Oktoberfest season is here, and there are TONS of awesome events, big and small, happening all over Maryland. If you’re looking to bust out your lederhosen and fill up your beer stein, be sure to check out these out!
9/30: Guilford Hall Brewery Oktoberfest
All-day Oktoberfest Games and Activities including Stein Holding, Stein Races, Sack Racing, Photo Booth, Yodeling Contest, Sausage Grilling Station, and more. $30 for all-you-can-drink, and free for everyone else.
📍Baltimore, 1611 Guilford Ave, Baltimore, MD 21202
10/6-10/8: Oktoberfest at Guinness Open Gate Brewery
Celebrate Oktoberfest at Guinness Open Gate Brewery with two weekends of German-themed celebrations from September 29 – October 1 or October 6 – October 8. Festivities will include five Oktoberfest beer releases, Munich-inspired beer tent, Bavarian-inspired food specials: lebkuchen, pretzels, sausage, etc., live music, oompah bands, and a stein holding contest.
GA is free, but if you want to level up your experience, you can purchase special ticketed offerings such as their beer & breakfast experience, beer & sausage ‘Wurst’ tasting, and more.
📍5001 Washington Blvd, Halethorpe, MD 21227
10/7-8: Rotary Oktoberfest of Carroll County
With 3,000 people expected to attend, this is one of the biggest Oktoberfest events in the area! They’ll have family activities, as well as authentic style German foods, beers, and music. Festivities will include a “Roll Out the Barrel” Ceremony, a Lederhosen and Dirndl Contest, Polka Dance contest, and a Chicken Dance Contest, with live entertainment.
They’ll also have a football tent with multiple TVs playing ALL the big games that day. Children’s activities will include face painting, pumpkin painting, scarecrow making, magic shows, balloon sculptors, and many games. It’s GA is $8, or free if you wear authentic traditional German attire.
📍Danele Shipley Memorial Arena, Westminster, MD 21157
10/7: Wisp Oktoberfest
This one looks to be a little more mellow and will be held at the Wisp Resort in McHenry. If you want to make a weekend out of it, they have lodging packages (starting at $345pp), and it’s $39 for admission. Your ticket includes a tasting wristband, a Souvenir Oktoberfest 12oz Beer Stein, and 3 wooden tokens that are good for 3-12oz pours of your choice from over 24+ beer options.
📍296 Marsh Hill Road, McHenry, MD 21541
10/7: Oktoberfest Seafood Boil at Hello Betty Bethesda
Hello Betty is offering a sweet Oktoberfest deal that includes local craft beers and an AYCE seafood boil for $59 per person from 3-9pm. You’ll get to enjoy shrimp, crawfish, andouille sausage, jalapeño hushpuppies, cheddar biscuits, and oh so much more. Soft drinks, sweet tea and lemonade are all bottomless, and you have the option of adding baskets of steamed crabs for an extra $30 (must be ordered in advance though).
📍940 Rose Ave, North Bethesda, MD 20852
10/8: Gaithersburg Oktoberfest
It’s the 30th annual celebration of Oktoberfest in Gaithersburg, and they’re celebrating with professional pumpkin carving and apple cider pressing demonstrations, fun inflatables, hands-on crafts, pumpkin and face painting, balloon twisting, bubbles, artists and crafters, family activities, and strolling entertainers, and three stages of live entertainment. Admission, parking, and wheelchair-accessible shuttles are all free for this event!
If apple picking sounds more like your kind of fall day, Larriland Farm in Woodbine is a Howard County orchard with pick-your-own apples that makes a great Maryland fall outing.
📍31 S Summit Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
10/14: Berlin Oktoberfest
They’ll have two live bands performing along with juggling shows for entertainment. There will also be tons of beer stations and German food stalls serving brats and knockwurst, pretzels, German chocolate cake, variety of beer, mead & more. Parking and shuttle service is free, and they don’t mention anything about admission, so I’m guessing it’s free, as well.
📍14 South Main Street, Berlin, MD 21811
10/14: Oktoberfest in Havre de Grace
This one is Harford County’s largest folk festival, and better yet, it’s free to attend! It features local food trucks, wine, merchandise & craft vendors, activities, a kids zone with bounce houses and games, pumpkin painting, pony rides, and more. There will also be live German music and dancers for entertainment.
📍700 Concord Street, Havre de Grace, Maryland 21078
10/21: Oktoberfest at Schifferstadt
Experience Oktoberfest at one of Frederick’s oldest and most historic buildings as the grounds of Schifferstadt are transformed. Featuring a band playing all your favorite German Oktoberfest songs, traditional German food, and local beer on tap. They’ll also have historic demonstrators and you can purchase handmade products from the many arts and craft vendors. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged.
📍1110 Rosemont Avenue, Frederick, Maryland 21701
10/21: OktoBEARfest
This fun event features unlimited fall-flavored beer samplings of 80+ seasonal brews. Also enjoy wine, seltzer, and cider sampling, live music, local vendors, and, of course, all-day admission to the Zoo. There are 11 different ticket packages you can get with everything from non-sampling ($35) up to VIP tickets with elephant experience ($225), but if you’re just looking to get unlimited sampling and enjoy the festivities at the Maryland Zoo, the Adult Sampling tickets are $65.
📍One Safari Place, Baltimore, Maryland 21217
10/21: 5k Oktoberfest Fun Run
▪️ If you’re looking for a more active celebration, join the 5k Oktoberfest Fun Run in Potomac hosted by German International School, which includes a 5k race for adults, and a 1k race for kids. After the race, there will be an Oktoberfest celebration, featuring music, a beer garden, dancing, kids’ activities and more. It’s $35 to register for the 5k, and $20 for the 1k.
📍8617 Chateau Drive, Potomac, Maryland 20854
10/22: Oktoberfest 5 Miler
Here’s another Oktoberfest race option if you’d rather be over in Columbia. There will be a post-race party at Hysteria Brewing Company for those of you interested. Registration is $50, and the run starts are 8am!
📍7090 Deepage Drive, Columbia, Maryland 21045
10/28: Das Best Oktoberfest (Timonium)
This event, hosted by drink.eat.relax, has been going 20 years strong, and looks to be one of the most complete Oktoberfest experiences in Maryland. It includes hundreds of all-you-care-to-taste craft beers, wines, ciders, and schnapps, oompah bands and live music, art exhibits + craft exhibits, brewerania, beer accessories, cigars, and several brat concessionaires who will be offering the best sausages and German food along with food trucks and your festival faves.
You also can’t forget their beer games arena and fun contests! For the full experience, you can get a VIP ticket, which offers guests 1 extra hour of drinking, a reduced crowd, and a larger 16 ounce Souvenir pint glass. Parking is free, GA is $39, and VIP tickets are $75.
📍Maryland State Fairgrounds – Infield
Alright Nomsters! Hope you guys have a blast – let me know what you like to do for Oktoberfest fun by commenting below. Anddd hope you guys also liked this roundup because it took forever to put together, lol. I’m planning on sharing more event stuffs moving forward so if you have any requests, please feel free to reach out.
One more fall Maryland event worth knowing about: the Maryland Renaissance Festival runs weekends through October in Crownsville and brings together live jousting, artisan vendors, and festival food on a serious scale.