Every year, as September rolls around, there’s a hint of nostalgia in the air as summer fades. The sun gradually sets earlier each night, and temperatures cool as summer’s frenetic energy begins to ease. Seattle and communities across the Evergreen State still have plenty in store for the rest of the year, though, starting with a series of boisterous Oktoberfest celebrations throughout the city and across the region.
The first-ever Oktoberfest was held on October 12, 1810, to celebrate the royal wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese in Munich. The celebration was such a success that it became an annual tradition. Festivals gradually evolved over the years, growing to include carnival rides, parades to showcase regional costumes and traditions, and keg tappings.
Washington’s Oktoberfests began far more recently, but have since become some of the most popular ways to mark the transition from summer to fall. So don your best dirndls and lederhosen, and welcome fall with a series of Bavarian-inspired, beer- and brat-fueled festivities.
Steins up at Fremont Oktoberfest, where fall arrives with local beer and Bavarian-style fun.
Photo courtesy of Fremont Oktoberfest
1. Fremont Oktoberfest
Seattle’s first Oktoberfest was held in Fremont in 1997 in a small parking lot with a few hundred people. Today, Fremont Oktoberfest is the city’s largest and earliest, kicking off the season with three days of celebrations from September 18-20. The long weekend is filled with fun and competitions, from stein sliding and stein hoisting to Bavarian costume contests and a Bavarian beer run.
DJs set the mood as daytime shenanigans transition to a nighttime party, and some of Seattle’s favorite breweries, including Métier Brewing and Reuben’s Brews, will be pouring pints all day and night. Entry tickets start at $10, with higher-priced ticket options that include tasting tokens to sample the dozens of beers on tap. The event is strictly for guests 21 and older.
2. Des Moines Marina Oktoberfest
Des Moines Marina Oktoberfest runs September 18-20 with waterfront festivities, local beer and activities for kids. On Sunday, one-hour Brews Cruises depart from the marina at 2 and 4 p.m. Tickets cost $25 and include food and game vouchers; beer is available for purchase.
3. Bainbridge Island Oktoberfest
Not all the fun happens on the mainland. Bainbridge Island is bringing back its Oktoberfest after its inaugural event last year. On October 3, head to Waterfront Park for an afternoon and evening filled with cider, beer, and German fare. Join in the beanbag toss, see how long you can hold a stein, and dance to the tunes of the Bavarian Beer Garden Band, which starts playing at 5 p.m.
4. Dru Bru: Oktoberfest
On September 19, Dru Bru will host a full day of family-friendly, Oktoberfest-themed fun at its Cle Elum location. Arrive in time to watch the team tap the ceremonial keg of Festbier at 12:45 p.m. to kick off the day. Next, see who can hold a stein straight out the longest. The rest of the day unfolds in a flurry of skee-ball keg toss, a three-liter boot challenge, plenty of German-style beer and food, and live music in the evening. Join the Dru Bru team by wearing your finest Bavarian attire.
Photo by Markus Spiske / Unsplash
5. West Seattle Oktoberfest
West Seattleites don’t need to cross the bridge to get in the Bavarian spirit. Ounces Taproom and Beer Garden is hosting a three-day Oktoberfest from October 2-4. Come sip on locally brewed Oktoberfest beers and snack on Bavarian dogs and giant pretzels while listening to live music, including tunes from the Oompah Machine. The fun doesn’t stop there. See how long you can hold a stein and how fast you can drink from a boot, or try your hand at hammerschlagen, a German game in which competitors drive nails into a wooden stump.
6. Oktoberfest at Longmire Springs
Celebrate all things Bavarian in the crisp mountain air and shadow of Mount Rainier at Packwood’s Longmire Springs Brewing on September 19. Stein holding, hammerschlagen, and oompah music set the mood, and, of course, there are plenty of seasonal and Oktoberfest-style beers to sip on. Events start in the afternoon, which gives you enough time to squeeze in a morning hike before swapping your hiking clothes for a dirndl or lederhosen.
Leavenworth is the place to be when Oktoberfest season rolls around.
Photo courtesy of Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce
7. Oktoberfest Leavenworth
Leavenworth’s Oktoberfest followed Fremont just a year later, and was founded by the nonprofit Projekt Bayern in 1998. “Oktoberfest was started as an extension of the Bavarian theme Leavenworth built its identity around, and it’s become one of the most authentic experiences visitors expect when they come here,” says Jessica Stoller, public relations director for the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce.
Since the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce took over in 2022, the celebration has been expanded throughout the town, so the spirit doesn’t just start and end at the festival gates. Each of the three weekends in October (2-3, 9-10, and 16-17) features distinct bands that play at Oktoberfest events across Europe. Days are packed with Bavarian-themed fun: polka dancing, a best-dressed contest, ceremonial keg tapping, a mustache competition, and a pretzel toss. “The coolest tradition by far is our Stein Holding Championship, held separately for women and men,” says Stoller. “It’s a real crowd favorite and brings out everyon’s competitive side.”
The Front Street Park Beer Garden is for guests 21 and older, but all ages are welcome at the Festhalle Beer Garden and Kinderplatz family area until 9 p.m.
