Where To Get Your ‘Fest On In 2026!

All The Cincinnati Oktoberfest Festivals (that you need to know about…)

Written By: The Gnarly Gnome

I’m a professional. Drinking beer is sort of my “thing” and keeping that in mind, Oktoberfest is sort of like my super bowl. I wait all year for this season, and when it arrives (the fest season starts in August, just deal with that…) I am ready to get to it ALL. I want every single weekend to be taken up by a new festival, I want my fridge to be stocked with every Märzen and Festbier that I can get my hands on. My kids start calling me Vater, and my Leiderhosen never even gets the chance to hit the closet they are used so often.

I take this stuff seriously (or as seriously as beer is meant to be taken).

I completely understand that this is a lot to take in, though – and as a beer drinker, it’s really difficult to keep track of all the festivals that happen around Cincinnati. What are the Oktoberfests that you HAVE to go to? What are the ones that you probably should make note of? Well… that’s why I’m here. This is the complete list of Oktoberfest festivities that you need to put on your calendar. As dates are announced, I’ll update the post – but if you notice that there’s something that has slipped by me, well… shoot me a message and let me know!

August

8/8 – Kickoff To Oktoberfest @ The Cincinnati Lager House

Let’s start Oktoberfest off in style with a kickoff party at the Lager House! Food, music, beer and games – all capped off with the Ohio State Steinholding qualifier. This is the perfect way to start off the season!

8/15 – Grainworks Oktoberfest @ Grainworks

Grainworks has a great Oktoberfest beer, and is throwing an all-day party to celebrate its release. They’re celebrating with games and music and this year are releasing their brand new steins, too. Sign up for an official Ohio State steinholding qualifier – or just enjoy the atmosphere – either way… don’t miss it!

8/28-8/30 – Germania Oktoberfest @ The Germania Society

This is always near the top of my list when it comes to my favorites every year. The park at Germania is perfect for hosting a festival – with plenty of “meadow” space for rides, and tents to set up, along with an incredible wooded, shaded beer garden… it’s the type of place you don’t want to leave all weekend. The sweet smoke from roasted chicken mixes with the laughter of stein hoisting competitions, and the beer doesn’t stop flowing all weekend long. Don’t skip this one!

8/29 – Sam Adams Cincy Oktoberfest @ Sam Adams Cincy

It just isn’t Oktoberfest without a stein-full of their now-famous beer, and straight up… this is an excellent way to enjoy one! Pair it up with a sausage, enjoy it with their DJ cranking out the tunes. Sound fun? Because it is.

8/29 – Third Eye Oktoberfest @ Third Eye Hamilton

Third Eye brews up not just one, but two different Oktoberfest beers – and having both a Märzen and a Festbier means that they pretty much are required to throw a party. They’ll have stein-hoisting food specials, their ‘beerionette challenge’ (hilarious fun if you’ve never seen it) lots of merch… be there.

September

9/4 – Streetside Oktoberfest @ Streetside Brewery

Streetside is celebrating the 2026 release of their crowd-pleasing ‘Rainy Day Clubhouse’ with a full-on party worthy of, well… you! This beer is a sleeper hit, and although they might get a lot of accolades for their hazy IPAs, their big pastry stouts and the crazy sours – they can lager with the best of ’em.

9/4-9/6 – LIberty Home Association Oktoberfest @ Hamilton’s Liberty Home Association

The Liberty Home Association is not just one of the oldest German Societies in Greater Cincinnati; their Oktoberfest is THE Oldest in the area. They are celebrating the 60th anniversary this year, which is certainly reason enough for you to put it on your calendar. German Food, Live Music, Great Beer… you know the drill. They end things on Sunday with a big car show, too!

9/5 – Anderson Oktoberfest with Wandering Monsters @ Beech Acres Park

A full day celebration, free to attend and packed full of not just live music, local food and pretty much every single Oktoberfest celebration that you can imagine, but some incredible beer to fuel it all. This is THE spot to go if you are anywhere close to Anderson (or maybe even if you aren’t) – let this be your excuse to make a visit!

9/5 – Cartridge Oktoberfest with Cartridge And Friends @ The Cartridge Taproom

I love this one, because it taps into something that I think is critical for Oktoberfest… community. Cartridge isn’t just tapping their own oktoberfest beer, they’re bringing in friends from Depot, BC’s, Northern Row and Sons of Toil to make sure there’s plenty of beer to go around. Mark this one on your calendar if you, like me think friends are the secret sauce to a good party!

9/11-9/13 – Covington Oktoberfest @ Goebel Park and Mainstrausse

Covinton Oktoberfest is a great one, it sits right in that sweet spot in feeling like a big Oktoberfest celebration, without feeling “too big” at the same time. They’ve stepped things up this year, expanding to Sixth Street and Main Street, too to make this the biggest year, yet. There’s a euchre tournament, live music, a kids petting zoo and of course – plenty of local beers are on tap thanks to Braxton Brewery, who throws the party and definitely understands the importance of great beer, not just from them – but from a bunch of great breweries!

9/11-9/13 – Newport Oktoberfest @ Newport’s Festival Park

Norhtern Kentucky is going to be HOPPIN’ this weekend! Right on the river, steps away from the Levee, Newport Oktoberfest is bigger and better than ever. They’ve expanded attractions this year, and brought in a full carnival to make sure that there is plenty of fun for the entire family to enjoy!

9/11-9/13, 9/18-9/20, 9/25-9/27 – Hofbrauhaus Oktoberfest @ Hofbrauhaus Newport

Not content to let one weekend contain all the festivities, Newport’s Oktoberfest is doing it for three weekends in a row. Their Oktoberfest (of course) will be on tap, and they’ll be serving up roasted chicken (though, I’d argue the entire menu is fitting) – and they’ll make sure to bring nonstop entertainment with live music, dancing, and contests the whole time.

9/12 – Village Oktoberfest @ HighGrain Silverton

HighGrain loves to celebrate their neighborhood, and Oktoberfest is a pretty good excuse to throw a party to do that! If you haven’t tried their oktoberfest beer, well… it’s also a great excuse for you to grab a stein and do that, too!

9/12-9/13 – Westwood Oktoberfest @ Westwood Town Hall

Westwood has an awesome entertainment district, and WestSide Brewing has a few incredible Oktoberfest beers – if you don’t see how this math shapes up for Oktoberfest festing… what are we even doing, here? Mark. Your. Calendar.

9/15 – Milford Oktoberfest with Little Miami Brewing @ Old Milford

This one is spread out all around Old Milford, from the Kiwanis club hosting their ‘Kiwanisfest’ to Little Miami hosting their Oktoberfest it turns into a city-wide party. Little Miami is tapping their Märzen, and there will be plenty of food a drink around town for you to enjoy! Little Miami’s fest runs from 11am-11pm and the party over at Five Points park runs from 4pm-10pm.

9/17-9/20 – Oktoberfest Zinzinnati @ Sawyer Point And Yeatman’s Cove

This is the biggest, and now with the move down to the river at Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove… it’s right up there as one of the best Oktoberfest festivals in Cincinnati. It get’s a HUGE mention this year because we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of the world’s largest Oktoberfest celebrations. They’re going to put on an incredible fest this year, and I promise that you’re going to feel some extreme fomo is you are looking at all your friend’s pictures on Instagram and realize that you didn’t clear your calendar that day. The festival is sponsored by Sam Adams – so while you’re there make sure you get yourself a big pour of their classic Oktoberfest – and wash down your sausages with something local – because there’s always a great representation of some local breweries on hand, too! – Read More Here

9/24 – Oktoberfest @ Braxton Factory 52

It’s almost like this space was built FOR an Oktoberfest. Huge green space, with a stage for live music, an outdoor bar, and a rooftop at Braxton’s space if you want to get a bird’s-eye view of the activities!

9/25-9/26 – Loveland Oktoberfest @ Downtown Loveland

Plenty of German beer fuels this weekend festival! More details are coming soon, but you should start planning now!

9/26 – Sonder & Friends Oktoberfest @ Sonder Brewing Company

I don’t ever miss this festival. That should mean something if you know how much I love this time of year, and the festivals that happen during it. Sonder invites some of their closest friends from the craft beer community, some that you’ve probably had before, and hopefully some that you’ve been itching to try… they pair it all up with a massive party, all day… It’s epic.

9/26 – Brentwood Oktoberfest @ HighGrain Brentwood

HighGrain has a massive space in their “new” Brentwood taproom, and Oktoberfest gives them a great chance to show it off! They’ll be pouring not just their Oktoberfest, but one of the local scene’s biggest (and best) lager lineups all day, so if that sounds like a party you can get behind… well… get behind it.

October

10/2-10/4 – Donaushwaben Oktoberfest @ The Cincinnati Donauschwaben Society

While the big, modern, craft brewery driven Oktoberfest celebrations are important for the season, it’s not proper to say you’ve “fested” without hitting up some of the local German Societies in the fall. Donauschwaben is a perfect way to start winding down your Oktoberfest Season, too. They usually step things up and bring more great German beer than most any other festival, and it makes for an incredible reason to celebrate your German heritage (or adopted German heritage, if you just like to feel German for the fall).

10/9-10/10 – Lebanon Oktoberfest @ Bicentennial Park

Downtown Lebanon feels like the exact type of small town that is prime for a festival like Oktoberfest. Lebanon Brewing Company gets the chance to stretch its brewing muscles and showcase what they’re doing to a huge crowd… one that should definitely include YOU!