartet, Jazz Boat, led by Craig Levine and three other local jazz playing dads playing bossa nova, jazz standards and Latin jazz gets on at 3:30. The Michael Reitman six-piece band hits the stage at 5 p.m. and is composed mostly of Montclair residents. Another six-member band, Howlin’ Poets, where lead Kyle Younger, hails from West Orange serenades the beer garden at 6:30 p.m. with blues, R&B, funk and soul. The evening ends with popular Montclair-based The Porchistas, a quartet known for their early start playing on local porches and block parties around the Forest Street area.”

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