Carrara Bier Fest 2018

The biggest German beer fest outside Germany

From 28 August 2018 to 08 September 2018

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In Carrara from August 28th to September 8th 2018 the highly anticipated Septemberfest - that this year has changed its name to Carrara Bier Fest - will return, an incredible beer festival that takes place every year in the pavilions of the Carrara beer festival. In the past few years there have been many feasts and festivals dedicated to this sparkling drink in Italy, but this is one of a kind! First of all, it is the biggest German beer festival that takes place outside Germany. This means that in Carrara you will find almost everything you could find at the Oktoberfest, but with one rather big difference! The weather in September in Tuscany is decidedly more pleasant than that of Monaco in October, so much so that you could still be in time to enjoy the nearby beaches. In addition, the beer you’ll drink comes directly from Germany, from some producers of the town of Ingolstadt. Not bad, right? I bet you already fancy a nice cold beer, don’t you? The Beer Festival of Carrara isn’t only limited to the pleasure of drinking, there is much more on! There will be lots of good food to accompany the excellent beer, and of course it is strictly Bavarian food. There will also be lots of shows and a fair where you can find a bit of everything! All this explains the stratospheric numbers reached by one of the most important events in Carrara of the year! It is certainly no coincidence that people flock by bus from all over Tuscany but also from the rest of Italy! Just imagine that in the 2017 edition visitors of the Septemberfest of Carrara reached a peak of 140,000 visitors! How much beer does it take to quench the thirst of all these people? The organizers reckon about 70,000 liters, coming directly from Germany. And to protect the freshness, the beer loads arrived several times during the period of the event.

The biggest beer festival in Tuscany, Septemberfest, in 2018 reaches its 42nd edition! You might be wondering what motivated the organizers in the 70s to start this event. It’s the fault of all the art and the sculpture, which doesn’t surprise us since we are in the city of the very famous and precious white marble. We need to go back to 1955 when some Europeans who were in Carrara created a partnership with some artists from Carrara, which resulted in an exhibition of some works by German artists at the Academy of Fine Arts and an exhibition of Carrara artists in the castle of Ingolstadt. Ingolstadt is precisely the town where the beer for the Septemberfest of Carrara is produced! This partnership was formalized in 1962 with the twinning of Carrara and Ingolstadt. A twinning with a high alcohol content, given that while the summer Beer Fest is held every year in Carrara, for the sake of fairness, the Ingolstadt Wine Festival is organized in Germany.

Now, after the history, let's move on to practical information on the program of the Septemberfest of Carrara 2018. This year there will be a small change that affects the bureaucratic side. The event will be organized directly by IMM Carrarafiere, but, as the organizers have assured, the suppliers of beer and food will remain unchanged and so will the outline! Let's start from the beer! At the Beer Fest 2018 you can taste three types of spicy beers specially prepared for the event by the Nordbrau brewery: the lager, the ale and the wheat beer. There will also be the characteristic Septemberfest food stalls where you can enjoy excellent Bavarian food, perfect to accompany beer: roast pork shanks, but also beef dishes, the inevitable frankfurters with sauerkraut but also with other side dishes such as chips or salad, delicious cream cheese, pretzels (the tasty Bavarian bread) and also, the cherry on the cake, lots of desserts such as strudel, apple pancakes and donuts. What do you think? The Septemberfest menu seems really inviting! A right digression from the typical Tuscan cuisine, which is truly very exceptional, we can assure you!

But the 2018 Summer Beer Festival in Carrara will not be just an opportunity to drink and eat. In fact, you will also have the opportunity to attend the shows that will take place on the main stage and also among the tables! The Septemberfest shows will be above all in the name of the Bavarian tradition, with music and traditional dances but, as in the past editions, there will be 'contaminations' with performances from other cultures and countries. The Tuttofiera association of Carrara will organize the typical market with about a hundred stands which you will find inside the fair structure. Carrara Septemberfest parking issues have been anticipated and well organised, given the large turnout. There is ample parking around the pavilion. Obviously, it gets busier at weekends, but you can find parking even in areas adjacent to the event. In short, Carrara events are organized rather well!

With the biggest beer festival in Italy organized so well and in a location like Carrara, you do not really have any excuses to let it slip away. It is a perfect opportunity to spend a few days in late summer in Tuscany, close to the beaches of Versilia, the majestic Apuan Alps and to the three splendid art heritage cities of Lucca, Pisa and Livorno. If you decide to head towards the latter we suggest you take advantage of one of our tours from Livorno, perfect to discover some unmissable destinations in Tuscany such as Florence, Siena and San Gimignano.

And if you want to continue the Septemberfest 'festive' and goliardic atmosphere, why not you give yourself a nice tour on the classic double-decker bus? City Sightseeing in Livorno will really be a fun experience for the whole family! So, have we convinced you? Take note of the Carrara Septemberfest dates for 2018 and get planning! If you manage to be there for the opening evening, you could enjoy the spectacle of the auspicious break of the barrel, from which the first liters of beer will be tapped. We’ve told you everything you need to know, now we can only advise you not to overdo it, and to conclude with the inevitable: 'Prost'!