Oktoberfest in Southwest Harbor, Maine

The second Saturday in October is when the “Quietside” of Mt. Desert Island braces for more than 3000 enthusiastic beer lovers rushing to our 14th annual Oktoberfest.  They will be converging at Smuggler’s Den campground, just north of Southwest Harbor on Rt. 102, from 11:30 AM  to 6:00 PM.  The free Island Explorer buses will still be running,  so why drive? Just find out where to hop on here. There will be 85 types of beer from 23 Maine microbreweries including several from the island, along with a smattering of wines from Maine’s fledgling wine industry.  $25 gets you admission, a souvenir glass and ten tickets for samples.  Tents provide shelter in all weather.

The neighboring tent has live music and food from 15 vendors. You will find quite a selection: German sausage, crab rolls, Thai food, curly fries and Brazilian cuisine.    In yet another tent find Maine artisans selling their unique wares.

In 1974 I toured Europe as a 20 year old.  I ended up as a bartender on a small Scottish island in the Hebrides for the month of August. When I returned to the U.S. I knew I had to brew my own beer because the imported stuff was too expensive and the domestic beer was just too thin and weak.  As years went by I saw the homebrewing movement spawn hundreds of microbreweries, and the results have been spectacular! Come celebrate the great spectrum of brews available in the state of Maine right here in Acadia,  at what New England Brewer’s Magazine calls “an event not to miss”.

Related Posts:

• Southwest Harbor Oktoberfest 2010
• Oktoberfest 2010 Afterword