Oktoberfest is Just Around the Corner

Everyone loves a good beer and brat, but Oktoberfest, is not just a time or place, but rather a state of mind. September 15th's 52nd Steuben Day parade in New York kicks off German American Friendship month. And what a month it is.

Named in honor of the great man who risked life and limb to turn America's rag tag revolutionaries into a credible army, Baron Wilhelm Von Steuben, the former Prussian military officer who drilled the troops at Valley Forge, has been celebrated in New York City's streets for over half a century. A sister parade in Philadelphia has been held for 39 years.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of German American and Yankee great Lou Gehrig's career, the 40th anniversary of German-American Astronaut Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon and the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, so the proud organizers of the annual parade plan to show the proper spirit.

The German pub crawl is already sold out, but a full array of exciting parties, book signings and other events have yet to start.

Central Park's Summerstage (914) 439-7638 features German music at 1:30 pm on September 19th. Just make your way to the stage at 72nd street.

For more upscale entertainment try the Munich Brass bands two performances: On September 24th in Trinity Church in downtown Broadway at 1:00 pm, open to all for free or pony up $30.00-$40.00 for their Carnegie Hall recital on the 29th. For tickets call: 212-247-7800

You might try to make it out to Franklin Square for the OOMPAH FEST AND SCHÜTZENFEST on Sunday, September 20th, tickets available: 516-354-3131

New Jersey hosts DEUTSCHER TAG OKTOBERFEST in Clark, NJ on September 20th, at noon
Tel. (732) 574-8600 and GERMANIA PARK OKTOBERFEST in Dover, NJ on September 20th at 1:00 pm Tel. (845) 477-2497.

If you can't make it to the Steuben parade, you can always eat like a German. New York City's own Oktoberfest page: http://hubpages.com/hub/Oktoberfest-2009-in-New-York features a full listing of wonderful restaurants and pubs to put you in the proper state of mind.

Or you may want to ditch Manhattan for a change and head out to Ridgewood, Queens for the last remaining German butchers and bakers in New York. Black Forest cake from Rudy's 905 Seneca Av (718) 821-5890 is a traditional favorite.

Alas, Forest Pork has closed its retail operations after a half-century in business, but Seneca Pork Store 516 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood, Queens (718) 381-0686 still lives and is just the place for some Black Forest Bacon or a string of wieners and sauerkraut. Their motto, "Trespassers will be butchered." or try Morscher's Pork Store 58-44 Catalpa Avenue, Ridgewood, Queens (718) 821-1040

If you make it out to Astoria, Queens, you can sip beer in Bohemian Hall, New York's last remaining authentic beer garden 29-19 24th Ave., Astoria Queens, ( 718) 274-4925

Auf Wiedersehen. See you at the parade.

Sources:

http://www.germanparadenyc.org/events.html