Oktoberfest rises in West Michigan

Oktoberfest rises in West Michigan

One-hundred percent of the proceeds from Oktoberfest at Muskegon Winter Sports Complex go toward site improvements and programming. Photo via fb.com

The 16-day Oktoberfest celebration in Germany is thousands of miles away and coming to a close, but in parts of West Michigan, it’s just getting started.

Muskegon Oktoberfest

The Muskegon Winter Sports Complex will host a celebration of music, food, beer and wine at the complex at Muskegon State Park on Saturday, from noon-midnight.

The Muskegon Oktoberfest Main Stage will feature live music all night, including Fiddleface, and be the scene of tastings of Michigan and German craft beers, wines and sodas.

The park’s trails will offer people different choices of food, beverages and activities.

The Hansel and Gretel Taste Trail features games for the family: Luge Track Pumpkin Roll, Striker, Moonwalks, Topschlagen, Pumpkin Carving, Football Toss, Wheel Luge and more.

The Taste of the Trail features German and Michigan food and beverages along the way and music: Westside Jazz Trio, The New Thing, Lou Faino and Noel and Joey.

One-hundred percent of the event’s proceeds will go toward site improvements and programming at Muskegon Winter Sports Complex.

Saugatuck Oktoberfest

The Saugatuck Brewing Co. will host its party on Saturday at the brewery in Douglas, from 1-5 p.m.

It’s a family friendly event in the building’s Singapore Room, with live polka, traditional German fare and specialty Oktoberfest-style ale.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Christian Neighbors Organization of Douglas.

Wood Aged Beer Fest

Separately, the French-and-Belgian-inspired Brewery Vivant will host its third annual Wood Aged Beer Festival on Saturday, from 1-9 p.m., at the brewery’s parking lot in Grand Rapids’ East Hills neighborhood.

There will be more than 20 Brewery Vivant beers aged in bourbon barrels and special sour beers.

The beer list: Monkswood, Abyss, Sour Wanda, Whiskey Rooster, Devastation, Olympus, Contemplation Barrel Aged with Brettanomyces, Barrel Aged Black Hand, Barrel Aged Triomphe, WizardBurial Ground, Barrel Aged Sgt. Peppercorn, Two Princesses, Love Shawdow, Liam & Me, Acrimonious, Cassandra, Gingers are Weird and BB Enkel.

More beers will be released on Saturday.

The Brewery Vivant kitchen will also participate, offering BBQ food on a stick, weisswurst, smoked turkey legs and grilled portobella mushrooms.

The festival is open to patrons 21 and older.

The cost is $10 at the door, including a collector’s glass and two beer/food tokens.