The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a “time for everything,
 and a season for every activity under the heavens” – a time to dance, a time to mourn, a time to speak, etc. In the world of beer, the Fall season is the time for Oktoberfest and the wonderful Märzen-style beers that accompany it. I have to admit (while I do not care for Pumpkin Ales) I love
Märzens.

Oktoberfest has its origins in the festivities to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen  that were held in the German city of Munich in 1810. In 1811, Bavarian Agricultural Association decided to continue holding the festival, seeing it as a forum to showcase their farming achievements. Over the years, the festival evolved – carnival rides and food vendors were added, and beer became an integral feature of the event. Indeed, today many view Oktoberfest primarily as a beer festival. Not surprisingly, it attracts lots of people, with Its 189th iteration in 2023, attracting 7.2 million visitors from around the world.

Not only does Oktoberfest attract millions of visitors, it also attracts a large number of imitators. Today, town and cities across the world hold their own version of Munich’s famous festival. In the United States, Cincinnati, OH boasts the largest Oktoberfest in the country.

We don’t have an Oktoberfest celebration here in Toledo. But we do have Zootoberfest, a single-evening beer festival held in October at the beautiful Toledo Zoo & Aquarium Having attended Zootoberfest in 2023, I was looking forward to the 2024 version. It did not disappoint.

Opened in 1900, the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium is a beautiful facility. I particularly like the architecture dotted around the zoo’s 51 acres. These include the zoo’s earliest buildings inspired by the architecture of the city’s namesake, Toledo, Spain, and those built during the 1930s as part of the federal government’s Works Progress Administration (WPA). For those of you unfamiliar with the WPA, it was an employment and infrastructure program created by President Franklin Roosevelt during the height of the Great Depression in 1935. Its objective was to employ as many Americans as possible, building schools, hospitals, roads and other public works. Toledo Zoo buildings that were constructed as WPA projects include the Reptile House, the Amphitheater, the Museum of Science, the Aquarium, and the Aviary. The zoo is a true gem within the city and is universally loved by Toledo residents. Such is the value placed upon the zoo by local residents that, in 2014, it received enough votes to be named the nation’s No. 1 Zoo in the USA Today Reader’s Choice poll.

A total of 29 breweries were represented at the event, many of which were from northwest Ohio. My ticket to the event gave me access to 15 beer samples that I enjoyed in a souvenir beer glass. Several food trucks were also in attendance providing participants with some tasty food options. Most of the breweries had their version of an Oktoberfest beer available for sampling. For the first half of the evening Oktoberfests were my beer of choice. After that I switched it up and enjoyed some IPAs, Stouts, and Brown Ales. While Oktoberfest beers were freely flowing at Zootoberfest, it is worth noting that in 2022 The European Commission made “Oktoberfestbier”, brewed in Munich, a protected geographical indicator of Germany. One of the intents of this designation is protection against imitation.

In addition to drinking beer, Zootoberfest provided an opportunity to enjoy some of the zoo’s exhibits. Toledo Zoo & Aquarium is home to over 16,000 animals, representing over 680 species, many of which were accessible during the beer festival. And if the exhibits did not provide enough entertainment, local cover band The Red Carpet Crashers put on a fantastic show in the zoo’s beautiful amphitheater.

I have been to a number of craft beer festivals over the years. Many of these have been held in a bland trade convention center type settings. The beer was usually great but the venue unexceptional. Zootoberfest combined some exceptional local beers with a stunning setting. In effect, Zootoberfest took what could have been a rather routine beer festival and turned it into an experience. To that, I say Kudos to the staff of the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium. I am already looking forward to next year’s event.