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:

Still plenty of 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

Lake Arrowhead Oktoberfest - Lake Arrowhead, CA - Sep 14 to Oct 27, 2024
Celebrate Oktoberfest on weekends in their genuine Alpine village with authentic food and free entertainment. Games include stein holding, sausage toss, beer chug and more. Imported German and European beers on tap. German sausage, pretzels and more. Chicken dance too!

La Mesa Oktoberfest - La Mesa, CA - Oct 4 to Oct 6, 2024
It now attracts 200,000 to the 3 day festival. German food, beer, entertainment and childrens activities. Hosted by the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce and the La Mesa Village Merchants Association.

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

Los Osos Oktoberfest - Los Osos, CA - Oct 29, 2023
The Annual Oktoberfest and Annual Car Show will again be held on Second Street in Baywood Park. Admission for the event is FREE. Since 1977, the festival has grown from a small group of vendors and musicians, to a popular countywide event that attracts over 6,000 participants. For the entire day, Los Osos/Baywood Park will be bustling with pomp and ceremony and the enthusiasm of thousands of revelers eager to enjoy the day with live music and entertainment, a Beer Garden, food, arts & crafts, pet and people costume contests, activities for kids and more.

Park Chalet Oktoberfest - San Francisco, CA - Oct 22, 2023
Ceramic 1 L stein, German fare incuding beer and pretzels, live music

Santa Anita Oktoberfest - Arcadia, CA - Oct 21 to Oct 22, 2023
Raise your steins and strap on your lederhosen for the grand return of Oktoberfest at Santa Anita, with two weekends packed to the brim with more Bavarian beer, eats, live music & entertainment, and more fun than you can shake a bratwurst at.

Novato Oktoberfest - Novato, CA - Oct 21, 2023
Hosted by the Novato Rotarians, this Oktoberfest includes dinner and a drink ticket, an “Oom-pah” band, dancing, and prizes.

Lodi Oktoberfest - Lodi, CA - Oct 21, 2023

Oktoberfest in Campbell - Campbell, CA - Oct 21 to Oct 22, 2023
German foods, a variety of beers and ales, over 100 artisans and live entertainment. Attendance is generally 30,000.

Red Bluff Oktoberfest - Red Bluff, CA - Oct 14, 2023
Held by St. Peter’s Episcopal.

Walnut Creek Oktoberfest - Walnut Creek, CA - Oct 13 to Oct 14, 2023
Lace up the dirndl dress and don the lederhosen – Autumn starts with Walnut Creek’’s annual Oktoberfest, free, day-long, family-friendly festival recreates the beloved German traditional Fall celebration. The fun includes a Bier Garden, Kinder Platz, live music stages, gourmet food booths and more.

Sacramento Turn Verein Oktoberfest - Sacramento, CA - Oct 13, 2023
Eat, drink and dance like a German. Outdoor biergarten. Kid friendly activities.

Oktoberfest at Nature Friends - Sierra Madre, CA - Oct 8, 2023
A German themed potluck (bring your favorite dish!), dance demonstrations and other fun. $5 suggested donation.

Carlsbad Rotary Oktoberfest - Carlsbad, CA - Oct 7, 2023
Family event with German dinner, beer, dancing, live music, pumpkin patch and pumpkin decorating contest for kids. Net proceeds are donated to local causes.

Redlands Oktoberfest - Redlands, CA - Oct 7 to Oct 8, 2023
Head to Sylvan Park for Oktoberfest beers and local craft brews, kids activities, contests for best costume, yodeling, stein holding, and Hammerschlagen; live polka music, food vendors and more! Benefits Redlands Optimists and their work in the community. $10 admission (under 21 is free).

Montrose Oktoberfest - Montrose, CA - Oct 7, 2023
Annual Oktoberfest by the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce. It is the largest outdoor event of the City of Glendale and the Foothills. Contests include stein holding, sausage eating, Master & Little Miss OKtoberfest, best dressed dog and a coloring contest. Games, rides and bingo as well. German bands and dancing, too.

Stallion Springs Oktoberfest - Tehachapi, CA - Oct 7, 2023
Fun for the whole family with food, beer and kids activities from noon until 6 PM. Location: Stallion Springs Community Center, 27800 Stallion Springs Dr, Tehachapi.

EdUCate! Oktoberfest - San Diego, CA - Oct 7, 2023
Annual Oktoberfest from 1 to 6 PM to raise money for five U.C. public schools. Bratwurst, beer garden, live music from three bands, home brew contest and kids games.

Ocean Beach Oktoberfest - San Diego, CA - Oct 6 to Oct 7, 2023
The annual Ocean Beach Oktoberfest. This two-day eclectic, beachside festival will include a variety of exciting activities, contests and entertainment with proceeds benefiting local non-profit organizations. The event will kick off at 3:30 Friday afternoon with live music in the 21 and older beer garden. There will be a 2 for 1 happy hour Friday from 4:30 to 6:01. The Saturday morning festivities will kick off early with a Drill instructor workout on the beach, followed at 9 a.m. with the fifth annual OB Brat Trot, a fundraiser sponsored by the Ocean Beach Community Foundation with proceeds going towards local youth sports. All ages are invited to participate; registration is $25 per family (up to 6 participants) for the 2K Family Fun Run at 9 a.m. and $30 per person for the 5K Beach Run to follow at 10 a.m. Registration for the 5K Beach Run includes free entrance into the beer garden and two complimentary beers for runners 21 and older. New to the event this year, there will be a German microbrew tasting benefiting the Warrior Foundation Freedom Station. The special tastings dubbed Poured with Courage will be served by active and retired wounded service members on behalf of the Warrior Foundation Freedom Station, which will share in the proceeds. Tasting tickets are $30 and will be sold online at www.OBOktoberfest.com prior to the event and at the gate as long as they last. Saturday will also include a free beachside all-ages stage with performances by an OB Oktoberfest band, along with a food and craft vendor area on the Veterans Plaza lawn. Beer garden entertainment will include live music; the annual Sausage Toss Competition for a $1,000 cash prize; and bratwurst-eating, stein-holding and other competitions.

Oktoberfest at Fairplex - Pomona, CA - Oct 6 to Oct 21, 2023
The home of the L.A. County Fair brings you their Los Angeles Oktoberfest with beer, German food, Bavarian music, games and the chicken dance. It’s 21+ only and is held on Friday-Saturday for each weekend.

Oakland Nature Friends Oktoberfest - Oakland, CA - Oct 1, 2023
Festivals feature dancing to live bands (alpine and international folk music), German food, and performances by our very own Schuhplattler dancers in traditional attire. German beer, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks are served. The kitchen serves traditional Spätzle, Bratwurst, Kartoffelsalat (potato salad), Sauerkraut, Pork Roast (Schweinebraten), and German desserts, while Bretzeln (pretzels) and Würstchen (sausages) are available as Vesperle (snacks). Lederhosen, Dirndl, Tirolerhut and any other Trachtenkleid (traditional attire) encouraged!

Oaktoberfest - Oakland, CA - Sep 30 to Oct 1, 2023
Family friendly craft beer festival in Oakland.

Clayton Oktoberfest - Clayton, CA - Sep 30 to Oct 1, 2023
Annual Munich-style celebration set under Mt. Diablo in this picturesque town. Two days of fun with parade, keg tapping, live music, biergarten, German food, California wines, arts and crafts show and carnival / street performers.

Palisades Tahoe Oktoberfest - Olympic Valley, CA - Sep 30, 2023
Noon to 5 PM. This annual event will transform the Village at Palisades Tahoe into a miniature Bavaria complete with authentic German beer and food, Bavarian music, the ever-popular Oktoberfest Games and plenty of family fun. Entrance to Oktoberfest and entertainment are FREE. All proceeds from beer sales benefit the High Sierra Lacrosse Foundation Festival goers must be 21 years or older with a valid ID to purchase beer. Brats, Bavarian Pretzels and Rootbeer floats available for purchase. All Oktoberfest Games are FREE to enter. First come, first to participate. Formerly called the Squaw Valley Oktoberfest

St. Martin de Porres Oktoberfest - Yorba Linda, CA - Sep 29 to Oct 1, 2023
The annual fall parish festival that brings the entire community together for fun, food, and fund-raising.

Oktoberfest in El Cajon - El Cajon, CA - Sep 29 to Oct 8, 2023
Two weekends. Hosted by The German American Societies of San Diego, the Oktoberfest usually runs the last weekend in September and the first weekend in October. Authentic German food, beers, folk dancing, kids zone, craft booths and live music by the Guggenbach-Baum band from Germany.

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest - Chico, CA - Sep 29 to Oct 7, 2023
Annual Oktoberfest with live music, cold beer and hot glass blowing demonstrations. Musical lineup of three bands. Oktoberfest feast for dinner included with ticket price. Don’t forget to practice up on your chicken dance before attending. Weekends only.

Encinitas Oktoberfest - Encinitas, CA - Sep 24, 2023
Annual German festival hosted by Encinitas Chamber of Commerce from 10 AM to 6 PM on Mountain Vista Drive and El Camino Real. Street craft fair with 200 vendors, German music, family fun zone. Ceremonial parade kicks it off at noon. Craft Corner is 21+ only and will highlight craft breweries. Free parking is available at Flora Vista Elementary School with free shuttle service.

Lederhosen 5k - Lake Tahoe, CA - Sep 23, 2023
Come celebrate Oktoberfest by running or walking the Lederhosen 5K. This course starts and finishes near Fanny Bridge in Tahoe City. It features an out and back course on a class 1 (10′ wide) paved trail along the Truckee River. Oktoberfest to follow

Vacaville Oktoberfest - Vacaville, CA - Sep 23, 2023
Annual Oktoberfest from 11 AM to 6 PM. German Food options include brats, sauerkraut, pretzels, potato salad and more. Live music most of the afternoon. Free admission.

Tam Valley Oktoberfest - Mill Valley, CA - Sep 23, 2023
Bratwurst, German beer, family friendly games, fun house, Bavarian dancers, polka and more!

Tahoe City Oktoberfest - Tahoe City, CA - Sep 23, 2023
Featuring local craft beers, live music, and delicious food in a festive fall celebration, Tahoe City’s Annual Oktoberfest returns to town for Saturday

Redwood City Oktoberfest - Redwood City, CA - Sep 20 to Sep 24, 2023
Redwood City celebrates Oktoberfest with a fabulous traditional German Oktoberfest setting with over 1,100 feet of family style” bench seating; lots of fun and merriment; music; dancing; contests; cold beer and other beverages; food and more!

Old World Village Oktoberfest - Huntington Beach, CA - Sep 17 to Nov 5, 2023
Enjoy Oktoberfest at Old World Village in September and October. Old World is a European themed shopping center that goes all out during Oktoberfest. They have parades, dachshund races, a Herbmeister, and Kidsfest. It is self described as the best Oktoberfest in Orange County. Kinderfest for kids every Sunday, with family friendly (and free) days on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday and Saturday are ticketed and 21+.

Beaumont Oktoberfest - Beaumont, CA - Sep 15, 2023
Annual Oktoberfest with live entertainment, authentic food, contests, arts & crafts vendors, weiner dog races, horse show and kids zone. Held at Noble Creek Park.

Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest - Big Bear, CA - Sep 9 to Nov 4, 2023
Weekends. There will be three expanded bier gartens, live music, vendor booths and kids games. Other contests include the beer stein-carrying contest, stein holding, beer drinking contest and log sawing competition. Tickets are available on their website. Food and beer are purchased with Burgermeister Bucks. Complimentary Shuttle will give you a ride home anywhere in the Big Bear Valley.

Rocktoberfest - Huntington Beach, CA - Sep 1 to Sep 16, 2023
Biergarten, bands, full bar and food, festival hall

Placerville Oktoberfest - Placerville, CA - Oct 1, 2022
This annual Oktoberfest features German music including polkas and the chicken dance. Weiner dog races and other Oktoberfest contests. Food choices include sausages, sauerkraut, strudel, and of course lots of beer choices.

Wurstkuche Oktoberfest - Venice, CA - Oct 1, 2022
Every Saturday in October, head on down to Wurstkuche Restaurant in Venice for an Oktoberfest celebration!

Welk Resorts Oktoberfest - Escondido, CA - Oct 1 to Oct 2, 2022
Get the whole gang together for a full day of delicious German-themed food, rides, games, live music, and of course —beer! This family-friendly festival offers craft brews from multiple local breweries for the adults, and great games and activities to keep the kids entertained

Oktoberfest at NUBO - Santa Cruz, CA - Sep 24, 2022
New Bohemia Brewing Co in Santa Cruz, CA is holding an Oktoberfest and they’ll be tapping a Festbier, serving up pours in special NUBO liter steins, offering up traditional German-style beer garden grub and live music! Prost!

Cotati Oktoberfest - Cotati, CA - Sep 24, 2022
Flagship Taproom hosts this Oktoberfest wtih live music, 10+ beers, bratwurst, yodeling contest and more. Costume contest so wear that lederhosen or dirndl!

Tioga Sequoia Oktoberfest - Fresno, CA - Sep 17, 2022
The urban beer garden turns into a festival in celebration of Oktoberfest in Germany. They provide a list of German inspired beers, food, music (Polka), and fun festival games throughout the day. Dressing up in your best Lederhosen or Oktoberfest themed garb is encouraged. Free Admission and all ages for this Festival.

Schroeder’s Oktoberfest - San Francisco, CA, CA - Sep 16, 2022
Food and polka dancing at this San Francisco German restaurant.

Oktoberfest at the Phoenix Club - Anaheim, CA - Sep 16 to Oct 23, 2022
2023 events at the Phoenix are on pause as they move from Anaheim to La Brea. Normally: Friday-Sunday starting mid-September, the Phoenix Club will host seven weekends of Oktoberfest fun. Live music, imported German beer on tap, beer drinking and sausage eating contests, costume contest, polka lessons and kids activities including a bounce house.

Vegan Oktoberfest - Los Angeles, CA - Oct 16, 2021
Canceled for 2022. Normally: LA’s annual unique Oktoberfest celebration. The beer hall at LA Center Studios is in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. It features traditional Bavarian food, live Oompah bands, beer maidens, and of course, refreshing and delicious beer poured to perfection by dozens of great breweries. Come enjoy a taste of Germany while you make new friends and indulge to your heart’s desire. Since all the food and beer is vegan, you can experience a traditional Oktoberfest celebration with a clear conscience. Win prizes for chicken dancing, stein holding, and wearing costumes. Tickets sell out so get yours early. 21+ event.

Palm Springs Oktoberfest - Palm Springs, CA - Sep 23, 2021
Jazzville celebrates Oktoberfest in style and fun with the incomparable West Coast Prost! Much more than your average polka band, this group plays polkas, waltzes, dixieland, swing and country/western favorites. They bring an exciting sense of youth to and older tradition of music. This is going to be wúnderbar!

Mammoth Village Oktoberfest - Mammoth Village, CA - Sep 16 to Sep 18, 2021
Canceled for 2022. An annual event with plenty of music, dancing, kids activities, beer tastings, and authentic German cuisine.

Cambria Octoberfest - Cambria, CA - Oct 19, 2019
Kicks off with an art & craft fair, plus brats, hot dogs, beer, wine and ice cream at noon, with live music, a pumpkin patch and family games, and scarecrow awards.

Oktoberfest Corte Madera - Corte Madera, CA - Oct 12, 2019
Canceled for 2022, look for their return in 2023. Normally: Held annually in Menke Park at Old Corte Madera Square. A community tradition for the whole family, Oktoberfest features amazing local foods, kids activities, live music, unique homebrewed beers, craft beers, wines, meads, craft hard ciders, and kombucha.

Nipomo’s Best Oktoberfest - Nipomo, CA - Oct 12, 2019
Annual Oktoberfest with Miss Nipomo Pageant, Battle of the Bands, live entertainment, bbq tasting and competition, beer and wine garden and kids activities. Event is outdoors and open to the general public. 11 AM to 5 PM on Saturday hours with live music. 11 AM to 4 PM on Sunday with the second annual Battle of the Bands and a BBQ competition with tasting. Kids area on Saturday and Sunday has pony rides, face painting, bounce house, petting zoo and mechanical rides. There’s also arts and crafts booths and the Dave Dana Memorial car show.

Aliso Viejo Oktoberfest - Corpus Christi, CA - Oct 6, 2019
Come and enjoy authentic German food and Biergarten, live Oompah Band, kids games, ice cream, Balloon Man, face painting, and so much more fun!

Julian Oktoberfest - Julian, CA - Oct 5 to Oct 6, 2019
A weekend of German folk music, dancers, children’s events, food and drink.

Pints in the Pines Oktoberfest - Twain Harte, CA - Oct 5, 2019
Featuring Craft Beers, German Beers and a commemorative beer mug. This one day “Under The Tent” event opens at 11:00 am and taps close at 4:00 pm. Brew tasters will be able to choose from some of California’s top craft breweries. Entry fee is inclusive at $25.00 per person for a minimum of 2o beer tastings available. Wine will also be available. Craft and food vendors on site. Live music on stage. Tickets are available online or at the door on a first come, first serve basis.

Camp Richardson Oktoberfest - Lake Tahoe, CA - Oct 5 to Oct 6, 2019
Canceled for 2021, look for their return in 2022. Normally: Lake Tahoe Oktoberfest with German food, beer and wine garden, pumpkin patch, costume contest for people and dogs, music and family activities.

Oktoberfest in Nevada City - Nevada City, CA - Oct 5, 2019
A day of great food and music. 12 different Breweries will be there on tap. Local band Road Test and the Hannerbrinks Gorman band will be preforming with German dancers. Authentic German food to go along with all the great beer.

Figtoberfest - Buellton, CA - Sep 28, 2019
Buellton HQ will feature the Figtoberfest German-style lager and several other specialties on draft, plus a German food menu & sausages, Figtoberfest games, festive music, a costume contest, and more. Taproom locations will have a variety of German-style beers on tap as well

Wirsthaus - Los Angeles, CA - Sep 21 to Oct 31, 2019
Oktoberfest runs on Fridays and Saturdays through the end of October.

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

  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/

    • 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!

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