The keg has been corked and the maypole lowered. After nine days of beer, bratwurst and Bavarian music Oktoberfest 2016 has officially come to an end. The festival began on October 7th with the tapping of the keg. “It’s hard to top the opening ceremony when the Prime Minister and the Premier are both there on the stage to tap the keg,” says K-W Oktoberfest Executive Director Dave MacNeil. “[Justin Trudeau] was just so welcoming and warm and took time to take a picture with everybody.” The biggest event of the week is the Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade. Organizers say approximately 150,000 people lined King Street to cheer on the 36 colourful floats and 10 marching bands. The annual event is also a big fundraiser for local food banks. More than 9,900 pounds of non-perishable food and $11,410 in cash was collected along the parade route. Other popular events included the strongman competition, the barrel race and Miss Oktoberfest gala. Of course Oktoberfest isn’t Oktoberfest without the parties. This year there were sixteen festhallen throughout the region including the new Berlin Haus at The Inn of Waterloo. Organizers are still adding up attendance numbers for the festival but expect an improved turnout thanks to the warm and sunny weather throughout the nine days of Oktoberfest. While party-goers are packing away their dirndls and lederhosen Oktoberfest organizers are already planning for Oktoberfest 2017. They’re also looking ahead to Oktoberfest 2018 which marks the 50th anniversary of the festival.
