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Famous for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2026 in Chicago

Oktoberfest in Chicago gives autumn a shape. Beer festivals and Bavarian nights come with the dancing and the giant steins, though you're allowed to skip all that and let live music in a smaller room carry the evening. Go for the food and you've got bratwurst, pretzels, and long neighborhood tables where you end up talking to everyone, which is usually the part you'll remember. Or just a good beer with friends, no lederhosen required. Look through Oktoberfest 2026 events and parties across Chicago, then book your tickets before they sell out.

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Fresh listingsupdated

On now in Chicago

Enchanted Adventure: An Evening of Pumpkin Monsters, Magic, and Mischief

Sep 25 – Nov 1 · 7:00 PM · The Forge Adventure Park & Ziplines, Lemont

$10.10 – $25.24

Happening now

See the event

Every listing

Oktoberfest events in Chicago

On now

Oct 10 – Nov 1Lyric Opera of Chicago23 days

Lyric Opera of Chicago - Don Giovanni

📍 Venue: Lyric Opera of Chicago 🏠 Address: 20 N Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606 🌆 City: Chicago 📍 Location: 41.8827, -87.6375🌟 Be part of history at Lyric Opera of Chicago - Don Giovanni , an extraordinary gathering that will captivate yo

7:30 PM

On now

Oct 12–20Haridham Chicago: Hindu-Swaminarayan Temple & Cultural Center (YDS Chicago), Schaumburg9 days

Schaumburg Garba Festival 2026 | 8 Nights of Garba

Join us for eight unforgettable nights of Garba at Haridham Chicago – YDS Temple in Schaumburg! Enjoy music, dancing, food, and festive comm Get Ready, Schaumburg! Patel Entertainment Group is p

6:30 PM

Free

On now

Tue, Oct 13Wrigley Field

TBD at Chicago Cubs - NLCS (Home Game 1)

📍 Venue: Wrigley Field 🏠 Address: 1060 West Addison Street, Chicago, IL 60613 🌆 City: Chicago 📍 Location: 41.9475, -87.6562✨ Enter a world of endless possibilities at TBD at Chicago Cubs - NLCS (Home Game 1) , where every moment tells a s

3:30 AM

On now

Tue, Oct 13Rate Field

TBD at Chicago White Sox - ALCS (Home Game 2)

📍 Venue: Rate Field 🏠 Address: 333 West 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60616 🌆 City: Chicago 📍 Location: 41.8299, -87.6338🌟 Journey into wonder at TBD at Chicago White Sox - ALCS (Home Game 2) , where extraordinary experiences await around ever

3:30 AM

Wed, Oct 14Wrigley Field

TBD at Chicago Cubs - NLCS (Home Game 2)

📍 Venue: Wrigley Field 🏠 Address: 1060 West Addison Street, Chicago, IL 60613 🌆 City: Chicago 📍 Location: 41.9475, -87.6562✨ Discover the extraordinary at TBD at Chicago Cubs - NLCS (Home Game 2) , where magic meets reality in ways you've

3:30 AM

Wed, Oct 14Rate Field

ALCS Home Game 4

Nearby Attractions Chicago White Sox has 133 upcoming events. Accessibility Accessible seating is available in all price levels. In the Lower Deck, accessible seating is in the back of the sections, and in the Upp

1:10 PM

Wed, Oct 14Chicago, Illinois

Smashing Pumpkins

🎸 The Smashing Pumpkins – “The Rats in a Cage Tour” 📍 Venue United Center Chicago, Illinois, USA 🗓️ Event Details Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Time: 8:00 PM

8:00 PM

Thu, Oct 15Rate Field

ALCS Home Game 1

Nearby Attractions Chicago White Sox has 127 upcoming events. Accessibility Accessible seating is available in all price levels. In the Lower Deck, accessible seating is in the back of the sections, and in the Upp

12:00 AM

Get the look

Dress up, raise a stein, throw your own

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.

Nearby

More Oktoberfest events around Chicago

Worth the trip from Chicago, soonest first.

Sat, Oct 174203 Montdale Park Drive, Valparaiso

MAACtoberfest

12:00 PM

Sat, Oct 17136 Washington St, Lowell

Trunk or Treat

4:00 PM

Family-friendly

Worth the trip

Sat, Oct 24The Domaine at Hawthorn Row, Vernon Hills

Harvest Fest

2:00 PM

Live musicFamily-friendly

Where to go

The German table in Chicago

Chicago was a third German once. Lincoln Square is the part that stayed, and the Loop keeps the oldest German dining room in the city.

Every link goes to the venue's own site. Hours change — check before you travel.

Before you go

Know before you go in Chicago

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

What a ticket costs in Chicago

Every listing with a price, cheapest first.

  1. Schaumburg Garba Festival 2026 | 8 Nights of GarbaFree
  2. Summer in the FallFree
  3. Chicago BuildFree
  4. Construction Industry Welcome - Panel and Networking EventFree
  5. Sustainable Futures: Where Sustainability Leaders ConnectFree
  6. Meet the Speakers!Free
  7. The Fright Crawl | Chicago Halloween Bar Crawl 2026 River North | Sat, Oct 31$8.17 – $81.75
  8. Enchanted Adventure: An Evening of Pumpkin Monsters, Magic, and Mischief$10.10 – $25.24

And 17 more. 74 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 Chicago: 6 of 99 free to get in; paid tickets from $8.17 to $1,165.68.

When to go

Chicago starts between 2:00 AM and 11:59 PM.

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

In Chicago: Saturday is the big day, with 31 of 100 dates.

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.

In Chicago: 3 family-friendly events; 3 are 21+.

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.

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.

  • 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.

    On in Chicago, Oct 23–24

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

It began with a royal wedding and a horse race. When Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese in 1810, Munich invited the public to celebrate on a field outside the city, and the race on 17 October drew around 40,000 people. The field became the Theresienwiese, the party became annual, and the start date slid into September for the better weather.

Munich's 2026 Wiesn ran from September 19 to October 4.

Asked and answered

Oktoberfest in Chicago: the basics

When is Oktoberfest in Chicago in 2026?

Oktoberfest events in Chicago run from Sep 25 to Nov 6, 2026: 99 events. The busiest weekend is Oct 16 – Oct 18, with 38 events.

Is there an Oktoberfest event in Chicago this weekend?

Yes: 30 events are on for Oct 16 – Oct 18, including Enchanted Adventure: An Evening of Pumpkin Monsters, Magic, and Mischief at The Forge Adventure Park & Ziplines, TBD at Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and Lyric Opera of Chicago - Don Giovanni. Another 7 events are on nearby.

Are there free Oktoberfest events in Chicago?

Yes: 6 of the 99 listed are free to get into, including Schaumburg Garba Festival 2026 | 8 Nights of Garba, Summer in the Fall and Chicago Build. Paid tickets for the rest run from $8.17 to $1,165.68. Food and drink are usually paid for on the day.

Is there an Oktoberfest near Chicago?

Yes: 9 more events are listed within reach of Chicago, in Aurora, Lowell, Valparaiso and Morris and more. The soonest is Rosary Haus is Coming! in Aurora, on Fri, Oct 16.

Where is Oktoberfest held in Chicago?

At 53 venues, including Rate Field (13 dates), United Center (11 dates), Wrigley Field (9 dates) and Chicago, Illinois (3 dates).

What are the best Oktoberfest events in Chicago?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Rahat Fateh Ali Khan at NOW Arena (Sat, Oct 24), TBD at Chicago Cubs - World Series (Home Game 2) at Wrigley Field (Sat, Oct 24) and TBD at Chicago Cubs - World Series (Home Game 1) at Wrigley Field (Fri, Oct 23).

Can you take kids to Oktoberfest in Chicago?

3 listings say they are family-friendly: Enchanted Adventure: An Evening of Pumpkin Monsters, Magic, and Mischief, Spooky Zoo and Hokus Pokus Live!. 3 listings are 21+. For the rest, check the listing before you go: many events held in bars are 21+.

When is Oktoberfest in Munich in 2026?

Munich's 2026 Oktoberfest ran from September 19 to October 4, 2026, 16 days on the Theresienwiese.

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.

Worth the trip

Cities famous for Oktoberfest

Where the season is the whole city's business, from Munich's meadow to a Bavarian village in the Cascades.

Keep exploring

More to do around Chicago

Cities near Chicago