All You Need to Know About the Oktoberfest Farm to Table Dinner
The wonderful month of October is almost here, and that means beautiful reds and yellows of fall leaves, cozy sweaters for the cool breeze, and spooky fun during Halloween.
While October has so much to offer, one of our favorite things about this month is Oktoberfest.
When you think of Oktoberfest, you might picture barhopping with steins in downtown Boulder or Denver. While this is certainly a great way to celebrate (or was, before Coronavirus!), there’s so many more ways to welcome in the harvest season.
What if you could also enjoy a healthy, delicious, and filling dinner straight from the farm, or bask in the ambience of a beautiful fall garden with refreshing seasonal drinks?
We pride ourselves on the best food and drink pairings possible, and the local Oktoberfest Farm to Table Dinner is no exception.
The Oktoberfest Farm to Table Dinner is a one-of-a-kind event hosted by Growing Gardens, a nonprofit farm that prioritizes sustainable living. It will take place on Saturday, October 3rd, and feature delicious farm-fresh foods with Bavarian-style recipes.
You’ll enjoy an autumnal wonderland setting, delectable brews, and cocktails and specially curated pairings to thrill all the senses.
Take a peek at our guide to the 2020 Oktoberfest Farm to Table Dinner in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. We guarantee you’ll be ready to grab your tickets by the end of the blog!
Why Do We Celebrate Oktoberfest?
To take a step back, the Oktoberfest celebration originated in Germany in 1810, and was created to celebrate the marriage between the prince of Bavaria (later known to history books as King Louis I) to Princess Therese of Saxe-Altenburg.
Oktoberfest was a 5-day festival filled with delicious German brews, tasty meals from their bountiful harvest, even a horse race. The event was such a success it became an annual agricultural fair with traditions such as food booths, games, and dancing that spread worldwide.
While you might not be able to fly to Germany to celebrate, Colorado has your next best bet: the Oktoberfest Farm to Table Dinner right here in Boulder.
What is The Oktoberfest Farm to Table Dinner?
When:
October 3, from 5:00pm-8:15pm MST
Where:
The Oktoberfest Farm to Table Dinner takes place in the Growing Gardens, a sustainable living farm in Boulder County, on a mission to help end hunger one garden at a time.
While Growing Gardens has been a nonprofit for 20 years, the farm itself has been operating for over 100 years. It’s no surprise these gardens are a Colorado staple, especially once you lay eyes on the picturesque scenery and visible dedication to sustainability on every corner of the 25-acre farm.
Growing Gardens runs over 400 community garden plots, each with a unique harvest of veggies. It also hosts the nonprofit Mountain Flower Goat Dairy, a humane, sustainable, and educational portion of the farm that hosts a herd of charming goats with a few llamas to protect them.
The Oktoberfest Dinner takes place at the Hawthorne Community gardens of North Boulder, where 200 garden (plots owned by Growing Gardens) reside. This stunning plot of land includes a children’s peace garden and the big and beautiful Cultiva garden.
Bask in nature and the joy of community, all while learning about sustainability. You might even get ideas for a garden of your own!
The Menu
Bavarian cuisine is traditionally rich in flavor, and has just enough variety to keep you on your toes. It includes spiced meats, pickled veggies like sauerkraut, and creamy spreads — all of which pair wonderfully with a cold, refreshing beer.
Every ingredient of the Bavarian-style meals is guaranteed to be fresh and grown by a local farm with love. Each meal includes meats and produce directly from the farm.
This one-night-only menu includes:
- Pickled veggies and pretzel bites
- Braised red cabbage
- Bratwurst from Star View Farms or Vegan bratwurst substitute
- Roasted caraway potatoes with squashApple slab pie topped with whipped cream
The Schedule
The Oktoberfest Farm to Table Dinner has just enough activities to keep you entertained and engaged without taking away your ability to kick back and indulge.
The evening begins on the porch of the main garden house, where you’ll be served carefully-chosen cocktails with the perfect appetizers to complement them.
Once everyone has settled in, you’ll get a tour of the gardens, where you can learn the details of what’s grown, how, and ask questions of your own.
Then you’ll be seated in the rustic barn with the other guests, where you’ll meet your chef and be served a 5-course meal. The meal will end with a luscious apple pie dessert that we bet you’ll find hard to beat.
Throughout the meal, you’ll enjoy an endless pouring of the best local brews.
How to Attend
Attendance is extremely limited for this event, so be sure to grab tickets as soon you as you can!
Entrance is $75, and all attendees must be 21 years of age or older with a valid ID.
If you’ve missed the deadline, don’t worry! Mark your calendars for next year, and use this time to prepare a harvest party of your own.
May we suggest pairing some of your favorite Bavarian foods with a crisp Double IPA? Check out this month’s beer selections and more >