Beer News

Prost! to the Dallas restaurants and bars celebrating Oktoberfest 2021

It may say "Oktoberfest" but the festivities begin in mid-September.

Photo courtesy of Trinity Vision Authority

People who've been to Munich know first-hand that the name Oktoberfest is misleading: This annual beer celebration begins in late September. (Although in 2021, there will be no Oktoberfest in Munich at all, because of the pandemic. They have more common sense than we do in Texas.)

We may not have the German smarts but Dallas is rich with German heritage, and that makes it our duty to go all in on Oktoberfest, to raise a glass and do the event proud. Besides, all Oktoberfest events in DFW are outdoors. Take that, Deutschland.

The majority of Oktoberfest events in DFW begin in mid-September, but a few early birds are beginning celebrating this week.

Here's a list of all the Oktoberfest events being held in DFW, from bar celebrations to city events, in chronological order:

September 10

Oktoberfest celebration at Watters Creek. Presented by The Lion & Crown Pub, this is the fourth annual occurrence of this craft beer festival, and they're getting an early jump. The event features live music, traditional German dancing, stein hoisting, and an artisan market, all part of the excitement. There are stein hoistings, an introductory keg tapping, and a craft area for kids. Where: Village Green. When: Friday September 10 from 5-11 pm, Saturday September 11 from 11 am-11 pm, Sunday September 12 from 12-5 pm. on Sunday, September 12. Admission: Free.

September 16-19

Addison Oktoberfest. The town of Addison's annual Oktoberfest celebration has been named one of the country's most authentic Oktoberfest celebrations by Forbes and USA Today. Four days of family-oriented entertainment draw more than 50,000 fans, with German food and the same Paulaner Bier served in Bavaria. Dozens of polka bands and other traditional entertainers from around the country perform on multiple stages, including one at the Partyhalle, a 30,000-square-foot open-air tent with seating for 1,500. Contests include bier barrel rolling, a German Idol yodeling contest, activities for kids, unique shopping, and an opportunity to wear your dirndl and lederhosen. Where: Addison Circle Park, 4970 Addison Cir. When: Thursday September 16, 6-11pm, Friday September 17 6 pm–midnight, Saturday September 18 12 pm–midnight, Sunday September 19 12-5 pm. Admission: $10 for single-day on Friday and Saturday; Thursday and Sunday are free. Tickets are online.

September 18-19

Trucktoberfest. Truck Yard Dallas and Truck Yard The Colony, known for their offbeat programming, will host their inaugural Trucktoberfest, featuring a lively lineup of adult, kid, and dog-friendly activities such as a Stein Holding Contest, Wiener Dog Race, Yodeling Competition, and Pretzel-Eating Contest. Revelers are encouraged to don the traditional Lederhosen and Dirndl. Brew Boss Dennis Wehrmann will tap his great grandfather's 200-year-old keg of Truck Yard's Trucktoberfest brew. Where: Truck Yard Dallas, 5624 Sears St. and Truck Yard The Colony. When: September 18-19 11 am-11:45 pm. Admission: Free.

September 18

Oktoberfest at Manhattan Project Beer Co. Dallas Farmers Market brewpub will serve its own brewed Oktoberfest beer plus Doppelbock, Altbier, Fallout, and Helles. Chef T. Ball will do a pig roast, pork sausage, and sides. Alex Lambert from American Idol will play the beer garden at 4 pm. Lucas Kelm will perform at 7 pm. They open at 10 am, the party kicks off at 3 pm, and the pig will be ready at 5 pm. Where: Dallas Farmers Market. When September 18. Admission: Free.

September 18-October 3

Oktoberfest at Meddlesome Moth. Design District pub celebrates Oktoberfest for two weeks, beginning September 18, with special Oktoberfest tappings by beer director Matt Quenette. Dozens of Oktoberfest beers make appearances for the annual celebration including offerings from Real Ale, Saint Arnold, Firestone Walker, Great Raft, and Ayinger. Chef Joshua Boneé complements the beer experience with Beef Bangers and Mash, smoked onion jus, potato aligot, and caramelized cipollini onions as well as a Cacio de Pepe Spaetzle with house guanciale, pink peppercorn, and parmesan. Where: Meddlesome Moth. When: September 18-October 3.

September 23-25

Oktoberfest Fort Worth. The city's event is a family-friendly affair featuring authentic German food, music, dancing, games, shopping, and biergartens. Have fun watching the fur fly at the Dachshund Dash; shop for clothing, treats, and souvenirs in the marktsraße; or catch a thrill ride in the midway. Bier lovers can look forward to Spaten and other delicious fall and Oktoberfest biers from all around the country. If you buy your ticket online by September 22 at 11:59 pm, you get a free 2021 stein; a limited number of free steins will be available to those who buy tickets at the gate. Where: Panther Island Pavilion. When: Thursday September 23 and Friday September 24 from 5-11 pm, Saturday September 25 from 11 am-midnight. Admission: $5 for Thursday, $10 for Friday, and $10 for Saturday, or get a 3-day pass for $15. 12 and under is free.

September 24-26

Oktoberfest Downtown McKinney. The German is strong in McKinney, which has been hosting an Oktoberfest event since 2008. Three-day weekend of German-themed fun includes authentic German food, domestic and imported beer, live music, and games. The full schedule is online. Where: 200 W. Virginia St. When: Friday September 24 from 4 pm-midnight, Saturday September 25 from 10 am-midnight, Sunday September 26 from 12-5 pm. Admission: Free.

September 26

"Lake-toberfest" at Flying Saucer Draught Emporium. The Saucer celebrates Oktoberfest with its annual Lake-toberfest celebration, featuring tastings from a bevy of traditional, local, and national Oktoberfest brews. Tasting cards can be purchased at the restaurant on Sunday for $25 and include 12 four-ounce pours. The annual stein hoisting competition begins at 2 pm. Lederhosen and dirndls are encouraged for a costume contest at 3 pm. German fare specials and commemorative Oktoberfest glassware is available for purchase. Where: 4821 Bass Pro Dr. on Lake Ray Hubbard. When: September 26 at 11 am.

October 2

10th Annual Oktoberfest Dallas. Profits from this popular annual charitable event go to the Exchange Club of Lake Highlands which returns the proceeds to the community in a variety of ways. They canceled 2020 but now it's back with all day entertainment for the entire family including outdoor fun for the kids, local food, ice cream, beverages, and an amazing lineup of live music including Americana band Son Volt, as well as Taylor Dunn, Vandoliers, the Lake Highlands School of Music, and DeeJay CeePee/Christopher Todd Penn. Where: Flag Pole Hill at White Rock Lake. When: October 2 from 10 am-10 pm. Admission: $15 per wristband, purchase tickets online.

October 2-3

Frisco Oktoberfest. The city of Frisco joins the Oktoberfest fun with a weekend event at Frisco Square with fun and festivities, delicious Bier, German cuisine, and two stages with live entertainment. The festivities kick off with the opening ceremony at 11am on Saturday with a traditional keg tapping. The first attendees to arrive will receive a free beer until the keg is tapped out. Where: Frisco Square. When: October 2 from 11 am-10 pm, October 3 from 12-5 pm. Admission: $20 per sheet of 20 tickets; all food and beverage at the festival requires tickets. $100 for VIP Biergarten includes access to VIP tent and exclusive food and beverages. Purchase tickets online.

craft-beer holidays

Movie Review

Cillian Murphy takes on church in Irish film Small Things Like These

Photo by Enda Bowe/Lionsgate

Cillian Murphy in Small Things Like These.

Last we saw actor Cillian Murphy, he was starring in the titular role of Oppenheimer, a role that would go on to earn him a Best Actor Oscar, not to mention many awards for the film itself. Instead of a big, flashy follow-up to build on that momentum, Murphy has gone in the opposite direction with the small and personal Small Things Like These.

Set in the 1980s in Murphy’s native Ireland, the film centers on Bill (Murphy), who owns a coal delivery company. One of his clients is the local convent, and during a delivery he witnesses a young pregnant woman being forced into the convent against her will by her mother. The scene triggers memories from his own childhood when he was raised by a single mother.

Every subsequent delivery to the convent has him questioning his own morality, although his taciturn nature doesn’t allow him to share his misgivings with his wife, Eileen (Eileen Walsh). With the Catholic Church an all-encompassing entity in Ireland, even if Bill wanted to help the girls who are trapped and mistreated at the convent, he’s not sure of any way to go about it.

Directed by Tim Mielants and written by Enda Walsh, the film has a slow build to it, so slow that it is a little difficult to ascertain the point of the story. The filmmakers go back and forth between scenes showing Bill as an adult and Bill as a child, and even though they each contain elements of trauma for the characters, the connection between the two timelines is not as strong as they might want it to be.

Even when it’s not part of a scene, the power of the church is the driving force of the film. Bill is clearly having a crisis of faith given his history and what he sees, but his wife seems to be willfully ignorant of any faults of the church and remains a true believer. The few segments that take the audience inside the convent are full of unforgiving nuns, with Sister Mary (Emily Watson) as their ultra-stern leader.

Given that this is an Irish film featuring all Irish actors, heavy accents accompany the majority of the dialogue, making it difficult to understand at times. This is clearly not an issue with the filmmaking and it helps with the verisimilitude of the story, but anyone who doesn’t have a lot of experience with the Irish accent may find themselves a little lost and/or disengaged with the emotions of the story.

Murphy’s role in Oppenheimer and this one don’t share much in common save for the fact that he clearly put his whole self into each of them. This is a testament to Murphy’s skills and dedication that he cares as much about an inherently local story as he did about a world-changing one. Walsh and Watson are also great as two women who have a huge influence on Bill’s outlook on life.

Small Things Like These, based on the book by Claire Keegan, is not as huge a takedown of the Catholic Church as some other films, but it’s still a searing indictment of its arcane practices. It’s one made even more effective by using a smaller story of one man’s lonely fight against injustice.

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Small Things Like These opens in theaters on November 8.

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