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Oktoberfest kicks off new Beer Week

The 10th annual event ties into the new week-long celebration of craft beers.

By Brennan Phillips

Western News Staff

It’s not an Oktoberfest without beer, which made the 10th anniversary of the Oktoberfest in Penticton the perfect way to kick off the first annual Craft Beer Week.

Locals headed down to the Lakeside Resort in their lederhosen to enjoy the live music, authentic German sausage from Grimms, and plenty of local beer. The dance floor was filled with people all night, while the Beer Barrels, special guests at every Penticton Oktoberfest so far, kept the music flowing.

“This is the second year we’re here at the Lakeside,” said Oktoberfest organizer Barb Schneiderat. “It’s a good fun night. As you can see, they’re on the dance floor early, they’re having a real good time. It’s a night to come out, eat, drink, and dance.”

Alongside the local breweries at the Oktoberfest, the silent and live auction during the night went to support the Survivorship Dragon Boat team in Penticton. This partnership is the latest in Oktoberfest’s work to give back to the local community.

“Over the last nine years, we’ve put back over $110,000 into the community,” said Schneiderat. “Last year we put $25,000 into the hospital.”

Following on from Oktoberfest, Craft Beer Week has events going on every day until Oct. 29.

“We know there’s a huge craft beer explosion across B.C., but Penticton is this special phenomenon,” said Kim Lawton, organizer for Craft Beer Week and the marketing director for Cannery Brewing. “We hit way above our weight in breweries per capita, and people come to Penticton to check out the craft beer scene, to hike, to ride our trails, to visit our breweries, and tour our wineries. So Penticton Craft Beer Week was just a natural fit with this.”

The second event for Craft Beer Week starts Sunday at 4 p.m., when Neighbourhood Brewing launches their beer at the Nest and Nectar. The special event gives people the chance to taste Neighbourhood Brewing’s beers ahead of their new brewery’s construction.

All seven of the local breweries also came together to make the first collaboration beer, Community Common, which launches on Monday. The beer will be available at local liquor stores, and on tap in restaurants, with partial proceeds from the sale of the beer going to support the Penticton and Area Cycling Association, and their work on the trails in the region.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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19023912_web1_191023-PWN-Oktoberfest
The Beer Barrels out of Vancouver provide the live music for the Oktoberfest in Penticton every year. This year, the 10th anniversary of the fest in Penticton, also kicked off the first Craft Beer Week. (BRennan Phillips - Western News)