[Real Detroit Weekly] Dakota Inn Rathskeller

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

"Why do Germans celebrate Oktoberfest in September? They just do, no need to worry your pretty little head over it. But at the Dakota Inn Rathskeller in Detroit's Palmer Park neighborhood, Oktoberfest starts late September and runs through the end of October because this is America and dammit, the name says 'Oktober.'

'The Oktoberfest celebrations at the Dakota Inn are infamous in metro Detroit, with people making reservations months in advance just to ensure a seat (never you fear, late-planners: the 'late' crowd, from about 9 p.m. on, is all on a walk-in, first-come/first-served basis). As Detroit's only sing-along bar, the Dakota Inn is always guaranteed to be a good time; but it's during Oktoberfest that things get extra-rowdy ... and when the chicken hats come out in full force.

'What harvest season Old Country German tradition do the chicken hats originate from? None. Not a damn one. They're just fun. They're chicken hats. Also, the Kurz family, which has owned the Dakota Inn since 1933 and is now in its third generation of ownership, makes the hats themselves and then donates the proceeds to charity. Also, they're chicken hats...'

Read the rest of the article here.

Want to see more? Check out the Flickr set here.