Oktoberfest 2026 in Charlotte

Oktoberfest in Charlotte fills the calendar quickly. Beer festivals and Bavarian nights arrive with live music, giant steins and dancing, and the lederhosen have never been mandatory. Come with a group and the food settles it fast, bratwurst and pretzels on nearly every menu and long tables through the neighborhoods where the table gets bigger as the night goes. If a good beer with friends is the whole plan, hold to it. See what's on for Oktoberfest 2026 in Charlotte and book your tickets before they're gone.

Fresh listingsupdated

Every listing

Oktoberfest events in Charlotte

On nowBest for a date

Mon, Sep 28Frenchy's Sip and Shop

Wine & Cheese Pairing: Oktoberfest 2026 Edition

Join us Sep 28 for our twenty-fifth cheese pairing event, as we enjoy the wines of Central & Eastern Europe. And we’re back! For Pairing #25, we're honoring this special time of the year - namely, Oktob

6:00 PM

$42.22Tasting

Best on a budget

Tue, Sep 29Brewers At 4001 Yancey

Brewers Beer Dinner

Join us for an exclusive evening of curated craft beer and culinary excellence at our Brewers Beer Dinner! This intimate, ticketed event is limited to just 28 <stron

7:00 PM

$25

Something different

Sat, Oct 173530 Dewitt Ln

2026 USSA Steinholding Championship of The Carolinas Tournament Finals

We're very excited to be partnering with Gilde Brewery in Charlotte, NC as the host venue for our 2026 Steinholding Championship of The Carolinas! This event is the culmination of the combined North Carolina and South Carolina Steinholding State Tourname

6:00 PM

Stein hoisting

Most popular

Oct 21–25Charlotte5 days

HELL-EN Back Majestic Mountain Tour | 2026

🍁🏎️ HELL-EN BACK III — THE MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN TOUR 🏎️🍁 October 21st–25th | Charlotte, NC ➜ Helen, GA TDR is heading back into the mountains for 5 unforgettable days of fall driving, legendary roads,

12:00 PM

Nearby

More Oktoberfest events around Charlotte

Worth the trip from Charlotte, soonest first.

Sat, Oct 31938 NC Hwy 801 South, Advance

Oktoberfest

9:30 AM

Family-friendly

Worth the trip

Oct 9–11Union Sq, Hickory, NC 28601, United States3 days

Hickory’s Oktoberfest

5:00 PM

Live musicFamily-friendly

Before you go

Know before you go in Charlotte

Tickets, timing, what to wear, and whether the kids can come.

What a ticket costs in Charlotte

Every listing with a price, cheapest first.

  1. Brewers Beer Dinner$25
  2. Wine & Cheese Pairing: Oktoberfest 2026 Edition$42.22

2 listings do not show a price.

Tickets and money

Every organiser sets its own prices, and entry, food and drink are often sold separately. Check what a ticket covers before you buy.

In Charlotte: Paid tickets from $25 to $42.22.

When to go

Charlotte starts between 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM.

Weekend afternoons fill up first. Go early if you want a table.

What to wear

Dirndl or Lederhosen are welcome, never required. In Bavaria they are everyday clothes, not a costume.

Bow tied leftsingle
Bow tied righttaken

Traditionally said, from the wearer's side. A custom, not a rule.

With kids

Festivals in parks and streets are usually all ages; events in bars are often 21+. The listing says which.

Eat and drink

What to order at Oktoberfest

Same word, two beers: Munich pours a pale lager, North America an amber one.

What Munich pours

Festbier

Colour
Pale gold
Malt
Lighter, bready
Finish
Smooth and easy-drinking
Strength
Around 6%

What North America calls Oktoberfest

Märzen

Colour
Amber
Malt
Rich, toasty, bready
Finish
Fuller, with a dry finish
Strength
Varies by brewer
A horse-drawn brewery wagon carrying six barrels

Ask for these on tap

Only these six Munich breweries may pour at the Wiesn. Their festival beers are the real thing.

  1. Augustiner
  2. Hacker-Pschorr
  3. Hofbräu
  4. Löwenbräu
  5. Paulaner
  6. Spaten
A one-litre Maß beside a US pint glass and a 330 ml bottle

Pace yourself

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.

Three glasses: lager with lemonade, wheat beer with lemonade, and cola with orange soda

Driving? Ask for these

  • Radler Beer and lemonade, about half the strength.
  • Russ Wheat beer and lemonade.
  • Spezi Cola and orange soda. No alcohol.

On the plate

  • Most eaten

    Hendl

    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

  • Vegetarian

    Käsespätzle

    Cheesy egg noodles

  • Kartoffelpuffer

    Crisp potato pancakes

  • Radi

    Spiral-cut salted radish

For afters

  • 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

What happens at an Oktoberfest

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.

The songs everyone sings

Most bands play these, loudly, more than once.

  1. Take Me Home, Country RoadsJohn Denver
  2. Sweet CarolineNeil Diamond
  3. FliegerliedThe arm-flapping one
  4. Skandal im SperrbezirkSpider Murphy Gang
  5. HulapaluAndreas Gabalier

How the games work

  • Masskrugstemmen

    Stein hoisting

    Hold a full litre at arm's length, elbow locked. Last arm up wins.

    On in Charlotte, Sat, Oct 17
  • Keg bowling

    Kegs for balls, pins at the end of the lane, against the clock.

  • Stein race

    Carry full steins to the line. Fastest run with least beer spilled wins.

  • Bratwurst eating

    Ten brats, no buns, one clock.

  • Dachshund racing

    America's own: sausage dogs sprinting for their owners.

  • Costume contest

    Best dirndl, best lederhosen, judged by applause.

Words you will hear

Prost!prohst
Cheers. Look the other person in the eye when you clink.
O'zapft is!oh-TSAPFT iss
“It's tapped!” Shouted as the first keg is opened.
Maßmahss
The one-litre stein. Order one and you are holding two pints.
Gemütlichkeitge-MYOOT-lish-kite
Warmth and good company. The toast song is named after it.
Die Wiesndee VEE-zn
What Munich calls Oktoberfest, after its meadow.
Trachttrakht
Traditional dress: dirndl and lederhosen together.
BreznBRAY-tsn
The giant soft pretzel.
RadlerRAHD-ler
Beer and lemonade, for a lighter glass.

Since 1810

Why it is called Oktoberfest when it happens in September

A horse race on a Munich meadow in 1810, watched by a royal couple and a cheering crowd

Before it was about beer, Oktoberfest was about a royal couple. Munich threw open a meadow to celebrate the 1810 wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese, ending with a horse race watched by tens of thousands. The meadow took her name, the party became annual, and it later moved into September, when Bavaria's weather is at its most dependable.

Munich's 2026 Wiesn is on now: day 10 of 16, until October 4.

Asked and answered

Oktoberfest in Charlotte: the basics

When is Oktoberfest in Charlotte in 2026?

Oktoberfest events in Charlotte run from Sep 28 to Oct 21, 2026: 4 events. The busiest weekend is Oct 2 – Oct 4, with 2 events.

Is there an Oktoberfest event in Charlotte this weekend?

Nothing is listed in Charlotte itself for Oct 2 – Oct 4, but 4 events are on nearby, in Advance, Gastonia and Monroe.

How much are Oktoberfest tickets in Charlotte?

Tickets run from $25 to $42.22, set by each organiser, so check what yours includes before you book. None of the 4 events listed right now is free to get into.

Is there an Oktoberfest near Charlotte?

Yes: 8 more events are listed within reach of Charlotte, in Advance, Gastonia, Monroe and Rock Hill and more. The soonest is Oktoberfest in Advance, on Sat, Oct 3.

Where is Oktoberfest held in Charlotte?

At 4 venues, including Frenchy's Sip and Shop, Brewers At 4001 Yancey and Charlotte.

What are the best Oktoberfest events in Charlotte?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Brewers Beer Dinner at Brewers At 4001 Yancey (Tue, Sep 29), 2026 USSA Steinholding Championship of The Carolinas Tournament Finals (Sat, Oct 17) and HELL-EN Back Majestic Mountain Tour | 2026 at Charlotte (Oct 21–25).

When is Oktoberfest in Munich in 2026?

Munich's Oktoberfest runs from September 19 to October 4, 2026, 16 days on the Theresienwiese. It is on now: today is day 10.

What is Oktoberfest, and why is it in September?

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.

What do you wear to Oktoberfest?

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.

What is Oktoberfest beer?

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.