With endless beer and brats, lawn games, costume contests, and live music, these are the best Oktoberfest celebrations in Iowa.
It’s the most wunderbar time of the year—Oktoberfest—and there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate in Iowa. All across the Hawkeye State, communities are set to host their own Oktoberfest events, complete with authentic German food, beer, and entertainment.
So dust off your dirndl or lederhosen, grab your stein, and head to the 12 best Oktoberfest celebrations in Iowa.
What is Oktoberfest?
Oktoberfest is an annual festival held in Munich, Germany. The first Oktoberfest took place in 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.
Since then, Oktoberfest celebrations have popped up all around the world, including here in Iowa. Modern Oktoberfest events typically feature authentic German food and beer, live music, and competitions for things like stein holding and keg rolling.
Iowa Oktoberfest celebrations
Mark your calendars for these 12 Oktoberfest celebrations throughout the state.
1. Des Moines Oktoberfest
Des Moines Oktoberfest has all the ingredients for a perfect German-style celebration: lots of beer, delicious food, live music, and games. Here is a look at some of this year’s scheduled events and activities:
- Sack races
- Pretzel tosses
- Keg tapping ceremony
- Stein holding competitions
- Oktoberfest trivia
- Bike ride from the Capitol
In the Kinder Zone, younger festivalgoers can enjoy the bounce house, a balloon artist, face painting, yard games, and other activities.
Date: Sept. 18-20
Cost: Free
Location: Water Works Park, Des Moines
2. Adventureland Oktoberfest
Adventureland Oktoberfest combines traditional German food and fun with your favorite amusement park rides. At the 12th-annual event, you can listen to live music by bands including the Polka Police and the Schnitzel Brothers Bier Band, sample Oktoberfest-inspired foods, play games, participate in contests, and enjoy all the theme park’s rides.
Date: Sept. 19
Cost: Pre-sale general admission tickets start at $19.99.
Location: Adventureland, 3200 Adventureland Dr., Altoona
3. Dubuque Oktoberfest
In addition to all the traditional Oktoberfest fun festivalgoers will expect, like live music and stein holding contests, Dubuque Oktoberfest highlights include a polka dancing lesson, a wiener dog parade, and wiener dog races.
Food trucks will serve German and Central European food, as well as desserts including kolache (a sweet pastry) and ice cream.
Date: Sept. 19
Cost: Free (donations to Camp Albrecht Acres are encouraged)
Location: Q Casino, 1855 Greyhound Park Rd., Dubuque
4. Marion Oktoberfest
Marion Oktoberfest is a 21-and-older event featuring a wide variety of craft beer samples and brewery representatives on hand to educate attendees about their beers.
But it’s not all about the beer. You can participate in (or watch) crowd-favorite competitions like keg rolling, stein holding, and Hammerschlagen (a game that involves hammering nails into a tree and drinking whenever you mess up), or show off your dirndl or lederhosen for a chance to be named best dressed.
Date: Sept. 19
Cost: General admission tickets cost $40, and VIP tickets cost $60. Designated drivers and non-drinkers can attend for free when accompanied by a ticket holder.
Location: Uptown District along 7th Avenue in Marion
5. Iowa Oktoberfest
Iowa Oktoberfest packs tons of authentic German fun into one weekend. Contests and games will take place throughout the festival, including a stein hoist, Hammerschlagen, Kubb (a lawn game), and keg rolling.
There will also be a parade of costumed dogs, a harvest market where you can shop for fall decor, and a beer tent with about 10 German brews to try.
Date: Sept. 25-26
Cost: Free
Location: Anton’s German Bier Garden and East 4th Street in downtown Waterloo
6. Oktoberfest Des Moines
Not to be confused with Des Moines Oktoberfest, Oktoberfest Des Moines is a two-day celebration held in Ankeny. This Oktoberfest will feature more than 50 beers and traditional dishes like bratwurst and schnitzel. Of course, there will also be live music, a keg tapping, stein holding competitions, and German lawn and drinking games.
Other highlights include an outdoor arcade, a beer maiden contest, a shotski world-record attempt, free polka-dancing lessons, and a Rocktoberfest concert.
Date: Sept. 25-26
Cost: Single-day tickets cost $20, or you can get a two-day pass for $30.
Location: The District at Prairie Trail, Ankeny
7. Guttenberg German Fest
Guttenberg German Fest, now in its 35th year, will bring together authentic German food, music, and games spread across two days. But that’s not all that’s on the schedule.
There will also be a 5K run/walk, a meetup for German car enthusiasts and their rides, a vendor market with local crafters and artisans, and three food competitions: one for the best German desserts, another for German potato salad, and one for sauerkraut.
Date: Sept. 25-26
Cost: Last year’s event cost $15 for attendees 21 years and older and $10 for everyone else.
Location: Guttenberg
8. Northside Oktoberfest
Northside Oktoberfest, celebrating its 30th year in 2026, brings together classic German fare and recreational activities such as a keg toss, brat-eating, stein-holding, and a costume contest, plus plenty of beer.
The event is separated into three unique experiences:
- BrewFest: A tasting event featuring unlimited pours from more than 40 regional and national vendors of beer, cider, mead, and kombucha
- Bier Hall: The general admission portion of the festival, with food vendors, competitions, live music, and other entertainment
- SodaFest: A festival for kids with unlimited soda samples
Date: Sept. 26
Cost: $60 for BrewFest, $5 for the Bier Hall, and $5 for SodaFest
Location: Downtown Iowa City
9. University of Okoboji Oktoberfest
The 35th annual University of Okoboji Oktoberfest will kick off with a morning bike ride around Lake Minnewashta and West Lake Okoboji, followed by tons of traditional Oktoberfest fun.
There will be live music in the afternoon, competitions including a keg toss, stein hoist, and Hammerschlagen, and inflatables for kids. Other activities will include a rubber duck race, a bean bag toss tournament, and a market for local vendors.
Date: Sept. 26
Cost: Free
Location: Preservation Plaza, Arnolds Park
10. Ottumwa Oktoberfest
Ottumwa Oktoberfest is a week-long festival that began in 1974 to raise money for local non-profit organizations.
At the time of writing, the 2026 schedule hadn’t been released yet, but the annual festival typically features live music, activities like bingo, parades, a drumline competition, and stein-holding, plus plenty of beer and brats.
Date: Sept. 30 to Oct. 3
Cost: Free
Location: Jimmy Jones Shelter, Greater Ottumwa Park, Ottumwa
11. Amana Colonies Oktoberfest
The Amana Colonies consist of seven villages built by German Pietists in 1855, and the community’s Oktoberfest is a celebration of its German roots.
Amana Colonies Oktoberfest is a four-day event that features a packed schedule of cultural entertainment, traditional activities, and other events throughout the colonies.
There will be live musical performances all weekend, a keg tapping ceremony on Friday, and the Oktoberfest parade. If you’re feeling competitive, there are plenty of contests to participate in, for everything from yodeling and brat eating to keg tossing and log sawing.
Shuttles will be available to take you to and from all the festivities.
Date: Oct. 1-4
Cost: A single-day pass costs $15, while a weekend pass costs $30. Admission is free on Sunday.
Location: Festhalle Barn, 4707 220th Trl., Amana; Market Barn, 707 46th Ave., Amana
12. Waverly Oktoberfest
Waverly Oktoberfest is a kid-friendly celebration with fun for the whole family. There will be live music throughout the event, and a keg tapping ceremony and fireworks on Friday.
You can test your skills during a round of Hammerschlagen, a stein hoisting competition, or the cornhole tournament. Entertainment for kids and teens will include face painting, a Lego station, laser tag, and a basketball shootout game.
As far as adult beverages go, there will be a wide selection of beers from Germany and Iowa, a cocktail garden, and a homebrew tent featuring beers from local homebrewers. Food options range from traditional brats and pretzels to tacos, crepes, and ribeye sandwiches.
Date: Oct. 2-3
Cost: Adult tickets cost $15, while teen admission (ages 13-17) is $5.
Location: Kohlmann Park, Waverly
