CLEVELAND — The 2020 Cleveland Oktoberfest has been canceled due to coronavirus concerns.
“This isn’t the announcement we had hoped to make, but we’re already planning for our best event yet in 2021,” said organizers in a Facebook post.
The annual Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest had been set to kick off Friday, Sept. 4 at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. This would have been the 16th festival since the local Oktoberfest was revived in 2005.
“The production team for the festival has been working closely with the festival’s board of directors and health departments at both the county and state level over the past several months. Our team developed multiple amended plans for the 2020 Cleveland Oktoberfest,” said Adam Roggenburk, president and chief executive officer of the production company in a statement.
“However, the health and safety of our community remains as always, a top priority and we are not willing to risk that. We are looking forward to creating an evolved festival in 2021 which will be a celebration of Bavarian culture like no other in Northeast Ohio.”
In order to assist entertainers and others financially affected by the cancellation, two 2021 Cleveland Oktoberfest packages are on sale now through Labor Day weekend. Performers planned for this year included the Chardon Polka Band, Fred Ziwich and the Alex Meixner Band.
The 2021 packages are:
- Package A: $18 – Admission to any two days of the 2021 Cleveland Oktoberfest
- Package B: $48 – Admission to any two days of the 2021 Cleveland Oktoberfest, limited edition 2020 Cleveland Oktoberfest t-shirt, souvenir stein
More information on both, as well as a virtual 2020 bier run, can be found at: ClevelandOktoberfest.com.
