2008 October Beer Festivals -- Beer Info

Great American Beer Festival

Helen Oktoberfest – Helen, GA – October 1 - November 2
The world's longest-running Oktoberfest, held in an Alpine-style mountain village; authentic German beer, food, and music in the large Festhalle.

Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest - Big Bear Lake, CA - September 13-October 25
Oktoberfest-style celebration, featuring America's highest-elevation biergarten; authentic German Food; bands and dance groups every weekend; activities, including log-sawing and stein-holding contests; new Midway Fun Zone for children and families.

Munich Oktoberfest - Munich, Germany - September 20-October 5
The world's biggest beer festival...need we say more?

Oktoberfest, USA - La Crosse, WI - September 26-October 4
Tapping of the "Golden Keg," German food and entertainment; a variety of activities including a lederhosen luncheon, the honorary royal family, a torchlight parade, and games and contests.

Fest-of-Ale - Atlanta, GA - October 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30
Indoor/outdoor rain-or-shine event, with a selection of Halloween-themed specialty beers; more than 100 scarecrows in the garden, along with sculpture in motion; live music and seasonal foods from the Garden Cafe.

Oktoberfest By the Bay - San Francisco, CA - October 2-5
American Showplace Productions, in association with the United German-American Societies of San Francisco and Vicinity
Highlights: German food and drink; music by the Chico Bavarian Band and other performers; singing and dancing; special offers (TBA) on the festival website.

Fredricksburg Oktoberfest - Fredricksburg, TX - October 3-5
Beer tent, continuous music from 30 bands on two stages, artist's tent, German and Mexican food, children's activities.

Leavenworth Oktoberfest - Leavenworth, WA - October 3-5
Bavarian-style celebration with a traditional biergarten, German food, musical entertainment from Germany and America, and family activities.

Lion Brewery's Oktoberfest - Wilkes-Barre, PA - October 3-4
Traditional keg-tapping ceremony, beer tasting, brewery tours, live music and other entertainment, weiner dog races, fireworks Friday evening.

Minster Oktoberfest - Minster, OH - October 3-5
Annual celebration of Minster's German heritage, with traditional food, music, and dancing; Oktoberfest parade; marching bands and celebrity appearances; and events, including a beer tray relay and a 10K run.

Modesto Oktoberfest - Modesto, CA - October 3
Twenty-fifth annual event; international beer and wine tasting; live music and an abundance of German food.

New Ulm Oktoberfest - New Ulm, MN - October3-4 and 10-11
Local, regional, and European entertainment, locally-brewed August Schell's beer and German food; specialty shops in downtown New Ulm; horse-drawn trolley rides on on Saturdays; public tours available of the August Schell Brewery and other local attractions.

Old Town Oktoberfest - Lansing, MI - October3-4
Mid-Michigan's only Oktoberfest, featuring Oktoberfest and other German-style beer, traditional food, and polka music.

Soulard Oktoberfest - St. Louis, MO - October3-5
A wide variety of German and domestic beer; German food; entertainment by more than 30 performers; the world's largest bratwurst; Sunday German Mass; free admission to festival grounds.

Augusta Bottoms Beer Festival - Augusta, MO - October 4
Fifth annual event, with beer from area breweries, live music (bands TBA), food from the Square One Brewery, and breweriana for sale.

Bethlehem Harvest Festival - Bethlehem, PA - October 4
Beer tent, with more than 25 breweries, plus homebrewing demonstrations; day-long festival includes a farmer's market, arts and crafts stalls, contests, and food from local restaurants.

Fresh Hop Ale Festival - Yakima, WA - October 4
Fifth annual event; beer from 12 area craft breweries, all brewed using "wet" Yakima hops, which went from the vine to the vat within 24 hours; music by two bands, with dancing; food, wine, and cigar tent; homebrew contest (new this year); Brewers' Dinners at local restaurants the evening before the festival.

Germantown Oktoberfest - Germantown, MD - October 4
Oktoberfest biergarten, live music, games for children, exhibits by local craftspeople and businesses, fireworks display.

Great Cortland Pumpkin Festival - Cortland, NY - October 4
Beer tent, with 30 microbrewed beers to sample; beer tasting is part of the Pumpkinfest, a two-day community festival staffed by volunteers from numerous organizations.

Hood River Hop Fest - Hood River, OR - October 4
Fifth annual event; beer from more than two dozen breweries; Gorge wines; food and live music; play area for children.

Hotoberfest - Atlanta, GA - October 4
A tasting of 100 hand-selected beers from micro-breweries and national and international breweries, food, live bands & Djs, and "best brew" voting; the festival aims to raise awareness of more-sustainable lifestyles; a limited number of VIP "Green Tickets" will be sold.

Kennett Brewfest - Kennett Square, PA - October 4
Beer from more than 40 regional microbreweries; food and live music; special connoisseur tasting, featuring rare and unusual beers, before the main tasting session.

Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest - Arlington, VA - October 4
Beer from more than 30 breweries; authentic German band and Oktoberfest food; children's events, presented by the Shirlington library (new this year); free admission to the festival venue.

World Beer Festival - Durham - Durham, NC - October 4
Two tasting sessions, featuring beer from more than 150 world-class breweries; cask and barrel tent; special events and tastings; food from local restaurants; live music; children's entertainment; proceeds benefit the Carolina Theatre and Pop the Cap.

Stoudt's Oktoberfest - Adamstown, PA - October 7, 14, 21, and 28
A family event, held in the Gemutlichkeit Bier Garden; live German music and dancing; authentic German food, including apple sausage, slow roasted saurkraut, and giant soft pretzels; and cheeses, and Stoudt's award-winning microbrews.

Great American Beer Festival - Denver, CO - October 9-11
America's largest beer festival, with over 1,800 beers from more than 400 breweries on the festival floor; three regular sessions plus Saturday connoisseur session; food and beer demonstrations; live entertainment. The GABF also holds the nation's most prestigious beer competition, with nearly 500 breweries competing in 75 categories.

Chico Elks Fall Brew Festival - Chico, CA - October 4
Beer tasting (list of breweries TBA on the Chick Elks' website); wine tasting; food provided by local restaurants; and live music.

Crossville Oktoberfest - Crossville, TN - October 10-11
Domestic and imported beverages, traditional German food, dancing and listening music from three German/polka bands; this event is rated one of the area's most authentic Oktoberfests.

Hickory Oktoberfest - Hickory, NC - October 10-11
German beer garden, with oom-pah band; music by local, regional, national performers; craftspeople; kids' festival.

Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest - Kitchener and Waterloo, ON - October 10-18
Billed as the largest Oktoberfest celebration outside Germany, now in its 40th year; 15 festhallen, featuring German food and entertainment; Canadian Thanksgiving Day parade and more than 40 family and cultural events.

Lancaster Oktoberfest - Lancaster, TX - October 10-11
Preview party Friday evening, with live entertainment and German food and beer; Saturday activities include food and live music, Bavarian dance performances, amusement rides for all ages, and the first-ever OktoberFest Brew-Off; additional Oktoberfest activities will take place at Lancaser's town square.

Bramwell Oktoberfest - Bramwell, WV - October 11
Bramwell Cup competition, with the jury led by author and beer traveler Owen Ogletree; craft beer and fine food sampling; live music, including traditional folk, blues, bluegrass and alternative artists; guided outdoor tours of the "Millionaire's Row" historic district.

Knoxville Brewers' Jam - Knoxville, TN - October 11
Beer from more than 30 American craft breweries; food and live music.

Maryland Brewer's Oktoberfest - Timonium, MD - October 11
More than 75 Beers from over 12 Maryland breweries; bratwurst and other German food; oom-pah bands and other live entertainment; games and contests; beer and food presentations at the Tasting Theater.

Mount Desert Island Fall Celebration - Tremont, M - October 11
Acadia's Oktoberfest and Food Festival, featuring beer from 23 Maine breweries, local wines, food at the International Food Court, music and other entertainment, Maine artisans' and craft booths.

Newport International Oktoberfest - Newport, RI - October 11-13
Biergarten and Weingarten; Bavarian music played by performers from throughout New England; traditional German food and American cuisine (seafood, pierogies and more); children's are; shopping marketplace and German-related goods for sale.

Peninsula Beer Festival - Hampton, VA - October 11
A variety of beers from regional microbreweries, including three from Hampton’s own St. George Brewing Company; event is part of Hampton's Phoebus Days celebration.

Tulsa Oktoberfest - Tulsa, OK - October 16-19
Bands from Germany, Austria, and the United States; 20 food locations; activities for kids and families; carnival rides; European arts, crafts, and souvenirs.

Big Red Beer Festival - Bloomington, IN - October 16-17
Two evening tasting sessions, with more than 300 craft-brewed and imported beers (list TBA on the festival website).

Okto\'Brew\'fest - Toms River, NJ - October 17
Inaugural event; dinner and microbrew tasting with beers paried with each course; 50/50 raffle.

Great Decatur Beer Tasting Festival - Decatur, GA - October 18
More than 100 local, national, and international beers; live music provided by three bands, and food from local restaurants; festival is sponsored by area distributors and area restaurants and pubs.

Great Eastern Invitational Microbrewery Festival - Adamstown, PA - October 18
Two tasting sessions, with more than 50 microbrewed beers from around the country; Ed Stoudt's "Best of the Wurst" German-style buffet; live entertainment; complimentary shuttle service from local motels.

KC Beer Fest Session II - Kansas City, Mo - October 18
Hundreds of beers from more than 70 local, national, and imported beers, with some brewers in attendance; food and live music.

Maryland Brewer's Oktoberfest - Timonium, MD - October 18
"Bier ist Gut!" A family-themed event, with more than 70 different Maryland craft-brewed beers; a biergarten with traditional German food; arts, crafts, and games; and a variety of live music on two stages.

Newtown Brewfest - Newtown, PA - October 18
Beer from more than 80 breweries (this year's list TBA); food and live music; special pre-festival connoisseur tasting, featuring hard-to-find beers, brewers in attendance, and complimentary hors d'oeuveres buffet.

Oktober Harvest Festival - Yreka, CA - October 18
Tasting tent, with beer from northern California and Oregon; the fair itself is a family event, with live music, a farmer's market, bull riding, a petting zoo, and local vendors.

Oregon Brewers Guild Fresh Hop Beer Tastival - Portland, OR - October 18
Oregon Brewers Guild and Oregon Bounty, a culinary tourism promotion
Highlights: Fresh-hopped beer tasting at Oregon's only 100-percent renewable energy brewpub; free admission.

Santa Barbara Beer Festival - Santa Barbara, CA - October 18
Beer from breweries from across California; food and entertainment. More details about this year's festival will be posted on the Elings Park website.

Wisconsin Dells on Tap - Wisconsin Dells, WI - October 18
"One of the Midwest's premier microbrew beer tasting events"; last year's festival featured beer, including select fall offerings, from more than 25 Wisconsin microbreweries; beer festival is part of the annual Wisconsin Dells Harvest Fest. More details about this event will be posted on the festival website.

Garden State Craft Brewers Guild Octoberfestival - Newark, NJ - October 19
Inaugural event; beer from New Jersey breweries, with an emphasis on Oktoberfest beers and cask-conditioned ales; food and speciality vendors.

Lighthouse International Beer Festival - Wilmington, NC - October 19
More than 150 beers from 50 breweries from around the world; live music and local cuisine; courtesy shuttle rides available.

Beer and Wine Festival – Clymer, NY - October 25
Beer from more than regional microbreweries; a selection of international wines; live music; lodging packages available.

Halloween Party – Nashua, NH - October 25
A wide variety of pumpkin ales, Oktoberfest beers, and fall seasonal offerings; brewery exhibit booth, with free samples and giveaways; beer-friendly food; light show, and music by DJ Matty Z; pumpkin bowling, caricature artist, and giant pirate ship; prizes for best costume.

Oregon Brewers Guild Fresh Hop Beer Tastival – Eugene, OR - October 25
Oregon Brewers Guild and Oregon Bounty, a culinary tourism promotion
Highlights: Fresh-hopped beer tasting; free admission to Ninkansi Brewing, a production brewery.

Outer Banks Pig Stein BBQ & Beer Fest – Kitty Hawk, NC - October 25
Combination beer festival and barbecue cook-off; hundreds of beer from around the world, including locally-brewed products and North Carolina microbrewed beers; whole hogs, cooked by amateur pitmasters from throughout the state, with expert judges and cash prizes for winners; entertainment, including live music, stand-up comedy, and family activities.