Five Oktoberfest events in Connecticut to celebrate beer

October is many things. It’s a time to go to haunted houses, pick pumpkins and leaf-peep. It’s Squirrel Awareness Month and Adopt A Shelter Dog Month. But for many people, October is about only one thing: beer.

Taking their cue from Oktoberfest, the ancient annual German beer festival, several local venues are having beer festivals in October.

Here is a partial list. It is not all-inclusive.

Oktoberfest

Parkville Market, the food hall at 1400 Park St. in Hartford, will transform its outdoor spaces into a tented beer garden for Oktoberfest on Oct. 1, 2, 8 and 9 from 11 a.m. to close.

The 12-tap outdoor bar will feature beers from Counter Weight and Boston Beer Company. There will be competitions in stein hoisting, yodeling, a German spelling bee and other contests throughout the event.

Portly Pig will serve bratwurst grinders. Randy’s Wooster St. Pizza will sell hot pretzels.

Beer and food vouchers can be bought in advance at parkvillemarket.com/events. Those who buy vouchers online will get a refillable stein and a swag bag. Details at parkvillemarket.com.

Oktober Fest

Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort, 99 Powder Hill Road in Middlefield, will have an Oktober Fest on Oct. 1 from 4 to 8 p.m., starting at 3 p.m. for VIP entry.

In addition to hundreds of beers from 50 breweries, there will be keg tosses, stein holding contests, food trucks and vendors. Live music will be performed by New Rising Sun and Small Town Roots.

Beers are provided by High Noon, Topo Chico, Goose Island, Paulener, Narragansett, New England, Lord Hobo, Bad Sons, Bitburger, Hacker, Relic, Left Hand, East Rock, Von Trapp, Sloop, Fiddlehead, Spaten, Guinness, Peak, Happy, New England Cider, Jack’s Abby, Hanging Hills, Thimble Island, Lion’s Head, Breckenridge, Down East, Shipyard, Southern Tier, Clown Shoes, Oskar Blues, New Belgium, Stone, Hooker, Two Roads, Devil’s Backbone, Citizen Cider, Lyman Orchard, Blue Point, Ranch Water, Lone Pine, Stormalong, Fishers Island, Blue Moon, Glutenberg, Elysium, Whalers, Rebel, Leinenkugel, UFO and Harpoon.

Admission in advance online is $39, $49 VIP, $15 designated driver. On-site prices are $49, $59 VIP, $25 designated driver.

Guests can combine a visit to Oktober Fest with a visit to Haunting at the Ridge, the resort’s haunted attraction. It opens at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $29.95. Details at powderridgepark.com.

Mohegan Sun Brewfest

The Earth Expo & Convention Center at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville will hold its 9th annual Sun BrewFest on Oct. 7 from 8 to 10 p.m. and Oct. 8 from 3 to 6 p.m.

Oct. 7 is the “Seltzer Social,” with a variety of hard seltzers from Anheuser Busch, Black Infusions, Boston Beer Company, Bud Light, Buena Fe Organic Tequila Quenchers, Canteen, Drink Mechanics, Evil Water, Fishers Island, Game Up, Good Dog, H2Roads, Hornitos, Island District Co., Kobrand Corporation, Links Drinks, Loverboy, Mass Bay Brewing, Merican Mule, NUTRL Vodka Seltzer, Ole Smokeys, On the Rocks, Spirit Fruit Beverages, Stateside, Surfside, Topo Chico, Truly, Two Roads, Vizzy and Whalers Brewing Company.

Hot Rod Café will serve wings and DJ Jay R One will play tunes. Admission to Oct. 7 is $40 online in advance, $45 day of.

On Oct. 8, more than 100 beers available for tasting will include ales, lagers, amber lagers, sour ales, India pale ales, stouts, German ales, dark lagers, pilsners, Belgian-style ales, brown ales, wheat beers, seasonal IPAs, seltzers, spirits, cocktails and nonalcoholic options. Vendors include Athletic, Belero Snort, Bergen, Boston Beer Company, Bud Light, Michelob, Buena Fé Organic Tequila Quenchers, Canteen Spirits, Cisco Brewers, The Cocktail Chemist, CT Valley, CUTWATER, Elysian / Goose Island, Evil Water, Fishers Island Lemonade, Good Dogg Premium Hard Seltzer, Great Falls, Grey Sail, Growler Power, Harpoon, Hartwall’s Original Long Drink, Heineken, Hensch Home Made, Hog River, Jacks Abby, Kona, Links Drinks, Lord Hobo, Loyal 9 Cocktails, ‘Merican Mule, Narragansett, New Belgium, New England, Night Shift, NUTRL Vodka Seltzer, Outer Light, Shiner, Sloop, Smuttynose, Taylor Brooke, These Guys, Thimble Island, Tumbler and Rocks, Two Roads, Whalers and Wormtown.

The Savage Brothers Band will perform, there will be a cornhole tournament and vendor demonstrations and the option to purchase food from local restaurants including barbecue, Italian, sandwiches and sweets.

Admission to Oct. 8 is $50 in advance at ticketmaster.com. Designated driver tickets are $20. Day-of, admission is $55. Valid ID is mandatory at entrance.

A ticket for admission to both the Oct. 7 and 8 events is $75. Information at sunbrewfest.com.

Brew-Ski

The Salisbury Winter Sports Association is hosting the 13th annual benefit Brew-Ski Fest on Oct. 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. on Satre Hill on 80 Indian Cave Road in Salisbury. Admission is $30 in advance, $35 day of.

The event will feature live music by the Steve Dunn Band; brats, hot dogs and hamburgers from Sunday in the Country; a ski jump golf-ball roll; and about 40 craft breweries. Everyone gets a free pumpkin.

Among the brewers are Abomination, Athletic, Berkshire, Black Hog, Legitimus, Captain Lawrence, Counter Weight, Devils Back Bone, Dogfish, Elysian, Fat Orange Cat, Founders, Full Moonshine, Goose Island, Great Falls, Harpoon, Half Full, Jack Daniels Cocktails, Litchfield Distillery, Makku, Miami Cocktails, New England, Norbrook, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Skygazer, Troegs, Two Chicks, Two Roads and UFO.

More at brewskifest.com

G.O.A.T.

The G.O.A.T. Brew and Wine Fest will be Oct. 15 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Dunkin’ Donuts Park, 1214 Main St. in Hartford.

Breweries, wineries and distilleries are Lost Tourist, Broad Brook, Founders, 12% Beer Project, Firefly Hollow, Hog river, NoCa, Witchdoctor, 5 Churches, Tito’s, Lawson’s, Counter Weight, Paddle Creek, Great Falls, Coastline, Continuum, Stowe Cider, East Hartford, Jack’s Abby, Rule of 3, Two Roads, Back East, Bellis, Heineken, Legitimus, Thomas Hooker, Good Dogg, Elicit, Problem Solved, Drink Mechanics, Dudleytown, Willibrew, WeHa, The Finnish Long Drink Legend of 1952, Urban Lodge, Owl’s Brew, Zero Gravity, Stateside Urbancraft, Litchfield, Alvarium, Waypoint, Quiver, ‘Merican Mule, Bergen House, Hartford Flavor Company, Long Trail, Whalers, Truly, Chateau D’Esclans and Savino.

Admission is $62.25. A “VIG” ticket, with one hour early entry, on-field access and swag, is $87.25. Designated drivers pay $27.25. See milb.com/hartford/ballpark/brew-wine-fest.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.