Oktoberfest Party Ideas

Roll out the barrel for the most memorable Oktoberfest party ideas! Starting all the way back on October 12th, 1810, this traditional annual German festival is celebrated around the world. This Volksfest, features a carnival and beer festival. Gather your friends and family to celebrate a potential new favorite fall harvest party.

Oktoberfest Party Invitations

Make your Oktoberfest party invitations on white cardstock with a white and blue checkered border. In the top left hand corner draw a pretzel and in the top right say “OKTOBERFEST ''. Underneath write” Food | Beer | Music” and the date of your event.

Oktoberfest Party Supplies and Decorations

Use the color theme of black, red and gold (for the German Flag) or blue and white
Depending on the weather, host the party outside
Use lots of twinkle lights or lanterns
Have a blue, yellow, and white balloon arch with pretzel balloons as highlights
Have a pennant flag banner with white and blue checkers
Have a sign that says “Welcome to Oktoberfest”
Have your guests come dressed in their best traditional German attire. This is not only fun, but adds to the decoration as well.
Have beer steins around as decor - Have different sizes and use them as flower vases by filling them with daisies.
Play Oktoberfest Party music, or hire a band to play live - If you are going for a live band it will work even if you can only hire a single person to play an accordion.
Decorate with mini German flags and place them in candy jars
Photoboard - Either buy a photo door banner or make your own with a piece of plywood. Get the size of your choosing and cut out holes big enough for someone to put their head in for a picture. Then, sand the whole board to make it smooth. Once the board is prepped, paint pictures of people in bright colors. When it is dry, take pictures of everyone smiling and posing in the photos.

Oktoberfest Party Games & Activities

Dance to polka music - Play the music and have everyone drink after a couple of drinks have everyone do the Chicken Dance. This will hopefully give everyone a good giggle and fun time.

Make pretzels - Make sure you have all the ingredients beforehand and either use a family pretzel recipe or find one online. If using a new recipe, try to make it before the party to make sure you like the outcome of the pretzels and can help your guests at the actual event.

Beer stein race - Race with a number of filled beer steins in your hands. Once you cross the finish line, dump the beer into a container. With this, you can have two winners, the race winner and the quantity of beer left.

Beer pong contest - Line up glasses (like bowling) and try to hit a ping pong ball into the opponent's glass. If you succeed they need to drink the beer. The aim is to make your opponent drink all their beers before you. Only those of legal age can participate and take precautions so that people drink safely.

For those of legal age, have a beer tasting or go on a tour to see how beer is brewed

Go visit a traveling carnival and enjoy the rides

Play trivia with facts on Oktoberfest

Do an Oktoberfest inspired word search

Decorate shortbread cookies - prebake lots of shortbread cookies with enough for multiple for each guest to decorate. Have different colors of icing and a variety of small candies. Have little clear bags for the guests to bring home a few cookies as unique party favors.

Sing along to music

Oktoberfest Party Food

Serve numerous German Beers: host using kegs for a larger crowd or have German beers in the bottle (show the labels). Some traditional beers: Beck's, WarSteiner and St. Pauli Girl; or something unfamiliar that you can serve would be Einbecker Dunkel.
Sauerkraut (this is finely cut cabbage)
Sausages (brats and knackwurst)
BBQ chicken and potato salad
Homemade pretzels
Sauces and dips - Zesty mustard, apple butter, pumpkin butter
Black forest cake
Have mini handheld pickles
Make smashed potatoes
Have a pretzel board with mini one bite pretzels, small cups of mustard, vegetables, dips, and hard pretzels
Potato stacks and dip
Make traditional German obatzda - A beer cheese sauce and pretzels to dip in the sauce