Oktoberfest is no longer only a German affair. It has become an international celebration spread across the world, but the most thrilling Bavarian Beerfests are held in the U.S.A. outside Munich. All these celebrations are spread across different states of America.
A few events are so grand that they attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, like Oktoberfest Cincinnati in Ohio. Some events are true to the Bavarian tradition, like Frankenmuth Oktoberfest, which the Mayor of Christian Ude sanctioned, and the German Parliament of Munich. All the best Oktoberfests in the US are legendary in their own way.
Top Oktoberfest Celebrations in the USA
The list for the best Oktoberfest Celebrations in the U.S.A. is long. Find the one nearest to your home and join in the festivities in the upcoming iteration of the event. Dress in Lederhosen and Dirndl for an authentic experience!
Oktoberfest in Cincinnati, Ohio
It is billed as America’s largest Oktoberfest and the second largest around the world. The venue for the four-day Oktoberfest Cincinnati, Ohio, event in September is Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove. The celebration began in 1976 and welcomed 818,532 people in 2024, celebrating Southwest Ohio’s German roots.
Admission to the festival is free, and the venue is spacious. There are fun, entertaining segments and a huge 300-foot tent that can fit over 1,000 seats. The food is also great, with 80,500 bratwursts and 702 pounds of Limburger cheese consumed during the four days of the festival! The environment at the festival is family-friendly.
Denver Oktoberfest, Colorado
The Bavarian Beerfest in Colorado, at Denver, is also one of the US's Best Oktoberfests, held for two weekends in September. This huge celebration is in the Ballpark District at 21st and Larimer Street. Since 1969, it’s been an annual tradition and one of America’s biggest, with over 350,000 visitors.
General admission to the festival is free, but a VIP ticket gives access to exclusive deals, like a premium beer hall. Visitors can enjoy German food like bratwurst and pretzels to eat along with cold craft beers. Fun activities are also scheduled, like a stein hoisting contest, keg bowling competition, costume contests, and dachshund races. For the music, live polka and disco music are played.
Fredericksburg Oktoberfest, Texas
This Fredericksburg Oktoberfest runs for three days in October every year at Marktplatz in downtown Fredericksburg. This lively event celebrates German heritage with music, food, and fun. Vendors sell traditional Oktoberfest favorites, bratwurst, pretzels, and over 50 beers.
Five stages across the venue have polka and oompah bands performing. Kids love the Kinderpark, which has games and face painting. Local crafts like pottery and jewelry are also sold. Admission is $15 for adults, $1 for kids 7-12, and free for kids 6 and under. Hours are Friday 6 p.m. to midnight, Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Oktoberfest Leavenworth, Washington
The town of Leavenworth made a comeback because of the Oktoberfest celebration after the Great Depression. The celebration is scheduled on the first three weekends of October. When autumn begins, this amongst the top 10 Oktoberfest celebrations in the USA, “Oktoberfest Leavenworth,” transforms the town into an Alpine village with over 100,000 visitors.
Guests gather to enjoy German foods like sausages and giant pretzels, plus cold beers. Everyone dances to live polka and oompah music under big tents. Kids love the Kinderplatz with games. Tickets cost $20-$30 for adults; kids under 12 enter free. Hours are Fridays 6 p.m. to midnight and Saturdays noon to midnight.
Oktoberfest Frankenmuth, Michigan
The celebration of Oktoberfest in Michigan runs for four days every year in September at Heritage Park. Oktoberfest Frankenmuth is an annual tradition since the Lord Mayor Christian Ude and the German Parliament from Munich gave it official proclamation in 1996. The first U.S. Oktoberfest approved by Munich’s OG and the world's largest Volksfestl, starts at 3 p.m. with a keg tapping at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets cost $10 daily, are free for kids 15 and under, and are available all day on Sunday. The official sponsor, Hofbrauhaus beer, comes from Bavaria and serves beer to enjoy with bratwurst and polka music.
Oktoberfest Helen, Georgia
The small town of Helen, in Georgia, has been celebrating Oktoberfest Helen for more than 5o years. It runs on the weekends of September at the Helen Festhalle, 1074 Edelweiss Strasse. It is recognized as the longest-running Oktoberfest in the U.S.!
German food, beer, and live polka music are the major highlights of the event. The festival starts with a parade and keg tapping on the first day at noon. Admission is $10-$15 for adults, free for kids under 6, and half-price for ages 6 to 12. Sunday is free! Do not forget to dress in lederhosen and dirndl to participate in the costume contest on Halloween night!
Oktoberfest La Crosse, Wisconsin
This celebration of Bavarian tradition runs for four days in September at 1 Oktoberfest Strasse. Oktoberfest La Crosse has been an annual celebration since 1961. This huge festival celebrates German heritage and pulls up to 150,000 visitors.
There is free admission for everyone on Sunday to relish tasty bratwurst and a cold beer stein. The main fun events at the festival are the Torchlight Parade, Maple Leaf Parade, wiener dog races, and Lederhosen Games. All these events are scheduled on all four different days of the festival.
Bands like Steve’s One Man Band, TBD, Pop Rocks, and Solkela Polkela Band will be performing different genres of music. The Tapping of the Golden Keg commences this family-friendly event.
Wrapping It Up!
The spirit of the world's largest folk festival, celebrating the Bavarian tradition, has spread all across the world, including the U.S.A. Almost every state in America has an event for a day or days that replicates the Bavarian Beerfest. Some events are grand, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants. Bavarian Beer, German food, Visitors dressed in lederhosen and dirndl, and polka music are the major highlights of the best Oktoberfest in the USA.