ST. LOUIS — The beer will flow this fall for Urban Chestnut Brewing Company’s annual Oktoberfest celebration – but things will be drastically different than previous events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UCBC is calling this year’s 10th annual event “Oktoberfest-lite” and will be held as four limited-capacity gatherings.
On each event day, a maximum of 17 small groups will be able to make the “trip to Bavaria” – which is actually Urban Chestnut’s Midtown Biergarten. Tables for four, six or eight people each will be spaced out on the patio. There will be live music, traditional German beer and, of course, beer.
Reservations will be required. Besides the private table, each purchase includes one glass stein, one liter fill of bier and a traditional German food platter for each person at the table. The plate full of food includes a bratwurst with homemade sauerkraut and mustard, potato salad and a Bavarian pretzel.
The event dates are:
- Saturday, Sept. 19, 5 -10 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 25, 5-10 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 2, 5-10 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 10, 5-10 p.m.
A four-person table reservation costs $200 plus take. The price goes up to $270 for six people and $320 for eight people. Reservations can be made on Urban Chestnut’s website.
UCBC shared the following photo on its website showing the layout and how tables will be spaced during the event.
Urban Chestnut listed the follow safety precautions that will be in place to keep guests safe during the events:
- Capacity limit: 136 guests per session
- Sanitizer stations will be installed at convenient locations including points of entry/exit and restroom area.
- All guests will be required to wear face coverings/masks, and they will be allowed to remove their face coverings when they are seated at a table and/or when drinking.
- UCBC requires all employees to receive health screening questionnaires and temperature checks prior to the start of their workday or before entering UCBC workspaces.
- To ensure proper contact tracing protocols are in place, UCBC requires all staff and vendors to sign in upon entering UCBC locations.
- All guests will be requested to provide full contact information. We reserve the right to share this information with public health authorities as necessary.
- Our staff will regulate entrance for all members of the public.
- Beverage service steps will be implemented adhering to best practices for limiting person-to-person contact.
- UCBC will provide seating which allows for responsible social distancing. When in lines, guests will be encouraged to leave space and remain socially distant.
The biggest and oldest Oktoberfest event in the St. Louis area already announced it was canceling this year's celebration. Belleville Oktoberfest organizers made the announcement in July.
"After much deliberation between our organizations, and our City Government, it was unanimously decided that it is in the best interest not only for these organizations, but the general public as well, to cancel this year’s event," said Cari Frick, Belleville Oktoberfest committee chairperson in a press release.