Next in a series: North Texas cities, towns, and neighborhoods celebrate fall with all the gusto of people who have suffered through a Texas summer, and we are here to let you know about the best area fall festivals, Oktoberfests, pumpkin patches, and Halloween fun over the next several weeks. Today, we’re making plans to head to Southlake Town Square for the 21st annual Southlake Oktoberfest. If you know of a great fall activity that needs to be showcased, let us know! Here’s the series so far.
Neighborhood/Area: Southlake
Where: Southlake Town Square (285 Grand Ave.). Parking is available at the shopping center, with additional parking available at White’s Chapel United Methodist Church, corner of Southlake Blvd. and 185 S. White Chapel Blvd., where a shuttle service will be in operation.
What makes it special: Of course, there’ll be sauerkraut, brats, and beer, but Southlake’s annual Oktoberfest focuses on the fun. With the theme “Willkommen to Oktoberfest Southlake!”, the Southlake Chamber of Commerce is the organization behind all the oom-pah-pah.
“We do our utmost to make it a fun experience for everyone,” said Mark Guilbert, the chamber’s president and CEO. He’s just one of the many prominent business folks who will trade in their suits for lederhosen that weekend. It’s all about having fun.
“We’ve worked really hard to make it family-friendly,” Guilbert said. “We try to keep it as whimsical as we can and as authentic to German heritage as we can.”
What: It’s the 21st year for Southlake’s Oktoberfest, an outdoor celebration of the cooler weather and German culture. Free and focused on family-friendly fun, the event offers German food, live entertainment, children’s activities, and a sports zone. Animal lovers will want to take in the and the ever-popular Weiner Dog Races, which are limited to the first 200 wiener dogs registered, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning. And if your dog isn’t the fastest, then there’s a costume contest, too, for the pooches.
New this year is what Guilbert calls the “special gherkin zone” where pickleball competition will be part of the festivities. Entertainment on two stages will be presented all three days with the group Le Freak headlining at 8:45 p.m. Oct. 13 and rock band Back in Black performing at 8:45 p.m. Oct. 14.
When: 4 to 11 p.m. Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 14, and noon to 7 p.m. Oct. 15
Tickets: Admission to Southlake Oktoberfest is free.
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