|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Raise a stein for another season of Oktoberfest events along the Peninsula.
Expect returning favorites, such as celebrations in Redwood City and Campbell, as well as an all-new event in Menlo Park. California’s Great America in Santa Clara will not be hosting an event this year.
Mountain View Oktoberfest
The 10th annual Mountain View Oktoberfest is expanding its footprint this year and will take over Castro Street from Church Street to Mercy Street.
Unlike Redwood City’s and Springline’s Oktoberfest celebrations, Mountain View’s is not ticketed, with everyone welcome to participate in its various contests and enjoy the live music. Traditional German ensembles Deutscher MusikVerein and BlowMusik will perform Oct. 11-12, and contests include kids pretzel eating, yodeling, stein-holding, costume, beer belly and best chicken dancer.
Expect a 200-foot tent, a variety of classic German, Austrian and American beers, local red and white wines and multiple food vendors, including Ludwigs and German Guys. For those looking to drink alcohol, purchasing glassware and drink tickets is required.
Mountain View Oktoberfest began in 2013 as a collaboration between Steins Beer Garden, Tied House Brewery and the Chamber of Commerce. This is the first year the Chamber of Commerce is the sole host of the event, with Tied House permanently closed and Steins recently changing ownership. The event has grown from about 4,000 people in its first year to about 10,000 in attendance last year.
Mountain View Oktoberfest, Castro Street from Church Street to Mercy Street. Instagram: @mvoktoberfest. Oct. 11-12 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free.
Ludwigs Biergarten Oktoberfest, Mountain View
The downtown Mountain View beer garden is celebrating Oktoberfest with two events. The first is Sept. 12 with live music by The Internationals from 5-11 p.m. Show up dressed in lederhosen or dirndl to receive a free drink.
Ludwigs’ main Oktoberfest event will be Sept. 27 with the Zicke-Zacke Band performing. Activities include stein-holding contests for men, women and children and booths with old-school Oktoberfest games, such as tin can alley and arm wrestling.
For the month of September, Ludwigs will offer a special menu dubbed München Leuchtet (“Munich Glows”), which includes wurstsalat (sliced bologna with onions and vinaigrette), a biergarten plate (pretzel, Bavarian cheese dip and spiral-sliced white radish), a Bavarian burger (made with veal) and black forest cake.
Ludwigs, which opened in Mountain View in 2021, transitioned to new ownership in October 2024.
Ludwigs Biergarten, 383 Castro St., Mountain View; 650-282-5342, Instagram: @ludwigsmv. Sept. 12 from 5-11 p.m. and Sept. 27 from 3-11 p.m.
Gourmet Haus Staudt Oktoberfest, Redwood City
This family-owned Bavarian bierstube, market and bottle shop will celebrate Oktoberfest Sept. 6-7 with beer, brats, pretzels and live polka music from The Internationals. Admission is free for those under 21 years old, and entry is $20 at the door for patrons 21 and over and includes a beer.
Gourmet Haus Staudt was established in 1975 as a flower shop by Joe and Lucie Staudt and has since grown into a hub for all things German.
Gourmet Haus Staudt, 2615 Broadway, Redwood City; 650-364-9232, Instagram: @gourmethausstaudt. Sept. 6-7 from noon to 8 p.m.
Los Gatos Oktoberfest
No admission tickets are required for the fourth annual Los Gatos Oktoberfest, hosted by KCAT Public Media. More than 2,500 people are expected to attend the event, which will offer German and local beer, as well as wine from Ancora Vino. For food, German Guys will grill bratwurst and serve chicken schnitzel and German-style pretzels.
From noon to 5 p.m., expect music from The Internationals, and from 5:30 to 8 p.m., there will be a dance party with music from The Lucky Devils. The Nature Friends Schuhplattler Dancers will perform polka twice throughout the event, and the Fratello Marionettes will perform two marionette shows.
Los Gatos Oktoberfest, 110 E. Main St., Los Gatos. Sept. 13 from noon to 8 p.m.
Redwood City Oktoberfest
Redwood City hosts the longest Oktoberfest celebration along the Peninsula, with nine days of beer, pretzels, brats and live German music.
From Sept. 19-28, Courthouse Square will feature more than 2,000 feet of family-style bench seating under a Munich-inspired celebration tent. On weekends, ticketholders can expect German dance music, performances and a variety of contests, including dancing, stein-holding and yodeling. Weekdays offer live music only from bands such as Deutscher Musikverein, Alpine Sound Band and The Internationals.
Tickets are required for all attendees ages 2 and up, and the price ranges from $10-$25 for those not drinking alcohol and $16-$35 for drinkers ages 21 and up. All tickets include a commemorative stein and a drink ticket, redeemable for beer or soda, depending on the ticket type.
Food and extra drink tickets are sold separately. Food options include giant pretzels with or without thinly sliced salami and Havarti cheese, bratwurst with German potato salad and sauerkraut and apple turnovers with vanilla ice cream.
For larger groups, a VIP ticket for $250 gets a six-person table seating with 12 drink vouchers.
Redwood City Oktoberfest, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City. Sept. 19 and Sept. 26 from 5-10 p.m., Sept. 20 and 27 from noon to 4 p.m. and 5-9 p.m., Sept. 21 and 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4-8 p.m., Sept. 23-25 from 5-9 p.m.
Blue Ocean Brewing, Half Moon Bay
This Coastside brewery is celebrating Oktoberfest Sept. 20 with the debut of their new Helles lager Volker Fest and live music from The Vince Charming Band. Expect brats and pretzels as well.
Blue Ocean Brewing, 315 Princeton Ave., Half Moon Bay; Instagram: @blueoceanbrewing. Sept. 20 from 3-5 p.m.
Fieldwork Brewing, San Mateo
This San Mateo beer garden is celebrating Oktoberfest Sept. 20 to Oct. 5 with its annual Fest & Last Oktoberfest Lager and a special Oktoberfest menu featuring hot pretzels with house-blended mustard ($8), smoked bratwurst on a pretzel bun with mustard and sauerkraut ($13), bratzza ($24) and German potato salad ($8).
A limited-edition stein, with Fest & Last Oktoberfest lager included ($15), will be available starting Sept. 20 until supplies last.
On Sept. 21, Fieldwork Brewing San Mateo will have live oompah music from 1-4 p.m. and games from noon to 5 p.m.
Fieldwork Brewing was founded in 2015 in Berkeley and has since expanded to eight locations, including San Mateo. It offers a rotating selection of more than 20 beers, wines, nonalcoholic craft beverages, Detroit-style pizzas, salads and small plates.
Fieldwork Brewing, 3030 S. Delaware St., San Mateo; 650-242-1280, Instagram: @fieldworkbrewing_sanmateo. Sept. 20-Oct. 5, with special programming Sept. 21 from noon to 5 p.m.
Springline Oktoberfest, Menlo Park
Menlo Park’s Springline is hosting its first Oktoberfest celebration, open to the public Sept. 26 from 5-9 p.m.
The ticketed event costs $18 for those not drinking alcohol (including children of all ages) and $25 for those 21 and up who are drinking. Tickets include a half-liter stein and a drink ticket, redeemable for beer, wine or a nonalcoholic beverage, depending on the ticket type.
German beers, local Barebottle Brewing Company beer, pretzels, brats and other Oktoberfest-inspired food will be available for purchase. Expect German music, live performances, games (including stein-holding competitions) and photo ops with festive decor.
Springline Oktoberfest, 1300 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Sept. 26 from 5-9 p.m.
Taplands Oktoberfest, Santa Clara
The Santa Clara taproom, bottle shop and brewery is hosting an Oktoberfest celebration Sept. 27 with domestic Oktoberfest beers and food specials such as brats and pretzels. Expect Oompah music, a costume contest and Oktoberfest games.
Taplands, 1171 Homestead Road, Santa Clara; 408-709-2990, Instagram: @taplandssantaclara. Sept. 27 from noon to 11 p.m.
Campbell Oktoberfest
Since 1994, Campbell Oktoberfest has brought almost 1 million people to downtown Campbell.
The hub of the event is the Biersche Garden, an open-air 60×30 foot tent with family-style seating, where attendees can find Gordon Biersch beers and ales, Bavarian pretzels, German food vendors and a stage with live German music by the Zicke-Zacke band.
In addition to the Biersche Garden, Campbell Oktoberfest has more than 100 artisan booths, five stages of live music, a community stage with performances by local musicians, dance teams and martial arts studios, 15-20 food vendors and a kids’ zone called Kinderplatz.
At 2 p.m. Oct. 18-19, stein-holding and best-dressed contests will occur. Attendees must pay $30 to participate in the stein-holding contest, which includes a stein filled with a liter of Gordon Biersch beer. The winner receives a glass boot stein.
Returning for the third year is the Braumeister Competition, where home brewers can submit their Oktoberfest-style marzen beer to the Campbell Chamber of Commerce before 4 p.m. on Oct. 3. Dan Gordon of Gordon Biersch Brewing Company and Sal Pizzaro from The Mercury News will judge submissions and announce the top three submissions Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. The top three receive medals, and the overall winner will be awarded an Oktoberfest glass boot from Gordon Biersch.
Like Mountain View Oktoberfest, Campbell’s does not require a ticket for admission, but does charge for drink tickets ($12 for one), ceramic beer steins ($25), stemless wine glasses ($12) and entrance into Kinderplatz ($20). New this year is an Oktoberfast Pass that gives passholders access to special expedited lines at all festival beer booths ($25).
Campbell Oktoberfest, East Campbell Avenue between Third Street and Harrison Avenue, downtown Campbell; Instagram: @campbellchamber. Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dig into food news. Follow the Peninsula Foodist on Instagram and subscribe to the newsletter to get insights on the latest openings and closings, learn what the Foodist is excited about eating, read exclusive interviews and keep up on the trends affecting local restaurants.
