56th KW Oktoberfest kicks off with a weekend of music, beer and hot sauce

Prost!

The 56th annual Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest is getting underway on Friday.

While many of the events don’t get started until a little later into October, there are still plenty of chances to party with Onkel Hans and Tante Frieda this weekend.

The Oktoberfest Koolhaus at Bingemans Centre will open with a pair of legendary Canadian musical acts, with Simple Plan playing on Saturday and Matthew Good Band opening things up on Friday.

On Saturday, Concordia Club on Ottawa Street in Kitchener will host an extra spicy event to get your thirst for a full stein going: Goatfest, a craft beer and hot sauce festival.

The Wunder Wagen starts rolling around the region on Friday and people can stay tuned to the event’s Instagram and Facebook channels to find out exactly where it will be.

KW Oktoberfest’s Executive Director Tracy Van Kalsbeek said the event is staying true to tradition this year while also trying out a few new things.

“Every year we’re adding new, really cool stuff, but keeping true to our roots of our Bavarian heritage here in Waterloo Region,” said Van Kalsbeek.

She added that the team at Oktoberfest is trying to make the festival even more accessible this year with a special transit line to and from the GTA.

“We started a new partnership this year with Metrolinx and GO Transit to bring in the LederGOsen Line that is coming in on October 12, bringing folks from Union Station and hitting all the different stations along the way,” said Van Kalsbeek.

According to 570 NewsRadio’s Meteorologist Jill Taylor, rain is in the forecast for Waterloo Region this weekend, as the area could feel the effects of Hurricane Helene.

“We’ve got the northern edge of the remnants of Hurricane Helene,” she said. “This is the leftovers of Helene as it tracks to the north.”

Taylor said there could be rain on Saturday morning and night, but Sunday is expected to be dry.