Bay Area Oktoberfest 2026: Your guide to beer, brats, music

In Germany, the world's largest Oktoberfest celebration will pack Munich's beer halls from Sept. 19, when the first ceremonial kegs are tapped, through Oct. 4. How does the Bay Area compete? Hold my beer. What we lack in numbers, we make up for in longevity. Here, with so many cities, brewpubs and restaurants embracing this tradition, the revelry goes on for six weeks, from mid-September right up to Halloween. Check out our roundup below of events large and small. If tickets or reservations are required, you are well-advised to act in advance. And if you know of other events and restaurant specials, email lzavoral@bayareanewsgroup.com, and we'll add them to the online list. Festivals are in chronological order, with restaurant events below those. And, as always, dirndls and lederhosen are welcome but not required. For nine days, Courthouse Square will be transformed into a "German wunderland" with lots of family-style bench seating and a Munich-inspired celebration tent. The host agency, the Redwood City Parks, Rec and Services Department, has lined up entertainment including such popular bands as the Golden Gate Bavarian Club, The Internationals, Alpine Sound Band and Deutscher Musikverein, along with dancers from Nature Friends Schuhplattler. You can show off your talents in the dance contests, yodeling competitions and endless renditions of the chicken dance. Naturally, there will be bratwurst, pretzels and other Bavarian bites, plus ice-cold beer and cider. Details: Purchase advance tickets online for your preferred date and time slot: weeknight happy hours or weekend afternoon or evening parties. Various time slots from Sept. 18-27 (no event Sept. 21) at 2200 Broadway, Redwood City. Non-drinker tickets are $10-$27; drinking tickets are $16-$37. Tickets include a commemorative stein and one drink voucher; food and other drinks are extra. www.redwoodcity.org/oktoberfest Tens of thousands flock to this annual bash in a city park that unfolds over the course of two days. This year's event promises live bands like Nature Friends Schuhplattler and Deutscher MusikVerein of San Francisco, traditional dancing, local food and artisan vendors, and a biergarten featuring dozens of craft beers. There are yodeling and stein-holding contests, and even a family-friendly "Kinder Karneval" for the wee ones. Details: Free admission. 5-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, and noon-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at Civic Park, Walnut Creek. walnutcreekdowntown.com/events/oktoberfest Now in its 19th year, this jumbo-sized, family-friendly fest returns for a weekend of Germanic celebration in Oakland's Dimond District. Five stages will feature live music and performances, including a dance competition, and there'll also be an artisan-vendor market. A Bavarian hall will serve traditional cuisine (reserve a seat online in advance), and attendees can select from among 100-plus craft beers from local breweries. Discounted beverage-package options are available online. Details: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4. at the intersection of Fruitvale Ave. and MacArthur Blvd., Oakland; free admission, oaktoberfest.org, instagram.com/oaktoberfest Again this year, the Clayton Business and Community Association will put on one of the longest-running Oktoberfests in the Bay Area. It features a full-sized carnival for kids of all ages beginning on Friday night, Oct. 2, with Oktoberfest celebrations starting Saturday. The opening ceremony and keg tap are scheduled for noon. Soon after, The Internationals will be providing live music in the biergarten with Bavarian dancers set to join them. The Grand Isle Fire Brigade Street Band will play both days, and Polkageist West is scheduled for Sunday. There will be no shortage of local vendors or guests; upwards of 15,000 people attend each year. Details: Free admission, plus free shuttle from Diablo View Middle School. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 3 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 4 (with later carnival hours) along Clayton's Main Street. claytonoktoberfest.com This year's Castro Street celebration is expanding by another block to accommodate the growing number of attendees. At the center will be a 200-foot-long festzelt, or tent, with long communal tables and room for all of the feasting and quaffing at this Chamber of Commerce-hosted event. The German Guys will be back with a menu of sausages, schnitzel, strudel and German beers and wines, and band favorites Deutscher MusikVerein and BlowMusik! will provide music both days. The long lineup of contests includes yodeling, stein holding, beer belly, costume and culminates each day in the best chicken dancer competition. Details: Free admission. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. both days along Castro Street from Mercy Street to Yosemite Avenue in Mountain View. Public transit stops are nearby. www.mvoktoberfest.com Campbell's venerable event - the 31st annual - combines the German food, beer and music of an Oktoberfest with the arts and crafts of a traditional street festival. More than 125 vendors will cover several blocks of Campbell Avenue. Music fans will find four stages of entertainment, including one with nonstop German music from the Zicke Zacke Band. The beer and food will be located at the Biersch Garden and along the avenue. Sausage fans know this event as Lockeford's annual South Bay stop, so hit that booth early. The best-dressed competition will take place at 2 p.m. both days, followed by the stein-holding contest at 3 p.m. For families, the Kinderplatz will feature a magician, arts and crafts, and sports activities. Details: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. Admission and parking are free, and there's a free festival shuttle from the Pruneyard parking garage. Some Kinderplatz activities require a fee. https://campbelloktoberfest.com/ Teske's Germania: In San Jose, this historic restaurant-beer hall amps up its year-round German fare - think Schnitzel and Sauerbraten - with Oktoberfest music on several nights from now through the end of October. The Internationals band - fan favorites for years - will take the stage in the biergarten Sept. 11, Oct. 2, Oct. 9-10, Oct. 16, Oct. 23-24 and Oct. 30. Seating is first come, first served. Once you've seen the show, you can come back on a quiet night this fall or winter to appreciate chef Scott Baumann's terrific Kassler Ripchen (smoked pork chop) or Schweinshaxe (pork shank). Details: For Oktoberfest, doors open at 4 p.m.; entertainment starts at 6 and runs till 11 p.m. at 255 N. First St., San Jose. If you can't arrive early, try swinging by at 8 or 9 p.m. after the first wave of patrons. On non-Oktoberfest nights, the restaurant, bar and biergarten are open Tuesday-Saturday for dinner, with lunch hours on Thursday and Friday. www.teskes-germania.com. Speisekammer, Alameda: This legendary German restaurant is throwing three Oktoberfest bashes. On three consecutive Sundays — Sept. 20, Sept. 27 and Oct. 4, Speisekammer will have a festive lineup including live music, beer games and contests, raffles and special menus. (Last year's options included a family-sized platter of German bratwurst, bock, kleine nurnbergers, leberkase, Bavarian bratwurst and a smoked pork chop served over sauerkraut.) There will also be plenty of imported festival beers. Details: First come, first served. Noon-6 p.m. at 2424 Lincoln Ave., Alameda. Menu updates at speisekammer.com Gordon Biersch Oktoberfest, San Jose: Again this year, Gordon Biersch co-founder Dan Gordon, who learned the craft of beer brewing in Germany, will host a Bavarian-stye bash on the brewery grounds. The afternoon-to-night festivities on Saturday, Sept. 26, will begin with a toast and feature music by Polkageist West; schnitzel, bratwurst and freshly baked pretzels from Ludwig's; and, of course, Gordon Biersch festbier. Expect stein-holding and best-dressed contests, and an evening lineup of pop and rock music for dancing and sing-alongs. Details: 3-10 p.m. Sept. 26. Free admission to this family-friendly event, with food, beer and other beverages available for purchase. 357 E. Taylor St., San Jose. Check the website for a full entertainment schedule closer to the event date. https://gordonbiersch.com/ Side Gate Brewery & Beer Garden, Concord: This East Bay brewery will hold its fifth annual Oktoberfest on Sept. 12, complete with German-style beer and German-fusion food from La Kura food truck. There will be live music from classic-rock-and-blues band Audio Mynde and The Vinyl Countdown, plus local arts and crafts vendors and a stein-holding contest. Details: Noon-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at 1822 Grant St., Concord; $25 presale tickets include entry, a Side Gate stein, a first pour and a can to go, sidegatebrewing.com/oktoberfest2026, instagram.com/sidegatebrewing Springline, Menlo Park: On the evenings of Sept. 18 and 19, the open-air plaza at the Springline restaurant and housing center along El Camino Real will be transformed into an Oktoberfest bash. Attendees can grab seating at the family-style tables and listen to live German music and participate in games like stein-holding. Bavarian-style eats will be available for purchase, along with both German beers and local craft brews. Details: 5-9 p.m. both Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19. Tickets are limited; advance purchase is recommended. $40 for admission, stein and one beverage; $30 for entrance and stein only. Purchase via Eventbrite. 1300 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. The Rake at Admiral Maltings, Alameda: On Sept. 19, the Alameda establishment – which has its own public-viewing factory floor for malt production – will throw its third annual "It's The Malt!" festival celebrating malt's central role in making beer and whiskey. The focus this year is on tasting Festbiers, a fine and timely showcase for maltiness, and there will be live music, panel discussions from farmers and brewers and food in the form of smashburgers, pulled pork and vegan brats. Details: 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at 651A West Tower Ave., Alameda; tickets start at $60 (includes unlimited beer tastings), https://admiralmaltings.com/events/its-the-malt-2026, instagram.com/therakepub Ludwig's Biergarten, Mountain View: Every day is a food-and-beer fest at Ludwig's, but on Saturday, Sept. 26, it's officially Frau Ludwig's Oktoberfest — and the festivities will run from noon to midnight. Listen to the Zicke-Zacke Band, play games and participate in the stein-holding contest. Attendees may purchase appetizers, lunch, dinner, late-night snacks or dessert from the wide-ranging menu, and the taps will be open. Details: Free admission but reservations suggested. 383 Castro St., Mountain View. https://ludwigsmv.com/ Radhaus, San Francisco: This alpine-style beer hall and gastropub on the waterfront at Fort Mason will mark Oktoberfest from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4 with performances, beer specials, discounts and more — one highlight per day. The lineup includes $5 half-liter festbier on Sept. 22 and 29; a German dance performance on Sept. 19; the Joe Smiel Festband on Oct. 3; and more. Radhaus' autumn menu ranges from the traditional (schnitzel, spatzle) to the eclectic (smoked trout toast, ham-sauerkraut benedict, bier ice cream) Details: Open daily for brunch, lunch and dinner; hours vary. 2 Marina Blvd., Building A, San Francisco. https://radhaussf.com/ Original Pattern Brewing: The ninth annual edition of Original Pattern's Oktoberfest pops off in Oakland with a brewery block party. Attendees can delve into a lineup of house-brewed German-style beers – including a Hella Grungeist helles lager and a Blackwulf Pilsner — games and tasty bites like bratwurst, schnitzel and German-inspired, wood-fired pizza. Visitors can purchase three different-sized stein packages, or bring their own steins from previous years' events. Live music from 2-5 p.m. comes from Polkageist West. Details: Noon-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at 292 4th St., Oakland; tickets start at $31, originalpatternbeer.com, instagram.com/originalpattern SideTrack Bar & Grill: Downtown Pleasanton will get its own Oktoberfest from this local restaurant and bar, taking place from Oct. 16-17. The event is free to attend, but guests can land a guaranteed spot under tents with food-and-drink packages and limited-edition beer steins by purchasing tickets online. Live music from 6-9 p.m. comes from Polkageist West on Friday and AlpenBand California on Saturday. Details: Oct. 16-17 at 30 West Angela St., Pleasanton; free entry with food and drink tickets available at door, online packages are available for guaranteed seating, sidetrackeats.com, instagram.com/sidetrackeats The Monk's Kettle, Oakland: On Sept. 20, this transplant from San Francisco to Oakland's Rockridge District will throw down in a big way by halting public operations for a night to host a five-course, family-style "Beer Dinner" with its friends at Sante Adairius Rustic Ales. The chef has secured two whole ewes from Barinaga Ranch in Marin County that will be used in a variety of ways. The first seating is already sold out, so check for availability on the second. Details: Dinner seatings run from 6 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, at 5484 College Ave., Oakland; check online for availability at oakland.monkskettle.com and instagram.com/monkskettle Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved. This story was originally published September 8, 2026 at 9:24 AM.