Oktoberfest in Big Bear: Bavarian Weekends, Beer & Where to Stay
Munich is 5,700 miles away. Big Bear’s version is a lot closer, and at 6,750 feet it comes with its own alpine backdrop instead of a rented one. This year marks the 55th anniversary of Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest, and the celebration has grown into a run of weekends stretching from mid-September through early November — steins of German beer, live folk bands, and a whole lot of lederhosen, all set against pine forest instead of a beer-hall ceiling. Here’s the full schedule, what to expect once you’re inside, and how to turn it into a proper mountain weekend.
Ten Weekends of Prost
Big Bear Lake Convention Center · September 12 – November 8, 2026
The Schedule: Longer Weekends as the Season Rolls On
The festival opens September 12–13 and 19–20 and 26–27 as two-day weekends, then expands into three-day runs through October (2–4, 9–11, 16–18, 23–25) before wrapping up with November 1 and 7–8. Beer sampling nights on Fridays are back by popular demand for the October weekends, so if you’re coming specifically for the tasting flights, that’s the night to build your trip around.
Locals get in free on Sundays, and the new Club Prost membership adds VIP perks and priority access for anyone planning to make more than one trip down to the tent this season.
Location: Big Bear Lake Convention Center, 42900 Big Bear Blvd · Check individual weekend listings for exact hours
Bavarian Food · Two Live Bands · Dirndls & Lederhosen Encouraged
Food, Beer & a Genuine Party Atmosphere
The menu reads like the real thing: bratwurst, knockwurst, kielbasa, sauerkraut, Bavarian dumplings, giant pretzels, beer cheese soup, and German apple strudel, all washed down with overflowing mugs of imported German beer. Two bands trade off through the day — an indoor German folk band and an outdoor country-rock band — and the crowd fills in around picnic tables for chicken dancing, German dancing, and the occasional round of drinking beer out of a boot.
Dress the part if you’re up for it. Between the dirndls, lederhosen, and pine-scented mountain air at 6,000-plus feet, this doesn’t feel like a themed party — it feels like its own thing.
Family-friendly during the day · Evenings lean more toward the beer-hall energy
Beyond the Beer Tent
Make It a Full Fall Weekend
Big Bear in October and November is doing its own thing while the festival runs — the aspens are turning gold along the North Shore, the lake is calm and mostly boat-free, and daytime highs in the seventies make for genuinely pleasant hiking and Village-browsing weather. Pair a festival afternoon with a walk through The Village’s shops and restaurants, or a morning drive around the lake to catch the color change before the tent opens.
Evenings cool off fast at this elevation, so plan for a warm cabin to come back to — a fireplace and a hot tub feel a lot better after a few hours in the beer tent than a thin-walled motel room does.
Where to Stay — Plus Free Tickets With Your Booking
Coupon Code OKTOBERFEST · Valid September 12 – November 14, 2026
3rd Night Free, Plus 2 Festival Tickets
Book a minimum two-night stay anywhere in the valid window and your third night is free — that part applies across September, October, and November. Book your stay in September or November specifically, and we’ll also throw in two complimentary Oktoberfest admission tickets, one per person, each good for a single festival day of your choosing at booking. October stays qualify for the free night but not the bonus tickets, so if free admission matters to you, bracket the shoulder months instead.
A few standard restrictions apply: the offer can’t be combined with other promotions, the discount applies to base lodging only (not taxes, cleaning, or resort fees), blackout dates apply on peak weekends, and a handful of properties are excluded. Apply code OKTOBERFEST at checkout on bigbearvacations.com, or call (877) 417-6504 and we’ll walk you through it.
Full terms and the current excluded-property list are posted at checkout · Book early — September and November festival weekends move fast once tickets are attached
For location, cabins near the Village and Big Bear Boulevard put you a short walk or trolley ride from the Convention Center gate. If you’d rather keep some distance from the crowds at night, a quieter cabin on the North Shore still gets you there easily — the free Big Bear Trolley runs from 6 PM to 10:30 PM with more than 30 stops around the valley, so you don’t need to worry about parking or driving back after a few steins.
Oktoberfest Tips from Our Team
- Book your cabin under the OKTOBERFEST code in September or November if the free tickets matter to you — October gets the free night only.
- Use the free Big Bear Trolley to get to and from the Convention Center; parking near the venue fills up fast on festival nights.
- Friday beer-sampling nights are the ones to prioritize if tasting flights are the main draw, especially during the October three-day weekends.
- Days run warm but mountain nights drop fast even in September — bring a jacket for the walk back, whatever you’re wearing under it.
- Reserve early. Between the 55th-anniversary crowds and the ticket bundle, September and November weekends are the first to book out.
Book the Oktoberfest Getaway
Your 3rd night free, plus two festival tickets when you book September or November — the easiest way to turn a weekend at the tent into a full mountain trip.
See the Oktoberfest OfferWritten by the Big Bear Vacations Team — your local experts in Big Bear Lake cabin rentals, powered by Casago. We live here, we raise a stein here, and we’re here to make your Oktoberfest trip unforgettable.
