Oktoberfest, Pennsylvania-style: German heritage celebrations across the state

Celebrate Pennsylvania’s German heritage and crisp fall brews at a regional Oktoberfest this September and October.

It’s almost Oktoberfest season in Pennsylvania, when towns and communities will host their own versions of Germany’s iconic Oktoberfest in Munich—the world-famous festival held each September and October, where German beer combines with carnival games for a fall celebration attended by roughly 7 million people.

Save yourself a flight—and pushing through crowds of millions—and raise your beer stein at a local Oktoberfest this year. You’ll be treated to German food, polka music, festival fun, and of course, lots of beer. Don’t forget to say “prost!” when you toast your friends—that’s German for “cheers!”

Reading Liederkranz Oktoberfest

Dates: Oct. 1-5

Widely considered one of the best Oktoberfest celebrations in the United States, Reading Liederkranz Oktoberfest is as close to Munich as you can get in Pennsylvania. Hosted by the Reading Liederkranz, a German social club, this Oktoberfest is proud to offer authentic German foods, beers, and music. This year, the tantalizing menu of course includes bratwurst, schnitzel, and sauerkraut, but you’ll also find potato pancakes, goulash, and even vegan bratwurst for plant-based partiers. The festival’s eight bars serve two dozen German beers, as well as Glühwein—hot mulled wine. Finally, visitors will also indulge in live German music, with a different band performing each day!

Pittsburgh Hofbräuhaus Oktoberfest

Dates: Sept. 26-28

Hofbräuhaus was the first beer hall in Germany, having opened in Munich in 1589. The restaurant is now a global chain, and each Hofbräuhaus location hosts a killer Oktoberfest celebration, informed by the brand’s centuries of experience at serving Bavarian food and drink. There are six of the famous taverns in the United States, and one of these is in Pittsburgh! The Pittsburgh brewery and restaurant, located in the city’s SouthSide Works, is hosting its own Oktoberfest over three weekends in September. The celebration kicks off with a ceremonial keg tapping, live music, and entertainment (including balloon art and face painting for the kids). Plus, the restaurant is importing the very same beer that its parent Hofbräuhaus brews for the Munich festival!

Oktoberfest at SteelStacks–Bethlehem

Dates: Oct. 3-5, 10-12

This year, Bethlehem will host an Oktoberfest held exclusively in October. Oktoberfest at SteelStacks is a free festival featuring four beer gardens and a variety of events to attract visitors beyond beer. The event will host a dachshund race, the Pennsylvania State Steinholding Championship (you’ll have to pass the qualifiers first, however), a giant beer pong game, a dog parade, a fashion contest, a flip cup tournament, and even a 5K (one of these things is not like the others). If you’d rather just sit back and focus on your beer, each beer garden will also have live music, including tunes from the one and only Polkadelphia.

Brauhaus Schmitz Oktoberfest Events–Philadelphia

Dates: South Street Oktoberfest: Sept. 27 Armory Oktoberfest: Oct. 10-11

Philadelphia German beer hall Brauhaus Schmitz is hosting not just one Oktoberfest, but two! This shouldn’t be surprising, as it claims to have the largest German beer selection in the world (well, outside of Germany) with 34 rotating beers imported directly from Deutschland. In any case, Brauhaus Schmitz is behind both the South Street Oktoberfest and the Armory Oktoberfest.

The South Street festival is free to enter, but you can snag $125 VIP tickets, which include access to a buffet, beer tokens, a VIP room, a liter mag, a t-shirt, and most importantly, restrooms that don’t require a wait. General admission tickets to the Armory Oktoberfest are $30, while VIP tickets, which include reserved seating, a platter of food, two liters of beer, and no-wait restrooms, are $70.

Oktoberfest at Blue Mountain Resort–Palmerton

Dates: Sept. 27-28

Carbon County’s Blue Mountain Resort is hosting a free Oktoberfest for families during the last weekend of September. The celebration will feature live music (including the John Stevens Band), traditional dancers, German food, an arts and crafts fair, a beer garden, and a kids’ zone. Plus, you can take hayrides to the pumpkin patch or ride the chairlift (for an additional fee), which may not be traditional, but will still be fun. Even better, dogs are welcome!

Pennsylvania Bavarian Oktoberfest–Canonsburg

Dates: Sept. 19-21

You can pretend you’re in Munich at the Pennsylvania Bavarian Oktoberfest in Washington County’s Canonsburg. Each year, the downtown Canonsburg festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors with German (and American) music, quality German (and American) eats, as well as a carnival. More than an Oktoberfest celebration, the festival is a community event, with a large vendor fair lining downtown Pike Street featuring local artists showing their wares and kids’ activities, like bounce houses.

Mifflinburg Oktoberfest

Dates: Oct. 3-4

Mifflinburg Oktoberfest in Union County celebrates 20 years of festivities in 2025! Hosted by the Mifflinburg Heritage and Revitalization Association, the two-day festival celebrates Pennsylvanians’ love of good beer, offering six different German beers, as well as a local craft beer, Rusty Rail Oktoberfest. Entertainment includes live German music, a competitive keg tossing, mug lifting, and a ring toss game. While admission to the festival grounds at Mifflinburg Community Park is free, you can buy special package tickets that include a commemorative mug. And if you volunteer to be a designated driver, you’ll get a free mug that you can fill with complimentary birch beer all day.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Related: Fall is approaching! Here are 11 festivals & events in Pa. to add to your calendar