Oktoberfest at Bluejacket in 2022 (photo by author)

So many spots in DC are celebrating Oktoberfest this year (Atlas Brew Works got a head start this past weekend already, Lost Generation had a Lagerfest – get some beers from them) during the same period as the legendary beer festival in Munich (September 19 – October 4).

Longer Celebrations

• Wundergarten (NoMa)
  • Sept 18-Oct 11 (Full schedule at link)
  • Sept 18 – Opening Night
    • 4-7p – National Cherry Blossom Brass Band
    • 6p & 8p – steinholding competition
    • 7p tapping of keg at Sept 18
  • Sept 19 – live music, steinholding competitions, lederhosen/dirndl contest
  • Sept 20 – Dogtoberfest includes adoption event and dog costume contest
  • Sept 25 – steinholding competitions
  • Sept 26 – steinholding competitions, DJs
  • Sept 27 – steinholding competitions
  • Oct 3 – Pridetoberfest
  • October 9 – 10 – steimholding competitions
• Prost (Mt Vernon Triangle)
  • Sept 19-Oct 4
  • Sept 19 – keg tapping at 5:15p at Sept 19. beer from wooden keg given out while supplies last. free 200 ml beer for those dressed up in Lederhosen or dirndls
  • Sept 22 & 29 – Puptoberfest on patio
  • Sept 23 – 6p Underberg party with Underberg and Asbach specials with Jeff Wells
  • Sept 24 & Oct 1 – 7p – Steinhoisting competitions ran by Weihenstephaner, BRLO brewery rep too on Sept 24
  • Oct 2 – 8:30p – Lost Lederhosen Germany party band with Paulaner tap takeover
• Cafe Berlin (Capitol Hill)
  • Sept 19 – Oct 25 (closed Mon & Tues except Oct 12)
  • Festbier and Marzen on tap in 1L mugs
  • Sept 23 – 6-8p – BRLO HH, $18 flight
  • Sept 26/Oct 10/Oct 24 -Noon-3p $65 whole pig roast
  • Oct 4/Oct 18 – 11a-2p – $40 Bavarian Brunch
  • Oct 11/Oct 25 – 3-5p – Sunday Funday with band
  • Mon Oct 12 – 3-6p – Kidsoctoberfest. Live music. $11 kids plate
• Dacha Navy Yard
  • Sept 18 – Oct 4 (full schedule at link)
  • Sept 18 – 5-10p
    • Pre party kick off at 5:30p with ceremonial keg-tapping with DC Brau (free pour while supplies last from first keg if you wear lederhosen or a dirndl).
    • live music from Manuela Horn and the Brew Belles, Johnny Koenig and band until 10p.
    • live shirt printing
  • Sept 19 – 1:30-6:30p kickoff
    • 1:30-2p – Weihenstephan keg tapping. Free pours for those in costume
    • 2-3p – live Alpine music from Potomactaler
    • 3-6p – live music from Manuella, with Oktoberfest games including Bavarian Musical Chairs, Yodel-Off, Oktoberfest Spelling Bee, Stein Holding Contest, Pretzel Eating Contest
    • Crafts include fedora and flower crown making
  • Sept 26 – Family day includes plinko, bracelet/necklace making, coloring station, battle of brewers boot holding competition at 7:30p
  • Sept 27 – Noon-3p – Paint, Sip and Craft Day.
    • $15 paint and sip (paint canvas or pint glass)
    • free hair tinsel woven into hair from 1-3p
  • Oct 3 – 2-5p – Beerfest Olympics
    • $40 entry to enter team of 4 into 8 events
• Dacha Shaw
  • Sept 19 – Oct 4
  • Sept 19 – Noon -8p
    • kick off at noon with ceremonial keg-tapping with Weihenstephan (Free pour while supplies last from first keg if you wear lederhosen or a dirndl)
    • 2p – steinholding contest
    • 3p – pretzel eating
  • Sept 24 -6-9p – Atlas Brew Works beer pong tournament
  • Sept 29 – 5-8p Paint, Sip & Craft Night
    • $15 paint and sip (paint canvas or pint glass)
    • $25 live t-shirt printing
  • Oct 1 – 4-9p Yappy Hour Weiner Dog meetup (free festbier for dachsund owners)
  • Oct 4 – Noon – 3p – Scwanzfest. Drag Brunch, Schwanzfest trivia, wiener/pretzel toss, pass sausage mouth-to-mouth, $5 seltzers + $5 Absolut cocktails all day
• Sauf Haus (Dupont)
  • Sept 19 – Oct 4
  • Sept 19 – kickoff with $8 biers, $8 jager, $12 liters from 2-5p (with RSVP here)
  • (this will be the youngest crowd)
• Old Europe (Glover Park)
  • TBD
• The Midlands (Park View)
  • Sept 19 – Oct 4
  • marzens, festbiers, lagers, food specials
  • halftime hoist during Michigan games Sept 19, 26, Oct 3
  • Oktoberfest style beers – $7 Pints, $14 steins (rotating Paulaner, Bells, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Atlas, DC Brau, Levante)
• Metrobar (Edgewood)
  • Sept 9 – Oct 4
  • 24 oz drafts available for all beers including Right Proper Senate Marzen and Atlas Festbier
• Calico (Shaw)
  • Sept 20 – Oct 4
  • Sept 20 – kickoff party 1-9p
    • lederhosen encouraged, costume contest
    • games start at 3p – hammer striking, pretzel toss, stein-hoisting
  • special food and Oktoberfest beers on food/drink specials
• Lulu’s Winegarden (U Street)
  • Sept 18 – Nov 8 “WInetoberfest”
  • very autumn -themed,
  • can get Oktoberfest festbier in glass cowboy boots

Big Party Schedule

• Fri September 18
  • Dacha Navy Yard (see above)
  • Wundergarten (see above)
• Sat September 19
  • Dacha Navy Yard (see above)
  • Dacha Shaw (see above)
  • Prost (see above)
  • Bluejacket (Navy Yard)
    • Noon-5p
    • toast the yearly release of Hill House (Märzen), plus the debut of Reflections (a dry-hopped Festbier w/ Hersbrucker hops)
    •  8 different German-inspired beers – including unfiltered brews poured straight from traditional gravity kegs (Stichfass)
    • Gravity Kegs Tapped (Noon)
      Alphorn Performance + Blow-an-Alphorn (Noon to 2p)
      Pretzel Toss Competition (1p)
      Boot Beer Chugging Contest (2p)
      The Alpine Players Band oompah music (2-5p)
      Yodeling Contest (3p)
      Stein-Hoisting Competition (3:30P)
  • Red Bear Brewing (NoMa)
    • 2-8p
    • OktoBEARfest. kid/dog friendly event
    • $6 can pours of Oktobearfest Marzen, Gourd Riddance pumpkin ale, MBT Keller, Hefe Wagon
    • food
    • best dirndl and lederhosen contests, steinholding competition, polka music
• Sun September 20
  • Calico (see above)
  • Wundergarten (see above)
• Wed September 23
  • Heurich House Museum (Dupont)
    • 6-8p
    • Oktoberfest Trivia with the German Embassy
    • museum biergarten open at 4p
    • Senate Beer and Senate Maerzen available
• Sat September 26
  • Churchkey (Logan Circle)
    • Noon-5p
    • 10 German-style festbiers
    • steinholding competition at 2p
  • The Brig (Barracks Row)
• Sat October 3
  • The Roost (Hill East)
    • Noon-5p
    • 12 German-style festbiers
    • Alpine Players Band oompah music 1-4p
      steinholding competition for adults and kids (w/ water)
      costume contests for kids, pets, adults
  • Henceforth (H Street)
    • Noon-6p
    • Release of Festbier’
    • special food menu
    • The Alpine SIngers, accordionist Peter DiGiovanni
    • lederhosen, dirndl, steinholding, sausage eating contests, face painting
  • The Wharf
    • Sam Adams Octoberfest beer available
    • 14th annual Wiener 500 Dachsund dash, best dressed contest, stein hoisting championship
  • Wundergarden (see above)
  • Dacha Navy Yard (see above)
• Sun October 4
  • Dacha Shaw (see above)