(Virtual) Oktoberfest & HONK! in Harvard Square
Friday, October 9th – Monday, October 12th, 2020
| Dozens of HONK! bands from across the globe strutting down Massachusetts Avenue performing exhilarating anthems and touting social causes; unique works of art and one of a kind gifts for sale; pretzels, pizza, sausages, endless ethnic delicacies and of course, beer (lots of it) are just some of the sounds, sights and tastes that have attracted hundreds of thousands of people to celebrate Oktoberfest in Harvard Square the past 42 years (15 years for HONK!). While hosting this world class extravaganza this year simply isn’t possible, we couldn’t let Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend go by without assembling some of the best Harvard Square has to offer. Over 20 restaurants have beautifully appointed outdoor patios serving all of your favorite dishes and cocktails in socially distanced settings. Our tireless retailers that you know and love are adhering to stringent guidelines regarding your safety and welcome you back to shop in confidence. If celebrating Oktoberfest in the comfort of your home is your preference, may we suggest takeout meals and a virtual concert, book reading or gallery stroll? |
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| Normally Oktoberfest is six hours long. This year, our virtual festival will be 4 DAYS long – we deserve it! For a full list of promotions, online and in-person activities and more are listed below. If you are coming into the Square to dine, we recommend you contact your restaurant to confirm updated hours. And, please, make sure to wear your mask! If you’re like us, you’re a fan of HONK!, a festival of street activist bands that are an integral part of our Oktoberfest festivities. We are pleased to announce that all things HONK! will be taking place online from October 5th – 11th. This year, they invited every HONK! affiliate out there – organizers, musicians, artists, and activist partners – to contribute content to HONK!United. They will also be holding a series of online workshops related to their cultural and political practices. Imagine being able to celebrate the power of brass and percussion from Boston to Berlin, Rio to Rome and Paris, London to Wollongong, not to mention Austin, New York, Seattle, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Montreal, Vancouver, and elsewhere … all at the same time! |
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| In celebration of HONK! we have compiled this video that exemplifies the joy and exuberance that only they can provide. Thanks, HONK! for 14 years of “reclaiming the streets for horns, bikes and feet”! |
| Oktoberfest in Harvard Square was started in 1978 by the late Frank Cardullo, a Square mover, shaker and owner of the renowned Wurtshaus, which served up traditional German food from 1917 until it closed in 1996. The early festivals were in keeping with old world customs. Over the years, the festival has taken on a more discerningly Cambridge vibe to become an Oktoberfest unlike any other. |
Friday, October 9th – Monday, October 12th
A Friendly Inn
A friendly inn is well suited to beat flu or covid-19. Many entrances and doors to private rooms, making it ideal for a good night sleep and plenty of fresh air to breathe and to relax. Our inn is limited to 5 bookings per night , a guest room will be left vacant for a whole week after guest checking out.
We are pets friendly, with a private entrance and a green yard.
Cambridge Art Association
2020 Emerging Artists
Exhibit Juried by Helen Popinchalk, Artist, Professor, and the Director of the Trustman Gallery at Simmons University
October 6 – 29, 2020
| Nubar In addition to their regular dinner menu, they will be offering a 3-course German-inspired dinner for just $30, beginning on Thursday 10/8 – through Sunday 10/11 (now closed on Mon/Tue). They will have live music on Thursday and Friday as well. Okbtoberfest Special German-Inspired Menu In Addition To Our Regular Dinner Menu Thursday 10/8 Through Sunday 10/11 Live Music Presented By Longy School Of Music On Thursday And Friday 6:30pm – 8:30pm 3 course meal for $30/pp Appetizer Beer Cheese Soup $9 a la carte rye croutons Entrée Pork Schnitzel $23 a la carte spatzel, mushrooms, spinach, mustard cream sauce Dessert Bavarian Cream Pie $8 a la carte chocolate, vanilla cream Wine Special Pratsch Gruner Veltliner, Austria 2018 flavors of apple, peach, apricot – round palate with slight spice finish $8/gl $34/btl (Full Liter) |
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| Origins Skin Care Giveaway promotion running only in Origin stores from 10/8 through 10/19. Spend $55 and receive a FREE 6 piece gift set, spend $85 and also receive a FREE full size moisturizer. Total value is $170. While supplies last. |
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| Otto Our October monthly special is Sweet Potato & Polenta with Sage, and our Fall seasonal salad is Baby Spinach, Pomegranate, Cranberry, Apple & Goat Cheese with Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette |
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| As always, we offer many gluten-free and vegan options. Our outdoor patio is still open as well! |
| Passim Be sure to check out Passim’s own Julian Loida! Video Samples: Shimmer / Silver Lacquer Website: julianloida.com Streaming: recordings  |
| SEE Inc. SEE’s Fall Trunk Show – October 8-25! This is SEE’s only Trunk Show of 2020, and we’ve saved the most unique styles of the year for it! Call now to make an appointment for “first dibs” on the hottest looks for Fall. They won’t last long, as always we produced every style in limited quantities – only 2 per color per store! |
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Tasty Burger
Oktoberfest for 1
– one griddled hot dog topped with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard
– one tallboy (16oz) Two Roads Hefeweizen beer
– $10.49 plus tax
– must be 21+ with valid ID
– available for takeout, dine-in and online orders beginning 10/9 through 10/12
– order online at tastyburger.com/order
Friday, October 9th
| Cambridge Center for Adult Education Making Pasta from Scratch at Home 6:00pm – 8:30pm Take the leap into making pasta from scratch in this online class. You’ll learn about the various flours and different hydrations. We’ll cut different styles of long and short pasta with a pasta machine or by hand. We also will delve into filled pasta including different styles of ravioli. We’ll also talk about how to buy a machine and how to take care of it after use. Q&A is always welcome. You are welcome to make pasta along in this online class or just watch and learn. The list of ingredients needed will be sent prior to the class along with the Zoom link. Instructor: Diane Manteca Register for this class here. |
| Cambridge Forum A Synthesizing Mind with Howard Gardner 1:00pm Long an authority on the human mind, Professor Howard Gardner’s latest book reflects on his own childhood and intellectual development in addition to a review of his groundbreaking work on multiple intelligences- including his own. Register in advance for the webinar here. |
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| Harvard Art Museums Art Study Center Seminar at Home: Obsession and Labor—Albert Moore’s Singular Painting Techniques 11:00am – 12:00pm In this seminar, fellows Ruby Awburn and Sophie Lynford will reconstruct British artist Albert Moore’s elaborate, multistage painting process. Register for this seminar here. |
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| Harvard Book Store Virtual Event: Mathias Risse 12:00pm Harvard Book Store’s virtual event series and the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics welcome MATHIAS RISSE—Lucius N. Littauer Professor of Philosophy and Public Administration and Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University—for a discussion of his latest book, On Justice: Philosophy, History, Foundations. He will be joined in conversation by ERIC BEERBOHM, Professor of Government and Faculty Affiliate in the Department of Philosophy at Harvard University and author of In Our Name: The Ethics of Democracy. This event is free but a $3 contribution is suggested at registration. Register here. |
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| Harvard Book Store Virtual Event: Eileen Myles 7:00pm Harvard Book Store welcomes renowned, award-winning poet EILEEN MYLES—author of over twenty volumes of poetry as well as the acclaimed memoir, Afterglow—for a discussion of their book-length essay, For Now. They will be joined in conversation by ANDREA LAWLOR, author of the beloved novel, Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl. This event is free but a $3 contribution is suggested at registration. Register here. |
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| Nubar Longy@Nubar 6:30pm Our new series Longy@Nubar continues! Come out to Nubar’s patio for delicious food, drinks and live music (but physically distant). Longy students, faculty and alumni will perform Thursdays and Fridays at 6:30 pm. Be sure to reserve your table!  |
Saturday, October 10th
| Cambridge Center for Adult Education Gluten-Free Cooking 1:00pm – 3:00pm Stop spending a fortune in the gluten-free aisle at the grocery store! Entrees, side dishes, snacks and baked goods—you name it, we’ll cover it. In addition to cooking some yummy gluten free dishes, we’ll talk about resources, options, what labels say (and don’t say) and recipe substitutions. In this interactive online class, we’ll learn how to make warm salad with pear, walnut, lemon maple vinaigrette, cod with herbed nut crust, zesty mushroom quinotto and pumpkin panna cotta with toasted coconut. You are welcome to cook along or just watch and learn. Instructor: Adriana Katekawa Register for this class here. Cambridge Center for Adult Education Basic Dumplings from Scratch 5:00pm – 7:00pm Dumplings are delicious and easy to make during this stay-at-home time. In this online class, you’ll learn techniques and tips for making your own dumplings at home. We’ll start with making the wrappers from scratch. You are welcome to use the store-bought wrappers. But, we encourage you to make the dough along as it uses only flour and water. Ploy will show you how to make colorful dough using real food ingredients for colors. You’ll also learn how to make fillings, fold dumplings and cook them with different techniques. You are welcome to make dumplings along in this online class or just watch and learn. The list of ingredients needed will be sent to the class along with the Zoom link 3 days before the class starts. The online class will not be recorded but a folding tutorial will be sent to all attendees after the class for your own practice. Instructor: Ploy Khunisorn Register for this class here. |
| Harvard Art Museums Student Guide Tour: Spirituality in Secular Art, with Adam Sella 11:00am – 11:30am Join us live on Zoom for an interactive, virtual tour led by Harvard undergraduate Adam Sella from the Ho Family Student Guide Program. Register for this tour here.  |
| Longy School of Music Rising: Neave Trio, Ensemble-in-Residence 7:30pm Expectations rise, people rise up, we rise to the occasion (and, yes, the sun also rises). With timely, timeless works of Shostakovich, Clara Schumann, and Jennifer Higdon to guide you, let this multimedia performance transport you into the world of meaning that “rising” unlocks. And remember, what goes up doesn’t always have to come down. Buy tickets here. |
| Sunday, October 11th |
| Grendel’s Den We’ve all lost out on a lot this year, but we aren’t gonna let 2020 stop us from donning our lederhosen and dirndls for Oktoberfest! Join us on the patio for a Bavarian feast including pretzels, German beer and more. We’ll have the famous oompah band, the Mad Bavarians, live outside to keep the festivities going and our annual keg tapping performed by Herbie and Kari. We will be adhering to CDC guidelines during this event. No mingling or standing room available. Masks must be worn at all times unless seated at a table. First come first serve. $20 per person cover at the door for the band. Outdoor seating only for this event. Space is limited! RSVP here.  Longy School of Music Winds and Brass Departmental Recital 3:00pm On October 11, the Winds and Brass Department presents ‘Party of One.’ Each student, some in person and others from abroad, will be presenting an unaccompanied work for their instrument. Ranging from solo works by C.P.E. Bach to world premieres of music written since the onset of COVID, ‘Party of One’ shows that time alone is not always such a bad thing! Buy tickets here. Cambridge Center for Adult Education Friends and Family Series: Making Sushi at Home We’ll have fun creating this art of rolling in this online interactive class together at home. You will learn every step from preparing ingredients and cooking each sushi component including sushi rice, Japanese egg roll and savory shrimp tempura. While we roll out 5 styles of flavorful and colorful sushi, we’ll talk about the history and culture behind this long Japanese tradition. You’ll receive a zoom link and a recipe packet 3 days before the class starts. No sushi mats, no problems. The packet will also include suggestions for fillings, proteins, and substitute ingredients that you can find in your area. In our Friends and Family series, we encourage families, roommates and households to attend this class and cook along together. The tuition is per device. Instructor: Ploy Khunisorn Register for this class here |
Monday, October 12th
| Harvard Book Store Virtual Event: Sinan Aral 7:00pm Harvard Book Store’s virtual event series welcomes SINAN ARAL—David Austin Professor of Management at MIT and founding partner at Manifest Capital—for a discussion of his book The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health—and How We Must Adapt. This event is free but a $3 contribution is suggested at registration. Register here. |
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