No Oktoberfest parade this year as K-W festival goes virtual

There will be no public keg tapping or parade this year as part of Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest.

Instead, officials have announced the annual Bavarian festival will be online this year.

Thefestival will kick offtwo weeks earlier this year and will run over three weekends from Sept.25 to Oct. 12. It will also includetwo days of free, live-streamed eventswith music and dancing.

"It could be your favourite pub, restaurant that you attend, it could be your home and you get together with your bubble and share Oktoberfest paraphernalia, food hopefully, "said Executive Director of KW Oktoberfest Alfred Lowrick. "You could order from restaurants that are local or celebrate in you own way."

Lowrick says there will be Oktoberfest kits online for people to order, including hats and feathers, so people can celebrate in style.

Officials saidOktoberfest will also have"Micro-FESThallen"events running in local restaurants, where entertainment and Bavarian-themed food specials and beer pairings will take place to help support local businesses.

'Not going to have people'

Local mayors and regional ChairKaren Redman are set to take part in the opening ceremonies, which will be live streamed from the Region of Waterloo International Airport on Sept.25 from noon until 1:00 p.m.

It's "acommon ground for the three cities in the region to come together," said Lowrick. "But it's not going to have people."

The keg tapping and opening ceremonies usually attracts hundreds of people with a well-known person helping to tap the keg.

The parade normally attracts 150,000 spectators every year andcollects food and money for The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. Last year it raised more than $6,800 and collected nine thousand pounds of food.

Even though the parade won't be going ahead this year, food bank CEO Wendi Campbellsays she's not worried about a decline in donations.

"There are a number of unique ideas, ways and plans underway to continue to raise money for the food drive," said Campbell.

"I can't talk about them yet, but we're working really closely with Oktoberfest ... to talk about how we can continue ensuring those resources are available to the community."