Cheers! Oktoberfest Comes to Montclair

‘Tis the season for beer lovers. 

The fourth annual Montclair Oktoberfest will be held once again at the Wellmont Theatre on Oct. 19. This one-day festival put on by Amanti Vino will feature food, music, wine and lots of beer. 

“We are going to take over the whole theater,” said Deborah Hirsh, Amanti Vino's store manager. There will be more than 80 beers and wines on the list, and Hirsh added that people can expect to see craft beers brewed in New Jersey, California and everywhere in between. 

Thaddeus Kawecki, wine consultant and beer manager at Amanti Vino, said there will be a beer to pique nearly anyone’s palate. 

“We will have a variety of selections from many different breweries ... and [some] will be bringing special stuff you can’t find in their year-round lineup,” said Kawecki. “From lagers, ales, Belgium styles, sours -- you name it.”

Some of the breweries that will be at Oktoberfest include Nash Distributors, Stone Brewing Company, Allied Beverage Group, Duvel, Unibroue, and Brooklyn Brewery. 

If beer is not for you, Hirsh said that the event will also feature innumerable wines, as well demonstrations and informational tastings by experts. The One & Nines will be the featured band, and there will be a cornucopia of food. 

Kawecki, who runs the store's monthly beer club, also mentioned that this is a hot spot for home brewers to talk tips and techniques with top distributors.     

The event will benefit Intensive Therapeutics, a nonprofit that provides occupational therapy services to children with special needs. 

Oktoberfest has grown in popularity every year, said Hirsh. More than 400 people turned out for Oktoberfest last year, and she said that she expects an even bigger crowd this time around. 

Oktoberfest will be Oct. 19 from 7:30 to 11 p.m. at the Wellmont Theatre, 5 Seymour St. There will be an early entrance VIP hour between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. which will feature exclusive beers and wines. 

Tickets can only be purchased at Amanti Vino, 30 Church St., or online at www.amantivino.com. No tickets will be sold the day of the event at the ticket window. 

General admission will be $80. Admission to the VIP hour will be $150, which includes general admission.