One of Fredericksburg’s annual festivals brings a little bit of Bavaria to the Hill Country. Three days of singing, toasting, dancing and Gemütlichkeit will be featured at the 43rd Oktoberfest Friday, October 6-8, 2023.
Sponsored by the Pedernales Creative Arts Alliance (PCAA), the family-oriented German event will take place at Marktplatz in downtown Fredericksburg. The event is expected to attract 1,400 volunteers and more than 23,000 visitors.
Oktoberfest received the following accolades in 2022:
As a result, the Oompah-pah echo of 41 previous years will carry over in the hearts and minds of people who have made the event an annual tradition, many who traversed hundreds of miles to attend. And for others, the event reminds them of
Gillespie County organizations and young people who accomplished artistic endeavors, thanks to Oktoberfest proceeds.
The engaging sights and sounds of the annual event are of Fredericksburg’s German heritage, harkening to the first Oktoberfest near Munich in 1810, and to 1981, when Oktoberfest was first held in Fredericksburg.
Oktoberfest offers something for everyone.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
ENTERTAINMENT
Five covered stages will host a continuous parade of entertainers featuring German favorites of oompah, polka, and waltzes, with plenty of opportunities for dancing.
Bands scheduled to perform at the festival include Elzkrainer band (all the way from Germany), Czech & Then Some, Ennis Czech Boys, Chris Rybak, Seven Dutchmen, Walburg Boys, Sax Appeal, Swingin’ Dutchmen, The Oompahs, Isaak Klaus, Red Ravens, Czechaholics, Shirley Johnson, Comal Community Band, Cloverleaf Orchestra, Yodel Blitz, The Tubameisters, Schuhplattlers, Jodie Mikula Orchestra, Herschel Moody, Hermann Sons Mixed Choir & Arion Männerchor, Off The Grid, Cloverleafs, Polkamatics, Pivo & Polka Band, Fredericksburg Filharmonic, and Round Top Brass Band.
There will also be many other attractions for both adults and children to enjoy.
PARK AND RIDE
Oktoberfest visitors can take advantage of a park and ride on Friday and Saturday. Parking will be available at the Gillespie County Fair Grounds from 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. on October 6 and from 9:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Oct. 7.
The cost is $10 per person/day for adults and free for children six and under.
Park and ride tickets are available for advance purchase until September 29 at www.oktoberfestparkandride.com and will also be available at the fairgrounds parking location during the festival.
ABOUT
Since its inception in 1981, Oktoberfest has been presented by the PCAA, Pedernales Creative Arts Alliance. Community volunteers provide the labor, and all Oktoberfest proceeds are used for student scholarships, grants to
support the local arts, and the Marktplatz Concert Series, which is a free gift back to the community. This festival gives locals a place to honor their German heritage and visitors an opportunity to experience a long-standing Fredericksburg tradition.
HOURS AND ADMISSION