SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. —Camp Richardson Resort’s Oktoberfest is back Oct. 4-5 with more food and beer choices. An ode to the Munich festival and a favorite for visitors and locals, the festival runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. New this year, festivalgoers can upgrade their experience with a limited VIP option. Only 100 VIP tickets will be available for sale. General admission and parking are free.

Raise a stein and choose from 11 beers on tap, including Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, and Erdinger, all renowned German breweries from Bavaria, Germany, known for their traditional wheat beers. Well-known for its family-friendly activities, beer and wine garden, and Oktoberfest-inspired menu options, Camp Richardson will be serving up bratwurst and pretzels, in addition to an array of food trucks offering a variety of dishes, including smoked turkey legs, roasted corn, pizza, and tacos.

Tickets are available now for the new Oktoberfest VIP Section. VIPs enjoy additional exclusive beer options from South Lake Tahoe’s Coldwater Brewery, and a VIP German-inspired unlimited buffet in a private beer garden. VIP tickets include access for both days of the festival, a commemorative 44-ounce Beverage Boot, four beverage vouchers, a festival shirt, and tote. Early purchase tickets are $155 per person until Sept. 21 and then will be offered at $175 a person. Tickets for children 3-12 are $30 and $40 for ages 13-20, and include access to the VIP area and food buffet.

Festivalgoers are encouraged to take advantage of the free bike valet service provided by the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition. The bike valet will be located on the festival side of state Route 89. Free parking is available on paved sites in the resort’s Eagles Nest campground.

Contests during the two-day festival range from beer stein holding to yodeling and costume contests for dogs and their owners. All ages can participate in the yodeling and costume contests. Winners receive gift certificates for food, activities and lodging at the resort.

The “Gruber Family Band” will play live polka music both days accompanied by dancers from Lake Tahoe Shining Stars. Vendor row will include many handcrafted and made-in-Tahoe choices. Souvenir steins and shirts will be available for purchase at the Camp Richardson Booth.

As a participant in the Tahoe Blue Beach program, Camp Richardson is going plastic-free at all the resort’s booths for this year’s Oktoberfest. Refillable water stations will be available, and the resort is asking guests to bring their own water bottles as disposable cups will not be provided.

The Tahoe Blue Beach program is a collaborative between Keep Tahoe Blue, land managers — including the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and California State Parks — as well as beach concessionaires and businesses to “raise the bar for beach management in Tahoe” to ensure Lake Tahoe is protected from the impacts of recreation.

For the latest updates, visitors can follow the resort’s new Facebook and Instagram pages at http://www.facebook.com/camprichresort and  http://www.instagram.com/camprichresort/