Music achieves its full emotional effect only when performed live, just as great literature becomes comprehensible only when screamed aloud in a crowded subway train. Enjoy public performance with today’s Groupon: for $30, you get a German festival evening for two at Okterberfest Niagara on Saturday, October 22 from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Merriton Community Centre (up to a $60 value). The outing includes:

• Admission to the festival (up to a $25 value/person)
• Two drink tickets (a $10 value)

Presented by Stumble Records, Oktoberfest Niagara gathers revellers for a one-night celebration of German Bavarian culture, brews, and music. Festivities commence with a ceremonial keg tapping at 6:30 p.m., when the chosen malt liberator drives a wooden tap into the beer cask to release frothing lager and the Ghost of Oktoberfest Past. As attendees line up to fill their cups, the S.T.V. Weiss Blau Bayern Group thrills eyes with traditional Bavarian and Tirol dances. Niagara native and polka protégé Walter Ostenak invites ears to waltz in time to his accordion, and musician Butch Haller and band Sex Panther allow their guitars to show off their German accents during a generous jam session.

Guests mill around donning multicoloured German hats provided at entry, and bites of house-made sausage and sauerkraut pique palates. Crowds also gather around the stage for the Miss Oktoberfest Contest, where dirndl-clad women and soft pretzels in lederhosen stand proudly to compete based on cultural flair. To foster a multicultural atmosphere, the Stumble Records staff bestows prize giveaways for the most authentic Bavarian attire.