It all started in Munich as a wedding celebration in 1812, but today has become the biggest party in all of Europe, celebrating the German spirit each year with good food, good drink, and great home-grown entertainment. Oktoberfest, with its enthusiasm for fun and frolic, will be transplanted to the Virginia Beach oceanfront for Oktober Brewfest, to be held Saturday & Sunday, October 11 & 12, 2008, at the Beachstreet Seaside Palladium at 24th Street & Atlantic Avenue (24th Street Park).

Sample authentic German beer from the Warsteiner family of beers as the park at 24th Street is transformed into a two-day festival celebrating everything that is German! Expect the unexpected at one of the craziest events ever to hit Virginia Beach! A German oompa band, Dachshund beauty pageant, wacky competitions, and Bavarian cuisine are all a part of this event that's fun for the whole family!

Admission to Oktober Brewfest is free but there will be a charge for each German beer purchased. Warsteiner beers to be featured at the event include the following: Premium Verum, Premium Dunkel, Konig Ludwig Weiss, and Oktoberfest. Warsteiner Premium Verum is a Pilsner-style beer with a smooth, rich, full-bodied taste wrapped in a thick creamy head and a refreshing hop finish with no aftertaste. Warsteiner Premium Dunkel offers beer lovers incomparable taste satisfaction with its subtle spiciness and delicate aroma. As a dark German beer, Warsteiner Premium Dunkel is very drinkable compared to other dark beers. Konig Ludwig Weiss is made with a mixture of 60% wheat and 40% barley malt. It's naturally cloudy with tones of deep gold. Warsteiner Oktoberfest beer is brewed once a year to be consumed at the start of Oktoberfest season in Germany to celebrate the end of a long, hot summer! German sausages, pretzels, nuts, and pizza vendors will also be a part of the festival. The final selection of German beers is subject to change.

All Dachshund owners are invited to enter their dogs in the Dachshund Beauty Pageant, to be held throughout the weekend. There is no entrance fee, but all dogs entered must be present for the preliminaries on Saturday, October 11, at 4:00pm sharp! Those Dachshunds that are selected as finalists will return on Sunday, October 12, at 4:00pm, where the winner and runners-up will be crowned. Dog owners may dress up their Dachshunds and prepare talent presentations to sway the judges. Trophies will be awarded for 1st Place, and 1st and 2nd Runners-Up.

Players can step right up to the "Drench a Wench" dunking booth and test their throwing ability. The cost is $2 for 3 balls, with proceeds going to the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters.

German games, the Chicken Dance, and live entertainment will be featured during the festival. On Saturday and Sunday, from 1:00pm-4:00pm, The Biermeisters, an authentic German oompa band, will be featured. Oktoberfest switches into high gear on Saturday night with ROCKtoberfest! Popular local band Butter ("Das Boot-er!") promises to "rock the Festhaus" with its brand of high-energy rock! Butter sweeps people off their feet with its eclectic mix and pulse! In high demand, the band plays in and out of the Virginia Beach area at weddings, private parties, corporate events, clubs, and festivals. Butter will play from 7:00pm-10:00pm on Saturday, October 11.

Our host for Oktober Brewfest will be Pasquale Giovani. Accomplished host/interviewer and Navy veteran, Giovani has been hosting and producing talk shows for over ten years. A Farm Fresh President's Award recipient, who excels in consumer issues and community news and interests, he works with diverse charitable boards and marketing groups.

Oktober Brewfest, co-produced by Sponsorships Unlimited and Beachevents, is sponsored by Warsteiner, Farm Fresh, Budweiser, The Wine Cellar, Associated Distributors, BOB FM, WNIS, WTAR, and the City of Virginia Beach.