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Want to experience Oktoberfest 2018 in the states while enjoying these fall festivals for the family fun – not the beer?! Oktoberfest celebrations can be about so much more than filling those steins – the parades, music, dancing, beautiful outdoor surroundings, yummy food, corn mazes, and contests that the whole family can enjoy. Not all Oktoberfests are kid-friendly, so check out this Southern guide to the best Oktoberfest 2018 places and things to do with the fam in tow.
Best Oktoberfest 2018 festivals
The very first time we traveled to Helen, Georgia in the fall, our son was young and all about discovering the great outdoors. He’s married and in his twenties now, but the Oktoberfest festival that we stumbled upon in that quaint little town about twenty years ago is still one of my fondest family vacation memories of his childhood. Even though we weren’t drinkers (and still aren’t), there are ways to make the most of the autumn season with the best fall festivals around.
FAMILY FRIENDLY OKTOBERFEST IN GEORGIA
Helen, Georgia is the alpine-style village that’s an adorable adaptation to Munich, Germany’s love for fun, music, and fall festivals with friends and family. Here you can walk the quaint city streets, eating and shopping to your hearts desire while German music wafts in the background. At this 48th Annual Oktoberfest, watch the parade, learn to polka, ride on a horse-drawn carriage, or visit the “Oompah-central,” a music and dancing hall with traditional German music and the most genuine German wursts and sausages you’ll ever put in your mouth.
ALABAMA OKTOBERFEST 2018
Head on over to Cullman, Alabama for a free event for the whole family at their 37th Annual Cullman Oktoberfest 2018! At this fall festival that celebrates their German heritage, you’ll find German music and food vendors, families can enjoy unique crafts, talented artisans, a car show, jumpy house, kid contests, dancing, a dog show, farmer’s market, and more.
TWO-DAY OKTOBERFEST IN TENNESSEE
Don’t miss Chattanooga, Tennessee’s two-day fall festival in its 14th year! Enjoy the sounds, sights, and yummy smells of German fare. There will be entertainment, shopping, dancing, culinary delights, Oompah bands and the crowning of Mr. and Ms. Chattanooga Oktoberfest. This annual event is family-friendly fun for all.
SOUTH CAROLINA OKTOBERFEST
One of the most unique Oktoberfest celebrations in the South, the 12th Annual Myrtle Beach Oktoberfest is sure to bring a smile to all family members. With over 50 vendors, kid activities, pony rides, live music, face painting, inflatables, and a fabulous pumpkin patch. So. much. fun.
NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAIN OKTOBERFEST
The 28th Annual Oktoberfest at Sugar Mountain Resort is designed with bringing the whole family in mind. As a matter of fact, the Valle Crucis Middle School band will remind you that you’re still in the good Ole USA. On the schedule are arts and craft vendors, Bavarian food and drinks, costume contest, chairlift rides, a children’s fun center, and more. Admission, parking, and even the shuttle service to and from the festival are all free.
COOLEST OKTOBERFEST IN FLORIDA
Those in Celebration, Florida claim that their Oktoberfest 2018 is the coolest family-friendly Oktoberfest in the Southeast. It’s no wonder, because the Celebration Town Center transforms into a fall festival to remember. Hop on a hayride, stroll the grounds, listen to incredible live music like America’s Got Talent finalist, Carly Jo Jackson, and participate in the fun of yodeling and crowd sing-a-longs.
I hope this Oktoberfest 2018 celebrations list is helpful. I’d love to hear from you about it.
Know before you go to Oktoberfest 2018
Helen Oktoberfest: Sep 9th – Oct 28th – 1074 Edelweiss St., Helen, GA
Cullman Oktoberfest: Oct. 3rd – Oct. 6th – Festhalle Platz, 209 1st Ave. NE., Cullman, AL
Chattanooga Oktoberfest: Oct. 13th – Oct. 14th – 1801 Carter Street, Chattanooga, TN
Myrtle Beach Oktoberfest: Oct. 12th – 13th – 1150 Farrow Parkway, Myrtle Beach, SC
Sugar Mountain Oktoberfest: Oct. 13th – Oct. 14th – 1009 Sugar Mountain Drive, Village of Sugar Mountain, NC
Oktoberfest Street Celebration: Oct. 19th – 20th – 610-Sycamore St. Suite 220, Celebration, FL
Which of these Oktoberfest 2018 celebrations are you the most excited about? Do you have any more in the South we should know about? Tell us about it in the comments!
Published on HuffPost, Okefenokee Living Magazine, and more, Shan is a Family Travel Journalist with a passion for helping women lose the overwhelm of planning family-friendly trips in the south. She shares travel reviews & insider secrets that Women REALLY want to know about Georgia, Florida, & the Carolinas vacations.
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Kentucky/Ohio have some good Oktoberfests too, and I do like when they are family-friendly because I don’t drink alcohol. Thanks for sharing these!!
-Lauren
I have never been to an Octoberfest celebration, but they sound fun. So I need to search for one in New England.
Ooo so much fun! I’m going to have to look into some of these, see how close we are! Thanks Shan!
How fun!! I love Oktoberfest and these festivals look so much fun! Why can’t I live in the South and go to one of these!?
These sound like great fun – I’d love to go to an Oktoberfest but these are all so far away… will try and find out if there is one near us.
I gotta see if we have one in New York coming up!
I lived in Orlando for 7 years (right near Celebration) and had NO IDEA that they had an Oktoberfest there! I wish I would have known when we lived there. Both mine and my husband’s family are German so it would have been so much fun!
I can honestly say I have never been to an Oktoberfest, In fact even though I live in Georgia, I didn’t know about the one here! I’ll have to give it a try sometime.
There’s a small Oktoberfest here in Wisconsin that we haven’t gone to but definitely want to one day! I just didn’t really know much about the event before now, so you’ve got me excited!
All the events sound amazing. I once went to Helen when we were in Georgia and what fun it was. Cant wait to go back again.
I have never been to an Oktoberfest celebration! However, it looks like so much fun and I know my family would enjoy it!
Octoberfest is such fun fest to be a part of. I’d love to go there with my family, they will love it.
Most times when you think Oktoberfest, you definitely think adult only activities. I love that there are family friendly celebrations as well.
I would love to go to the two day event in Tennessee!!