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Enjoy the official send off to summer and salute to the arrival of autumn German style at the 24th Annual International Oktoberfest at the ALEX AND ANI City Center in Providence’s Kennedy Plaza on Saturday, September 24th from noon to 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 25th from noon to 5:00 p.m. The final festival of the season for the Providence Event Series presented by Rob Levine & Associates, The Heavy Hitter®, enjoy the tastes sights and sounds of Bavaria right in the heart of downtown. On tap will be Biergartens serving more than 50 brews along with full bars for those who prefer cocktails and other libations, as well as hearty German offerings from a variety of food trucks and live bands playing traditional Bavarian music and other international influences like reggae, Latin, and surf rock grooves.
“We have a lot of exciting new things happening on our 24th year of the International Oktoberfest,” said Michele Maker Palmieri, President and CEO of Waterfront Productions, the parent company of Rhode Island Waterfront Events who manages the event. “We are kicking off the Oktoberfest season earlier with the new September dates to align with the traditional festivities in Munich, we added a second session to Saturday so the Festival will run later and we have a new venue right in the heart of downtown Providence that is very accessible and adds a dynamic energy to the weekend celebration. We also have some new traditional Oktoberfest bands along with party bands.” Palmieri added that there is a full Waterfire lighting Saturday night for those who want to enjoy both events at the same time.
Domestic, craft and international brewers will serve up a variety of beers, including Lookout Cider, Stony Creek Black Water Pilsner, Sam Adams Oktoberfest, Sam Adams Jack-O-Traveler, Newport Storm Hurricane Amber, Newport Storm Blueberry, Newport Storm RI Pumpkin, Newport Storm IPA, Harpoon IPA, Harpoon Cider, Harpoon UFO Pumpkin, Harpoon Flannel Friday, Narragansett Heffewiezen, Narragansett Lager, Cony Island Mermaid Pilsner, Coney Island Freaktoberfest Big Ol’ Pumpkin Ale, Leinenkugel Oktoberfest Double BOCK, Leinenkugel Harvest Patch, Magic Hat #9, Magic Hat Circus Boy, Warsteiner, Warsteiner Dunkle, Warsteiner Oktoberfest, Czechvar Pilsner, Otter Creek Overgrown APA, Konig Ludwig Hefeweizen, Brooklyn Lager, Two Roads Ol’ Factory Pilsner, Trinity Brewhouse Kolsh, Trinity Brewhouse Captain America, Trinity Brewhouse Oktoberfest, Trinity Brewhouse’s locally made “Spiced Rum Hot Toddy”, Foolproof Peanut Butter, Spaten Lager, Paulaner Oktobefest, Victory Fest Bier, ACE Pumpkin Cider, Yuengling Oktober, Long Trail Harvest, Blue Moon Harvest and Shipyard Pumpkin.
The featured bands throughout the weekend include The Jolly Kopperschmidts German Band, a 6-piece Bavarian orchestra from Leominster, Massachusetts featuring trombone and/or flutes, trumpets, accordion, drums and tuba. Described by The Boston Globe as “The most versatile and entertaining German Band in the Northeast”, the group has an extensive songbook of over 200 traditional Bavarian songs, including marches, waltzes and polkas, as well as historic German folk songs and traditional American tunes. Between songs The Jolly Kopperschmidts German Band also educates and familiarizes its audiences with the history of Oktoberfest. The Oberlandler Hofbrau Band has a comprehensive repertoire of tunes that includes the old standards along with the latest offerings from Germany. The band, which includes a full complement of 12 musicians, has been entertaining audiences for more than fifty years. To help transport you away from Germany for a while, Natural Elements will bring reggae vibes to Oktoberfest by infusing all the elements of true beat music, including hip-hop, jazz and funk, while Newport’s own The Z-Boys will provide a combination of surf rock, blazing fast country, Latin and metal influences.
The Festival gates open at noon on Saturday and then the celebration officially kicks-off at 1:00 p.m. with a collective “Prost”. The Stein Hoisting Competition will also return by popular demand with the “hoister” who can raise a full liter stein longer than other beer lovers enjoying both prizes and bragging rights!
Tickets to the International Oktoberfest are general admission and re-entry is allowed. For each of Saturday’s two sessions from noon to 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., advance tickets are $20 and $25 the day of the event. On Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. advance tickets are $17 and $20 the day of the event. A 2-Day Weekender Pass is also available featuring entry on both days for just $30 (advance) and $40 the day of the event. Kids under 12 years of age are $12 with a paying adult on Saturday and free on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online at www.riwaterfrontevents.com, by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or by visiting one of our ticket locations in Newport, Warwick and South County: RI Waterfront Events box office located at 4 Commercial Wharf in Newport; the Grid Iron Ale House and Grille, 1599 Post Road in Warwick; and Looney Tunes, 562 Kingstown Road in Wakefield (cash only at Looney Tunes and cash & credit accepted at other locations). Box office hours vary so please visit www.riwaterfrontevents.com for the latest updates. Tickets will also be available on the day-of the event at the ALEX AND ANI City Center box office located at the entrance of the venue at 2 Kennedy Plaza, Downtown Providence.
The formation of the Providence Event Series presented by Rob Levine & Associates, the Heavy Hitter® was announced this past summer by Waterfront Productions/Rhode Island Waterfront Events, the City of Providence, the Providence Parks and Recreation Department and the ALEX AND ANI City Center. The last Providence Event Series concert for the season is Ziggy Marley, Friday, September 23rd at 5:30 p.m., $32.50 advance/$42.50 day of event.
RIPTA is the official transportation of the Providence Event Series at the ALEX AND ANI City Center and will be offering a Rock & Ride Program for concert and festival attendees. Riders simply ask the bus or trolley driver for a RIPTA rider receipt as proof the ride was to a Providence Event Series event and then present if at the venue’s Box Office to receive a FREE prize compliments of RIPTA.
In addition to Rob Levine & Associates, The Heavy Hitter®, the other sponsors and partners of the International Oktoberfest are RIPTA/Commuter Resource RI, Heineken, Horizon Beverage, Pepsi, The City of Providence and The City of Providence Department of Art, Culture + Tourism and GoLocal24.
The ALEX AND ANI City Center, located at 2 Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence, is managed by the Providence Parks and Recreation Department and operates all year-round. The summer event season extends from April through October with rental space available for public and private events. The winter ice skating season begins in November and continues through March. Visit alexandanicitycenter.com or call 401-331-5544 for all summer event information as well as details on ice skating reservations and advertising opportunities.
Waterfront Productions, LLC, headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island, specializes in event management/production and venue operation and is the parent company of Rhode Island Waterfront Events and Newport Waterfront Events. The events Waterfront Productions owns and manages include the Great Chowder Cook-Off at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, the Waterfront Reggae Festival at India Point Park in Providence and The Providence Event Series presented by Rob Levine & Associates, The Heavy Hitter®, at the ALEX AND ANI City Center. In addition, Waterfront Productions owns and operates the Newport Skating Center in downtown Newport. The Waterfront Productions team has co-produced a variety of other events over the past ten years, including the Newport Comedy Series, the WBRU Concert Series at Providence Piers, the Food Truck Festival, the Newport International Boat Show and the Newport Charter Yacht Show, and offers event management consulting services.
For more information on the Providence Event Series presented by Rob Levine & Associates, the Heavy Hitter®, please visit www.riwaterfrontevents.com, contact Michele Maker Palmieri, President and CEO of Waterfront Productions, LLC via email at mmaker@newportwaterfrontevents.com or call (888) 900-8640, Ext. 709. To receive future Rhode Island Waterfront Events and Newport Waterfront Events announcements, presale opportunities or exclusive packages, sign up at riwaterfrontevents.com and become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/RIWaterfrontEvents/, Instagram and Twitter/RIWEvent.
