Phoenix Club members thought the 2021 Oktoberfest would be their last in Anaheim, but like their organization’s namesake bird, the popular event is rising from the ashes to offer one last round of music, dancing, beer and schnitzel before it relocates at the end of the year.

The club, founded in 1960, sold its property near the Honda Center where it had been since the early 1990s and expected to move after last year’s Oktoberfest. But although they have a new location on West Central Avenue in Brea, “things have just taken a lot longer than they were initially expected to because of site surveys and plan submittals” and other requirements to get the property ready, Phoenix Club President Linda Kreisant said.

That has let the group enjoy its Anaheim property a bit longer.

They won’t have the big outdoor tent this year, so Oktoberfest events will be in the club’s beer hall and the outdoor Biergarten, Kreisant said, but they’ll be offering all the traditional favorites: live German music and Schuhplattler dancing, plus bratwurst, pretzels and beer.

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When the club, dedicated to preserving German, Austrian and Swiss culture and language, moves to Brea in 2023, it will still have a restaurant and bar, as well as a ballroom, though it will be significantly smaller than the Anaheim property. Kreisant said they’ll have space for dance practices and German language lessons, but some future activities may have to be held offsite.

The club is selling tickets for Oktoberfest online, and though it may be a bit smaller than in past years, Kreisant said, “It’s still going to be a lot of fun.”

The Phoenix Club’s Oktoberfest celebration runs on weekends from Sept. 16 to Oct. 23; tickets are available at thephoenixclub.com.

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