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First held in 1965, the Columbus Oktoberfest will return to the Ohio Expo Center at the Ohio State Fairgrounds on September 5, 6 and 7, 2025. Admission to the fest is free!
Festival Hours
- Friday – 12 pm to 12 am
- Saturday – 12 pm to 12 am
- Sunday – 12 pm to 8 pm
The Expo Center features historic century old pavilions offering 100,000 square feet of covered space. This will be an unforgettable celebration of Columbus’ rich German heritage.
Food
My favorite part of any festival is almost always the food. At Oktoberfest, you can look forward to Bratwurst, German Potato Salad, Pretzels, Sauerdraut Balls, Reubens, Limburger Cheese Sandwich, Pierogies, Oktoberfest Chicken, Jager Schnitzel, Pork & Krauty Wrap, Strudel and more.
Food Vendors include
- Neffy’s
- Kinderhaus
- DK Diner
- Cosmic Kettle Corn
- Buckeye Concessions
- Hey Hey
- Philly Pretzel Factory
- Foegen Concessions
- Kona Ice
- Schmidt’s
- Squeaky’s Cheese Curds
- Mini Donuts
Kick Off Party
The official Kick Off Party will be on Thursday from 5 pm to 10 pm. It will be hosted by Hofbrauhaus Columbus. Enjoy live entertainment and great food and beer!
QF96 First Responder’s Day
The QF96 First Responder’s Day will be on Friday. DaveMan will broadcast live an Oktoberfest edition of “I’d Top That” during the Joe Show Drive at 5 pm.
Meiler Vier
Vier Meiler/Brat Trot will be on Friday at 6:15 pm along with the Keg Tapping and run by M35 Sports. It will feature the music of Alphom Gruezie.
Craft Bier Garten
Oktoberfest has a Craft Bier Garten featuring Ohio’s Craft Breweries in the Hofbrauhaus Hall. They’ll have Saucy, Homestead, Thirsty Dog, Taft’s and Sideswipe. Schmitt Sohne Wine Garten will have an expanded selection of wines in the Heidelberg Beer Hall.
Gemutlichkeit Games – Strongman Competition
The Gemutlichkeit Games will be located in the ODNR Ampitheater on Saturday.
- 1 PM – Austrian Oak Log Press – Press a 250-pound log overhead as many times as you can.
- 2 PM – Steinstossen (Stone Throw) – Hurl stones weighing 135–180 pounds to see who can throw the farthest.
- 3 PM – Amateur Stone Lift – Audience members can lift a 135- or 180-pound stone and place it on top of a 50-gallon bourbon barrel.
- 4 PM – Stone to Shoulder Lift – Lift a stone weighing 260–535 pounds to your shoulder as many times as possible.
- 5 PM – Keg Toss – Heave a pony keg weighing 25–45 pounds as high as you can.
- 7 PM – Steinheben (Bavarian Stone Lift) – Lift a 508-pound stone with a handle and see how high you can raise it.
Sunday will have amateur events in the ODNR Ampitheater.
- 1 pm – Registration
- 1:30 pm – Keg Toss
- 2:30 pm – Steinstossen (stone throw)
Live Entertainment
There will be live entertainment on 2 stages on all three days.
Friday
Heidelberg Hall
- 5:00 PM – Klaberheads
- 6:15 PM – Tapping of the Keg
- 7:30 PM – Celebrity “Stuff the Puff”
- 8:00 PM – Sound of Sorgenbrecher
Hofbrauhaus Prost Hall
- 5:00 PM – Triple Creek Band
- 9:00 PM – Clubber Lang
Saturday
Heidelberg Hall
- 12:00 PM – Mike Farrenhopf & The Polkaholics
- 4:15 PM – Tanz & Spreikrens Austrian Dancers
- 4:30 PM – Charden Polka Band
- 8:00 PM – Stein Hoist
- 8:30 PM – Sound of Sorgenbrecher
Hofbrauhaus Prost Hall
- 12:00 PM – One Number Off
- 3:00 PM – Tanz & Spiekrels Austrian Dancers
- 3:30 PM – The Wet Bandits
- 7:00 PM – Gemütlichkeit Games
- 9:00 PM – Rock House
Sunday
Heidelberg Hall
- 12:00 PM – Klaberheads
- 3:30 PM – Chardon Polka Band
- 6:00 PM – Cream Puff Staff
- 6:30 PM – Sound of Sorgenbrecher
Hofbrauhaus Prost Hall
- 12:00 PM – Central Ohio Square Dancing
- 3:00 PM – Columbus Dance Theater
- 6:00 PM – Columbus Northwest Dance Studio
Kinderplatz
Kinderplatz is a free area the whole family can enjoy. Walk down the Ohio Stone path and learn about stones native to Ohio. There will be face painting, inflatables and a lot more.
Shopping
There will be great shopping in both the Arts & Crafts Marketplatz and the Merchant Market.
German Cuisine: Additional Information
If you enjoyed the German food at Oktoberfest and would like to learn more about German cooking, try these cookbooks. You can use our links to save money on them.
- The New German Cookbook by Jean Anderson & Hedy Wurz
- Germany Cookery: The Crown Classic Cookbook Series by Elizabeth Schuller
- German Cooking Today – The Original
Visiting Columbus
If you’d like to visit Columbus for Oktoberfest, you should consider these hotels. They can save you a lot of money because you can book these hotels for under $100 a night.
And there are apartments, houses, condos and other rental units that might be perfect for your visit. Take a look at these rental options.
If you’re going to fly to Columbus, find cheap flights here.