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Last weekend, our family was lucky enough to visit Carowinds on the very first day of Oktoberfest! You see, while the popular Carolina theme park is well-known for its SCarowinds event, that’s not the only special event the park holds in the fall. In this guide, I’ll share everything you need to know about Oktoberfest at Carowinds:
- When it takes place
- What food & drinks you can order
- What our family recommends
- How to get discounted admission
When is Oktoberfest at Carowinds?
The Carowinds Oktoberfest celebration takes place on the following days:
- Saturday, September 13, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday, September 14, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday, September 20, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday, September 21, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday, September 27, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday, September 28, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday, October 4, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday, October 5, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday, October 11, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday, October 12, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday, October 18, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday, October 19, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday, October 25, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday, October 26, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday, November 1, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday, November 2, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday, November 8, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Saturday, November 15, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Sunday, November 16, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Saturday, November 22, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Sunday, November 23, 2025 – 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Where in Carowinds does Oktoberfest take place?
All of the Oktoberfest activities take place near Harmony Hall, which is the large food court in the Thunder Road area. If you’re entering the park through the main entrance, turn left to get to Oktoberfest.
What are the Oktoberfest food menus with prices?
The Oktoberfest dining options can all be found in three different tents. Tents 1 and 3 are next to each other, while Tent 2 is across the walkway.
A note about prices – if you are a passholder, make sure you ask for your passholder discount to save a little extra on dining. (The exact percentage depends on what kind of season pass you have.)
Tent 1 Menu
- Chicken Schnitzel
- $15.99
- Thin chicken breast breaded and coated, with German spätzle served on the side.
- German Nachos
- $8.99
- French fries topped with vegetarian currywurst crumble and cheese sauce.
Tent 2 Menu
- German Sausage
- $15.99
- Choice of Frankfurter or bratwurst, served in a pretzel bun, with a side of either German potato salad or German spätzle.
Tent 3 Menu
- Apple Streusel
- $8.99
- Puff pastry filled with cinnamon apple compote, with vanilla ice cream served on the side.
- German Chocolate Cake
- $8.99
- Chocolate cake with cherries, with a side of vanilla ice cream.
- Bavarian Pretzel
- $7.99
- A Bavarian pretzel, served with mustard.
- Jumbo Bavarian Pretzel
- $14.99
- A large pretzel served with mustard.
Toppings
If you want toppings (such as for your bratwurst or Frankfurter), there’s a table near Tent 2 that has a variety of toppings. They include:
- Apple Sauerkraut
- Hot Mustard
- Medium Mustard
- Onion Chow Chow
- Beer Glazed Onions
- Bacon Sauerkraut
What drinks are at Carowinds Oktoberfest?
There are a couple of bar booths near the food tents. And you can get a 20 oz Oktoberfest Souvenir Stein. Please note that you must be at least 21 years old with a valid ID to buy or drink alcoholic beverages.
Bar 1
- Paulaner
- Oktoberfest – draft
- Hefe-Weizen – draft
- Sam Adams
- Boston Lager – draft
- Oktoberfest – draft
Bar 2
- Paulaner
- Grapefruit Radler – 16 oz can
- Hefe-Weizen – 16 oz can
What should I eat at Carowinds Oktoberfest?
As you can see, there are some great dining options, whether you’re looking for a snack, dessert or meal.
Here are our top picks:
Chicken Schnitzel
The Chicken Schnitzel was delicious! We loved the pretzel bun. In fact, all of the pretzel buns we had tasted great and were fairly soft.
German Sausage
We recommend the bratwurst and the German spätzle (pictured left), instead of the Frankfurter and the German potato salad (pictured right). But you can choose either sausage type and either side, and all of them are good.
Apple Streusel
The Apple Streusel was excellent, and the Vanilla ice cream was really good as well.
German Chocolate Cake
I saved my personal absolute favorite for last!
Now, the menu listed cherries as one of the ingredients, but I never tasted or saw any cherries. But that didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the cake! Every part of it was delicious.
Topping Tips
Tip #1 – If you want regular yellow mustard (instead of a spicier mustard), Heinz Mustard is available at Harmony Hall.
Tip #2 – The Beer Glazed Onions really add to the Frankfurter sausage, but be aware that there are some red pepper flakes (in case you’re like me and want to pick them out).
Are there other things to do at Oktoberfest?
While the food and drinks are clearly pretty great, dining and drinking aren’t the only things to do at Carowinds Oktoberfest.
Other activities include:
- Authentic live music
- Keg tapping ceremony at the beginning of the festival day
- Brat Eating Contest
- Stein Holding Contest
- Color-by-numbers community Oktoberfest mural
- Games (such as horseshoes and cornhole)
And if you’re looking for more things to do while visiting Carowinds for Oktoberfest, you have some great options.
First of all, you can enjoy the fun rides and roller coasters that make Carowinds such a popular destination!
Secondly, some of the dates for Oktoberfest overlap with Tricks and Treats, a family friendly Halloween event at the park.
Finally, if you stick around after Oktoberfest is over, you can enjoy all the frightening fun of SCarowinds! Please note that SCarowinds is not recommended for anyone younger than 13 years of age.
How do I save money at Carowinds Oktoberfest?
You don’t need a special ticket to attend Oktoberfest at Carowinds – it’s included in regular park admission! And luckily, we know a way you can save on that admission. You can save 44% on your Carowinds tickets here.
Is there a chaperone policy during Oktoberfest?
There is a fall chaperone policy at Carowinds, which may include the Oktoberfest celebration, depending on what time of day you visit the park.
Starting at 2:00 PM, anyone who is 17 years old or younger must have a chaperone accompanying them. The chaperone must be at least 21 years old. And a guest can only chaperone up to 10 people. Guests need to have a photo ID with them to be able to show proof of age.
Please note that if you are attending Oktoberfest before 2:00 PM, you don’t need to worry about the chaperone policy.