“There’s going to be a lot of beer to drink,” he said.

click to enlarge Anthem Brewing, Farmers Market District bring German mainstay to metro
Garett Fisbeck
Patrick Lively, president and head brewer at Anthem Brewing Co., Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016.

Anthem Brewing Company president and brewmaster Patrick Lively doesn’t see why other cities get to have all the fun.

“Seeing the festivals they do in Tulsa and in Choctaw, we got the feeling this was an opportunity to create a real and valuable event for our community,” Lively said.

Plus, Anthem brews an Oktoberfest beer that he’s pretty proud of and eager to show off, so the company is presenting a brand-new event for the city, OKCtoberfest, 2-11 p.m. Oct. 1 in OKC Farmers Market District, 1225 SW Second St.

“Not a lot of people know this, but Anthem is in the Farmers Market District,” Lively said. “Because of the way the street flows right now, we’re a little cut off, but we want to do everything we can to grow the district. We’re going to be here for a long time, and we want to be a cornerstone of the district.”

The area has long been a hub for the city, both with entertainment in OKC Farmers Public Market and as an agricultural trading post.

With new businesses opening up across the city, Lively wants to help give the district a unique identity.

OKCtoberfest is, at its heart, a beverage and food event, he said.

“We’re going to have 30 different beers, several local food trucks, live music, plus The Spy (91.7 FM) will be out there,” he said. “We’re going to create a one-time event for people to come out and enjoy some local beer, some German beer and the company of their friends.”

Though the larger mission is to grow the community and the audience for local craft beer, Lively said the main idea behind the festival is to have a good time.

Early hiccups

The city was unable to allow organizers to shut down district streets during OKCtoberfest.

“The city has been incredibly supportive, but we’re not allowed to charge people to enter a public street,” Lively explained. “This year, because we’ve been scrambling to put it together, we need the profits of ticket sales to make sure we come out even.”

Anthem wants to keep ticket prices low — $7 in advance or $10 at the door — because proceeds from those sales help ensure there can be an OKCtoberfest next year.

Lively said the inaugural festival offers a lot for visitors.

“There’s going to be a lot of beer to drink,” he said.

In addition to Anthem’s Ogletoberfest (a cooperative effort with The Lost Ogle), OK Pils, Golden One and IPA, local breweries COOP Ale Works, Roughtail Brewing Company, Marshall Brewing Company and Black Mesa Brewing Company will serve their beers.

There will also be a variety of brews from across the country and around the world.

German brewers Bitburger, Hofbräuhaus, König Pilsener, Paulaner and Warsteiner will be represented as well as Oktoberfest beers from Bitter Sisters Brewing Company, Rahr & Sons Brewing Company, Samuel Adams and Shiner.

Because of all the beer, Lively said the first OKCtoberfest is an event for guests who are 21 years old and older.

“Oklahoma City has a lot of family- and kid-friendly events,” he said. “To keep things simple and to not expose ourselves to a lot of liability, we chose to make this an adults-only thing.”

Lively said he wants attendees to consume responsibly but feel free to let loose and have a good time.

Though there’s no official partnership with ride-sharing apps or local cab companies, he encourages everyone to find a ride to and from the event.

“We want people to have fun, but not to put anyone at undue risk,” he said.

A portion of OKCtoberfest proceeds will go back into OKC Farmers Market District.

“The aesthetic and the history of the area is unparalleled,” Lively said. “It’s an incredible venue today and for a long time.”

Part of that current culture is Delmar Gardens Food Truck Park, 1225 SW Second St., which helped choose some of the top food trucks in the city to be part of the festival’s first year.

Participating trucks include The Loaded Bowl, Mutts Amazing Hot Dogs & Burgers, Blue Donkey Cafe, Midway Grocery and Deli and Pinky’s Rolling Fresh.

Lively hopes the festival becomes a mainstay for the district and keeps some metro residents from having to leave the city for their fair share of Oktoberfest fun.

“This is just an incredibly unique area,” he said. “We want to do everything we can to help it grow.”

Print headline: Beer bash, Anthem Brewing and Farmers Market District bring a German mainstay to the metro.

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