I never would have imagined that I would find five Alaska festivals for Oktoberfest. But the 100,000 German descendants in Alaska proved me wrong. When winter sets in, you’ll be very happy if you have attended one of these parties:
Last Major Update:
2015
Anchorage Oktoberfest – Anchorage, AK – October 2-3, 2015
The German Club of Anchorage holds Alaska’s largest, most traditional Oktoberfest for the 49th year on Friday and Saturday night. Much more than a beer fest – a celebration of German culture. Last year’s description: Alternating hourly, the Alaska Blaskapelle and Alaska Polka Chips bands play Polka, Waltz and more; Wonderful floor for dancing; German cultural entertainment; German style food and beverages for sale by the Egan Center. Dirndl and Lederhosen welcome! Friday & Saturday night, 7 pm to 1 am, Egan Center, 555 W 5th Ave. $15 nightly admission. Family friendly but under 21 with parent/guardian only.
Alyeska Resort Octoberfest – Girdwood, AK – Sept 18-19 & 25-26, 2015
Alyeska Resort holds a two weekend celebration for Oktoberfest, including food, beer and live music in late September or early October.
Last Year’s Events
Alaska Aviation Museum Oktoberfest – Anchorage, AK – October 17, 2014
The nonprofit Alaska Aviation Museum hosts an annual fundraiser event for Oktoberfest.
Location: 4721 Aircraft Drive, Anchorage AK 99502
Humpy’s Oktoberfest – Anchorage, AK – September 28 & October 12, 2014
Humpy’s Great American Alehouse hosts an annual Alaska Oktoberfest food and beer pairing with authentic German menu.
Location: 610 West 6th Avenue and F Street, Anchorage, AK 99501
Cafe Amsterdam – Anchorage, Alaska
Cafe Amsterdam has been hosting an annual one evening Oktoberfest beer and dinner pairing for the past 5 years.
Location: 530 E. Benson # 3, Anchorage, Alaska 99503
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 2014 event when information for 2015 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!
I’ve also put together a list of the most popular German festivals in the US for Oktoberfest for those from Alaska who are willing to travel to a bigger party.
We’ve got some other resources that would help you prepare for Oktoberfest as well. 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 Alaska in October:
Alaska Festivals
Alaska Ghost Tours
Haunted Houses in Alaska
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