The Springfield Museums will kick-off its fifth season of Culture & Cocktails with their annual Oktoberfest: The Art of the Brew event on Thursday, October 2, 2014 from 5–8 pm at the Merrie and Lyman Wood Museum of Springfield History. The event is $5 for members, $15 for nonmembers, and includes tastings of all brews. Oktoberfest is sponsored by TD Bank and Business West. The media sponsor for the Culture & Cocktails series is The Republican/Masslive.

The October 2 Oktoberfest event will offer guests samples from sixteen home-brewers as well as commercial brewers including Amherst Brewing Co., Artisan Beverage Coop., Baxter Brewing, Berkshire Brewing Company, Brewmaster Jack, Paper City Brewing Co., the People’s Pint, and the Scantic River Brewery.  The event also features live music by the Charlie Galvin Band.

Catering at all eight events this year is by Log Rolling Catering from The Log Cabin Delaney House, and will feature delicious hors d’ouevres and other treats served at chef attended stations, plus additional options from their deluxe Log Rolling Food Truck. The Oktoberfest menu will include Brie Raclette, Bavarian Crostini, potato latkes, and Spaten cheese fondue.

Culture & Cocktails are monthly after-five events held at one of the four museums on the Quadrangle campus, and are open to guests ages 21 and up. Each month’s theme is inspired by the Springfield Museums’ extensive collections, special exhibits and holiday celebrations. The series continues through June 2015; dates and themes are as follows:

• November 6, 2014- Artistic and Culinary Expressions, D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts;
• December 11, 2014 (Second Thursday)- The Sparkle of the Holidays, Springfield Science Museum;
• February 5, 2015- Indulgence: An Evening of Wine and Chocolate, George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum;
• March 5, 2015- Above the Fold: New Expressions in Origami, D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts,
• April 9, 2015 (Second Thursday)- – Festival of Flowers, All Museums;
• May 7, 2015- Margaritas in May, Wood Museum of Springfield History;
• June 4, 2015- Sushi and Saki, George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum

To reserve tickets, visit springfieldmuseums.org or call 413.263.6800, ext. 255.  All attendees must be 21 years of age or older.  More event information is available at springfieldmuseums.org and facebook.com/culturecocktails.