Oktoberfest in Michigan 2024
There are numerous options available in September and October 2024 for Great Lakes residents to celebrate Oktoberfest in Michigan. Make the trip southeast of Saginaw to Michigan’s Little Bavaria to enjoy the Frankenmuth Oktoberfest, or enjoy the local communities, restaurants and breweries hosting German festivals in Detroit, Lansing and throughout the rest of the state. With more than two million residents claiming German heritage, it should come as no surprise that there is lots of German beer and bratwurst consumed in the fall here.
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
You really don’t need to leave Michigan for a good Oktoberfest, but you might consider one of the ones in that state down south. Other nearby states with an Oktoberfest include Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
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Past Events
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 Michigan in fall:
Michigan Festivals
Michigan Corn Mazes
Michigan Ghost Tours
Haunted Houses in Michigan
Pumpkin Patches in Michigan
Rochester Mills Oktoberfest 2012 is September 28 & 29 with a ceremonial tapping inside the pub on Thursday the 27th
Winetoberfest Oct 6 th
does anyone know when the Clarkston octoberfest is ??
I just sent them a Facebook message to see if I can get an answer to your question!
On the Unions Octoberfest sign from last year it said that it was going to be their last one. So I don’t believe that they will be having it again, at least at the Union. Last year was their 17th annual Octoberfest. Sad it was the last one.
The Clarkston Union Oktoberfest is Saturday, October 1st
When is chesterfield mi Oktoberfest? Thank you!