Panama City, FL – September 21, 2020 – Destination Panama City announced today that Oktoberfest 2020 will go on.  “This event has been a staple in downtown Panama City for decades”, says President & CEO Jennifer Vigil,  “it’s a tradition the community wants to continue, and we’re doing our best to make that happen.”  Like many things in 2020, this year’s Oktoberfest will look a little different.  To remain compliant with the State’s phased reopening plan, the traditional street festival model had to be set aside.  Thinking outside the box, Destination Panama City and the small business owners of Downtown Panama City worked hard to put together a “gamified” themed weekend that should be fun and safe for everyone.   Vigil explained a FREE digital event pass will provide attendees with the information for all the shops participating in the themed weekend.   Deals, discounts, live music, hands on art projects, costume contests, stein hoisting, and craft beer will keep the Oktoberfest tradition alive. The FREE digital pass allows people to maintain social distancing and limit interactions outside their primary group.

“New businesses, freshly painted murals, and a vibrant nightlife are just of few of the tell tale signs that a downtown renaissance is happening. This is a unique opportunity we have to break away from the normal street festival and really re-introduce our locals and visitors to Downtown Panama City.” says Vigil.  Those participating in the themed weekend are encouraged to come in their best Oktoberfest costumes, The Place Restaurant is having a costume contest and Destination Panama City will award a prize to the best costume on social media that uses #explorePC.  The FREE digital pass has virtual check in opportunities at each of 12+ participating venues.  The true gamification of the event is the grand prize.  All people that check-in to at least 10 of the official Oktoberfest venues via the FREE digital pass will be entered to win a pair of tickets to Gulf Coast Jam.

Destination Panama City encourages everyone to take some time to visit Downtown Panama City for Oktoberfest.  The event will take place from 5PM, Friday, September 25, 2020 – 10PM Saturday, September 26, 2020.  The FREE Downtown Oktoberfest digital pass can be downloaded here: explore.destinationpanamacity.com

Side note: You may wonder why Oktoberfest is held in September.  Good question, here’s the answer straight from Germany:

Why is Oktoberfest not called Septemberfest?

Fair enough – the majority of the 16 to 18 days of the Oktoberfest take place not in the eponymous October but in September. The name comes from the history of the Wiesn: The occasion for the first Oktoberfest in 1810 was the wedding of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen. On October 12th 1810 the festivities began and they ended on October 17th with a horse race. Since it was so well-received, the festival was repeated in the following years, then extended and at this point brought forward into September. The weather surely played a role in moving the dates, which in Munich at the end of September often provides a pleasant, mild Indian summer – true Oktoberfest weather, in fact!