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Famous for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2026 in Milwaukee

Milwaukee has done Oktoberfest for a long time. Beer festivals and Bavarian nights open things up with live music and giant steins, then the dancing arrives, and the lederhosen stay entirely optional. The food holds it together throughout, bratwurst and pretzels on nearly every menu and long tables near the lake where you end up talking to everyone within reach. Or is one quiet beer with friends more the idea? Explore Oktoberfest 2026 events and parties across Milwaukee and book your tickets before they run out.

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Next up in Milwaukee

Elbow Room Cedarburg OktoBEERfest

Oct 17–18 · 3:00 PM · 1221 Wauwatosa Rd, Cedarburg

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Oktoberfest events in Milwaukee

Most popular

Oct 17–181221 Wauwatosa Rd, Cedarburg2 days

Elbow Room Cedarburg OktoBEERfest

Join us for an OktoBEERfest weekend of fun!! SAT 10/17 3PM-9PM | SUN 1-/18 12PM-6PM

3:00 PM

Sat, Oct 17Mailing 4623 75th Street STE 4-221, Kenosha, WI

Octoberfest at the Kenosha Moose Lodge

A fundraiser for the Kenosha Welcome Center Food Pantry DJ, raffle baskets, food for sale, cash bar Buy tickets online or at the door! $10.00 Kenoshawelcomecenter.org/events

5:00 PM

Wed, Oct 21Lombardi Brewing Company

Backyard Historians #9: SCream City Chills

⏳ The return of Backyard Historians! 🎉 Celebration of our 1st Anniversary! *There will be a handful of door prize giveaways including a one-night stay at the beautiful Brewhouse Inn & Suites in the historic Pabst brewery complex. What more do you nee

6:30 PM

Best on a budget

Sat, Oct 244100 S Lake Dr, Saint Francis

Oktoberfest at The Landing

Celebrate Oktoberfest at The Landing with free beer, snacks, accordion music, German favorites, and a festive sing-along! Join us for Oktoberfest at The Landing on Thursday

6:00 PM

Free

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 Milwaukee

Worth the trip from Milwaukee, soonest first.

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 Milwaukee

Pabst, Schlitz, Miller, Blatz — this city was built by German brewers, and two of its German restaurants have been open for over a century.

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

Before you go

Know before you go in Milwaukee

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.

In Milwaukee: 1 of 4 free to get in.

When to go

Milwaukee starts between 3:00 PM and 6:30 PM.

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

In Milwaukee: Saturday is the big day, with 3 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.

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.

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

The name promises October, but the festival mostly happens in September, and the weather is the reason. The first one, in 1810, celebrated the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese and ended with a horse race on 17 October. Over the years Munich pulled the start forward to catch the last warm evenings of the year.

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

Asked and answered

Oktoberfest in Milwaukee: the basics

When is Oktoberfest in Milwaukee in 2026?

Oktoberfest events in Milwaukee run from Oct 17 to Oct 24, 2026: 4 events. The busiest weekend is Oct 16 – Oct 18, with 2 events.

Is there an Oktoberfest event in Milwaukee this weekend?

Yes: 2 events are on for Oct 16 – Oct 18, including Elbow Room Cedarburg OktoBEERfest and Octoberfest at the Kenosha Moose Lodge at Mailing 4623 75th Street STE 4-221, Kenosha, WI. Another 2 events are on nearby.

Are there free Oktoberfest events in Milwaukee?

Yes: 1 of the 4 listed is free to get into, including Oktoberfest at The Landing.

Is there an Oktoberfest near Milwaukee?

Yes: 7 more events are listed within reach of Milwaukee, in Elkhorn, Sheboygan, Lake Geneva and Johnson Creek and more. The soonest is Elkhorn Oktoberfest in Elkhorn, on Sat, Oct 17.

Where is Oktoberfest held in Milwaukee?

At 4 venues, including Mailing 4623 75th Street STE 4-221, Kenosha, WI and Lombardi Brewing Company.

What are the best Oktoberfest events in Milwaukee?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Elbow Room Cedarburg OktoBEERfest (Oct 17–18), Oktoberfest at The Landing (Sat, Oct 24) and Octoberfest at the Kenosha Moose Lodge at Mailing 4623 75th Street STE 4-221, Kenosha, WI (Sat, Oct 17).

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.

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 Milwaukee

Cities near Milwaukee