Any month-long party gets snaps in our book, but one that’s hopped up with beer and brats? All the better.
Oktoberfest bar none has been held annually for 30 years at the German-American Social Club of Cape Coral (2101 SW Pine Island Road) under a city-block-sized tent, umbrellas dotting the outdoor biergarten and the air-conditioned Von Steuben Hall that morphs into a table-service restaurant at night. The celebration spans the next two weekends (Oct. 16-18 and 23-25) with enough pours of imported golden lagers and umber ales to raise the water level a few notches in the surrounding canals. Aside from the German beers and delicacies being served—potato pancakes, schnitzels, wurst, dumplings, cabbage and Black Forest cake to name a few—there’s a feast for the eyes with many locals donning Bavarian costumes and dancing to the sound of music from two bands on visit from Deutschland. (For a full schedule, click here.)
If you can’t make it up to Cape Coral this weekend or next, Mercato in Naples is hosting its Brew-Ha-Ha Craft Beer Festival on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 5-8 p.m., with a focus this year on Florida breweries. Sixty different suds from 18 hop houses will include those from our own backyard (RipTide Brewing Company and Naples Beach Brewery) and some further afield, such as Darwin Brewing Company in Bradenton and 3 Daughters Brewing in St. Petersburg. Tickets are $30 in advance with an hour more of pours (ticketholders can enter at 4 p.m.; click here to purchase) or $35 at the gate.
