A. Shot of South Street feat. rain & people // B. People watching @ Rex 1516 feat. more rain & more people

Bloktoberfest is basically a tribute to Germany's giant Oktoberfest celebrations. So really, it's just a giant neighborhood festival that celebrates coming together with your pals and having a good time. And all the money goes to charity too, which is awesome! It's family friendly; there was a whole kids area that looked ridiculously fun, plus tons of fun stuff for adults, too. There's local food trucks and all the businesses on the street are open for browsing. Most have little stands up with specials, as well. There was a local crepe stall from So Crepe that looked amazing, and The Cambridge was offering drink specials and nachos at their stand along the street. There's also tons of live music on two different stages. We spent a good half hour watching a folk band play banjo pop-covers while we nibbled on cheese curds from The Cow & The Curd. It was truly awesome. 

A. My BFF Ginger Spice Hottie of a Best Friend, Bri // B. Cheers, bitch // C. We look like we're in pain

Ah yes, the most important question. The sheer amount of variety they had was awesome and very overwhelming. There were about four beer tents set up, and each had quite a list. My favorite tent was the one that had pear cider, and regular cider, AND peanut butter beer all under one little roof. This is the tent at which we spent a vast majority of our time.

I spent my day sipping on Original Sin Hard Cider which is way better than Angry Orchard for all you cider fans out there. Seriously, it was the perfect amount of bitter and sweet. I switched it up and went with Original Sin Pear Cider for a bit, which was even better. Then I decided to expand my horizons and try Duclaw's Sweet Baby Jesus Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter because I couldn't resist.

I'm a self-proclaimed peanut butter addict. Chocolate & PB is my favorite combination so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try it. It was...strange, but in a really good way. Drinking it made me feel very hipster-y. Honestly, the best way I could describe it is that I could drink a glass of it at dinner or whatever, but I wouldn't drink it on a night out.

I also tried a Dark Horse IPA, while Bri ventured out of her cider wheelhouse and tried the Dark Horse Raspberry Ale. It was a negative on both fronts, so we went back to the friendly faces at the Original Sin tent and stuck to the ciders that we know and love.

PSA: We Uber-ed there and back, and there's tons of public transit around so there's absolutely no need for you to drink and drive. Be responsible Oktoberfest goers, and don't do anything stupid.

There's An App For That

One of the best things about Bloktoberfest is that they developed an app that lists the lineup for the musicians, shows where all those mouthwatering food trucks are located, and lets you know what brews are at what tent. It lists all the local business on the street, too. It's a handy thing to have in your pocket when you're craving a grilled cheese but can't find the Say Cheese truck.

Also, we met some awesome volunteers who let us in on this little secret: if you volunteer for Bloktoberfest, you not only get to feel good for helping out the community, you also get free beer. No limit. Now that's cool.


Bloktoberfest is an awesome kick-off to fall. I really enjoyed the much-needed day out with my best friend, and I'm definitely making it a point to attend Bloktoberfest next year for more food, beer and fun. And if you're in the Philly area, you should, too. Trust me on this.