Congratulations to Mary Rutemeyer, whose comment was chosen randomly as the winner of the two tickets to Kingsport Oktoberfest. Enjoy, and Prost!

Oktoberfest starts today in Munich, Germany. But face it. Many of us in the states will not be there.

Luckily, German immigrants and lovers of great beer have brought the Oktoberfest tradition to our shores. Though most last only a weekend or two, sometimes just one afternoon; others carry on the weeks-long schedule of the original celebration. The “Oktoberfest” label does not necessarily mean a great beer festival. But sometimes it does. Like the Kingsport Oktoberfest in Kingsport, Tennessee, on Saturday, September 24, 2011.

The festival in eastern Tennessee is loaded with beery goodness.

• Two music stages and roaming music.
• An Artisan Craft Market.
• Family fun at Das Kid Zone.
• A Kids Run and Mudrun to benefit Toys for Tots, and another run to benefit another children’s charity.
• An attempt at a Guiness World Record for the world’s largest cornhole tournament.
• A Weiner Dog “Brat Trot” Race
• A Bavarian Brat Eating Contest.
• Oh, and beer. At least 25 local and national craft brewers will be pouring tasting samples in the Craft Bier Garden.

An especially cool feature of the Kingsport Oktoberfest will be the Beer University. College would have been a lot more interesting with a syllabus that includes sampling beers crafted just for the festival, a rare and specialty cask ale tasting, and beers infused through specialty ingredients while learning about the craft from professional brewers.

Here’s the lineup for special seminars:

• RiverBend Malt House will discuss the artisan characteristics of the traditional malting process.
• Echoview Farm will talk about local hops farming in Western North Carolina.
• Smoky Mountain Brewery will present a session on the history of brewing and the production of Marzen and Oktoberfest style beers.
• Wolf Hills Brewing will discuss the basic elements of brewing and how to tell the difference between different style and types of beers.
• Lazy Magnolia Brewing will pour samples of the one-off Kingsport Oktoberfest Flaming Pecan Cask Ale.
• Moccasin Bend Brewery will talk about starting a nanobrewery.
• Studio Brewwill will enlighten festival-goers on the aspects of yeast in the brewing process.
• Woodruff Brewery will infuse its IPA with a variety of fruits for tasting.

Tickets for the Craft Bier Garden sampling are $29 each and include unlimited tastings and access to Beer University. The festival will run from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Separate tickets are required for some of the other events, but prizes are involved. There are nearby hotels and campgrounds where lodging is available for attendees.

Here’s what you’ve been waiting for. The organizers of Kingsport Oktoberfest have made available a pair of VIP tickets for one lucky Road Trips for Beer reader. The tickets give access to the VIP/Black Forest Brew-Off featuring 20 homebrewers, and entrance to the Craft Bier Garden and Beer University.

All you need to do to enter is leave a comment below that names your favorite Southeast U.S. beer or brewery.

For additional entries:

• Follow @roadtrips4beer on Twitter, and leave a separate comment below that says you did so. If you’re already a follower, leave a comment saying so. (one additional entry).
• “Like” the Road Trips for Beer Facebook page, and leave a separate comment below that says you did so. If you’re already a liker, leave a comment saying so. (one additional entry).

IMPORTANT: There are TWO ways to comment on this post: You can use the Facebook comment feature or the “Leave a comment!” box at the very bottom. If you use the Facebook feature, you MUST include your email address so I can contact you right away. Failure to do so will invalidate the entry.

If you are not comfortable posting your email address publicly, please use the “Leave a comment!” feature and enter it there so your email will not be published.

Of course, you must be 21 to win and you may be asked to prove it.

A winner will be chosen randomly on using the Random.org service Thursday, September 22, 2011, at noon. Good luck! The festival is two days later, so please watch your email box Thursday afternoon to see if you won; the timetable is close.

Good luck!

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