Oktoberfest Season at KC Bier Co: Festbier and KC Oktoberfest atCrown Center

Kansas City’s largest locally-owned brewery, Kansas City Bier Company, is gearing up with Oktoberfest season with the release of Festbier, the official bier of KC Oktoberfest. KC Oktoberfest is a festival celebrating Bavarian-style bier, food, music, and family-friendly activities at Crown Center, which takes place from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, and from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4.

Festbier

Festbier is a Vienna-Style Lager brewed to celebrate the Oktoberfest season. It is released each year from August until October in 6-packs and on draft at retailers throughout Kansas and Missouri. It has malt flavors of biscuit, caramel, and honey thanks to imported Vienna and Pilsner malts, and is produced using traditional German brewing methods including decoction mashing, natural carbonation, and long lagering periods.

The official bier of KC Oktoberfest, Festbier is Kansas City Bier Company’s best-selling seasonal bier, with 14,260 pints sold at last year’s festival!

KC Oktoberfest Ticket Information

Early Bird KC Oktoberfest tickets are available kcoktoberfest.com for $14 now until

September 19th. Tickets will be $17 from September 19th until the start of the festival at 5:00PM on Friday, October 3rd, and will be $20 at the door. Advance purchases are encouraged; the festival entry process will be expedited for advance ticket buyers.

Children 12 years and under are admitted for free.

About the Festival

Modeled after the traditional Munich Oktoberfest in Germany, KC Oktoberfest drew nearly 16,000 attendees in 2024! The festival features German-style bier from KC Bier Co., food vendors, three stages featuring traditional & high energy Fest musik, multiple game areas, shopping from local vendors, crafts, and family-friendly activities.. In addition to the expansive festival grounds, bench-style seating for more than 1,800 attendees will be available under the Crown Center terrace tent and a second German Bierhalle-style tent. Key details on each are listed below, with full details available at www.kcoktoberfest.com.

Bier and Wein (Wine)

In addition to Festbier, four of KC Bier Co’s year-round biers, Dunkel, Hefeweizen, Helles Lager, and Never Say IPA will be available, as well as a gluten-free Cider. Each station will

also offer three German wines for the non-bier drinkers. There will be additional wine options at the Wine Tent near the festival entrance.

Entertainment

There are three stages with live music happening all weekend long. The north tent will feature traditional and polka music, and the south tent, more high-energy rock and festival music. In addition to local musicians and entertainers, KC Oktoberfest will feature music acts that have played hundreds of shows on the Oktoberfest circuit throughout the country.

• Die Schlauberger
• The Polka Brothers
• Über Cool
• The Baric Brothers
• The Polkanauts
• The Happy Wanderers
• Bram Wijnand’s Polka on Steroids
• Big Time Piano Show Dueling Pianos

Food Vendors

Traditional Bavarian-style Oktoberfest food specialties will be served, including KC Bier Co. Bavarian pretzels, Dunkel brats, sausages, schnitzel, goulash, and käsekuchen.

Addition festival favorites and fusion foods will be available from local vendors. Food

vendors will accept cash and credit/debit throughout the festival grounds.

Games and Competitions

The festival grounds will feature a variety of games including cornhole/bags, giant Jenga, and giant beer pong. The 2nd level will feature a favorite traditional German game, Hammerschlagen. There will also be a traditional Masskrugstemmen stein holding competition as well as a “Best Dressed Bavarian” competition.

Kids Activities

Traditional carnival games like ring toss, cornhole, skeeball and others will be offered for free. There will also be crafts and an inflatable obstacle course.

About KC Bier Co.

Since 2014, KC Bier Co. has pursued a simple mission: to brew authentic-tasting German-style bier with the same character, flavor and freshness as the bier brewed and consumed in Germany using only imported hops, barley and yeast and traditional German brewing methods. The largest locally owned brewery in Kansas City, KC Bier Co. offers its bier in its Bierhalle and Biergarten at 310 W. 79th St., in the Waldo neighborhood of Kansas City. Year-round and seasonal biers are available in six-pack bottles and on draft throughout the Kansas City metro area, Kansas, and western Missouri. For more information, visit www.kcbier.com.

About Crown Center

Located on the southern edge of downtown Kansas City, Crown Center offers fine hotels, entertainment, dining, shopping, offices, and residential living. Home to the international headquarters of Hallmark Cards, Inc., the complex attracts more than five million visitors each year. Visit http://www.crowncenter.com/ for more details. Connect on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.