Annual Running of the Wieners at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati
The Running of the Wieners, an Oktoberfest Zinzinnati tradition, puts 100 hotdog costumed dachshunds to the test in a race for victory.
Carter Skaggs, Cincinnati Enquirer
A recent list by U.S. News & World Report is telling Cincinnatians what they already know: Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is one of the best fall festivals in the country.
The article, published Aug. 27, identifies 19 of the top fall-themed festivals in the U.S., giving kudos to celebrations from California to Massachusetts and other destinations in between. Of course, Cincinnati’s Oktoberfest – dubbed the largest in the U.S. – made the list.
Other festivals mentioned were the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico and the Salem Haunted Happenings in Massachusetts, among others.
Attracting around 700,000 visitors to downtown Cincinnati each year, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, which honors the area’s German heritage, has delivered German food, entertainment and lots (and lots) of beer since its debut in 1976.
This year’s celebration, taking place Sept. 19-22, brings back many beloved traditions, including the Running of the Wieners, the Gemütlichkeit Games and the World’s Largest Chicken Dance.
The 2024 event will be slightly different from previous years, taking place at Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove instead of the streets of downtown.