Oktoberfest is Appleton's cue to go out. Beer festivals and Bavarian nights come with live music, giant steins and dancing, and nobody's going to check whether you own lederhosen. Bring people along and the food takes the lead, bratwurst and pretzels on nearly every menu and long tables near the river where you get pulled into a conversation you didn't plan. If a good beer with friends is the extent of it, fine. Explore Oktoberfest 2026 events and parties around Appleton and book your tickets while there's still room.
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On nowBest for a dateFri, Sep 25
Octoberfest weekend kicks off with License to Cruise, a classic car show on Friday night at 3 PM. Complete with about 400 classic cars, live music and great food, you won’t want to miss one of Appleton’s largest car shows. The Fox Cities Exhibition Center
CruiseLive music
On nowSomething differentFri, Sep 25
We will be kicking off the epic Appleton Octoberfest weekend on Friday September 25th as part of License to Cruise! We are the only band that night, so come down to Houdini Plaza to party with us!
Cruise
On nowFri, Sep 25
Hey Everyone! 👋🏼 It’s been such a long time + it’ll be 25 years since some of us have seen each other! So, let’s get together ☺️ Food, drinks, catching up + perhaps a little bowling 🎳 There will be a pizza and salad buffet for everyone. Cost is $20 a
Best with kidsSat, Sep 26
Appleton's Largest Block Party! Join us Saturday, September 26th for Appleton’s Octoberfest. Music starts as early as 9 AM, along with Arts and Crafts and the Family Fun Area. And, don’t forget about all the great food booths; local nonprofits put in a lo
Family-friendly
Sat, Sep 26
Join us Saturday, September 26th for Appleton’s Octoberfest! Music starts as early as 9 a.m., along with Arts and Crafts and the Family Fun Area. And, don’t forget about all the great food booths; local not-for-profits put in a lot of time and hard work t
Family-friendly
Sat, Sep 26
Join Saving Paws and their Oktoberfest host Nothing Bundt Cakes in downtown Appleton for a day of fun and great food. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Saving Paws Animal Rescue.
Sat, Sep 26
Join us during Oktoberfest in Downtown Appleton as we partner with Inferno Subs to bring great food and a great cause to the people. A portion proceeds will be donated to Saving Paws to help the animals.
Sat, Sep 26
We're pumped to bring our energy to the Razor Stage on Superior Street as part of the official lineup this year!
Sat, Sep 26
We are in Booth 40, near 215 W College Ave, between BMO bank and Electric Candle Co.
Most popularSat, Sep 26
We’re back at Appleton’s Octoberfest and there’s a stacked lineup on the Team Winnebagoland / WAPL Rock Stage! 11:00am - Road Trip 1:00pm - Boxkar 3:00pm - The Glam Band
Best for groupsSat, Oct 17
Raise a stein and join us for Stonetoberfest! We’re bringing this year's celebration to the West Lot at Stone Arch Brewpub (the same spot as our Mile of Music stage) for an afternoon of German food, live music and lots of Oktoberfest fun. We'll have the
Live musicFamily-friendly
Get the look
Outfits, steins and party kit for the season. Check delivery dates before you order.
Links go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, AllEvents earns from qualifying purchases.
Dirndl dressBodice, blouse, skirt and apronShop on Amazon 
Men's lederhosenLeather shorts, braces and allShop on Amazon 
Alpine hatGreen felt, with the featherShop on Amazon 
Trachten suspendersThe look for less, over any checked shirtShop on Amazon 
Lidded beer steinCeramic, with a pewter lidShop on Amazon 
Das Boot glassThe boot-shaped party glassShop on Amazon 
Hammerschlagen gameA stump, nails, a hammer: first nail flush winsShop on Amazon 
Bavarian flagBlue-and-white diamonds for the yardShop on Amazon 
Pretzel saltCoarse salt for homemade BreznShop on Amazon 
Baby lederhosenFor the smallest guestShop on Amazon 
Hot-dog dog costumeFor the dachshund racesShop on Amazon Nearby
Worth the trip from Appleton, soonest first.
Worth the trip
Sat, Sep 26
Sat, Oct 10
Sat, Oct 10
Before you go
Tickets, timing, what to wear, and whether the kids can come.
Every organiser sets its own prices, and entry, food and drink are often sold separately. Check what a ticket covers before you buy.
Weekend afternoons fill up first. Go early if you want a table.
In Appleton: Saturday is the big day, with 9 of 12 dates.
Dirndl or Lederhosen are welcome, never required. In Bavaria they are everyday clothes, not a costume.
Traditionally said, from the wearer's side. A custom, not a rule.
Festivals in parks and streets are usually all ages; events in bars are often 21+. The listing says which.
In Appleton: 3 family-friendly events.
Eat and drink
Same word, two beers: Munich pours a pale lager, North America an amber one.
What Munich pours
What North America calls Oktoberfest
Only these six Munich breweries may pour at the Wiesn. Their festival beers are the real thing.
1 litre
A Maß is more than two US pints of 6% lager. Eat something with it. In Munich in 2026 one costs about €15.61.
Most eatenHendl
Spit-roasted half chicken
Schweinshaxe
Crackling roast pork knuckle
Brezn
The giant salted pretzel
Bratwurst
Grilled sausage in a roll
Weisswurst
Veal sausage, eaten before noon
Obatzda
Beer-garden cheese spread
Steckerlfisch
Whole fish grilled on a stick
VegetarianKäsespätzle
Cheesy egg noodles
Kartoffelpuffer
Crisp potato pancakes
Radi
Spiral-cut salted radish
Kaiserschmarrn
Torn pancake with plum compote
Gebrannte Mandeln
Warm candied almonds
Dampfnudel
Steamed dumpling in vanilla sauce
Apfelstrudel
Apple strudel
Lebkuchenherz
Gingerbread heart, worn not eaten
At the party
So you know what to do when the band stops playing and the whole room stands up.
Every 15 minutes or so
Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
der Gemütlichkeit.
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
der Gemütlichkeit.
Oans, zwoa, drei — g'suffa!
“A toast to good company.” Stand up, raise your glass, sing it twice, count to three, clink and drink.
Most bands play these, loudly, more than once.
Masskrugstemmen
Hold a full litre at arm's length, elbow locked. Last arm up wins.
Kegs for balls, pins at the end of the lane, against the clock.
Carry full steins to the line. Fastest run with least beer spilled wins.
Ten brats, no buns, one clock.
America's own: sausage dogs sprinting for their owners.
Best dirndl, best lederhosen, judged by applause.
Since 1810
Every Oktoberfest, Appleton's included, traces back to one meadow in Munich. It was named Theresienwiese after Princess Therese, whose wedding to Crown Prince Ludwig in October 1810 was celebrated there with a horse race. Munich still calls the festival die Wiesn, the meadow, and holds it mostly in September, because the weather is kinder than in October.
Munich's 2026 Wiesn is on now: day 7 of 16, until October 4.
Asked and answered
Oktoberfest events in Appleton run from Sep 25 to Oct 17, 2026: 12 events. The busiest weekend is Sep 25 – Sep 27, with 11 events.
Yes: 11 events are on for Sep 25 – Sep 27, including License to Cruise 2026 at College Ave., Downtown Appleton, Boogie in Appleton - License to Cruise at Houdini Plaza and Appleton East High School 25 Year Reunion at The 10th Frame. Another 4 events are on nearby.
Yes: 9 more events are listed within reach of Appleton, in Green Lake, Manitowoc, Belgium and Kewaskum and more. The soonest is Golden Days Harvest Fest 2026 in Green Lake, on Sep 26–27.
At 7 venues, including Appleton's Octoberfest (5 dates), College Ave., Downtown Appleton (2 dates), Houdini Plaza and The 10th Frame.
The most popular on AllEvents right now are Appleton's Octoberfest 2026 at College Ave., Downtown Appleton (Sat, Sep 26), License to Cruise 2026 at College Ave., Downtown Appleton (Fri, Sep 25) and THE GLAM BAND @ Appleton’s Octoberfest at Appleton's Octoberfest (Sat, Sep 26).
3 listings say they are family-friendly: Appleton's Octoberfest 2026, me & CHEA and company at Appleton's Octoberfest and Stonetoberfest Celebration. For the rest, check the listing before you go: many events held in bars are 21+.
Munich's Oktoberfest runs from September 19 to October 4, 2026, 16 days on the Theresienwiese. It is on now: today is day 7.
A Bavarian folk festival that began in Munich as a royal wedding party: Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese on 12 October 1810, and the celebrations ended with a horse race on 17 October. Munich later moved the start forward into September, when the weather is warmer, and the festival usually ends on the first Sunday in October.
Traditional dress, a Dirndl or Lederhosen, is welcome but never required, and ordinary clothes are completely normal. In Bavaria, Tracht is everyday clothing for family occasions rather than a costume.
In Munich it is Festbier: a pale, smooth lager of around 6% brewed for the festival by six Munich breweries. In North America, "Oktoberfest" almost always means Märzen, which is darker, amber and maltier. Same word, two different beers.
Worth the trip
Where the season is the whole city's business, from Munich's meadow to a Bavarian village in the Cascades.
MunichThe original, since 1810
CincinnatiOktoberfest Zinzinnati
KitchenerCanada's biggest
La Crosse, WIOktoberfest USA
Frankenmuth, MIMichigan's Little Bavaria
Leavenworth, WAA Bavarian mountain village
Fredericksburg, TXHill Country's German town
New Ulm, MNSettled by Germans in 1854
DenverDenver Oktoberfest, since 1969
MilwaukeeBrew City's German roots
ChicagoStreet fests all season
New YorkStone Street and the beer hallsKeep exploring
