The 2020 Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest is underway after the official keg-tapping ceremony was held Friday afternoon at the Waterloo International Airport.
Normally, thousands of people would watch the ceremony in downtown Kitchener but this year only essential staff and guests were able to look on at the spectacle.
“The 52nd celebration of Oktoberfest in Kitchener-Waterloo may look a little different than in years past, but we were thrilled to be able to hold today’s ceremony at the airport,” Alfred Lowrick, executive director of Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, said in a release.
“While we were not able to have a large audience this year, we were able to live-stream the event online.”
K-W Oktoberfest president Tim Beckett served as the official keg-tapper alongside his wife.
“We thought it would be the safest option since Kathy and I are in the same bubble,” he said. “It allowed us to celebrate the opening of our festival while ensuring all social gathering and distancing regulations were followed.”
While many of the festivities have been cancelled including the parade and other events remain in flux due to the pandemic, ‘festers’ can still participate in the action with Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Live, a virtual live-streamed event that will include many Oktoberfest band performances, family-friendly programming and trivia.
“There’s no need to worry about missing a year because we can watch Oktoberfest at home,” Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworsky said. “There are still many opportunities for people to make memories this year.”
In addition to the online portion of this year’s Oktoberfest, some restaurants in the region will be offering Bavarian-themed food and beverage items over the next three weekends.