While 2020 brought unimaginable uncertainty and a host of surprises to Delmarva and beyond, it should not come as a surprise that O.C.toberfest Beer Weekend is back to help fight those 2020 blues. Shore Craft Beer’s OCtoberfest is back, baby!
Shore Craft Beer Weekend for OCtoberfest
The annual beer-stravaganza will take place the weekend of October 23-25, 2020 and is sponsored by Shore Craft Beer and co-sponsored by the Ocean City Development Corporation and the Town of Ocean City.
Wristband and Facemask Get you Discounts All Weekend
Shore Craft Beer is offering a wristband that scores discounts and/or happy hour pricing all weekend at several different bars, restaurants, and breweries around the Shore. A Shore Craft Beer face mask is included with each wristband purchase. You can buy wristbands here.
Beercations
Hotel packages are being offered for the weekend. The wristbands and facemasks are included in the hotel package price will be at the hotel when you check in.
COVID forced changes to OCtoberfest Shore Craft Beer Fest
And once again, we will have our OCtoberfest Craft Beer Festival at the picturesque Sunset Park on Saturday, October 24th from 1:00-4:00. Event seating starts at 12:30 pm and craft beer delivery starts at 1 pm. Tickets for this event must be purchased separately. Hotel packages and wristband purchases DO NOT get you into the festival. Due to Covid-19 stipulations here in Worcester County, ticket numbers are limited, we have to sell all tables in advance and must have the names of all members of your group, and cannot sell tickets individually because we must ensure social distancing and cannot put you with people not in your group.
This incredible experience offers participants (who must be 21 years or older) the opportunity to taste a variety of local craft beers and visit with local brewers.
While there will not be brewery tents this year, participants have the exciting opportunity to learn about local breweries from event staff, who will discuss the beers and answer questions about their individual craft beers and breweries.
Shore Craft Beer App
The Shore Craft Beer App which was partially funded by the Rural Maryland Council will be attendees’ guide to the weekend; download it today in the Apple store or Google Play store. Prizes are given out to those checking into the different locations all weekend. As always, proceeds will benefit the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC).
BUSINESSES PARTICIPATING IN THE OCTOBERFEST WEEKEND:
Breweries:
Participating breweries who have great offers or discounts for guests wearing wristbands include Tall Tales Brewing Company, Crooked Hammock Brewery, EVO, and Sin-Brew. EVO is giving a free appetizer of your choice to anybody with a wristband. More breweries and package details are forthcoming. Please check this page often as it will be updated constantly.
Bars and Restaurants:
Several local bars and restaurants will be offering special happy hour deals and other discounts, including Shenanigan’s Irish Pub, Billy’s Sub Shop, Longboard Cafe, The Shrimp Boat, Seacrets, Schooner’s Restaurant and Bar, and WXYZ Bar.
Hotel Packages:
There are several incredible hotel packages available for this event. Participating hotels are the Clarion Resort, Princess Royale Oceanfront Resort, Aloft Ocean City, Residence Inn by Marriott, Park Place Hotel on the Boardwalk, and Howard Johnson Plaza by Wyndham Ocean City Oceanfront. Wristband and face mask are included with the room price.
Book your package today!
OCTOBERFEST VIP ONLY SHORE CRAFT BEER FEST
There are only 250 people allowed into this special VIP seated event. Wristbands DO NOT gain you admittance to this festival. If you have booked a hotel package through Shore Craft Beer, please be sure to reserve your table at the festival separately. Your tickets to the festival ARE NOT included with your hotel package as in previous years. COVID restrictions have prevented us from organizing the festival in the same way as we have done in previous years.
COVID Precautions at Shore Craft Beer’s OCtoberfest
The COVID pandemic introduced a new normal for how people interact in daily life, and O.C.toberfest takes the health of participants seriously. CDC guidelines for social distancing and sanitizing will remain in effect, with little to no waiting in line.
Hand sanitizer will be available at each table and participants must wear masks when walking or standing. They can also only consume food or craft bear while seated.
This year, all sales will be in advance to ensure proper contact tracing information; announcements and signage will be provided at this event for proper physical distancing and contact tracing sign forms.
Admitting Attendees
While the attendance this year is limited to 250 people (down from over 1,500 attendees in 2019), the festival will process attendees differently to make the attendance process as smooth as possible.
Entrance times will stagger in 5 minute increments starting at 12:30 as to limit queuing. Only the table ticket will be checked at the entrance to move everyone through swiftly. Guest will receive an email prior to the event that directs them to their designated table number.
Once seated at the table, guards from CARD 101 and volunteers will ensure patrons are age 21 or over by checking IDs after the entire group has been seated; CARD 101 has worked five previous craft beer events in Sunset Park. Wristbands will then be issued after tickets and IDs are checked to ensure accuracy. Participants must have their wristbands on to receive craft beer.
After valid tickets are checked and IDs are verified, attendees will be wrist-banded to receive craft beer.
Tables will be sold with a maximum of 6 persons at a table, and a minimum of one person. One group will occupy one table, and attendees at a table must be in a group; all tickets for that table must be purchased together. Participants can only drink and eat at their designated table, which will have a number assigned for service. Tables will be at least 6 feet apart from each other.
As in past craft beer festivals, fencing will be provided to close off event with volunteers at any open points to restrict entrance and departures.
Craft Beer Delivery
Now for the best part. Event volunteers will bring all craft beer selections to each table already chilling in buckets with ice. Participants have a chance to sample 12 styles of local craft beer in bottles and cans. Beer will be delivered to the in a bucket labeled with the appropriate table number; ticket-holders will pour their own beer at the table.
Every half hour, a new bucket of craft beer will be delivered to the table starting at 1 pm and ending at 3:30 pm. Additionally, there are six more styles of craft beer (purchased in sixtels) that participants have an opportunity to sample. Starting at 1:15 and continuing every half hour afterwards until 3:45. Participants can sample these additional craft beers with disposable sample cups that volunteers bring to each table.
This event may be live streamed, and to join, all attendees can listen on their smart phones by going to the Shorecraftbeer Facebook page.
Vendors
In beautiful Sunset Park and on adjacent property to its south, over 70,000 sq. ft. of merchandise vendors will be available for attendees to visit during the event. Ticket holders must be masked when they leave their tables, and security will ensure attendee compliance.
Food Truck & Water
Even more exciting, one food truck from The Street Kitchen will be offering some scrumptious food items. Each table will be provided a list of food items sold for ordering. Conveniently, attendees can submit their order to the food truck via their cell phone, and The Street Kitchen Staff will text attendees when the food is ready to be picked up and paid.
All orders are carefully packaged to ensure food safety; food must be brought back to the designated table for consumption. OCDC will also sell water and The Street Kitchen will sell Coca Cola beverages.
Shore Craft Beer’s OCtoberfest Music, Games, and Giveaways
Attendees will have the chance to play corn hole toss and other games while listening to the musical stylings of The Full Circle Duo, who will be playing throughout the event.
All event t-shirts and souvenir pint glasses will be previously bagged for table attendees and brought to their attendee designated tables. This will also eliminate lines at check in or throughout the event.
If attendees need to use the restroom, there will be port-a-lets available for use in addition to the permanent restroom facility in Sunset Park, which will be open. Washing and sanitizing stations will be provided.
To further ensure safety of attendee arrival and departure, a crossing guard will assist with pedestrian traffic.
Six trash receptacles in Sunset park and one near the food truck will be available for trash disposal.
Are you Going to Shore Craft Beer’s OCtoberfest?
Click here to purchase tickets. Hope to see you there!
