Peacock Park

By Michèle Bigler Didn’t have enough money saved up to fly across the ocean to Munich for the traditional Octoberfest? Not to worry Grovetoberfest is coming up this Saturday and you can enjoy a mini, South Florida version of the 2-century-old event. In case you didn’t know Bavarians have been uniting since 1810 at the end of September for 17 days in their famous Theresienwise gardens to honor a tradition that began with the union between King Ludwig I and Princess Therese. The festivities began with horse races, beer and wine and quickly developed into a yearly event that transformed itself through the years and is now mostly likely one of the more famous traditions around the world. Today, the horse races have been abolished and replaced with amusement facilities and people flock to Munich every year to dress in costume, gulp millions of liters of beer and get a taste of the Bavarian tradition.  Likewise, copycat festivals have sprouted around the globe and in our very own back yard, Peacock Park in Coconut Grove to be precise. This Saturday will be the 5th edition of South Florida’s take on the German tradition featuring its protagonist: beer, but not just any beer, craft beer. Grovetoberfest has quickly become the largest and most respected craft beer festival in Florida. With independent breweries popping up and making a name for themselves everywhere this is the place to learn about new beers, savor classics and catch up on brew happenings.  Not only will you be able to savor carefully crafted recipes, it will all be accompanied by live music provided by The Bougainvillea’s Live Music Stage and food vendors that will surely include the tangy liquid as a secret ingredient, just in case you ever wondered what beer cupcakes taste like. Well behaved dogs are welcome, children not so much (21+ crowd), so call the babysitter, get your leashes and head over to the grove for our own tradition the Miami way with beers, music, food, sun and laughs on Saturday October 17th 3-7p.m. Get your tickets here. http://www.grovetoberfest.com