CINCINNATI — What organizers say is the largest Oktoberfest in the world is underway in Cincinnati or as they say this time of year – Zinzinatti.
There’s German music, food and of course, beer.
On Thursday afternoon, the first day of the festival, Ludwig Noll and his family were busy setting up the stand. He’s the owner and operator of Mick Noll’s Covingtonhouse — a German restaurant.
“It’s just a family business,” said Noll. “I didn’t really have a choice. Not that I didn’t but I wore lederhosen as a child and we were all a part of this in the beginning.”
Mick Noll’s Covingtonhouse has been around for more than 40 years.
It’s named after Ludwig’s father, Mick, who passed away in 2016. He was known as Mr. Oktober and was a prominent figure in the German community.
“It’s my dad’s name so we’re carrying on the tradition of doing it,” he said. “It’s our tradition in our family.”
Noll said he is more excited than ever to be back at the festival this year after it was canceled by COVID-19 last year.
It has taken a toll on revenue, he said.
“We only do about eight to 10 events a year,” he said. “We don’t have a brick-and-mortar restaurant anymore so we had no sales.”
Dozens of German businesses will be featured at this year’s Oktoberfest Zinzinnati.
Potato cakes, beer and brats are just some of the German foods you’ll find.
“Brats are made here locally in Covington,” he said. “They made them in just the last day or so and they brought them over to us and we’re cooking them up. They’ve never been frozen.”
But it’s not just about the food, he said.
It’s about the fellowship too. It’s a time to embrace and celebrate the culture and heritage.
“You hang out with people,” he said. “You enjoy each other’s company and really that’s a lot of what this is for us. It’s coming out here to see all the people we haven’t seen in two years at this point.”
