When we think Tulsa, Oklahoma, we think two things: a preponderance of Christian values, and drinking ourselves stupid. Tulsa’s hugely-popular and well-regarded Oktoberfest is decidedly about the latter, and it’s also one of our favorites.
2009 Oktoberfest Tulsa will be upon us in a little more than a month, and we’re giving you this much warning because we wanted you to have time to get your schedule in order. With more than thirty years of polka and pork in its past, Tulsa, Oklahoma surely knows how to put on an awesome German festival.
Revel in the classics: beer, pretzels, accordions, beer, schnitzel, overpriced wooden stuff and beer. Tulsa Oktoberfest is especially acclaimed for its food, which in 2005 earned the “Best German Food” Award by Bon Appétit Magazine. They’ve gone easy on the names, but even if you can’t pronounce what you want, you can rest easy knowing that no matter what, it’s going to taste good.
Just a quick glance at the menu has got my mouth watering (and that’s a shame so far from my lunchtime): smoked bratwurst, polish sausage, kartoffelpuffer, schnitzel*, landjaegar, zwiebelkuchen, Bavarian pretzels. For what the Web site calls “not so adventurous” and I call “boring”, they also serve corndogs, turkey legs, baked potatoes, ruebens, Frito pie and, get this, bratwurst pizza.
Of course, you wash all that greasy goodness down with pint after pint of delicious German beer. This wouldn’t be Oktoberfest without a healthy (or unhealthy) selection of imports and German-style Americans. Beck’s, Stella, Spaten Optimater, Sam Adams Oktoberfest, Franzikaner and others flow freely (but not for free).
You’re fed, you’re hammered, now hit the dance floor. There’s a full line-up of cover bands, modern German musicians as well as traditional music acts, including polka. If you’re coordination is suspect, take it easy with a lazy walk around the arts and crafts tents. Oktoberfest Tulsa follows the proud traditions of festival everywhere by featuring hundreds of booths selling one or two cool things and a whole bunch of crap.
2009 Oktoberfest Tulsa will run October 22-25 at River West Festival Park. Adult admission is just $5.00. Here’s the Web site.
Our choice for Oktoberfest hotels in Tulsa couldn’t be easier: the Hilton Tulsa Southern Hills. The hotel has been chosen as an official shuttle stop for Tulsa Oktoberfest, so transportation to and from the festival is super-easy and cheaper than parking. From the hotel, the shuttle is only $3.00 round-trip.
The Hilton Tulsa Southern Hills is also offering competitive rates, at only $89 a night. They have a booking link set up for the dates. Book here.
Have fun at Tulsa Oktoberfest 2009!
*This digression is for Dallas-sites. To all my “Big D” schnitzel-lovers out there. There’s a fairly young place over at Lovers and Inwood in Dallas called Neighborhood Services that’s dishes up the best schnitzel in the world as a Monday night special. The place is packed every night, but if you can bear the wait. The restaurant is quite simply awesome!
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5 Comments
A few years ago Ihave been to your Oktoberfest (2times) Do you again have a german band plying ? Hans J.Dyck I live in Bossier City in La.
Hi Hans, thanks for writing in.
It’s actually not “my” Oktoberfest. I’m just a humble travel writer covering the event, so I can’t speak for what they will and won’t have in any official capacity. That said, they have featured German acts in the past, and it seems like they’ll do so again. They haven’t announced the full list of bands and performers, but there are several polka performers already on the list. Are they actually of German origin? Couldn’t say.
If you head out again, we hope you have a great time. Thanks!
We fly in three bands from Germany and Austria each year. Each tent has a different sound from oom pah, to rock so there something for just about any musical taste.
what hotels are close to the octoberfest
Yes, I was one of the favorite vendors for years selling the Octoberfest Steins “Patty’s Bud Stand”!
It was a lot of work, a lot of fun! Taking time out to Polka Dance under the German Tent was soooo much fun. Now it is not as much fun with the entry fee, the outlandish cost of draft beer, etal. But I still go out for the Polka Dance, and to see old friends, and past customers.
Chicken Dance, oh that too!
Patty Bruner, Tulsa, OK
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