By Leah Burdick 

Halloween is a day that feels like it lasts a month. October means pumpkins, costumes, ghost stories and apple crisps. Oktoberfest is an autumn celebration that was created in Germany, but the United States finds a way to celebrate it as well, especially in the city of Tampa. 

According to Sheknows.com, Tampa has one of the top five Oktoberfest celebrations in the country. On Oct. 13-15, Curtis Hixon Park celebrates this annual event right across the river from The University of Tampa campus. With an event so close to campus it makes it convenient for students to be able to participate in all the fun.

The festivities are so loud that it echoes over onto campus. So if you do not make it over to the event, you can sit out by the river and enjoy the music as well. 

On Friday the event is from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. This gives the city plenty of opportunities to join in on the festival. Tickets have gone on sale starting at $10 for general admissions for one day and $20 for weekend admissions. 

At this event, the park is filled with live music, dancing, alphorns, dirndls, lederhosen and beer. On Friday there are games that are free to play where people can win prizes. On Saurday afternoon there will be the biggest competition of the weekend. This competition is called The Beard and Mustache competition which is the biggest in the region. 

Citrus Park is not the only location that is celebrating Oktoberfest. Multiple locations around the city are having celebrations of their own. It is important to check the rules of some venues and bars. If you are not 21 to see if you can attend. 

If pretzels, beers and games don’t sound appealing to you, there is a 5K through Dunedin. The event is called Oktoberfest: Wine vs. Beer 5K, but the event is family friendly and dog-friendly. To participate in the event there is a $50 fee because there will be T-shirts, free beer, and finisher’s medals. The location is at Dunedin House of Beer and if there are any questions you can contact (727) 226- 7223.

Cage Brewing Company in St. Pete is hosting a pre-party on Sept. 24th from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. This is a free admission event with live music, food and beer. Don’t be fooled though, the live music will be bringing in a mix of traditional Oktoberfest music along with popular hits. 

More information about Oktoberfest events around the Tampa area can be found on the Tampa Bay Times website.