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Near New Braunfels

Famous for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2026 in New Braunfels

New Braunfels gives Oktoberfest its free weekends. The beer gardens fill with live music, giant steins and dancing, and nobody's ever been asked for lederhosen. Bring people and the eating starts on its own, bratwurst and pretzels going round the communal tables until the night has its own shape. If a good beer with friends is the plan, keep it. See what's on for Oktoberfest 2026 in New Braunfels, pick what suits, and book your tickets before they're taken.

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Next up in New Braunfels

6th Annual Kids Feeding Kids Denim & Dirndls Fundraiser

Sat, Oct 10 · 5:00 PM · Columbus Club

$52 – $10,000

Starts in

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Every listing

Oktoberfest events in New Braunfels

Best with kids

Sat, Oct 10Columbus Club

6th Annual Kids Feeding Kids Denim & Dirndls Fundraiser

6th Annual Denim & Dirndls Oktoberfest Fundraiser Join us for an unforgettable evening at the 6th Annual Denim & Dirndls Fundraiser benefiting Kids Feeding Kids , a local nonp

5:00 PM

$52 – $10,000Family-friendly

Best for a date

Wed, Oct 21Krause's Cafe

San Antonio Dutchmen

The San Antonio Dutchmen Polka band is also known as the San Antonio Combo and S.A. Country for the wide variety of music they play. The band plays for weddings, anniversaries, picnics, Oktoberfest, Wurstfest, festivals and public dances all over South Te

6:00 PM

Live music

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 New Braunfels

Worth the trip from New Braunfels, soonest first.

Before you go

Know before you go in New Braunfels

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 New Braunfels: Paid tickets from $52 to $10,000.

When to go

New Braunfels starts between 6:00 AM and 6:00 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.

In New Braunfels: 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 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.

  • 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 meadow at the heart of Munich's Oktoberfest is named after a bride. Princess Therese married Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria on 12 October 1810, and the city celebrated on the Theresienwiese with a horse race and public feasting. The festival returned the following year, grew from there, and was eventually brought forward into September for the milder weather.

Munich's 2026 Wiesn is on now: day 14 of 16, until October 4.

Asked and answered

Oktoberfest in New Braunfels: the basics

When is Oktoberfest in New Braunfels in 2026?

Oktoberfest events in New Braunfels run from Oct 10 to Nov 6, 2026: 3 events.

Is there an Oktoberfest event in New Braunfels this weekend?

Nothing is listed in New Braunfels itself for Oct 2 – Oct 4, but 6 events are on nearby, in Fredericksburg, San Marcos and San Antonio.

How much are Oktoberfest tickets in New Braunfels?

Tickets run from $52 to $10,000, set by each organiser, so check what yours includes before you book. None of the 3 events listed right now is free to get into.

Is there an Oktoberfest near New Braunfels?

Yes: 9 more events are listed within reach of New Braunfels, in Fredericksburg, San Marcos, San Antonio and Round Rock and more. The soonest is Fredericksburg Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg, on Oct 2–3.

Where is Oktoberfest held in New Braunfels?

At 3 venues, including Columbus Club, Krause's Cafe and Wurstfest.

What are the best Oktoberfest events in New Braunfels?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are HAPPY HOUR OKTOBERFESTBAND live @ WURSTFEST NEW BRAUNFELS 2026 / TX / USA (Fri, Nov 6), 6th Annual Kids Feeding Kids Denim & Dirndls Fundraiser at Columbus Club (Sat, Oct 10) and San Antonio Dutchmen at Krause's Cafe (Wed, Oct 21).

Can you take kids to Oktoberfest in New Braunfels?

1 listing says it is family-friendly: 6th Annual Kids Feeding Kids Denim & Dirndls Fundraiser. 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 14.

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 New Braunfels

Cities near New Braunfels