Oktoberfest Kitchener-Waterloo Returns October 11 – 19
Everyone’s favourite nine-day festival is back! The annual Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest kicks off this October and as always, the most-popular event, the parade, takes place on Thanksgiving Day.
Beginning at 8:30 am in Uptown Waterloo come down and join thousands of Oktoberfesters as they line the parade route on King Street and watch all the floats and marching bands as they go by.
This year our very own Uptown Waterloo Retirement Residence has a float featured in the parade so be sure to cheer them on!
This parade is the only major parade that takes place on the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday and it is even broadcasted live on television in not only Canada, but also parts of northern United States as well.
Originating in 1969, the founding fathers of the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest saw this Bavarian tradition, which was celebrated at the famous Concordia Club in Kitchener, as an outstanding prospect to benefit the entire community by making it a civic festival to celebrate our local German roots.
Kitchener-Waterloo holds the title as the second-largest Oktoberfest in the world, following the original Oktoberfest held in Germany, and attracts over 750,000 visitors to our town each year.
During the nine days, there are 40 different events with something for everyone.
Come down and watch the parade, be sure to look for the Uptown Waterloo Retirement Residence float, and enjoy a taste of the German culture!
Cheers!
