The wait is almost over as K-W Oktoberfest officially kicks off on Friday. Crews have spent the week transforming Carl Zehr Square in downtown Kitchener into Willkommen Platz ahead of the Bavarian festival. Prior to Friday’s main opening, organizers and community members gathered on Thursday at 6 p.m. for another signature kickoff tradition - the raising of the Maypole outside Kitchener City Hall. “Everybody’s got a vibe of vibrancy coming off of them,” said Tracy Van Kalsbeek, executive director of K-W Oktoberfest. The ceremonial keg tapping takes place Friday at 11:30 a.m. at Carl Zehr Square. “This will be jam-packed in here with thousands of people for sure. It always is each and every year,” Van Kalsbeek said, noting that nearly 40,000 visitors passed through the Willkommen Platz last year. King Street between Queen Street and Water Street has been closed to vehicular traffic to accommodate a vendor village and expanded beer garden. The festival grounds will feature live music, authentic German cuisine, and family-friendly activities. “We’re also doing Kidstoberfest inside City Hall, and we have Dogtoberfest for our furry friends at Gaukel Block,” Van Kalsbeek said. Organizers credit the massive setup effort to a team of roughly 350 volunteers who assist with the festival each year. Among those helping with setup was André Killingbeck, who made history as the festival’s first male Oktoberfest ambassador. “It’s a cool and scary experience,” Killingbeck reflected on the ambassador role. “Obviously, people in the community aren’t used to it, but it was very cool to be able to be part of this change that is going on with Oktoberfest and becoming more friendly for everyone.” While new to the role, Killingbeck is not new to K-W Oktoberfest. He said his first job ever was at Schwaben Club. “I worked every Oktoberfest, so I was involved. And then my love of it just was so much that I eventually decided I wanted to be a part of it,” he said. The annual Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade is scheduled for Monday, starting at 9:30 a.m. at Weber Street and Frederick Street in Kitchener. It will travel along Weber Street to Bridgeport Road in Waterloo. With no official television or livestream broadcasts scheduled this year, community members will need to watch the parade in person. Another long-standing tradition will be missing from this year’s lineup: the annual Oktoberfest Family Breakfast was cancelled for 2026. In an updated notice, festival organizers stated that discussions to pause the event began in July after partner organizations approached them regarding the future of the breakfast. “K-W Oktoberfest assumed responsibility however, to allow time to thoughtfully plan its next chapter, made the decision to pause the Family Breakfast for 2026,” a social media post from K-W Oktoberfest said. Organizers said they are exploring options to bring the event back next year. K-W Oktoberfest runs through Oct. 17.
