KW Oktoberfest Announces Lineup for 56th Annual Festival

Canada’s largest Bavarian festival returns to the Waterloo Region this fall, starting on September 27 and lasting four weeks.

On September 27, several festival halls will open for the 56th annual KW Oktoberfest.

Then, on Friday, October 11th, downtown Kitchener will transform into a Bavarian village along King Street, from Ontario Street to Kitchener City Hall, in front of Willkomen Platz. The official tapping of the keg will take place at 12:00 noon that same day.

Willkomen Platz is not just a one-day event. It runs from Friday, between 11:00 and 22:00, and continues Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 to 22:00. The event includes music, food and vendors and is free for everyone. Kidtoberfest and Dogtoberfest are also held during those three days.

The Thanksgiving Day Parade is scheduled for October 14 and will start later than usual, at 9:30 a.m.

Depending on the weather, there are usually around 200,000 people lining the streets for the parade, and around 500,000 people participate in the festivities.

“Our festival has continued to evolve over the years and really strives to be welcoming and inclusive to everyone. So we make sure that we have great initiatives, great events, a lot of events that people don’t have to pay for, so that everyone can enjoy it,” said Tracy Van Kalsbeek, executive director of KW Oktoberfest. “It’s a great economic driver in our community.”

The KW Oktoberfest ends on October 19th.

Tickets for the festival have been on sale since May.