The Delta Hotels by Marriott Helena Colonial is not waiting for a calendar technicality to start celebrating Oktoberfest. The hotel is running a two-day German-themed food and beer event on Thursday, October 29, and Friday, October 30, with a menu of Bavarian specials and Hofbräu beer available to anyone who walks in — no admission charge.
The food menu includes Pretzel Bites at $10 — warm Bavarian pretzel bites served with beer cheese sauce — and a German Pork Schnitzel at $19, described as a traditional breaded preparation. Hofbräu, the Munich brewery with a name most Helenans have seen on a tap handle, is the featured beer for the event.
For a city that doesn't have a dedicated German restaurant, events like this one tend to draw a crowd that's been waiting for an excuse to eat schnitzel and drink a proper lager. The Delta Colonial is on Last Chance Gulch, which makes it an easy stop for anyone already heading downtown. The event runs both evenings with no cover and no reservation required.