- calendar_month October 9, 2023
Where to celebrate Oktoberfest 2023 in Los Angeles
What’s on tap for everyone’s favorite boozy fall holiday? Live oompah bands, lederhosen, dirndls and more beer than you’ll know what to do with.
Written by Patricia Kelly Yeo
If beer and sausages are your idea of a good time, look sharp: Oktoberfest is around the corner. With all the beer Los Angeles has to offer—from craft breweries to Bavarian-style biergartens—you’d be remiss not to celebrate Oktoberfest here in Los Angeles, but we’ve also rounded up larger, rowdier events a little further away in Orange County and San Bernardino if you’d rather make a day trip out of it. Put on your lederhosen, brush up on your oompah dancing and welcome autumn with a bratwurst in one hand and a stein in the other. Prost!
What is Oktoberfest?
A massive, centuries-old beer festival in Munich that’s now celebrated around the world.
When is Oktoberfest?
Though the German originator starts in mid-September (September 16 this year, to be exact), most Oktoberfest events in L.A. run throughout October, with a few that kick off in September.
The best Oktoberfest events near Los Angeles
Head to the mountains for the annual Oktoberfest at Big Bear Lake, where you'll be able to clink steins every Saturday and Sunday from September 9 to November 4 (as well as Fridays in October). Beer will flow, brats will sizzle and you’ll see every dirndl color under the rainbow. This year, they’re offering both indoor and outdoor events, as well as live oompah bands, including one flown in directly from Bavaria, and a full German food menu with vegan options.
Home of the Los Angeles County Fair, the Fairplex in Pomona turns into a German wonderland for Oktoberfest every Friday and Saturday in October with Bavarian music, beer and plenty of chicken dancing. Sink your teeth into bratwurst, knockwurst and sweet corn while knocking back authentic German suds at this 21-plus event with DJs, oompah bands and—new for 2023—the Das Kär Show, which will bring over 40 Volkswagen Beetles and other German-made autos to the Fairplex grounds. For those planning to attend the Fairplex's other October event, Lights Out, revelers can also buy a two-for-one "Boos & Brews" combo ticket for $30.
Wear your lederhosen to this Fairfax District biergarten, where an extensive selection of German brews gets served alongside traditional German fare like pretzels, sausages and Black Forest cake on Fridays and Saturdays from September 16 to October 28. For a real show, stop by at 3pm on kickoff day to watch Wirtshaus's keg-tapping ceremony and get your first keg on the house. Regardless of when you arrive, however, you'll find Oktoberfest celebrated here complete with live music and food specials. They’ll also be celebrating Oktoberfest with stein-holding contests at their two other biergarten locations: Rasselbock Mar Vista and Rasselbock Long Beach.
