Is Hickory Corners The Best Place In Michigan For Oktoberfest?

Stefani and I were talking about the list from wallethub.com of the 10 best American cities to celebrate Oktoberfest:

1. Cincinnati.  It tied for first for the most Oktoberfest events per capita . . . most pretzel shops . . . and most German restaurants.

2.  Pittsburgh.  It ranked first when it comes to having the "highest access to bars."

3.  Portland, Oregon.  It tied for the most German restaurants and breweries per capita.

4.  Minneapolis.  It also tied for most breweries.

5.  Orlando.  It tied for most pretzel shops, and has the fifth most Oktoberfest events.

6.  Denver.

7.  Tampa.

8.  Miami.

9.  Madison, Wisconsin.

10.  Boise, Idaho.

Really???  Orlando???  Tampa???  Miami???????  Look, it HAS to be a Northern city somewhere right?  Now I'm not saying that Michigan should be the epicenter for Oktoberfest but I will say that our own Hickory Corners could give the midwest and the country a run for it's money.  Look at the Manor House for cripes sake!!!  IT LOOKS LIKE OKTOBERFEST!!!  Here's the press release they sent about an event coming up on the 30th.

Hickory Corners, Mich. — Did you know Michigan has more people with German ancestry than almost any other state in the U.S.? Oktoberfest is a two-week beer festival originating in Munich, Germany, where it has been a tradition for over 200 years. Here in West Michigan especially, we love our beer, so what better way to celebrate Oktoberfest than with a German feast paired with a variety of delicious beer samples?

The menu for our Oktoberfest Dinner on September 30 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. will feature our chef’s takes on German traditional dishes, such as Bavarian pretzels, bratwurst, potato pancakes and spaetzle. Each dish will be paired with a different sample of beer.

In addition to learning about beer pairings, at this event you can also learn about the brewing process and some of the sustainability issues associated with it. W.K. Kellogg Biological Station graduate student Jakob Nalley will share a brief presentation of his research about using algae to clean wastewater from breweries.

This event will be held in the W.K. Kellogg Manor House, which is located at 3700 E. Gull Lake Dr., in Hickory Corners. Registration can be completed online. Cost for this event is $48/member and $53/non-member. To learn more about this event, visit conference.kbs.msu.edu, call 269-671-2400 or email conference@kbs.msu.edu.

The W.K. Kellogg Manor House is part of the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), which is Michigan State University’s largest off-campus educational complex. KBS is a world-class research institute where students and faculty are working to understand and solve real-world environmental problems.

For nearly a hundred years, KBS has served as a liaison between Michigan State University and the public, providing the community with examples of science’s crucial role in sustaining natural and managed communities. To learn more about KBS, visit us online at kbs.msu.edu.