HELL'S KITCHEN — Move over, Oktoberfest, there's another German beer festival in town.
Proving that giant steins, bratwursts and frat fantasy girls in Bavarian beer-wench costumes can be viable any time of year, Maifest on the Hudson will create a full-fledged German beer garden on Pier 81 at West 41st Street and the Hudson River on Saturday.
Maifest, the German celebration of spring, involves many of the traditional accoutrement's of Oktoberfest with some added extras, such Maibock, a beer brewed for the festival, and the Maipole, a symbol of spring's reawakening.
For even more German ambiance, the festival will include live music by Die Spitzbaum, one of the city's premiere oom-pah bands, along with a traditional dance around the Maipole performed by Schlierachtler Stamm, a German dance troupe that's been swinging and swaying since 1928.
Attendees will also be able to enjoy copious amounts of imported German brews by Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr to wash down über-sized pretzels, giant bratwursts and cheese-filled krainerwurst.
This is the second year in a row that World Yacht has put on the spring beerfest, complete with an optional one-hour cruise on the Hudson.
In case a taste of the Deutschland isn't enough for festival-goers, Air Berlin is also hosting a raffle for two tickets to Germany at the end of the day — though the winner must be present and conscious after an afternoon of beer-chugging to claim their prize.
Maifest on the Hudson runs from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sat. May 12 at Pier 81. Admission to the beer garden is $15 or $20 for admission and a one-hour cruise from 2 to 3 p.m. Food and drink tickets are sold separately for $4 each.
