Bockfest is first and foremost, a community event. In addition to throwing a great, three day long party, their goal is to celebrate and support our local community. They work to grow Bockfest every year, to increase attendance, to grow the parade, to add events, and to raise more money to spread the word. However, as enthusiastic as they are about growing the festival and sharing it with an increasingly wider range of America, they are unwavering in their commitment to keep Bockfest unique, authentic and local.
There is no charge to the public to attend Bockfest and they work to include all types of local businesses because their goal is to promote Over-the-Rhine, its rich heritage, and the people who live and work here to as broad of an audience as can be reached.
Bockfest occurs this weekend! It begins with a parade on Friday evening that starts at Arnold’s Bar & Grill, Cincinnati’s oldest saloon. The parade is lead by a goat pulling a keg of bock beer and the reigning Sausage Queen. It ends at Bockfest Hall where the ceremonial first keg is blessed, the best Parade entries are honored, and Bockfest officially begins.
The Hall is open throughout the weekend and features live entertainment, great food, historic walking tours, authors and breweriana, a homebrew competition, 5K, Continental Sunday celebrations and lots of delicious bock beer.
Bockfest is not just limited to the Hall. It occurs in a over a dozen participating venues in Over-the-Rhine and downtown, and all events are free to the public (except for the tours and the 5K). A free shuttle bus runs a continuous loop around locations, including Garfield Suites which is offering a special Bockfest Rate for festival goers.
There are tons of events happening all over OTR for Bockfest. We have highlighted just a few. Make sure you check out their website for the full lineup of events.
Friday March 6th
Arnold’s Bar and Grill • 3P-6P Pre Parade Party • 4P Todd Hepburn • 6P 46 Long • 9P Buffalo Wabs & The Price Hill Hustle
Bockfest Hall • 10A-12:30P Chay Buddah & Hott2Def (Hall Stage) • 10A-1P Just Add Beer (Tent Stage) • 1P-3:30P Hot Magnolias (Hall Stage) • 4P-7P Lagniappe (Tent Stage) • 6P-8P Elk Creek (Tent Stage) • 7:30P-9P Sausage Queen Finals (Hall Stage) • 8:30P-10:30P 46 Long (Tent Stage) • 9:30P-11:30P Noah Wotherspoon (Hall Stage)
The Drinkery • Open 5P-2A • 10P Magnolia Sons w/ Zach Longoria Project
Saturday March 7th
Bockfest 5K (starts at Bockfest Hall), 10AM • The Bockfest 5K, part of the Christian Moerlein Beer Series served up by the Flying Pig Marathon, takes you through the historic Brewery District and includes a t-shirt, unique medal, and a huge post-race party!
The Sausage Queen Competition Finals (at Bockfest Hall,) 7:30-9PM • The Bockfest Parade includes the “Sausage Queen” – Bockfest royalty who carries a ceremonial tray of bockwurst sausages, accompanied by a court of contestants chosen from six preliminary rounds. On Saturday at 7:30PM, at Bockfest Hall, Sausage Queen 2014 will be selected in a gender-neutral competition.
Sunday March 8th
Arnold’s Bar and Grill • 12P-5P The Good People Music Festival presents “The Bockfest Tent Revival” featuring Hu Town Holler, Wilder, John Ford, My Brothers’s Keeper, Tim Lancaster, and Willow Tree Carolers.
Bockfest Hall • 1:30P-7P CONTINENTAL SUNDAY featuring the Polka Dots, Verein Musickanten, Enzian Tanzgruppe, Donauschwaben Schuhplatters, and the Germania Jaghorn Group (Hall Stage)
Milton’s Prospect Hill Tavern • Cheap drinks. Hung-over bartenders. Bad pick-up lines. Be with people who will not judge you for anything that you have done since Friday.
