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Famous for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2026 in Cleveland

Oktoberfest in Cleveland goes on a while. Beer festivals and Bavarian nights cover the loud part with live music and giant steins, and the dancing and lederhosen stay optional throughout. On the calmer nights the food is what people remember, bratwurst and pretzels on nearly every menu and long tables near the lake where the table absorbs you. Or one good beer with friends, nothing more ambitious. Explore Oktoberfest 2026 events and parties across Cleveland and book your tickets before they run out.

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Next up in Cleveland

Cleveland Oktoberfest 2026

Sat, Sep 26 · 4:00 PM · The Corner Alley

$7.13 – $30.65

Starts in

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Oktoberfest events in Cleveland

Best for groups

Sat, Sep 26

Cleveland Oktoberfest 2026

Get ready to celebrate Oktoberfest in Cleveland in 2026! Cleveland Oktoberfest 2026 🎉 Get ready to celebrate Oktoberfest like never before w

4:00 PMThe Corner Alley

$7.13 – $30.65Bar crawl

Best with kids

Sat, Oct 3

The Ohio City Oktoberfest

Celebrate Oktoberfest right here in Ohio City with food and drink, live music, and family friendly fun! Save the Date: Ohio City Oktoberfest Mark your calendars for t

12:00 PMMarket Square Park

FreeLive musicFamily-friendly

Most popular

Sat, Oct 3

Cleveland Bazaar in Market Square Park

Please note the hours for this event are different than our other summer shows in Market Square Park as we're partnering with Ohio City Inc's Oktoberfest. Shop local + handmade across from the West Side Market two times per month May-October! Our summer

12:00 PMMarket Square, Cleveland

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 Cleveland

Worth the trip from Cleveland, soonest first.

Before you go

Know before you go in Cleveland

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

What a ticket costs in Cleveland

Every listing with a price, cheapest first.

  1. The Ohio City OktoberfestFree
  2. Cleveland Oktoberfest 2026$7.13 – $30.65
  3. 5th Annual Oktoberfest Party & Homebrew Competition$7.18 – $12.51

1 listing does 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 Cleveland: 1 of 4 free to get in; paid tickets from $7.13 to $30.65.

When to go

Cleveland starts between 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM.

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

In Cleveland: Saturday is the big day, with 4 of 4 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 Cleveland: 1 family-friendly event.

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 MaĂź 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 GemĂĽtlichkeit

Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
der GemĂĽtlichkeit.
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
der GemĂĽtlichkeit.
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.

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.
MaĂźmahss
The one-litre stein. Order one and you are holding two pints.
GemĂĽtlichkeitge-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

More than two centuries of Oktoberfest start with a wedding. On 12 October 1810 Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, and five days later Munich held a horse race in her honour on a meadow at the edge of the city. The celebration became a yearly fixture, and its dates moved into September for the sunshine.

Munich's 2026 Wiesn is on now: day 5 of 16, until October 4.

Asked and answered

Oktoberfest in Cleveland: the basics

When is Oktoberfest in Cleveland in 2026?

Oktoberfest events in Cleveland run from Sep 26 to Oct 3, 2026: 4 events. The busiest weekend is Sep 25 – Sep 27, with 2 events.

Is there an Oktoberfest event in Cleveland this weekend?

Yes: 2 events are on for Sep 25 – Sep 27, including Cleveland Oktoberfest 2026 at The Corner Alley and 5th Annual Oktoberfest Party & Homebrew Competition at The Brownhoist. Another 4 events are on nearby.

Are there free Oktoberfest events in Cleveland?

Yes: 1 of the 4 listed is free to get into, including The Ohio City Oktoberfest. Paid tickets for the rest run from $7.13 to $30.65. Food and drink are usually paid for on the day.

Is there an Oktoberfest near Cleveland?

Yes: 9 more events are listed within reach of Cleveland, in Lakewood, North Candon, Medina and Niles and more. The soonest is Birdtown Brewing - Oktoberfest 2026 in Lakewood, on Sep 26–27.

Where is Oktoberfest held in Cleveland?

At 4 venues, including The Corner Alley, The Brownhoist, Market Square Park and Market Square, Cleveland.

What are the best Oktoberfest events in Cleveland?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are The Ohio City Oktoberfest at Market Square Park (Sat, Oct 3), Cleveland Oktoberfest 2026 at The Corner Alley (Sat, Sep 26) and Cleveland Bazaar in Market Square Park at Market Square, Cleveland (Sat, Oct 3).

Can you take kids to Oktoberfest in Cleveland?

1 listing says it is family-friendly: The Ohio City Oktoberfest. 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 Oktoberfest runs from September 19 to October 4, 2026, 16 days on the Theresienwiese. It is on now: today is day 5.

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 Cleveland

Cities near Cleveland