Overview
Oktoberfest | September 21 & 22, 2024
Each fall we dust off our lederhosen, fire up the oompah band and enjoy a tall mug of German beer at the Whiteface Mountain Oktoberfest. Mark your calendars for the weekend-long, Bavarian-style celebration with authentic music, dancing, food and beer—rated one of the 5 Must-Visit Oktoberfests in North America by SKI Magazine! Featuring music by headliners die Schlauberger in the Main Entertainment Tent, The Adlers, Schachtelgebirger Musikanten (Scha-Musi) in the Cloudspin Bar & Grill, the 3 Alphorns, and the Alpenland Taenzer dancers.
This is a family-friendly event with activities for all ages including craft vendors, pumpkin painting, kids entertainment with The Give & Take Jugglers, bounce houses, scenic gondola rides, and more!
For the Olympic Authority’s full Service Animal Policy – Read Here.
Things to note:
• As the Cloudsplitter Gondola is a popular part of Oktoberfest, we recommend taking a Scenic Gondola Ride earlier in the day, as lines can get longer in the afternoon.
• The Oktoberfest Festival Grounds and Cloudsplitter Gondola Rides will open at 10:30am each day, with live entertainment starting at 11:00am.
Pricing
2024 Oktoberfest Pricing
2024/25 Season Passholders can attend Oktoberfest for FREE on the Sunday of Oktoberfest. One day admission to Oktoberfest is free with the purchase of the Lake Placid Legacy Sites Passport. The admission and gondola ride will count towards the gondola admission portion of the Passport.
| OKTOBERFEST PRICING 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
Day Of Pricing | Day of Pricing | Online in Advance Pricing |
| Adult 1 Day Admission Only Ages 13+ | $25 | $20 |
| Adult 1 Day Admission + Gondola Ride Ages 13-64 | $45 | $40 |
| Senior 1 Day Admission + Gondola Ride Ages 13-64 | $40 | $35 |
| Senior 1 Day Admission Only Ages 65+ | $20 | $18 |
| Junior 1 Day Admission Only Ages 12 & Under | FREE | FREE |
| Gondola Add On Adult Ages 13 & Up | $30 | N/A |
| Gondola Add On Junior/Senior Ages 7-12 | $25 | $20 |
**Groups of 20 or more should contact [email protected] for discounted admission and gondola rates.
Schedule
Oktoberfest Festival Grounds & Cloudsplitter Gondola will open each day at 10:30am. Entertainment starts at 11:00am. It is recommended to take the scenic gondola ride early to see the fantastic fall foliage!
Entertainment
die Schlauberger (dSb)
Festival-goers across the nation have a love affair going on with America’s number one German Band, (dSb)due Schlauberger. And no wonder– this band is a powerhouse of musical expertise and expends enough energy to light up not only the crowd, but the fairgrounds, too. From the moment they step on stage until they have wrung the final note from their last song, die Schlauberger has the audience up and dancing to their powerful renditions of German favorites and other crowd-pleasing tunes. Appearances on television shows, movies and television commercials such as HP IPOD and others are witness of their popularity. die Schlauberger engages everyone within earshot to “expect the unexpected.” Don’t miss the band whose very mission is “Keeping the Traditionalists on their Feet and the New Generation Interested.”
The Adlers
The Adlers Band started in September 1979. The founder and rhythm guitarist Adi Adler, along with singer- manager and “band mother” Tina Adler, along with their son accordionist, Barry, formed the trio. Barry’s high school best friend, Eddie Spatarella joined the band a few months later giving the band its distinctive rhythm to this day as their drummer. Anthony DelBagno, another high school friend of Barry’s, joined the band in 1991 playing acoustic and bass guitars, and vocals.
Austrian and German Alpine music formed the core, and as time progressed, additional musicians to the band- including one of New Jersey’s top Polka band leaders of the 1950’s and 1960’s, Tony Szurka helped to launch this band into performing its Polish repertoire and nudging the band in a new positive direction. As musical tastes had changed and time marched on into the new millennium, The Adlers Band adapted to the changes keeping its core music that remains timeless to its nature, but also now features Party Rock music that conforms to the demands of modern times.
Alpenland Taenzer
In 2010, the Alpenland Tänzer of New Britain, CT celebrated 50 memorable years of practicing, presenting and promoting authentic Alpine “Schuhplatteln”dancing. Walter Kober, our founder, started the Alpenland Tänzer in 1960 in order to perpetuate a part of the culture of his homeland. He wanted to enjoy and share with others the dancing he had performed competitively in his native Austria. One of those original 1960 charter dancers, Benno Kohlmann, has carried that desire and continues to dance with us still. From the beginning, our Verein’s (club’s) practices take place at the Austrian-Hungarian Singing Society Donau hall in New Britain.
Schachtelgebirger
The Schachtelgebirger Musikanten are Freddie Meier and Ronald Kwas. It started in 2000, after musically inclined Fredi decided to learn to play a Steirische Harmonika, or “button box”, bought an “Ein-reiher”, a single key diatonic Cajun accordion made in Louisiana, and started playing after Schuhplattler practice on Thursday nights. He looked so lonely, Ron decided to bring his guitar and accompany him, and even though it got to be “aa bißl longweilig”, with that first accordion in the key of C ONLY, nobody asked us to stop or play “far away”, (an encouraging sign), and Fredi and Ron both had fun, playing “Volk und Volkstümliche Musik” for dancers who would stick around after practice and also the Sängerbund singers on many a Friday night. A year later, we had a pretty good song list, from Alpenrösli to Zillertalerhochzeitsmarch (plus a few surprises).
The Alphorn Trio
The Alphorn Trio also performs at the top of Little Whiteface and throughout the day on the festival grounds and stages.
The Give & Take Jugglers
The Best of Philly! award-winning Give & Take Jugglers have enjoyed a tremendously successful 40+ year career that has been passed down through the Give & Take family. They have performed at thousands of events and schools all along the east coast, being asked back year after year, sometimes 10, 20, even 30 years in a row (Peddlers Village, Lahaska PA ~ our record setting run of 39 years and counting!)
Eric began his performing journey as an apprentice with Dave and Give & Take in 1984 at the ripe age of 14, and became our active manager in 2016. He graduated from the legendary Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus Clown College in 1988 and toured with their Blue Unit in 1989 as a trapeze clown. He is also an accomplished tight wire walker, and adept at stilt walking, unicycle riding, and flying trapeze.
Shuttle Schedule
Dining
Outdoor Dining Options
- Bratwagon- Featuring Brats, knocks, wieners, pretzels, German Potato Salad, soft drinks & beer. Biergarten Area.
- Roger’s Fried Dough- Fried dough & nuggets topped with your choice of powered sugar, cinnamon, butter, or chocolate, soft drinks & beer. Biergarten Area.
- Baked Potato Tent-Featuring loaded baked potatoes with your choice of toppings: sour cream, chives, bacon bits, cheese, butter, and chili, soft drinks & beer. Biergarten Area.
- Highland Bites- Grilled kielbasa, hot dogs, hunter stew, turkey legs, soft drinks & beer. Biergarten Area.
- Al Forno- Wood fired pizza, soft drinks & beer. Biergarten Area.
- Biergarten Draft Beer Trailers presented by Saratoga Eagle- Featuring: Goose Island Oktoberfest, Spaten & Nine Pin Cider. Biergarten Area.
- Holy Smoked Meats- Smoked meat platters, turkey legs, sandwiches, chicken, nachos, fries, soft drinks & beer. Face Lift Area.
- Carnival Treats- Cotton candy, fried dough, cotton candy, fried oreos & soft drinks. Face Lift Area.
- Maple Smoke BBQ Food Truck- Smash burgers, schweinefleish (goulash), kraut hund, fries, pretzel bites, soft drinks and beer.
Indoor Dining Options
- Cloudspin Bar & Grill presented by Saratoga Eagle- Smoked andouille, burgers, poutine, platten pork schnitzel or ground beef patty with gravy, fries, sauerkraut & red cabbage. Outdoor beer stands on Cloudspin bar deck (weather permitting).
- Hot Dog Cart- Kraut Hund, bratwurst, sauerkraut and schweinefleish (goulash) soft drinks and beer.