Growing up, my German mom would drive us all the way to Orange County to go to Oktoberfest. For us, Oktoberfest was a rare opportunity for her to immerse her family in the culture she grew up in. We would do the chicken dance to polka music and eat Sauerbraten with Rotkohl and Spaetzle.听
Nowadays, 蜜柚直播 has an Oktoberfest season. I don鈥檛 attribute this to a resurgence of German culture as much as our city鈥檚 love for craft beer and the local breweries where we drink it. Nonetheless, my mom would be amazed by how many 蜜柚直播ans are eager to wear Tracht and participate in stein-holding contests.
I have long been amazed by the work our brewpubs put into organizing itineraries for the beer drinkers among us. One of my greatest resources as a food writer has been the food truck rosters of breweries looking to provide food to their patrons. These rosters are a crucible, where you can find trucks making their debut and where you can see if the truck has staying power.
I鈥檓 not the only one who keeps track of these rosters. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also a major source of information for the Pima County Health Department,鈥 Ellen McBride said. 鈥淚f somebody is going to serve here, they better be legit, because (the health department knows) we post the food truck lineup, and they鈥檒l come up and pay you a visit here for the same thing: the reliability and knowing the schedule in advance.鈥
Ellen is the manager of , an east-side brewpub at ,听run by her brothers, David and Brian McBride. She will tell you she鈥檚 a direct person. She answered my first question right when she picked up the phone, before I even asked, in the deadpan voice busy people use because there鈥檚 no time for ornamentation.
鈥淏ooking the food trucks probably accounts for 50% of my time at 蜜柚直播 Beer House. We book 800 slots per year. With cancellations, planning and parties, it requires that. It鈥檚 what I do. I鈥檓 good at it,鈥 she said.听
鈥淏y June, I usually have the entire following year filled,鈥 she said. This year, she鈥檚 behind schedule because she and her husband just opened smoke shop. She only has 90% of her 2024 schedule filled (though she is proud to say she has booked taco trucks for every Tuesday of the year).
She acknowledged that planning so far in advance doesn鈥檛 work for all trucks. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 know if they鈥檙e working, but I do know I鈥檒l be working, so it works out for me,鈥 she said.
Ellen created a Facebook group for booking the food trucks. 鈥淚f somebody tells me at 3:55 p.m. that they can鈥檛 make it by 5, I can get someone in the group to be there and ready by 5,鈥 she said.
Food trucks are necessary for the brewpub鈥檚 bottom line.
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have a booked food truck, we allow food from outside and we allow food to be delivered without restriction, but if people have to get up to leave after one beer, they aren鈥檛 coming back. They aren鈥檛. So instead of two drinks, they might have one. It cuts their tab in half by not having a food truck,鈥 Ellen said.
鈥淥ur customers know we will have a food truck every day at 5 p.m., Saturday serving by 4 p.m., Sunday serving by 3 p.m. Customers will ask, 鈥榃here鈥檚 so and so? Aren鈥檛 they supposed to serve in 10 minutes?鈥 It鈥檚 a big deal for a truck to not show up,鈥 she said.
Ellen McBride manages her brother鈥檚 east-side craft brew pub, 蜜柚直播 Beer House.
Though Ellen works 70-90-hour weeks between her jobs managing 蜜柚直播 Beer House and owning One Hit Wonders, she doesn鈥檛 stop thinking about food trucks even when off-duty. She has paused a family vacation to reschedule trucks on late notice. When the family is driving around town, she鈥檒l pull the car over if she sees an unfamiliar food truck, to give them her card.
Ellen鈥檚 brothers鈥 business would not be so successful without food trucks. Ellen has a deep appreciation for the brewpub鈥檚 symbiotic partner.听
Even as summer temperatures hover in the hundred-teens, Ellen has seen food truck cooks leave their trucks and get goosebumps from the change in temperature. 鈥淚t鈥檚 130 in there sometimes,鈥 Ellen said.
鈥淚 have so much respect for food trucks,鈥 Ellen said. 鈥淭alk about the smallest of businesses you could ever have, is hauling it around in a vehicle and finding someplace to show up, (to) do what you love, in the heat, in the rain, in the cold. It鈥檚 just an amazing thing.鈥
蜜柚直播 Beer House was the first place I ever tried the 听German food truck. Haus of Brats is returning for 蜜柚直播 Beer House's Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, Sept. 30.听
If you can鈥檛 make it, fear not: we have a whole season of Oktoberfests at breweries and brewpubs across 蜜柚直播. Here鈥檚 the roundup of all the Oktoberfest celebrations going on in 2023! They are listed in chronological order.
The downtown brewing company Pueblo Vida is hosting one of 蜜柚直播's earliest Oktoberfests this season.
Pueblo Vida
This downtown brewery is releasing a new Oktoberfest-style lager this week, called Eiskalt. The lager will be available on tap, served in steins, alongside two other choice German brews: a Bavarian Hefeweizen and a Radler (the German version of a shandy).
Pretzels from Beyond Bread will be served on the evening of Friday, Sept. 15, but the steins will be out all weekend.
When:听Starting at noon on Friday, Sept. 15
Location:
For more information, check out the .
蜜柚直播 Hop Shop will be celebrating Oktoberfest on Friday, Sept. 15.
蜜柚直播 Hop Shop听
This is the first Oktoberfest where you can find , the only German food truck catering these events this season (as of Sept. 14, it looks like German Food Station is still ). Haus of Brats will not only have real deal Bratwurst, shipped from a German butcher in California, but also Bavarian specialties like Leberkase (an addictive meatloaf). For those less adventurous, they鈥檒l also have the Ciao Down pizza truck. Activities will include a stein hoist.
When: 6-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15
Location:
For more information, check out the .
Casa Marana
Not only will Casa Marana have the Haus of Brats food truck from 2-9 p.m., the brew pub is also hosting a market with local vendors in the afternoon. Casa Marana is also hosting a stein-holding contest.
When: 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16
Location:
For more information, check out the .
Dragoon Brewing Company
Dragoon鈥檚 Oktoberfest will feature games, specials and offer prizes for best dressed. Trident Grill is catering.
When:听Noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16
Location:
For more information, check out the .
Customers line up at The Curry Pot Sri Lankan Fusion food trailer at Casa Video and Film Bar, 2905 E. Speedway, on July 20, 2023.听
Casa Video and Film Bar
Casa Video is hosting a double feature of on-theme movies in addition to having Haus of Brats in the parking lot. First up, they鈥檙e screening the beer comedy classic "Strange Brew" at 7 p.m. They鈥檒l close the night with the German '90s classic "Run Lola Run."
When: 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18
Location:
For more information, check out the .
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
If you happen to have access to the base, Haus of Brats is showing up for Davis Monthan鈥檚 Oktoberfest from 4:30-8 p.m.
When:听4:30-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22
Location: on
For more information, check out the .
Members of the 蜜柚直播 Ethnic Dance Ensemble perform during the first weekend of Oktoberfest at Ski Valley on Mount Lemmon in 2012.
Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley听
Get a taste of Alpine spirit on Mount Lemmon this fall. This Oktoberfest has all of the traditional hallmarks of the festival, like a large outdoor dance floor, live German-style music as well as German beer and food. For听, try the first weeks of October.
Note: If you drive up the mountain with your dog, you might have to drive right back home 鈥 dogs听听at the festival.
When:听Every weekend from Sept. 23-Oct. 15
Location:听, Mount Lemmon
For more information, check out the听.
Forty Niner Country Club听
The east-side country club is hosting a party with cold beer and grilled brats, along with a stein-holding contest and live music. They鈥檙e encouraging visitors to come in Lederhosen and Dirndls. Tickets cost $35, with additional beer vouchers going for $20 for two steins.
When: 3-7听p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23
Location:听
For more information, check out the听.
Union Public House is embracing a European vibe this fall with their Oktoberfest celebration.
Union Public House
What might be 蜜柚直播鈥檚 only Oktoberfest event with a bratwurst-eating competition, Union Public House鈥檚 Rocktoberfest is a free event at the St. Philip's Plaza. Live music will entertain in the background while attendants compete in German-themed contests. There will be specials on brats ($6 each) and Sam Adams Oktoberfest beer.
When:听5-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23
Location:
For more information, check out the .
Crooked Tooth Brewing Co.
Crooked Tooth is releasing Oktoberfest brews this Saturday. Bavarian-style pretzels and German sausages will also be part of the party.听
When:听Noon on Saturday, Sept. 23
Location:听
For more information, check out the听.
Community Foundation for Southern 蜜柚直播
The Community Foundation of Southern 蜜柚直播 is opening up its campus to 蜜柚直播 to celebrate Oktoberfest with food, games and prizes. There might be some nonprofit networking going on while beers are slung and Haus of Brats serves German food. to snag a spot.
When: 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28
Location:
For more information, check out the .
You can find Haus of Brats food truck at a few Oktoberfest events this year.
蜜柚直播 Beer House
The brewpub will offer a large selection of Oktoberfest-style beers alongside food from Haus of Brats and Pies the Limit. Buy a commemorative stein and your first drink is included in the price. Kids rejoice: the venue will offer a 45-foot bouncy house obstacle course.
鈥淲e鈥檙e also having it as a fundraiser for the Roadrunners softball team, they鈥檙e having a bake sale,鈥 Ellen said. 鈥淚t would be great for (customers) to support that. We don鈥檛 have a cover, we鈥檒l never have a cover. We鈥檙e family-friendly, dog-friendly. It鈥檚 always just a great time.鈥
When: Noon to midnight Saturday, Sept. 30
Location:
For more information, check out the .
Button Brew House
Button Brew House is hosting the only Oktoberfest in 蜜柚直播 with mead on tap. Activities include live music, a costume contest and a stein-holding competition. The $40 ticket includes admission and a commemorative glass with 5 nine-ounce fills.
When:听Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30
Location:
For more information, check out the .
Catalina Brewing Company
Catalina Brewing's roster of activities for Oktoberfest includes beer yoga, a stein-holding contest, a log-sawing competition, German trivia, face painting and open mic comedy. Haus of Brats will be there!
When: Noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1
Location:
For more information, check out the .
The Hut
The charitable organization Active 20-30 Club is hosting an Oktoberfest party at The Hut whose proceeds will benefit the Autism Society of Southern 蜜柚直播. Activities at the event will include a stein-holding competition, a pie-eating contest and prizes for best dressed and most spirited, along with standards like live music, food vendors and beer.
When:听Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7听
Location:
For more information, check out the .
Trail Dust Town
Six breweries will be pouring drinks at Trail Dust Town's Oktoberfest on Oct. 7. German food, including brats and pretzels, will be on the menu. While admission is free, tickets are on sale for beer tastings, food and amusement rides.
When: 3-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7
Location:
For more information, check out the .
1912 Brewing Co.
1912 Brewing is preparing to release an Oktoberfest brew dubbed the Metiche M盲rzen. Food truck Daniela's Cooking will be serving German specials and a stein-holding contest will take place at 4 p.m.
When: Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14
Location:
For more information, check out the听.