While the coronavirus pretty much spoils everyone's fun, area brewers and taverns are working to find ways to celebrate Oktoberfest in ways that don't necessarily involve cramming a bunch of people together to drink beer, dance and eat food. (In other words, celebrating Oktoberfest other than the only way we've known how.)
Thanks to Erv's Mug – which canceled its annual Ervtoberfest – some of us lucky folks have been quietly celebrating Oktoberfest at home, alone, thanks to cases of 24 different Wisconsin-brewed marzen-style brews. But those sold out fast, so if you're looking to do the same, you'll have to head over to your favorite craft beer retailer and assemble your own version. If you'd like a list of a couple dozen to seek out (the ones pictured at the top), click here.
You can also use it as an excuse to pop 'round to Milwaukee's craft brewery taprooms to pick up the seasonal special beers that are on offer pretty much everywhere at this time of year.
For folks comfortable with crowds, there are still some in-person Oktoberfest celebrations on the calendar.
While the annual Milwaukee Oktoberfest at Pere Marquette Park has been canceled, there are some in-person fests still on tap.
Lake Geneva's free Oktoberfest is slated for Oct. 10-11 on the 200 block of Broad Street and Flat Iron Park in downtown Lake Geneva. The event, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. includes pony rides, bounce houses, knocketball, live music, a craft fair, a beer tent, cider donuts (yum!) and a pumpkin giveaway. Details on a shuttle and more here.
You can have your own informal Oktoberfest celebration at one of the area's many beer gardens, too. Details on those are here.
Keep checking back as we're updating this list on a regular basis.
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.
