Oktoberfest 2026 guide: 28 Chicagoland celebrations

Summer might be Chicago’s biggest festival season, but the city also goes all out in early fall to celebrate Oktoberfest. The area’s strong German heritage means you’ll find plenty of communities hosting huge parties with live music and traditional fun like stein-holding competitions, while breweries put their own spins on Oktoberfest beers on tap and restaurants add specials like bratwurst and schnitzel to their menus. Bring an appetite and prepare to shout “Prost!” — the German word for cheers — a lot when you head to one of these 28 Oktoberfest celebrations.

The Loop and Near North Side

The Northman Beer & Cider Garden

The riverfront bar runs celebrations every weekend from Sept. 18 to Oct. 4, serving Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier, Maplewood Festbier, Dovetail Festweizen and Athletic Brewing’s nonalcoholic Oktoberfest in commemorative steins. Food specials include wild boar brats with jalapeno cheddar and cheese-stuffed pork sausage. Enter a stein-hoisting contest, play a nail-driving game, make your own pretzel necklace, and listen to live polka music. 233 E. Riverwalk, thenorthman.com

Old Town Oktoberfest

Celebrate the neighborhood’s German history with beer, bratwurst with sauerkraut, soft pretzels, Malort-filled truffles, a stein-holding contest, a dog parade, and music from Hello Weekend and Stache. 5-10 p.m. Sept. 18, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 19 and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 20 at Wells and Schiller streets, oldtownchicago.org

North Side & Northwest Side

Begyle Brewing and Dovetail Brewery

The breweries’ 14th annual Oktoberfestiversary street festival features food trucks, live music, kids’ activities and lots of beer. Donations benefit The Friendship Center. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 10 and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 11. Ravenswood and Belle Plaine avenues; $5 suggested donation, oktoberfestiversary.com

Cody’s Public House

Compete in a stein-hoisting competition during half-time of the Vikings vs. Bears game Sept. 20 and you’ll get to keep the stein and could win Revolution swag. Drink specials include $6 Jäger shots, $7 Revolution Oktoberfest and both drinks for $12. Test your strength in a stein-hoisting contest at 3 p.m. Sept. 27 for the chance to win a $100 Cody’s gift card. You can pour your own shots from a Jägermeister machine and enjoy $7 steins of Paulaner Oktoberfest plus a buffet with brats, German potato salad and pretzels. Bring your pup for a Barktoberfest benefit for Chicago Canine Rescue at noon Oct. 4 and they’ll get a free pup cup. The bash features $6 steins of Sam Adams Octoberfest, $7 greyhounds and a stein-hoisting contest. 1658 W. Barry Ave., 773-799-8217, codyschicago.com

DANK Haus German American Cultural Center

DANK Haus’ ballroom transforms into a biergarten where you can enjoy German beer, bratwurst and potato salad, enter a stein-holding contest, and catch performances from Alpine Thunder. 6:30-11:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at 4740 N. Western Ave.; $5 suggested donation, dankhaus.com/Oktoberfest

The Graystone Tavern

You can win a Revolution prize pack and gift certificate during a stein-hoisting contest at half-time of the Minnesota Vikings vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game. Order a $5 Revolution Oktoberfest draft and keep the stein. 3 p.m. Sept. 27 at 3441 N. Sheffield Ave., 773-666-5450, graystonetavernchicago.com

Lark

Order a Revolution Oktoberfest and keep the stein. The Lakeview bar also offers beer flights and large soft pretzels with cheese. Through Sept. 27 at 3441 N. Halsted St., 773-799-8968, larkchicago.com

Lottie’s Pub

Buy a $6 Revolution Oktoberfest and you’ll keep the stein and you can enter a stein-hoisting competition during half-time of the Lions vs. Bills game Sept. 17 for the chance to win a Revolution swag bag. You can pour your own shots from a Jägermeister machine, enjoy $6 pints of Paulaner Oktoberfest and enter a stein-hoisting competition on Sept. 24. The winner of a stein-hoisting contest on Oct. 1 gets a Sam Adams stein, and you can enjoy $6 Sam Adams Octoberfest along with $5 jumbo pretzels with cheese. From Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, you can pair any Oktoberfest beer with a jumbo pretzel with cheese for $12 or $18 with a shot of Jäger. 1925 W. Cortland St., 773-489-0738, lottiespub.com

Park & Field

Celebrate with live German music, pretzel and sausage specials, and $10 souvenir steins. 6 p.m. Sept. 17 at 3509 W. Fullerton Ave., 773-360-7373; tickets are $5, parkandfieldchicago.com

St. Alphonsus

The 25th annual celebration inside and outside the Lakeview church features flights of German beer, brats, commemorative beer steins, a ceremonial keg tapping, a stein-hoisting competition, kids’ activities, and live music from 16 Candles and Rod Tuffcurls & The Bench Press. 5-10 p.m. Sept. 25, noon to 10 p.m. Sept. 26 and noon to 7 p.m. Sept. 27 at 1429 W. Wellington Ave.; tickets are $10 Friday and Saturday, $5 suggested donation on Sunday, stalsoktoberfest.com

Uvae Kitchen & Wine Bar

Germany doesn’t just make great beer. A sommelier-led Oktoberfest tasting shows off the country’s wines. 3-4:30 p.m. Oct. 3. 5553 N. Clark St., 773-654-1432; tickets are $40, uvaechicago.com

West Side & Near West Side

Fulton Market

The Oktoberfest Nation pop-up features Hofbräu München beer, sausage, giant pretzels, live German music and games. Sept. 17 to Oct. 26 at 171 N. Peoria St., oktoberfestnation.com

Girl & the Goat

You’ll get six drink tickets to use on seasonal brews, cider and wine during a party in the restaurant’s outdoor cabana that includes passed bites and raffles. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 26 at 809 W. Randolph St.; tickets are $75, 312-492-6262, girlandthegoat.com

Guinness Open Gate Brewery

Celebrate with schnitzel, giant pretzels and sausages paired with Helles Lager and Festbier served in souvenir steins. Festivities include stein-hoisting competitions and live polka, oompah and contemporary music. 3 p.m. to midnight Sept. 18, 9 a.m. to midnight Sept. 19 and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 20 at 901 W. Kinzie St., guinnessbrewerychicago.com

Mac’s Wood Grilled

Specials offered Sept. 19 through Oct. 4 include soft pretzel twists with cheddar cheese sauce and spicy mustard ($11), wood-grilled smoked bacon cheddar brats topped with German mustard ($16), 3 Floyds Brewing Munsterfest ($8), and Revolution Brewing Oktoberfest ($7). 1801 W. Division St., 773-782-4400, macswoodgrilled.com

The Publican

Celebrate Sept. 18 through Oct. 4 with specials including Paulaner liters and half-liters, Bavarian pretzels, sausages and chicken schnitzel. Celebrate on Oct. 3 with beer stein races at noon and 6:30 p.m., plus a performance by polka band Bob Hoge & Friends. 837 W. Fulton Market, 312-733-9555, thepublicanrestaurant.com

Tuman’s Tap & Grill

The celebration kicks off Sept. 19 with a tapping of eight beers, including 3 Floyds Brewing Munsterfest and Art History Brewing Artoberfest. The bar serves a $22 bratwurst dinner with sauteed cabbage, crispy bacon, roasted potatoes and German mustard daily through Oct. 4. 2159 W. Chicago Ave., 773-782-1400, tumanstapandgrill.com

South Side & Near South Side

The Duck Inn

The Bridgeport restaurant closes out its tropical pig roast summer series with Pigs in Lederhosen, blending German and Hawaiian fare with mai tais and lots of beer. 6-8 p.m. Sept. 24. 2701 S. Eleanor St., 312-724-8811; tickets are $78, theduckinnchicago.com

Suburban and multiple locations

Beatrix Market

Stop in for lunch through Oct. 2 for a bowl of beer cheese soup ($4.95-$6.95). Multiple locations, beatrixrestaurants.com

Brookfield Zoo

A party on the zoo’s east mall features themed giveaways and games, with Oktoberfest beer, bratwurst and pretzels with cheese available for purchase. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 19-20 at 8400 31st St., Brookfield, brookfieldzoo.org/events/oktoberfest

Downtown Oak Park

The annual Oaktoberfest features beer, including Leinenkugel Oktoberfest and Riggs Festbier, food from local restaurants, live music from Shinyribs and The Resolvers, and kids’ activities. 4-10 p.m. Sept. 25 and noon to 10 p.m. Sept. 26 at North Boulevard and Marion Street; 708-383-4145, oaktoberfest.net

Hannah’s Bretzel

The chain celebrates its German roots with a bratwurst sandwich made with sauerkraut, whole-grain honey mustard and caramelized onions available through Oct. 16. Multiple locations, hannahsbretzel.com

Jens Jensen Park

Highland Park’s annual Oktoberfest celebration features food and beverage vendors, a stein-holding contest, kids’ activities, axe throwing, and live music from Alpine Thunder and Icons of Country. 4-8 p.m. Sept. 26 at 540 Roger Williams Ave., enjoyhighlandpark.com/oktoberfest

L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge

Specials offered Sept. 17 through Oct. 4 include beer-braised short ribs with German potatoes, pork schnitzel with braised red cabbage, German chocolate cake, and a Bavarian bierhaus platter with a brat, knackwurst, pretzel twist and beer cheese. Pair the meal with a stein of Stiegl-Pils, Hacker-Pschorr or Hofbräu Dunkel. 7110 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincolnwood, 847-677-3350, lwoodsrestaurant.com/events/oktoberfest-specialsNaper Settlement

Enjoy German food including bratwurst, schnitzel and pretzels, plus a variety of Oktoberfest beers from Germany and local breweries. The celebration also features live music, children’s activities, and a stein-holding contest. 5-10 p.m. Oct. 2 and 3-10 p.m. Oct. 3. 523 S. Webster St., Naperville; tickets are $25, $15 for kids ages 4-12; 630-420-6010, napersettlement.org/237/Oktoberfest

Rotary Club of Palatine Oktoberfest

The annual bash features live German music, Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr beer served in collectible mugs, food from local restaurants, family activities and a raffle. 5 p.m. to midnight Sept. 18, noon to midnight Sept. 19 and noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 20 at 170 W. Slade St., Palatine, palatinerotary.com/Oktoberfest

St. Mary Church

The third annual OktoberFiesta features Mexican and German food, drinks from Sketchbook Brewing Company, Double Clutch Brewing Company and Tequila Cazadores, live music, kids’ activities, and a raffle to raise money for St. John 23 Parish and Pope John 23 School. 3-9 p.m. Sept. 26 at 1012 Lake St., Evanston, 847-864-0333, tickets are $5; free for kids 5 and under, more information at stjohn23evanston.org/oktoberfiesta

Wildfire

A four-course German-inspired dinner ($80) includes house-made pretzel, jagerschnitzel, and beer pairings from Great Lakes Brewing Co. 6:30 p.m. Sept. 10 and 14-16 at multiple locations, wildfirerestaurant.com

Samantha Nelson is a freelance writer.