It’s time to welcome the Fall season with one of the world’s oldest drinks and Bavaria’s greatest tradition — Oktoberfest!
The festivities kick off Friday, September 5 at City Nights: Oktoberfest (21+) from 7pm–11pm. Head up to the Rooftop to groove with 314DJ and watch the sunset, and then grab your dirndl or lederhosen as our favorite local Oompah band ÜberCool rocks the stage in Architecture Hall all night! Dance and sing along to Oktoberfest standards, traditional drinking songs, modern German Pop tunes, and ÜberCool’s unique take on some American classics.
The fun doesn’t stop there, as we celebrate Oktoberfest & Craft Beer Month through the rest of September. Each bar will feature a different theme and a huge selection of seasonal and unique craft beers, plus live entertainment in Beatnik Bob’s every weekend.
“But why is Oktoberfest in September?” Great question! Although the event started with a celebration of King Ludwig’s wedding on October 12, 1810, local and global factors such as wars, epidemics, recessions, and weather have pushed it around over its 200+ year history. Oktoberfest also absorbed some of the late-Summer/early-Fall agricultural celebrations around the harvest season, and the modern event in Munich is now scheduled almost entirely in September, ending the first weekend of October.
…also, for our purposes, it’s kicking off the full month of Oktoberfest & Craft Beer Month celebrations, plus we had to fit it in before Fright at the Museum takes over in October!
Alright, enough talking — it’s time for a City Museum Oktoberfest Bar Crawl!
🍺 Cabin Inn Bar – American Classics
Your unofficial City Museum bar crawl begins just a few steps past the entrance, where you can pull up an old wooden stool at the Cabin Inn Bar. Start off this rustic ruse with an American classic like Yuengling’s Traditional Lager, or sip on a local classic like 4 Hands Brewing’s City Wide.
🍺 Beatnik Bob’s – Punkin’ Pumpkin
Climb the main staircase, ride the elevator, or crawl up a giant stainless steel coil from a beer cooling tank — just get yourself to the 3rd Floor! Follow the sultry sounds serenading you into Beatnik Bob’s, where you’ll find live entertainment from Jazz to Karaoke throughout the weekend.
Beatnik Bob’s always has our widest selection of craft beers, seltzers, and other boozy beverages, but it wouldn’t be a Fall celebration without Pumpkin in the mix. If you’re craving a PSL, but turned up to 11, try Off Color Brewing’s Pumpkin Beer for Cafés.
🍺 Cowboy Bar – Oktoberfest
The next stop is just around the corner, in Architecture Hall, where ÜberCool will be rocking the stage at City Nights: Oktoberfest (21+) on Friday, September 5. The décor might become a little less “Bavaria” and a little more “Transylvania” as it transitions into the Vampire Bar for Fright at the Museum, but the beer menu at Cowboy Bar will carry on the Oktoberfest spirit through the end of September.
Go for something traditional with the Oktoberfest Märzen from Schlafly, St. Louis’ original craft brewery, founded in 1991 — or go for a real throwback with the Festbier from Weihenstephaner, the oldest continuously operating brewery in the world, founded in 1040.
🍺 Rooftop Café – Backyard BBQ
We saved the best for last! Follow the signs to the Rooftop elevator, or brave all 160 steps (yes, we counted) to the 11th Floor for the Rooftop Café. Summer weather is sticking around for at least another week or two, so you might as well be sipping on something delicious and refreshing with all this sunshine.
The perfect Summer beer can be the perfect blend of smooth and sweet, like Maplewood Brewing’s Son of Juice IPA, something sour and sassy, like Prarie Artisan Ale’s Rainbow Sherbet, or anywhere in between. We have the variety to find your perfect match, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy a relaxing sunset over the St. Louis skyline!
Guests 21+ can celebrate Oktoberfest & Craft Beer Month anytime we’re open from Friday, September 5 to Sunday, September 28. Follow us on Untappd as more craft beer options are added throughout the month.