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Near Elkhorn

Famous for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2026 in Elkhorn

Oktoberfest reaches Elkhorn once autumn commits. Beer festivals and Bavarian nights come with live music, giant steins and dancing, and nobody checks whether the lederhosen are yours. Bring a group and the food decides it, bratwurst and pretzels on nearly every menu and long tables that fill in behind you. If a good beer with friends is the plan, fine. Take a look at Oktoberfest 2026 events and parties across Elkhorn, see what fits, and book your tickets before they run out.

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Next up in Elkhorn

Oktoberfest 2026!

Oct 3–4 · 10:00 AM · N5543 county road O, Elkhorn, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53121

Starts in

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Every listing

Oktoberfest events in Elkhorn

Best with kids

Oct 3–4N5543 county road O, Elkhorn, WI, United States, Wisconsin 531212 days

Oktoberfest 2026!

🎉🍺 Celebrate Our 7th Annual Oktoberfest at Duesterbeck's Brewing Company! 🍺🎉 Raise a stein and join us for one of our favorite days of the year! Enjoy an unforgettable day filled with incredible beer, authentic German food, live music, family fun, and Ok

10:00 AM

Live musicFamily-friendly

Sat, Oct 17Veteran's Square, Elkhorn, Wi

Elkhorn Oktoberfest

Celebrate the season with a taste of German food, good music and cold beers! Let’s Tiki Together!

9:00 AM

Sat, Oct 24622 E Court St

Sled-Toberfest Open House

SLED-TOBERFEST IS BACK! It’s time to kick off the sled season at A+ Power Sports! Join us for Sled-Toberfest on Saturday, October 24th from 10AM–3PM for a full day of snowmobiles, savings, food, drinks, and everything we love about the upcoming riding

10:00 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 Elkhorn

Worth the trip from Elkhorn, soonest first.

Sat, Oct 325 East State Street, North Aurora

Oktoberfest

12:00 PM

Live music

Before you go

Know before you go in Elkhorn

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

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.

When to go

Elkhorn starts between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

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

In Elkhorn: 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 Elkhorn: 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

Every stein raised at Oktoberfest in 2026 is, in a roundabout way, a toast to a couple married in 1810. Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese wed that October, and Munich celebrated with a horse race on a meadow outside town, the Theresienwiese. The festival that grew from it now starts in September, moved forward for the better weather.

Munich's 2026 Wiesn is on now: day 13 of 16, until October 4.

Asked and answered

Oktoberfest in Elkhorn: the basics

When is Oktoberfest in Elkhorn in 2026?

Oktoberfest events in Elkhorn run from Oct 3 to Oct 24, 2026: 4 events. The busiest weekend is Oct 2 – Oct 4, with 2 events.

Is there an Oktoberfest event in Elkhorn this weekend?

Yes: 2 events are on for Oct 2 – Oct 4, including Oktoberfest 2026! at N5543 county road O, Elkhorn, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53121 and OKTOBERFEST: Jon Bon Stamos at Duesterbeck’s Brewing Co. at Duesterbeck's Brewing Company. Another 6 events are on nearby.

Is there an Oktoberfest near Elkhorn?

Yes: 9 more events are listed within reach of Elkhorn, in Racine, Glendale, Milwaukee and North Aurora and more. The soonest is October First Fridays "Oktoberfest" in Racine, on Fri, Oct 2.

Where is Oktoberfest held in Elkhorn?

At 4 venues, including N5543 county road O, Elkhorn, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53121, Duesterbeck's Brewing Company and Veteran's Square, Elkhorn, Wi.

What are the best Oktoberfest events in Elkhorn?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Oktoberfest 2026! at N5543 county road O, Elkhorn, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53121 (Oct 3–4), OKTOBERFEST: Jon Bon Stamos at Duesterbeck’s Brewing Co. at Duesterbeck's Brewing Company (Sat, Oct 3) and Elkhorn Oktoberfest at Veteran's Square, Elkhorn, Wi (Sat, Oct 17).

Can you take kids to Oktoberfest in Elkhorn?

1 listing says it is family-friendly: Oktoberfest 2026!. 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 13.

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.

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 Elkhorn

Cities near Elkhorn