It’s time to don your dirndl or hike on those lederhosen: Oktoberfest starts today in Palatine! At 5 p.m., the Kainz family, owners of Lake Barrington’s Onion Pub and Wild Onion Brewery, will kick off the Rotary Club of Palatine’s 6th annual celebration.

This will mark the 4th year the Kainz family has opened the event, which they also sponsor. “We’ll parade the firkin—the traditional vessel, which holds about 11 gallons—and then the beer will be blessed by a priest in German,” says Mike Kainz, the Onion’s brewmaster. “Then we tap the firkin, and it all begins!”

The folks at the Onion have been hard at work crafting their signature beers especially for the event.

Wild Onion brewers Pete Janusas and Mike Payson say their Oktoberfest, Kölsch, and Radler beers will be on tap. “It’ll be our most authentic, German-style beers,” says Payson.

The three-day event, which last year raised over $40,000 for local charities, is held right across from the Palatine Metra Station. Grab the kids and ride the train over to Saturday’s Family Day events, held from 12-3:30 p.m. You can find the full list of scheduled Oktoberfest events at PalatineRotary.com/Oktoberfest.
Among the vendors serving up eats and treats are Tre Amici, owned by Barrington residents Colleen and Arthur Felfle, and Heybeck’s Meat Market, affiliate of Meeske’s Fine Meats in Barrington. Fare ranges from wursts to desserts sure to win you over.
Bauer’s Brauhaus
German Plate (brat, Sauerkraut, German potato salad, rye bread) ~ Brat Sandwich with Sauerkraut ~ Brat Sandwich without Sauerkraut ~ Hot Dog ~ Leberkaise Sandwich ~ Pretzel ~ Strudel ~ Fried Cheese Curds
Heybeck’s Meat Market
Full Pig platter ~ Pig Taster Platter ~ BBQ Beef or Pork sandwich ~ Hamburger/Cheeseburger ~ BBQ Half Slab Ribs ~ Italian or New Mexico Sausage ~ Blue Cheese/ Bacon Burgers ~ Cheddar and Onion Burgers ~ Smoked Cheddarwurst
Tre Amici Pizza
Cheese Pizza Slice ~ Sausage Pizza Slice ~ Specialty Pizza Slice
Morkes Chocolates
Sprinkle Caramel Apple ~ Granny Smith Caramel Apple ~ Red Delicious Caramel Apple ~ Bags of Pretzel Twists ~ GLOP (Peanuts & Caramel)
Mudslingers
The Mudslinger ~ Shaved Ice ~ Ghirardelli Frappe ~ Café Latte ~ Bagel w/Cream Cheese ~ Café Mocha ~ Bagel Sandwich ~ Cappuccino ~ Café Americano ~ Coffee ~ Flavor shots ~ Hot Chocolate ~ Chai Tea ~ Smoothies
With cooler weather in the forecast, Oktoberfest should be a perfect way to welcome fall.
“We enjoy being a part of it,” says Mike Kainz.
And when it’s time to say “auf wiedersehn” to Oktoberfest, head on back to the Onion Pub to sample some of their amazing Pumpkin Ale, available for a limited time.
Cheers! Or, better yet, Prost!
You’ll find the Wild Onion Pub & Brewery at 22221 N. Pepper Road in Lake Barrington. CLICK HERE to follow them on Facebook.
CLICK HERE to find all of the stories we’ve shared about the Onion here at 365Barrington.com (they’re members of our Marketplace) and you’ll find their website at OnionBrewery.com.
