Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer festival, and it originated in Germany but has spread to all parts of the world. It’s a great way to welcome fall, as it’s generally still decent weather for Oktoberfests in Washington so you can be outside while you sample beer, listen to music, and more.
While my goal is to go to Germany someday to celebrate this festival, you can still do it while staying local. There are many places to celebrate Oktoberfest in Washington State, whether you’re in Seattle or over the mountains, and it’s by far one of the best things to do in the fall in Seattle.
Here are seven Washington Oktoberfests to check out including their dates, locations, admission price, and other details you’ll find helpful.
7 Oktoberfests in Washington to Check Out
While there are a variety of Oktoberfests in Seattle and the rest of the state, here are the 7 festivals I recommend visiting.
1. Leavenworth Oktoberfest
Dates: Sept 30th-Oct 1st, Oct 7th-8th & 14th-15th, 2022
Location: Wenatchee, Washington
Cost: Free
The Leavenworth Oktoberfest is a world-famous event and a very kid-friendly Oktoberfest in Washington. Celebrated annually during the first three weekends of October, the Leavenworth Oktoberfest welcomes more than 10,000 visitors every year.
You’ll want to make sure to book a weekend in Leavenworth or a room in Wenatchee where it’s held well in advance. This has always been held in Leavenworth in the past, but it’s moving to Wenatchee for 2022 to clear up any confusion. However, being indoors at the convention center makes it an ideal rainy day activity when the weather is poor.
Visitors can enjoy amazing music, a never-ending flow of beer, delicious sausages, and barbecue ribs, and people dressed in traditional Bavarian attire, or their best attempts at what it should look like. The Leavenworth Oktoberfest celebration is typically divided into four party locations and each features some of the best German bands and dance groups providing entertainment.
You won’t want to miss the Leavenworth Oktoberfest parade on Saturday at noon. With Bavarian marching bands taking to the streets in horse-drawn wagons, dressed in polkas, and waving flags from different parts of the world, it’s a fun part of the celebration.
The Keg Tapping Opening Ceremony typically happens after the parade, at 1:00 PM. Children not interested in the parade can make their way down to the Kinderplatz area of the festival, where they can burn off their energy scrambling up the climbing wall or dancing along to child-appropriate music performances.
While Leavenworth winter activities are popular, this time of the year is probably the second most festive. If you’re looking for extra activities to do after this, check out the fall hikes in Washington nearby.
Where to Stay: If you want to stay right in Wenatchee, the Coast Wenatchee Center Hotel is a convenient option. Otherwise, you could look for lodging in nearby Leavenworth, where the Bavarian Lodge is close to downtown Leavenworth, and has a restaurant, bar, and free parking for guests. (rates start at $161 per night; book your room on Booking.com or Hotels.com)
2. Fremont Oktoberfest
Dates: September 16th-18th, 2022
Location: Seattle, Washington
Cost: $15 – $60 per day, depending on the day and session time. Tickets cover tasting tokens and mugs.
For three days every year in the streets of Fremont, hundreds of adults come together to celebrate the best craft beers in the Pacific Northwest and some of the most amazing German beers. Known as Fremont Oktoberfest, this three-day event is hailed as the largest Oktoberfest in Seattle.
From the 17th to the 19th of September, beer lovers can gather together to enjoy amazing music, a beer line that features one hundred different brews, delicious food, as well as lots of adult games that include ax throwing, Texas Chainsaw Pumpkin Carving, Stein Hoisting, and a great big game of Street Scramble.
While anyone under 21 years old is not permitted to attend Fremont Oktoberfest, dog owners can bring along their furry friends on Sunday for Dogtoberfest. Properly leashed pups can join in the Oktoberfest fun and get in on a modeling contest and other tail-waggy activities.
While you’re in Seattle, you’ll love all the things to do in Seattle, whether you’re spending a day in Seattle or a weekend in Seattle.
Where to Stay: The Hampton Inn & Suites Seattle-Downtown is a great hotel to stay in if you are visiting Fremont Oktoberfest. It is less than two miles from the venue and offers beautiful and fully-stocked rooms. Guests can also bring their dogs in, so they can tag along for Dogtoberfest.
3. Edmonds Oktoberfest
Dates: September 23rd-24th, 2022
Location: Frances Anderson Field, Edmonds, Washington
Cost: Free to enter
My favorite Oktoberfest in Washington is the small one in Edmonds, as it’s a fun community event and you get an amazing view of the water from the top of the hill. It’s free to enter, and you just have to pay for beer tokens as you go. They have a great selection of local breweries that create a specialty Oktoberfest beer that you can vote on at the end.
This is a family-friendly event, with a 5K race starting at 10 am and a kids’ 1K dash at 11 am. You’ll want to register in advance to get your spot and save money. There will also be a kids’ corner when the festival opens at 12 pm, which will have crafts and plenty of activities.
You’ll also have live music all day long to enjoy while you sample your beer. Numerous local food trucks will be available as well for when you get hungry at this Washington Oktoberfest. This is one of the best things to do in Edmonds during the year.
If you want to extend your weekend, you can take the ferry from Edmonds over to Kingston and go south to visit Bainbridge Island or go north to spend one day in Olympic National Park.
Where To Stay: The closest hotel is the Best Western Plus Edmonds Harbor Inn, which is convenient because you can walk to the festival from here. There’s an outdoor heated pool and you’ll be near many shops and restaurants when you get hungry. Prices start at $250 per night.
4. Kirkland Oktoberfest
Dates: September 23rd-25th, 2022
Location: Kirkland, Washington
Cost: $15 – $55 per day, depending on the day and session time. Sunday is Dog Day.
The Kirkland Oktoberfest is an adult-only celebration of Bavarian customs and life. This Washington Oktoberfest gives its attendees the best in Germanic and locally crafted brews, serving them in 16 oz pours that would quench even the most parched throats.
Beyond the beers, lovers of the Kirkland Oktoberfest come for the delicious ribs, sausages, and other German delicacies. There are also plenty of other activities to do in Kirkland such as music, games, and contests. There will be live bands, accordion-playing one-man bands, and a live DJ.
At the festival, you’ll find many games to play. One of the most popular ones is the Wiener Dog Race, which will feature furry little wieners testing each other’s speed on the Marina Park waterfront. Of course, there will be races for dogs of other sizes so nobody feels left out.
Where To Stay: The Totem Lake Hotel is only a fifteen-minute drive from the Kirkland Oktoberfest. A three-star residence with a convenient location, a restaurant, and a fitness facility, prices start at $120.
5. Anacortes Oktoberfest
Dates: October 7th and 8th, 2022
Location: Anacortes, Washington
Cost: $45. The fee includes taster tickets and a festival glass. Designated drivers pay $15.
Popularly known as the Bier on the Pier Brew and Cider Festival, the Anacortes Oktoberfest is a two-day festival inspired by Bavarian and German culture that takes place 80 miles north of Seattle. The festival is for adults only, and attendees are required to carry along legal identification.
For two whole days, the city of Anacortes will be alive with the sounds of local bands like Gin Gypsy, Randy Weeks, and Miller Campbell singing, groups of people dancing, and strangers becoming friends as they share food and drinks from more than forty breweries and restaurants-on-wheels at this Oktoberfest in Seattle.
Anacortes is also the gateway to the San Juan Islands, so you can extend your trip by visiting Orcas Island or spending a weekend on San Juan Island.
Where To Stay: If you are in town and want to attend this Oktoberfest in Seattle, The Majestic Inn and Spa is located within 15 minutes of the festival. Its luxurious rooms have partial views of the bay and the hotel has a restaurant and a spa on-site.
6. Oktoberfest Northwest
Dates: October 7th, 8th, and 9th, 2022
Location: Puyallup, Washington
Cost: Friday, 12:00 PM – 03:00 PM – Free entry. Friday from 03:00 PM – $15 and Saturday – $17 (book online for $3 discount). Sunday: $7.50 (book online for $1 discount). Entry only. Package tickets can be purchased online for $45. Free entry for children below twelve years old.
Now in its fifteenth year, Oktoberfest Northwest is popularly regarded as the largest Munich-style Oktoberfest in Washington. Set up by people who are passionate about German celebrations, the event is full of German beers, ciders, and local craft brews.
There will be games non-stop for people of all ages and dog owners will be able to enter their pups for the Weiner Dog Races. Other games to look forward to include the Stein Dash 5K and Bavarian Bier-Olympics. The kids are never left out as they get to carve and decorate pumpkins, get beautiful designs painted on their faces, and dance and sing with newfound friends.
Where To Stay: The Fairfield Inn & Suites is located in Puyallup. It is only a few minutes away from Oktoberfest on foot and is the festival’s official hotel partner. It offers comfortable rooms, buffet breakfast for guests, and a well-equipped fitness center. Prices start from $219.
7. Spokane Oktoberfest
Dates: Sep 2022 (dates are still unconfirmed as of August 2022)
Location: Spokane Valley, Washington
Cost: $5 – $30
Children under the age of 12 can attend for free in the company of an adult. Typically celebrated on the last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of September every year, the upcoming Spokane celebration is another great and family-friendly Oktoberfest in Washington.
For three days at the CenterPlace Regional Event Center in Spokane Valley, locals and tourists will mingle together; make new friends, and learn about different Bavarian customs and the lyrics to songs they have never heard before.
The celebration will begin with the ritual keg tapping open ceremony performed by the Mayor, after which the activities for the weekend will begin. Mostly family-themed, the activities at this Washington Oktoberfest are mostly German in origin and will include games like Holey Board, Nagelspielen, Corn Hole Toss, and more.
There will be face painting spots for children, arts and crafts projects, and dancing lessons where large and little feet alike will learn to do the Chicken Dance and the Fliegerlied.
Where to Stay: The Hampton Inn & Suites Spokane Valley is a great place to stay if you are in Spokane for the Oktoberfest. Only a seven-minute drive from the CenterPlace Event Center, the hotel offers plush rooms with fridges and microwaves as well as a hot buffet breakfast in the morning.
Which Oktoberfest in Washington do you plan on visiting?
