Cologne Travel Forum

I will be in Cologne 28 Sept through 6 October. Are there any Oktoberfest celebrations in the Cologne/Bonn area? I will not be able to get to Munich on this trip.

Seems there is something, but I just have found it on the web. Looks like tickets are required, but maybe you can ask before...
http://www.koelner-oktoberfest.de/start.htm

Have fun! Christian.

There might be, I was at one in Duesseldorf at the Hbf/main train station some years ago. It was minuscule though compared to Munich. To be sure you can find plenty to do, drinking wise.
Check with the local tourist offices for the possibly of an Oktoberfest celebration. The Rhineland is known more for their Karnival celebrations with upwards of two million people in each city, just before Ash Wednesday.

>Are there any Oktoberfest celebrations in the Cologne/Bonn area?<

There is a "miniature edition:-)" next to the Cologne "Suedstadion", accessible by tram No.12, direction "Suedfriedhof Zollstock", alight at tram stop "Pohligstrasse".

http://www.koelner-oktoberfest.de/programm/

Yeah, I forgot... of course you should check out the Kölsch beer if you are in Cologne. It is a special beer you only get there.
Check the brewery houses (only in German sorry):
http://www.koelner-brauhaus-wanderweg.de/brauhaus-index.php
Cheers!

Don't be surprised that any Oktoberfest events outside of Munich are much, much smaller than the real Oktoberfest in Munich, as this is a Bavarian festival. The first Oktoberfest was in 1810 in Munich in the independent kingdom of Bavaria, for the commemoration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

For other parts of Germany to celebrate Oktoberfest is a bit like the State of New York putting on a celebration to "Remember the Alamo!"

However, since there were already autumnal (harvest) celebrations all over the place, and because business people here and there see how successful the original is and so want to perhaps make a few dollars of their own, it's no surprise, I suppose, that mini-Oktoberfests have sprung up around the country (and world). They won't be anything like the original...which may actually work to your advantage because the Oktoberfest in Munich is so large and overrun by not only Germans but tourists from all over the world, that it's often difficult to find a room, get to the grounds, and enjoy the event without stumbling over drunk tourists (oh, the Germans can be drunk, too, but are considerably better behaved since they are, after all, at home - you know how tourists get when away from home)...

Bill

Celebrations compareable to Octoberfest are "Freimarkt" in Bremen (10/17 - 11/2) and "Dom" in Hamburg (11/7 - 12/7). Sorry.