Oktoberfest brewing at Crooked Can

Winter Garden’s Crooked Can Brewing Company is returning its Oktoberfest for yet another year with three days of celebration from Friday, Oct. 17 to Sunday, Oct. 19. 

The brewing company at 426 W. Plant St. will expand its limits to the street adjacent to it, allowing for extra space. 

“Being able to kind of get that extra space allows us to bring in additional entertainment, a bigger stage, more bars, get more beer in more people’s hands,” said Alan Delahunt, Crooked Can’s chief operating officer. “The city has been great at helping us facilitate that.” 

Attendees can expect a large variety of entertainment like The Brussel Sprouts German Polka Band, a stein-holding competition, a choreographed lineup, the fan-favorite Wiener Dog Race and more. 

“A lot of people think Oktoberfest is more just about the beer, but for us, it’s about families and bringing people together,” Delahunt said. “So doing something where there’s something for everybody has been a really awesome part of helping it grow over the last decade.” 

This year, Crooked Can is starting Oktoberfest with a keg being paraded down the street, where a brewer taps it to get the beer flowing and the event started. 

The brewery also is introducing a VIP area this year after the founders visited Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest and were inspired by it having dedicated areas for customers to book, guaranteeing seating and beers right away. 

“We wanted to test that as a concept to see if that was something that people would be interested in, and it certainly was,” Delahunt said. “We’ve definitely had (people) interested and it’s 21 and up, but it includes your first fill of your stein —32 ounces, and then you get the stein included with that as well. So it’s just a way of kind of creating a party atmosphere in a dedicated section of (the) brewery, and it’s very traditional in that you might not know the people you’re sitting beside because it’s going to be group seating very much the same as they are traditionally in Munich.” 

Attendees also will have the opportunity to try exclusive Oktoberfest-themed foods inside Plant Street Market. 

“We’re not bringing in any additional vendors,” Delahunt said. “We’re focusing on our Plant Street Market vendors and they all do something a little different for this festival. So I advise people to get into the market, check out some of the local vendors and see some of the special festival items that they’re offering because it’s about beer, it’s about food, it’s about entertainment, and it’s just about having a great time.”