It’s Oktoberfest weekend at Wichita’s Prost, which will transform into a German biergarten

In Germany, Oktoberfest actually starts in September.

And thanks to Wichita German restaurant Prost at 2721 E. Central, it starts in September here, too.

Prost owners Austin and Manu English are bringing their four-day beer-and-polka party back this year after skipping last year because of COVID-19. The party starts today and runs through Sunday at the restaurant.

The event will be filled with eating contests, live music and daily stein holding competitions. There will also be lots of German beer: This year, Prost will be serving Weihenstephaner Festbier, Hofbräu Oktoberfest and Warsteiner Oktoberfest.

Admission to Oktoberfest is $5 for those who plan to drink. The party will spill out into the courtyard at Revolutsia, the shipping container mall where Prost is the largest tenant, and it will be decorated to look like a German biergarten. Although it won’t be serving the regular menu for the weekend, Prost will be serving a pared-down menu of brats, pretzels and fries.

The event will include eating contests each day. The big one, Austin English said, will be the ghost pepper-eating contest on Saturday afternoon. Participants must pay $25 and sign a waiver, and the winner of that will get a prize valued at around $2,000 that includes a 2-liter glass boot full of Underberg beer caps, which can be redeemed for prizes.

The hours for Oktoberfest will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Prost’s first big Oktoberfest party was in 2019, and it was the owners’ attempt to recreate in Kansas the same feel that Oktoberfest has in Germany, where Manu grew up.

Here’s the schedule for the weekend:

Thursday

4 p.m.: Sauerkraut-eating contest ($5)

5 p.m.: Pretzel-eating contest ($5)

5-6 p.m.: Music by Shriners

6 p.m.: Wichita Vice Mayor Brandon Johnson taps the ceremonial keg

6:30-8 p.m.: Music by Dusek Musik

7 p.m.: Stein-holding contest ($25)

Friday

1:30 p.m.: Pickle juice-drinking contest ($5)

2-4 p.m.: Music by Ron Accordion

4 p.m.: Sauerkraut-eating contest ($5)

5 p.m.: Pretzel-eating contest ($5)

5-6 p.m.: Music by Shriners

6:30-8 p.m.: Music by Dusek Musik

7 p.m.: Stein-holding contest ($25)

Saturday

1:30 p.m.: Pickle juice-drinking contest ($5)

2-4 p.m: Music by Ron Accordion

3 p.m.: Wiener toss ($5)

4 p.m.: Ghost pepper-eating contest ($25, participants must sign a waiver)

5 p.m.: Best dressed Oktoberfest contestant doing the Chicken Dance

5-6 p.m.: Music by Shriners

6:30-8 p.m.: Music by Dusek Musik

7 p.m.: Stein-holding contest ($25)

Sunday

Noon: Sauerkraut-eating contest ($5)

Noon-1 p.m.: Music by Shriners

1 p.m.: Stein-holding contest ($25)

This story was originally published September 16, 2021 at 10:58 AM.

Denise Neil

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6327

Denise Neil has covered restaurants and entertainment since 1997. Her Dining with Denise Facebook page is the go-to place for diners to get information about local restaurants. She’s a regular judge at local food competitions and speaks to groups all over Wichita about dining.