German Cuisine and Classic Oktoberfest Fare

The Carlsbad Oktoberfest & Family Fall Festival has been ushering in the start of fall since 1982. For 32 years, the festival has opened its doors to beer enthusiasts and grown into what it is today. While you don’t have to be German to take part in the fun, German culture is the backbone behind the food, music, and celebration. Classic dishes of bratwurst and sausage paired with potato salad and sauerkraut will be available. If you prefer something lighter, chicken is also an option. Food vendors with fall snacks will have everything from pumpkin pie and strudel to pretzels and cotton candy. Adults can buy a traditional stein and wash it all down with an ice-cold German beer.

Live Music and More

During the beginning of the day, DJ Rob will be serving up traditional German music and games. Little ones can compete in the Best Dressed German Junge & Mädchen (girl and boy) contest on the Main Stage. The BlueBirds German band will take the stage at 4 p.m. and accompany the official welcome and the star spangled banner. The welcome will be followed by a yodeling contest. From there, The Last Call Rock Band and BlueBirds German band will take turns sharing the stage through the end of the night. The famed Chicken Dance will be on full display, encouraging little kids, big kids, and adults to join in the fun.

Fun Activities for All

In addition to the German food, German music, and bier, Carlsbad Oktoberfest also offers a variety of fall-themed activities for kids. There will be a pumpkin patch where children can choose a pumpkin and decorate it, as well as face painting, bouncy houses, and balloon artists. Children under 10 years old are admitted free, and kids who come in costume can participate in the costume contest to win a prize. Adults in costume can also take part in the Fetching Fräulein Costume Contest or Masculine Mann Costume Contest taking place at 4:30pm on the Main Stage.

Tickets for the event are available now. If you purchase your meal in advance, you will get free admission included in your purchase. $15 will get you a meal ticket and entry into the festival. Tickets for kids over 10 years old and adults who do not want a meal are only $5. This year, the Carlsbad Rotary is sponsoring the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation and Solutions for Change. The proceeds from Oktoberfest 2019 will go a long way in providing support to two of the city’s most influential nonprofits. Get your tickets today and get ready for the 37th Annual Carlsbad Oktoberfest!

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Craft brewing has a long history in San Diego county. With over 200 breweries, it is no secret that Southern Californians like craft beer. San Diego beer lovers fuel the craft beer culture that spans from Chula Vista to Little Italy, the northern beach cities and beyond. The popularity of craft beer has skyrocketed throughout the past decade but has roots as far back as the 19th century. During Prohibition, almost all of the breweries in San Diego were forced to close. From the 30s to the 80s, mass production owned the beer scene. However, after California legalized homebrewing in 1978, brewers jumped at the opportunity to revive the craft and Karl Strauss opened in 1989. This lead to a boom of centerpiece breweries like Stone and Pizza Port opening. This time of year, beer lovers everywhere are gearing up for Oktoberfest celebrations and pints of German beer. If you are a beer lover in Carlsbad, you can beat the Oktoberfest rush and try all of San Diego’s newest brews at the 6th Annual Carlsbad Brewfest on September 7th.

A Growing Celebration of Craft Beer in Carlsbad

During the past five years, the Brewfest has grown from a typical San Diego beer festival to one of the county’s largest events celebrating some of the finest craft beers in the state. The event is presented by the Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club and is hosted at one of Carlsbad’s historic outdoor parks. Holiday Park is just blocks from City Hall and the historic Barrio neighborhood. The Park is considered one of the oldest parks in the city and is well manicured, with gazebos, restrooms, horseshoe pits, and more. Ample tree cover and sun exposure make it the perfect spot for the Brewfest. All proceeds from the Carlsbad Brewfest are given to local and regional charities. In 2018, the festival raised $50,000. This year, the proceeds will be benefiting Bikes for the Barrio.

Brewfest 2019 Information

From noon to 4:30, Holiday Park will be home to 40+ breweries and cider houses. The 80+ craft beers, ciders, kombucha, and wine varieties will be accompanied by live music, entertainment, games, and food vendors. Seven of the 43 brewers featured at the event have joined together to create the 2019 Carlsbad Brewfest Collaborative Brew. This brew will only be available at the event for VIP and General Admission ticket holders. Ticketed guests will have the rare chance to enjoy the exclusive collaboration, brewed by the talents of Arcana, Burgeon, Culver, Karl Strauss, Papa Merces, Pizza Port, and Rouleur brewers.

There are three types of tickets available for the Brewfest. VIP tickets are being offered for $75 and grant guests early access to the park. An hour before General Admission doors open, VIP guests will be allowed to start tasting samples and get the first chance at trying the Collaboration Brew, which will only be available in limited quantities. VIP tickets also include a $10 food voucher, and a raffle ticket for a shot at winning one of three amazing raffle prizes. The raffle prizes include: (4) La Costa Spa Day passes, (1) Foursome round of golf at the La Costa Country Club, and a Custom Brewfest Electra Cruiser Bicycle. Guests can also opt for a VIP 2-Pack for $135, which includes two VIP tickets and all of their benefits plus special pours from Ale Smith, Bell, Melvin, Karl Strauss, Belching Beaver, Burgeon, Green Flash and Firestone.

General Admission tickets are just $55 and include ticketed entry from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. General Admission tickets offer unlimited tasting samples (including samples of the Collaboration Brew), music, entertainment, games, and food vendors.

Designated Driver tickets are also available for $15. Local parking will be limited, so public transportation, bikes, and ride shares are recommended. The festival is 21+ and space is limited to ~2,000 people. Get your ticket today, before it sells out!

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LEGOLAND Brick-or-Treat Party Nights

Every Saturday this month, LEGOLAND will be keeping the entire park open for Brick-or-Treat Party Nights. Throughout the year, LEGOLAND inspires creativity and imagination. During the Halloween season, this is amplified with costume contests, character meet-and-greets, dancing, and more. Kids and parents can use a map to find treat stations sprinkled throughout the park while taking in live entertainment and performances by favorites like LEGO Mummy and Lord Vampyre. Treat stations will have over one million pieces of candy, as well as Clif bar treats for healthier alternatives. Children are encouraged to wear costumes and can participate in one of three different costume contests with the chance to win exciting prizes. Guests who really want to experience the thrill of the holiday can take their chances on the Ghost Cruise, a boat ride to haunted locations led by Paranormal Investigators.

Dive-In Movie Night at Cape Rey

While a poolside Halloween attraction may sound crazy for other climates, Carlsbad is still boasting sunny weather and rays well into the fall. For families who love to kick back and enjoy the ambience of our climate while being entertained, the Cape Rey Dive-In Movie Nights are a perfect chance to unwind. This Halloween, the resort is featuring a ‘spooktacular’ showing of Hotel Transylvania to get everyone in the Halloween spirit. Guests can enjoy complimentary popcorn and a sunset swim while enjoying the show. RSVP online now to reserve your spot.

Howl-O-Wine Party at Witch Creek Winery

Witch Creek Winery is one of Carlsbad’s best kept secrets when it comes to fine wines in a great location. Nestled along Highway 101 and right in the middle of the coastal village, Witch Creek Winery is one of the oldest urban wineries in the state. As Halloween rolls around, the winery’s name takes on new meaning. This year, Witch Creek Winery is hosting an event to benefit SPOT, a 501c3 organization that advocates for homeless pets throughout the community. The Howl-O-Wine Party will be a three hour event with a funny dog costume contest and a raffle. The ticket price includes two glasses of wine, as well as a charcuterie plate and participation in the door prize drawing. Have fun dressing up your favorite four-legged companion and join the Howl-O-Wine Party at Witch Creek Winery for a good cause.

Halloween in the Village!

The Carlsbad Village is the prime location to take part in some of Carlsbad’s most renowned food, events, and shops. During the holidays, guests can be sure that the Village will serve up something for everyone. On Halloween this year, the Village will be hosting a number of family friendly attractions to celebrate the spookiness of the season. Village Merchant trick-or-treating, face painting, costume contests, and a haunted house are all included on this year’s schedule. Partnering with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Carlsbad, Halloween in the Village! is a fantastic option for people of all ages to enjoy the holiday.

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Burgeon Beer Co.

Emerging on the scene in 2016, Burgeon Beer Co. is the result of a combined vision for excellence cultivated by three aspiring nature enthusiasts. The owners have long dreamed of opening a brewery that could have lasting impact and rapid growth. With careful planning and support, the dream became a reality. Fueled with creativity and passion, the owners of Burgeon are focused on being agile and relentless in the pursuit of great beer. The tasting room in Carlsbad is dog friendly and offers guests a variety of tasting options. From tasters to flights, tulip glasses, and growlers, Burgeon makes it easy to navigate through the multiple flavors on tap. Currently, they have over six IPAs to choose from. A brown ale, porter, oatmeal stout, German pilsner, and imperial stout with Ethiopian coffee and vanilla bean round out the malty side of the menu. For those with more adventurous tastes, Burgeon also has a peach and apricot gose and crisp grisette available.

Location: 6350 Yarrow Drive Suite C, Carlsbad, CA 92011
Phone: 760-814-2548

Rouleur Brewing Company

Inspired by the monastic breweries of the Old World, Rouleur Brewing Company is a rare treat in the craft beer world. They seek to reach beyond tradition in order to provide beer that breaks rules and works outside of the bounds that other breweries stay within. The founder, Rawley Macias, has spent years perfecting his craft and applies a very tactical and mechanical approach to creating beers that delight drinkers on all fronts. To do this, Rouleur marries innovation with elegance in the pursuit to create brews that break the mold. The result of this ingenuity includes an Athena BlackBerry Blonde, Dopeur Juicy/Hazy IPA, Sprinteur Red Ale, and Grimpeur Dark Ale, to name a few. The intimate tasting room is an inviting place to bring friends and to feel like family. Open seven days a week, Rouleur is definitely a unique outlier in the sea of San Diego breweries.

Location: 5840 El Camino Real, Suite 101, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Phone: (442) 244-5111

Culver Beer

A brewery without personality lacks the things that make our local breweries what they are. Culver Beer is full of personality and character that can’t be outdone by mass produced product elsewhere. If you’re looking for a spot with a little bit of comic relief and a ton of tasty beers to try, Culver is the spot to go. The cartoon logo and funny product names are just an added bonus to beers such as the Mad Neighbor Blonde that is described as ‘crushable, refreshing, and crisp’. The tasting room is both dog and kid friendly, and motivates guests to kick back, relax and enjoy the delicious beers on tap.

Location: 2719 West Loker Avenue, Carlsbad, CA

From its inception with the San Diego Brewing Company in the 1800s before prohibition, San Diego has always held good beer close to its heart. In Carlsbad, new breweries are popping up left and right. Grab your friends and family and support the industry that has put our city on the map by visiting one of these tasting rooms before last days of summer run out.

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Just 12,000 feet from the Carlsbad Outlets, the Windmill Food Hall is slated to open by the end of the summer. The iconic windmill building off of Interstate 5 and Palomar Airport Road has been repainted and renovated in order to serve as a home to food vendors and guests alike. The market has designated space for food and entertainment including lawn and table games, video games, a 50+ seat bar, and more. For those eager to see what the menu will consist of, nine of the eleven food vendors have been announced to the public.

So far, the food line up consists of a variety of treats from around the globe. Cross Street Chicken & Beer will feature mouthwatering Korean-style fried chicken and spots like Taco Lady and Thai-Style Kitchen, Bing Haus, and Rolled Up will allow diners to enjoy everything from Mexican street food to Thai-style rolled ice cream and build-your-own sushi burritos. If you crave American cuisine, Bread & Cheese, Lobster West, Crackheads, and Doughballs Pizza will not disappoint. Vendors from around San Diego are planting roots at the market and making a home in North County. Owners of the popular Encinitas-born Maine lobster restaurant will be serving up their award-winning lobster roll sandwiches and Hillcrest Farmers Market grilled cheese aficionados will be bringing their well-known sandwiches to the Windmill Food Hall.

The hall will introduce a modern food experience while incorporating clean vintage decor and innovative technology into the mix. Guests will be given a key fob or bracelet to pay for their purchases. The mobile payment option will allow for food vendors to walk throughout the hall and offer full service throughout the entire campus. The buildings that make up the market are part of the Carlsbad By the Sea hotel and are being renovated to include a multitude of seating options and an indoor/outdoor vibe with garage door-style walls.

Southern California is known for its culinary excellence and food halls are one of the fastest-growing culinary trends in the country. With the Windmill Food Hall, Carlsbad will continue to make its mark on the food scene while preserving the historic windmill building that many have come to love. Be sure to visit the hall when it opens in late summer/ early fall.

Windmill Food Hall
850 Palomar Airport Rd.
Carlsbad, CA 92011

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