Where to celebrate Oktoberfest 2025 in Los Angeles

Oktoberfest, but make it operatic. Lincoln Heights beer and cider brewery Benny Boy already had its traditional Oktoberfest celebration in September, but this Thursday, oompah bands will be supplemented with opera for a “one-night-only celebration of beer, bratwurst, and
belting.” Expecting stein-holding contests, sausages, soft pretzels and lots of singing, aided by the Ladyhosen Band and LA Donauschwaben Dance Group. The ticket price of $35 includes your first drink—Benny Boy will be pouring a special lineup of Oktoberfest brews for the occasion.

South Coast Botanic Garden’s adorable dog walking hours jumps from a once-a-month treat to an every-weekend affair just during the month of October at Dogtoberfest. In addition to dog-friendly walking paths, the garden will hold an Oktoberfest-style pub crawl (for humans) with four stations of included beer samples (full pours are available for purchase, as are pretzels and Bratwurst). The pup-friendly offerings continue with a “dance pawty” and obstacle course.

Every Saturday (and select Fridays) through October 25, this Venice gastropub is throwing a Bavarian celebration with lederhosen and finger-licking fare. Dive into a savory rattlesnake and rabbit hot link topped with onions and peppers, choose from a selection of German and Belgian beers on draft, and enjoy yodeling and live German music. The best part? Each ticket (with noon or 5pm start times on Saturdays and 7pm start times on Fridays) includes a Wurstküche beer stein, with the first fill-up included. Entry isn’t cheap ($72 and up), but the 12 seatings regularly sell out.

Home of the Los Angeles County Fair, the Fairplex turns into a German wonderland for Oktoberfest every Friday and Saturday from October 3 to 18, complete with Bavarian music, beer, games and plenty of chicken dancing. Sink your teeth into bratwurst, knockwurst, pretzels and potato pancakes while knocking back authentic German suds at this 21-plus event with DJs, oompah bands and 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, the fright-filled Lights Out, revelers can also buy a two-for-one “Boos & Brews” combo ticket for $30.

It feels like Oktoberfest all year round at Silver Lake’s long-running Red Lion Tavern, but it’s especially festive in the fall, when it celebrates the Bavarian tradition on weekends through mid-November. Order the Oktoberfest platter—an epic array of pretzels, brats, schnitzel and sides—alongside a four-liter boot of beer, or a collector’s stein designed by the local Bad Bean Studio. Check the bar’s Instagram for programming updates.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles is behind this trio of doggie- and beer-centric Oktoberfest events at local breweries. First up is a daytime affair at Common Space Brewing in Hawthorne, which will mark the occasion with dog-friendly vendors, pet caricatures, a weiner dog race at 2pm (entry fee proceeds will benefit spcaLA) and, for humans, a stein-making pottery class at 4pm. Later on, dog-friendly Los Angeles Ale Works in Culver City will host its own version with adoptable pups (Sept 26), followed by a similar event at the Ale Works outpost in Hawthorne (Oct 17).  

Grab a cold one and gather ’round for a daylong celebration of America’s favorite beverage when the LA Beer Fest goes Bavarian. The popular festival at Los Angeles Center Studios is returning with an Oktoberfest edition featuring 50 local breweries and a beer village with over 30 Bavarian brews, along with a dozen food trucks and live music. Tickets include unlimited beer samplings (food is sold separately); choose from either a GA ticket or a connoisseur ticket, which will get you access to a VIP lounge and event deck, tacos, exclusive beers and commemorative steins.

Held over two weekends (Oct 11–12, 18–19), this Oktoberfest celebration combines Santa Anita’s famous horse races with the best of the Bavarian fall festival, including stein-holding and costume contests, a corn hole competition, musical chairs, keg rolling, pretzels—and beer of course. Each $38 general admission ticket includes a mini tasting stein and eight three-ounce beer tastings, as well as a $5 betting voucher, a tip sheet and access to grandstand seating at the race track. A pricier $75 VIP group ticket (with a three-person minimum) secures you picnic table seating and a $20 food voucher. 

Billing itself as “Orange County’s biggest party since 1977,” the Old World Oktoberfest promises enough beers, brats and bands to make you feel like you’re in Munich—albeit with better ocean views. Every Wednesday through Sunday between September 7 and November 9, this re-created Bavarian village will offer a sausage-filled menu, oompah and German bands, a biergarten, dancing and more. While Old World’s Oktoberfest is 21-plus with a cover charge on Friday and Saturday evenings, it’s open to families and revelers of all ages on Saturday afternoons and other nights. (Entry is free on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday nights, as well as Saturday afternoons, just book ahead online.)

Head to the mountains for the annual Oktoberfest at Big Bear Lake, where you’ll be able to clink steins every weekend from September to early November. Beer will be flowing, knockwursts will be cooked up, and dirndls will be worn. The entertainment lineup includes numerous bands—many straight from Germany—and other performances, and one lucky damsel will be named the Oktoberfest Queen when she wins the stein-carrying contest. Others can test their skills with free log-sawing, stein-holding and chugging competitions.

Held in the so-called Alps of Southern California, Lake Arrowhead’s all-ages Oktoberfest runs every weekend from September 20 to October 26 this year, hosting live German American oompah bands, stein-holding and dance contests, children’s games and a daily sausage toss. Although there’s no entry fee, attendees are advised to book picnic (for up to eight people, $100–$150 on Saturdays, $50–$100 on Sundays) or pub tables (for up to four, $50–$100 on Saturdays, $25–$50 on Sundays) to secure seats closer to the stage. This year, the event is being held in a new venue, the picturesque Waterfront Park.