There might not be many people with German heritage in New Hampshire – slightly more than 100,000. But they manage to put on six festivals, which is a great number for a state of this size. Here is where you can celebrate good German food and beer in 2014 at an Oktoberfest in New Hampshire:
Greater Salem NH Rotary Club Oktoberfest – Salem, NH – September 13, 2014
2014 will bring this 5th annual New Hampshire Oktoberfest to Salem on September 13th. Traditional German food, beer and other beverages will be served. The Chris White Band and Oberlaendler Hofbrau Band are both scheduled to be back providing live music. There has typically also been a large car show. Adults are $5 and kids 12 and under are free. The goal of the event is to raise money for, and awareness of, the club. Location: Rockingham Park, Salem, NH 03079
Schnitzelfest – Hillsborough, NH – Sept 27, 2014
The Greater Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce presents our 12th annual Schnitzelfest at Butler Park in the heart of the downtown in Hillsborough, New Hampshire on Saturday, September 27, 2014. They say it is the best German food outside of Germany, right in downtown Hillsborough, NH! Authentically prepared schnitzel, sauerkraut, potato salad, breads and incredible cakes and pastries served under the tent. Beer and wine bar, souvenirs, and craft vendors. Entertainment, including the Zauer Kraut Bavarian band. Enjoy tasty German cuisine, oom-pah music, and shopping in beautiful historic Hillsborough. Buy your tickets early and avoid the lines.
Symphony NH Oktoberfest – Merrimack, NH – September 27, 2014
Join us at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery to celebrate this special Oktoberfest for the benefit of Symphony NH’s community music programs. An admission price of $40 include a wide variety of seasonal brews and year-round favorites on tap. Price includes your favorite beers and German style beer-hall foods like bratwurst, deserts, and strudel. Lots of traditional live music on hand. Event runs from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Reserve your space and take the after hours brewery tour for just an additional $10. Location: 221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, NH.
Upper Valley Oktoberfest - Hanover, NH – October 3, 2014
A celebration of New England craft beer and local food hosted by the Hanover Lions Club. There will be more than 17 breweries and brew pubs, plus over 50 brands of cheeses, meats, breads and other items. Tickets are $35 and limited to the first 500 purchasers. Your purchase entitles you to 12 tasting tickets upon entry. Attendees must be 21+. It is held from 6-9 PM on Friday night. Proceeds benefit Lions scholarships and local charities. Alumni Hall at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Loon Mountain Oktoberfest – Lincoln, NH - October 11, 2014
Loon Mountain Resort hosts this Oktoberfest with beer, bratwurst, and Alpiner Oom-pah Band. Contests have included children’s games, cornhole tournament, water balloon tossing, stein holding and keg toss. In th past, they have had a climbing wall, bike rentals and bungee trampoline. It’s the final weekend of their summer attractions, and timed to coincide with peak foliage season. Location: 60 Loon Mountain Rd, Lincoln, NH 03251
Attitash Oktoberfest – Bartlett, NH – October 11-12, 2014
2014 will bring the 17th annual Attitash Oktoberfest to Bear Peak at Attitash Mountain Resort on Columbus Day Weekend. It features German music, food, and a biergarten with local breweries. They are having a stein hoist competition on both days and a keg toss contest once again. Children’s activities will include bouncy house, climbing wall, inflatable adventure course, slackline, kinderplatz and cornhole deck. In the past, there has been an annual Hills & Hops 5K Trail Run on Saturday to benefit the Attitash Alpine Education Foundation. Location: 775 U.S. 302, Bartlett, NH 03812
Dover’s Annual Octoberfest Pub & Grub Crawl – Dover, NH – September 13, 2014
A Dover Oktoberfest pub crawl at 10+ establishments with free appetizers, German food, drink specials and entertainment. Tickets are $15 in advance.
Canobie Lake Park Oktoberfest – Salem, NH – September 27 through November 1, 2014
Canobie Lake Park hosts a Rocktoberfest celebration complete with biergarten, German food and entertainment on weekends in September and October. This is a tribute to rock legends bands. September 27, 28 hear Wanted tribute to the music of Bon Jovi. October 3-5 hear Led Zepagain play tribute to Led Zeppelin. October 10-12 hear Bonfire tribute to AC/DC. October 17-19 hear a tribute to The Police. On October 24-26 hear Fan Halen tribute music to Van Halen. Finally on October 31 and November 1st hear DSB pay tribute to Journey.
Location: 85 N Policy St, Salem, NH 03079
Past Events
We have just added these maps with the locations of each Oktoberfest. We may not have had the exact location for each Oktoberfest so in some instances we have placed the marker in the general vicinity of the Oktoberfest. Be sure to get specific directions from another source and do not solely rely on our map at the moment. We have also noticed that the markers may not show up on some mobile browsers. We will work to sort out this bug in the future.
Please confirm dates, locations and activities available at the Oktoberfest before going. That’s one reason that we provide a website address when we find one. We attempt to ensure that the information for each Oktoberfest is accurate but there are bound to be a few errors. If you let us know when you find one, we will fix it. In some cases, we may link to the 2012 event when information for 2013 is not available. Do not be fooled.
The festivals listed range in size. Some events may have hundreds of thousands of attendees. Others may have only a handful. We’re sorry that we don’t have more information about attendance numbers at the moment. We will do our best to add this information as time goes on.
Professionalism varies as well. Some Oktoberfests are professional operations with large budgets. Others are local operations run by volunteers. Do your due diligence before making plans to attend so that you know what to expect. We will happily publish information about your experience with any Oktoberfest so that our visitors will be better informed in the future.
Some Oktoberfests are more family friendly than others. If you have small children, look for an Oktoberfest that has activities for kids. Other events start out with family friendly activities and become more adult oriented as it becomes later in the evening.
Not all Oktoberfest celebrations will be authentic German festival experiences. Some may simply be an excuse to drink rather than celebrate German heritage. Some may call themselves Oktoberfest but provide local or seasonal beer rather than authentic German Oktoberfest beer. Be sure to consider the type of celebration that you are looking to attend when you pick your Oktoberfest.
Activities offered at each Oktoberfest varies. Some activities that you may find are parades, keg tapping ceremony, beer gardens, Miss Oktoberfest or costume contests, stein holding contests, bratwurst eating contest, chicken dance, wiener races, keg toss, live German bands and local entertainment, polka dancing and fairground games. Some Oktoberfest events will just have beer and brats.
Please don’t drink and drive. We want everyone to get home safe. Use a designated driver or take public transportation.
Do you run one of the Oktoberfests listed? Feel free to send us additional information and we will add it. We apologize for any errors: send us corrections when you find them!
Some of these German festivals might be small. Try my list of the largest Oktoberfests in the United States for the most popular and attended celebrations of German heritage. You should also check the lists of nearby states that also celebrate Oktoberfest: Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont.
Whether you have found a festival to enjoy or you will be celebrating from home, Funtober has some other resources that will help you prepare for Oktoberfest. Read about the history of Oktoberfest. Learn about Oktoberfest beer. Find the words to Oktoberfest music. Plan your Oktoberfest outfit. And try cooking some of these Oktoberfest recipes.
Find other fun things to do in New Hampshire in October:
New Hampshire Festivals
New Hampshire Corn Mazes
New Hampshire Ghost Tours
Haunted Houses in New Hampshire
Pumpkin Patches in New Hampshire
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