By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Jul 12, 2022 at 3:35 PM

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Kegel’s Inn, Swarmm Events and the War Memorial Center’s Milwaukee Oktoberfest is back at the lakefront for the third straight year.

The event takes place on the grounds of the War Memorial Center, Aug. 26-28. Admission is free, but a wristband to drink costs $5.

As before there will be food from Kegel’s Inn and German beers from Hofbrau, along with Oktoberfest brews from local breweries, including Leinenkugels.

There will be live music by Altekammeraden, Polka Floyd, Blaskapelle, Tally Ho, Alpine Blast & more. Plus, a craft fair, stein hoisting, brat-eating and Miss Oktoberfest competitions and a Wiener Dog Beauty Pageant.

Complete ticket and event information is at MilwaukeeOktoberfest.com.

New this year will be a Dunkel Dash 5k run and walk on Friday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. Participants get a long sleeve T-shirt, a free Usinger’s brat from Kegel’s Inn, a beer or soda and a post-race concert by Polka Floyd.

At 9 a.m. Sunday is the Chris Kegel Slow Roll, a free bike ride presented by the Chris Kegel Foundation. Participants get a T-shirt, free brat and free beers after a slow 10-mile bike ride. Registration is free at ChrisKegel.com.

In related events, Sunday, Aug. 28 is American Legion Family Day is Sunday on Fitch Plaza. This is a ticketed event with two sessions, at 1 and 5 p.m. There are Gold Tickets for $300 per table and $15 per person Silver Tickets.

The War Memorial’s permanent Medal Of Honor exhibit will be open. It tells the story of the 64 recipients of the medal dating back to the Civil War.

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.

He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.

With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.

He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.

In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.

He can be heard weekly on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories.