Chicago/Milwaukee Best Oktoberfest

https://forgeparks.com/events-races/special-events/pollyanna-oktoberfest/

 

You said "this month". And the Dovetail/Begyle Oktoberfestiversary is in October this year. But it still rates as a must-go-to event. https://www.facebook.com/events/418...t","extra_data":"\"[]\""}],"has_source":true}

 

Technically, you can be a purist and still go in October... just has to be the 1st weekend =P

Unfortunately, wasn't able to make it to Lincoln Square's Oktoberfest this past weekend... The other 2 on my radar is the one in Palatine this weekend (Sept 16-18), and the aforementioned Dovetail/Begyle Oktoberfestiversary (Oct 8-9).

Palatine usually has a solid Oktoberfest; Half Acre Lager Town is the featured beer this year.
https://www.palatinerotary.com/Oktoberfest.php

Keeping an eye out for Kaiser Tiger's Oktoberfest, but they haven't put on their annual celebration since covid...

From 2017-2019, Revolution put on a great street fest for their Oktoberfest... This year it's a ticketed event (Sept 23 & 24) that doesn't really appeal to me; $50 ticket includes 4 pours (0.5L) + glass stein.
https://revbrew.com/events/revolution-oktoberfest

Def considered Goldfinger's event (Sept 24), but Goose Island's 312 Block Party (Sept 23-24) trumps all fests, Oktoberfest or not!

Don't have any Oktfests on my radar for the *official* final weekend, but Phase Three is having their Fall Fest (Fri Sept 30 & Sat Oct 1) featuring the annual release of A Bushel of Apples peanut caramel apple ale. The fest takes place on a lake (Lake Zurich's namesake), and they'll have a full list of their beers available, so I assume P3 Oktoberfest märzen will be an option.
https://www.phasethreebrewing.com/bushel-of-apples-fest

If slushies are more your thing, there's always 450N's Corn Maze Beer Fest (Oct 1) in Indiana! lol
https://www.450northbrewing.com/beerfest/

 

I second the Lincoln Square one. If I recall correctly don’t they have basically the same event in May and September - one is something like Germanfest and the other is Oktoberfest.

edit:these are more traditional events and not craft events however the beer being poured is German

 

Maifest used to be an annual event for me in my yout'. The surrounding bars (most closed now) made it very dangerous.

The local bartenders used to call the copious Maibock "Mindblock," and for good reason.

 

This Oktoberfest event in Milwaukee can be OK. I haven't been there for probably four years. In the past they had a lot of German beers on offer, but when the Bavarian Inn changed over to the Bavarian Bierhaus, they cut down on the number of imported German beers at the festival and began serving some of their house-brewed beers. I personally am not a fan of the Bavarian Bierhaus beers.

https://www.thebavarianbierhaus.com/oktoberfest-info