LINCOLN PARK — Prost! A first-of-its-kind Oktoberfest event is headed to Lincoln Park Zoo this fall, complete with all the German tapestries the festival is known for — sans the booze.
Oksoberfest, an alcohol-free version of the famous Bavarian tradition, will take place from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 17 at the zoo, 2400 N. Cannon Drive.
Created in partnership with Chicago AF and the DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, the festival will feature tents with non-alcoholic beers and cocktails, live polka music, lawn games, free rides on the zoo’s carousel, and mustard flights with brats and pretzels, as well as an opportunity to explore the zoo’s grounds and animal exhibits.
Though the event is booze-less, festivalgoers must still be 21 or over to attend. Tickets cost between $20-30 and are on sale now.
Oksoberfest is the latest event launched by Chicago AF, an organization focused on creating a community for the sober and sober-curious. In January, the group led the successful NA Day, and in 2022 organized the first-ever No Booze Cruise — both sell-out events demonstrating the ever-growing demand for alcohol-free fun.
In 2023 alone, research shows that the non-alcoholic beer industry is expected to reach over $20 billion with steady continued growth over the next 10 years. Sale of N/A beer has already grown by 90 percent in the last decade, according to market insights.
“I just think it’s important for people to know that sober people are doing really fun things,” Carrie May, founder of Chicago AF previously told Block Club. “I feel like there’s a big alc-free movement across the U.S., and it’s definitely here in Chicago. Being sober doesn’t mean you have to be shunned.”
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