Beer is a big deal in San Diego 52 weeks out of the year, but come late-September, the buzz of Bavaria’s 215-year-old folk festival, Oktoberfest, provides the foundation for scores of beer-centric celebrations across the county. This year, Oktoberfest will take place from Saturday, September 20 to Sunday, October 5. We’ve conducted some forward research to provide a list of local brewery and neighborhood O-fest celebrations happening over that span (the vast majority of which are free to attend), along with a few early-bird events taking place this weekend. Prost!
- September 13 | Burgeon Beer Co. (Carlsbad, Vista, Escondido & Downtown San Diego): A German-inspired menu will be available at all four of this company’s flourishing branches. Bonus: They’re bringing back their popular costume and stein-holding contests.
- September 13 | Mother Earth Brew Co. (Vista): This “Early Oktoberfest” celebration will include live Bavarian-style music, themed games, best-dressed contests for humans and canines alike, plus the release of an oak-aged Oktoberfest lager and the unoaked base beer.
- September 13 & 20 | North Park Beer Co. (North Park, Bankers Hill & Pacific Beach): September 13’s “Almost-Oktoberfest” tap takeover at NPBC’s HQ will include 16 German-style beers from out-of-town breweries, while September 20’s “Parktoberfest” will feature bierhalle décor, stein pours and food specials at all three of the company’s locations.
- September 13, 20 & 27 | AleSmith Brewing (Miramar): For three straight Saturdays, AleSmith (pictured above) will convert its expansive tasting room into a German bierhalle, complete with AleSchmidt Märzen, food specials and live oompah music guests can chicken dance to.
- September 19 – October 4 | Bock (South Park): This German-inspired bar aims to make each weekend feel like partying in a different brewery tent at the Munich event ‒ Paulaner, then Hofbrau, then Hacker-Pschorr ‒ with different food each go-round. They’ll also have custom steins and apparel (in case your lederhosen’s at the dry-cleaners).
- September 19 – October 5 | Pure Project Brewing (Vista, Carlsbad, Miramar, North Park & Bankers Hill): This 1% for the Planet brewery will tap a helles lager made with German ingredients and serve it (and beers under 6% ABV) in special German-made steins for the duration of Oktoberfest.
- September 20 | Barley & Sword Brewing & Seek Beer Co. (North Park): Festive next-door neighbors at North Park’s Brewery Igniter facility will team together to present German beer and edible fare on their shared patio, all against the backdrop of live music.
- September 20 | Burning Beard Brewing (El Cajon): Fresh batches of this East County operation’s helles, festbier, sticke altbier, roggenbier and German-style Pilsner will be tapped for an Oktoberfest kick-off concert featuring wind band Germania Blaskapelle.
- September 20 | Carlsbad Oktoberfest: Carlsbad Rotary’s 43rd annual Oktoberfest will include family-oriented activities, including a corn maze, pumpkin patch, yodeling competition and a weiner toss, along with live entertainment and German cuisine.
- September 20 | East Village Brewing (East Village): Discount pours of house festbier, hefeweizen and schwarzbier will be offered along with a keep-the-stein special, brats and pretzel bites with beer cheese. Note: There’ll be deeper discounts for guests wearing trachten.
- September 20 | East Village Oktoberfest: Held at libation-equipped neighborhood hangout, Quartyard, this 21-and-up affair will feature the Zeitgeist Oktoberfest Band, festive food channeling both Germany and Mexico, plus plenty of local craft beer.
- September 20 – October 5 | Societe Brewing (Kearny Mesa): Societe will offer $6 fills of its logo steins over the course of Oktoberfest, but its big Bavarian bash will take place September 27, and include fashion, stein-holding and pretzel-eating competitions.
- September 22 – October 5 | Deft Brewing (Bay Park): This annual two-week extravaganza at The Gärten will see Deft filling commemorative steins with an array of German beers, all of which will pair nicely with food specials from their neighbors at Pizza Cassette.
- September 27 | Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside): The Beav’s annual O-fest party will include live music from the Vulcan Mt. Boys, food from a trio of mobile vendors, plus pop-up shops, games, a costume contest and a stein-holding showdown.
- September 27 | Dogleg Brewing (Vista): The 2025 edition of “Golftober Fest” will include three beer releases (hardly par for the course), games and the ability to cheer on Team USA as they take on Team Europe during the second day of the Ryder Cup.
- September 27 | Mike Hess Brewing (North Park, Downtown, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach & Alpine): A Saturday Märzen and festbier release and stein-holding comp will take place at all of the company’s San Diego County locations. Additionally, MHB will fill liter and half-liter steins from September 20 through October 5.
- September 27 | Tipping Pint Brewing (Oceanside): This North County beer op will conspire with Hangar 76 cohabitant, Carruth Cellars, to put on an event replete with drink specials of the barley and grape varieties, plus traditional dishes and live music.
- September 28 | Encinitas Oktoberfest & Artisan Faire: The Encinitas Chamber of Commerce’s 29th annual celebration of Bavarian culture will include a parade with music, dance troupes and more, German and Polish food, and beer from local breweries.
- October 3-5 | La Mesa Oktoberfest: SoCal’s largest Oktoberfest will light up La Mesa Village with lively competitions, arts, crafts, a pumpkin patch and multiple biergartens, including the new kid-friendly Palm Haus with bounce houses, play zones and, yes, beer.
- October 10 & 11 | Ocean Beach Oktoberfest: It takes two days to pack in all the eclectic entertainment and fun (not to mention 10,000 revelers) of San Diego’s largest beachside Oktoberfest, a key annual fundraiser for the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association.
Addresses for the brewery venues listed above can be found on our Local Brewery List page