Oktoberfest kicks off at Morey’s Piers on Saturday, Sept. 12, with an opening ceremony on Sept. 13 —This is a certified Do the Shore favorite. It was fun to dive into the details with the story below.
WILDWOOD – Morey’s Piers doesn’t close after Labor Day; it just gets a little more German.
Oktoberfest is a month-long celebration that transforms Mariner’s Pier into a Munich-inspired celebration of bratwurst and beer. What began as a humble effort has grown, in its 10th year, to an experience that touches nearly every aspect of a park visit.
Step onto the pier and you’ll immediately notice towering inflatable versions of Morey’s Oktoberfest mascots: Okto the Octopus and Hans the Seagull. Okto, with his eight arms, can hold a truly baffling number of beer steins and bratwursts. Hans keeps it classy with just one pint and a feathered gentleman’s cap. For our money, they’re the best photo-ops in Wildwood.
Kyle Morey said that the Morey’s team “spent a lot of time working on the design to have fun inflatables” at the front of the park. These two characters can be spotted all over the park, on its limited Oktoberfest merchandise and, of course, in plush form at the game stalls.
Detailed theming continues throughout the pier, its food, its music, and of course, its beer. This isn’t just an event for ride junkies. Anybody can stroll onto the pier, grab a Hofbräuhaus or Warsteiner beer straight from Germany, and listen to live music.
It’s free to enjoy the decor, but leaving without a beer, a pretzel, or a bratwurst is easier said than done. Try and count the decorations when you visit: 90 hay bales, 120 cornstalks, 70 Chrysanthemums, and (drumroll, please) 1,322 pumpkins, all thanks to Secluded Acres Farm in Rio Grande.
Nearly every member of the Morey’s family has attended Oktoberfest in Munich, where the original “Volksvest” (people’s festival) takes place every fall. You can tell by the intensity of the bratwurst and the selection of beer that authenticity is important. Morey’s isn’t slapping the “Oktoberfest” name over their usual operations and calling it a day.
Oktoberfest wasn’t always the full-pier-takeover it is today. It takes time to put together an event of this scale, to know what items will be a hit, to know what areas of the festival need more investment. The Morey’s family has carefully added to the festival every year; the current iteration of Oktoberfest represents a decade of refinement.
Kyle Morey told Do the Shore: “Oktoberfest at Morey’s Piers began about 10 years ago, and it hardly resembled what it has grown into. In those early years, we retrofitted a games stand to serve beer and set up a temporary stage on the north side of Mariner’s Pier. We’ve created and expanded Wilhelm’s, built infrastructure to better serve guests, added a Cocktail Cart for non-beer drinkers, installed a permanent stage, and invested in new décor each year to fully capture the Oktoberfest atmosphere.”
There’s a lot of new for the 10th anniversary of the festival. For starters, a special ticketed dinner event is taking place across two nights, Sept. 20th and 27th, at Founder’s Grub and Pub. An entry ticket includes a pre-fixe menu, live music, a custom stein, and the first beer (or root beer) on the house.
Editor’s Note: But we’re most excited about snapping a Polaroid with Sunny & Curley, two of Morey’s costumed mascots, at the dinner.
Oktoberfest kicks off with an opening ceremony October 13th at 6 p.m. on the Coca Cola stage with the tapping of a ceremonial keg and the annual stein-holding competition. You might ask, not a stein drinking competition? No, this is a traditional German game that wouldn’t feel out of place on an episode of Survivor. Guests are asked to hold a stein full of beer an arm’s length away. Entrants of all ages are quickly humbled by the mighty stein, and by their own arm strength.
A “Boardwalk Bier Run” on Sept. 13 takes runners across the boardwalk, through refreshment checkpoints (yes, with beer), and through the finish line at Mariner’s Pier. A giant pretzel and limited edition stein comes included with entry.
Don’t be afraid to come in costume, but don’t forget your bow etiquette! Did you know that the position of a woman’s dirndl bow on her Oktoberfest dress indicates her relationship status? See you out there.
Contact the author, Collin Hall, at 609-886-8600 ext. 156 or by email at chall@cmcherald.com – Collin is the editor of Do the Shore, a Mazda enthusiast, and a Villas resident. This article was written as part of a paid sponsorship with Morey’s Piers.
