By Tonya Vots
Correspondent

Dust off your dirndls and lederhosen and make your best route to Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta Georgia for the ninth annual Atlanta German Bierfest, to be held Saturday, August 25, 2012.  Featuring 40 German brews from 20 breweries, these beers are made according to the Reinheitsgebot  (German beer purity law), which states that beer can only be made using malt, water, hops and yeast.  Some of the breweries to be represented include Bitburger, Paulaner, Radeberger, Franzikaner, Kulmbacher and Jever.

A complete list of breweries can be found on the festival’s website and specific beers are mentioned on the event’s Facebook page.

Gates open at 2 p.m. and festivities last until 7 p.m. Tickets are available online for $35 and the price rises to $40 at the door.  Designated drivers may reserve a ticket online for free, or pay $10 at the door. Touted as a family-friendly festival, kids are welcome; however pets are not allowed.  Three thousand tickets are expected to be sold and drinking attendees will receive a souvenir tasting glass.

This lively festival holds something for everyone, including authentic German food and music.  Woodruff Park offers ample shade and attendees are free to bring blankets or camp chairs.

“We’re approaching our fourth year having our Bierfest in Woodruff Park, says Iris Gombert of the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S., which hosts the festival. “The relationship with the City of Atlanta and Central Atlanta Progress has been always a pleasure and beneficial for both parties. Woodruff Park is the perfect venue and close to public transportation.”