Oktoberfest in California 2024

Enjoy a day at one of the celebrations of Oktoberfest 2024 in California. The state has the largest population claiming German heritage with over 5 million people, even though less than 10% of the state claims German heritage. That’s more than 2 million more than Pennsylvania or Ohio, which rank numbers two and three on the list. So it should come as no surprise that there are a large number of places where you can celebrate Oktoberfest in California. It doesn’t matter whether you are in San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego, you are not far from a fabulous California Oktoberfest.

Last Major Update:

2024 was a great year for Oktoberfest! We'll be back with more next year.

Looks like plenty of great Oktoberfest parties running all the way up to November to enjoy, so Prost!

All events showing current dates need to be verified to confirm that changes to the schedule were not made by the organizers after publication here. We do not run these events, and would hate for anyone to go out of their way only to find the event had been canceled after releasing a date. Please click through to the event website to confirm! Be safe and have a great fall!

2024 Events

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You’ll notice that there are plenty of authentic, popular Oktoberfest parties in California so you don’t have to leave the state for Oktoberfest. But here are three nearby states where you might also find an Oktoberfest worth attending: Arizona, Nevada and Oregon.

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Past Events

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We hope you enjoy these celebrations of Oktoberfest. Let us know below which one you've headed to and which one you like the best!

We have added maps with the locations of each Oktoberfest. We may not have had the exact location for each Oktoberfest so in some instances we have placed the marker in the general vicinity of the Oktoberfest. Be sure to get specific directions from another source and do not solely rely on our map at the moment. We have also noticed that the markers may not show up on some mobile browsers. We will work to sort out this bug in the future.

Please confirm dates, locations and activities available at the Oktoberfest before going. That's one reason that we provide a website address when we find one. We attempt to ensure that the information for each Oktoberfest is accurate but there are bound to be a few errors. If you let us know when you find one, we will fix it. In some cases, we may link to last year's event when information for this year is not yet available. Do not be fooled.

The festivals listed range in size. Some events may have hundreds of thousands of attendees. Others may have only a handful. We're sorry that we don't have more information about attendance numbers at the moment. We will do our best to add this information as time goes on.

Professionalism varies as well. Some Oktoberfests are professional operations with large budgets. Others are local operations run by volunteers. Do your due diligence before making plans to attend so that you know what to expect. We will happily publish information about your experience with any Oktoberfest so that our visitors will be better informed in the future.

Some Oktoberfests are more family friendly than others. If you have small children, look for an Oktoberfest that has activities for kids. Other events start out with family friendly activities and become more adult oriented as it becomes later in the evening.

Not all Oktoberfest celebrations will be authentic German festival experiences. Some may simply be an excuse to drink rather than celebrate German heritage. Some may call themselves Oktoberfest but provide local or seasonal beer rather than authentic German Oktoberfest beer. Be sure to consider the type of celebration that you are looking to attend when you pick your Oktoberfest.

Activities offered at each Oktoberfest varies. Some activities that you may find are parades, keg tapping ceremony, beer gardens, Miss Oktoberfest or costume contests, stein holding contests, bratwurst eating contest, chicken dance, wiener races, keg toss, live German bands and local entertainment, polka dancing and fairground games. Some Oktoberfest events will just have beer and brats.

Please don't drink and drive. We want everyone to get home safe. Use a designated driver or take public transportation. Uber and Lyft often offer ride credits for new users.

We've got some other resources that would help you prepare for Oktoberfest as well. Read about the history of Oktoberfest. Learn about Oktoberfest beer. Find the words to Oktoberfest music. Plan your Oktoberfest outfit. And try cooking some of these Oktoberfest recipes.

Do you run one of the Oktoberfests listed? Feel free to send us additional information and we will add it. We apologize for any errors: send us corrections or updates if you find them! We also love to list new Oktoberfests, and have advertising solutions if you'd like to reach a wider audience.

Find other fun things to do in California in fall:

California Festivals
California Corn Mazes
California Ghost Tours
Haunted Houses in California
Pumpkin Patches in California

9 thoughts on “Oktoberfest in California 2024”

  1. Julia says:

    Hi- I make hair bows, feather hair fascinatora and tutus for craft festivals- I would like to know how I can become a seller for your events. Thank you in advance!

    Julia

    Reply
  2. Nevada says:

    Here is another one in Anaheim, Ca. There are some days where no children are allowed and some are family friendly days.
    Here is the website. thephoenixclub.com/

    Reply
    • Dawn says:

      The Phoenix Club – Anaheim, This is the BEST!! If you’re in the Orange County area, it’s always packed and the crowd is pleasant , there’s a great play area for kids and vender fun! Our family has made it a tradition to go and out shoot each other at the shooting gallery, and who doesn’t love the chicken dance and Bier!

      Reply

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