The massive Munich beer festival known as Oktoberfest has inspired countless fall festivals across the country, usually with flowing beer and German flair.
Communities across the state celebrate Oktoberfest in Pennsylvania each fall, complete with stein-holding competitions, oompah bands, and lots of bratwurst, often reflecting the commonwealth’s deep German roots and the influence of centuries of German-speaking immigrants.
Some of Pennsylvania’s Oktoberfests feel like lively German beer halls—indeed, many are held at breweries, beer gardens, and German clubs—while others are small community festivals with artisan markets, kids’ activities, live music, and of course, plenty of beer.
This September and October, head to an Oktoberfest near you for some Bavarian-inspired fun. Be sure to learn at least one word of German: Prost! (That’s “cheers!”)
Lancaster Liederkranz Oktoberfest
Dates: Friday, Sept. 18 to Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026
Lancaster Liederkranz Oktoberfest is a traditional Oktoberfest celebration hosted by Lancaster Liederkranz, a German American social club that dates back to 1880. The festival takes place outdoors under a pavilion and large tents and emphasizes German culture, with the schedule including the club’s Alpenrose Schuhplattler Dancers, traditional folk singing, live German music, and a stein-holding competition.
You’ll also find Weihenstephan & Hofbräu beer, German liqueurs, wurst sandwiches and other classic foods, and the communal tables of a German beer hall.
Admission is $10 for those of legal drinking age, and free for those 20 and younger.
Pennsylvania Bavarian Oktoberfest – Canonsburg
Dates: Friday, Sept. 18 to Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026
Canonsburg’s Pennsylvania Bavarian Oktoberfest is a giant street party filled with traditional German festivities and the best parts of a classic American fall festival. Like any Oktoberfest, the beer is flowing, but you’ll also find carnival rides, German and American food, a vendor market, and two stages: one featuring German and Bavarian music and the other showcasing American acts.
Marienville Oktoberfest
Dates: Friday, Sept. 25 to Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026
Marienville Oktoberfest is a small-town fall festival taking place in Forest County near the Allegheny National Forest. Held right in downtown Marienville, the event celebrates the community with live entertainment, bike and tractor races, food and drink vendors, an arts and crafts market, a car show, and even a parade.
Renfrew Museum & Park Oktoberfest – Waynesboro
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026
Renfrew Museum & Park, a historic Pennsylvania German farmstead, will host an Oktoberfest fundraiser that pairs traditional Oktoberfest fun with Renfrew’s rich history. Admission includes full tours of the 1812 Royer House and living history demonstrations as well as traditional German music, crafts, period games, and a vendor market. Plus, you can head to the beer garden for $5 craft beer pours (just $3 during “happy hour”!) while enjoying German and American eats.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for kids ages 3 and older (kids 2 and under are free).
Love City Manayunk Oktoberfest – Philadelphia
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026
Philadelphia’s Love City Brewing recently opened a new location in the city’s Manayunk neighborhood, which will host its first Oktoberfest celebration on Sept. 26. The taproom will be serving Love Fest Oktoberfest beer alongside its other brews while also offering bratwurst and pretzels from Sophie’s BBQ, DJ sets, games, a stein-holding competition, and a costume contest.
Oktoberfest at Blue Mountain Resort – Palmerton
Dates: Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026
Oktoberfest at Blue Mountain Resort brings the popular German festival to the Pocono Mountains. Head to the free two-day event’s beer garden for traditional German beer and authentic German food while enjoying live German music and stein-holding and keg-rolling competitions. Plus, this is still a Pennsylvania fall festival, so you can take a hayride to a pumpkin patch while admiring the changing leaves of Blue Mountain. For an extra fee, you can even take a scenic ride on the resort’s chairlift.
Brauhaus Schmitz Oktoberfest events – Philadelphia
Dates: South Street Oktoberfest: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026; Armory Oktoberfest: Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
Philadelphia German beer hall Brauhaus Schmitz is behind two different Oktoberfest celebrations in the city. The free South Street Oktoberfest, now in its 18th year, will take over the 700 block of South Street outside the restaurant. Expect Bavarian food, a dozen German draft beers, live music, and a beer garden that can seat 1,000 people.
Brauhaus Schmitz is also hosting its ticketed Armory Oktoberfest, which turns the 23rd St. Armory into a traditional Oktoberfest tent complete with all the traditional trappings: plenty of Hofbrau beer, German music and dance performances, and bratwurst and pretzels. General admission tickets vary between $35 and $45 for one session of the two-day festival—and each ticket includes one liter of beer!
Reading Liederkranz Oktoberfest
Dates: Wednesday, Sept. 30 to Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026
Reading Liederkranz Oktoberfest is often touted as one of the best Oktoberfest celebrations in the country, and it regularly appears on best-of lists. The festivities, which are hosted by Reading Liederkranz, an area German American club, include a variety of German eats from bratwurst to schnitzel, a wide selection of German beer, live music (both traditional German music and that from local musicians), and other ways to enjoy German culture right in Berks County.
Admission varies from $5 to $20, depending on the day you visit.
Mifflinburg Oktoberfest
Dates: Friday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026
Mifflinburg Community Park will be home to the 21st Annual Mifflinburg Oktoberfest this year, a free community festival featuring live German music, German and American food, and classic games like keg tossing and stein holding.
Beer is a major part of the festival, which typically offers a long list of imported German brews like Kostritzer Schwarzbier and Spaten Lager. But if you’re skipping beer, you might try the local favorite of birch beer instead. In fact, designated drivers can get unlimited birch beer refills in a free souvenir cup!
Oktoberfest at SteelStacks – Bethlehem
Dates: Friday, Oct. 2 to Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, and Friday, Oct. 9 to Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026
Oktoberfest at SteelStacks is a free festival in Bethlehem that will feature plenty of German food and drink, plus activities like the Pennsylvania State Steinholding Championship, dachshund races, a bratwurst eating contest, and an Oktoberfest dog parade. More activities, though less on theme, include drag shows, hot glass classes, a 5K race, and karaoke. The event’s four beer gardens will also feature performances from polka and oompah groups like Polkadelphia.
Oktoberfest Pittsburgh – Downtown Pittsburgh
Dates: Thursday, Oct. 1 to Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026
For 11 days in October, Oktoberfest Pittsburgh—also known as Prostburgh—takes over downtown Pittsburgh. You’ll find beer tents, German-inspired food, a stein-holding competition, live music, kids’ activities hosted by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and a Ferris wheel on the Roberto Clemente Bridge.
Ambler Oktoberfest
Dates: Friday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026
Oktoberfest in Montgomery County’s Ambler takes place right in downtown Ambler with a community street festival along Main Street. The fall festival will feature lots of local brews and area beer gardens, as well as arts and crafts vendors, food and drink stations, kids’ activities, and live music.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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