Every Oktoberfest happening in New Jersey in 2023
Can you get drunk on beer cheese? We're about to find out, because the liquid gold sauce — along with Bavarian pretzels, sauerkraut and IPAs — is getting ready to head to Jersey by the gallon.
That's right 20-somethings: it's Oktoberfest season.
Get your lederhosen and Pepto ready.
For those unfamiliar, Oktoberfest is an autumn festival that originated in Germany in 1810 to celebrate marriage of the prince of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. It ran for two weeks in October. By 1818, the festival evolved (in response to public demand) to include food and beer tents. No one's sure exactly when the tradition made its way to America, but guesses range from the 1960s to early 2000s.
And when it did? It included all of the booze — and none of the monarchy.
So, whether you're a newbie looking to dip their toes into the wonderful world of vague European cultural references, or an Oktoberfest veteran looking to get plastered in a field, grab your calendars and get your pens ready.
From Cape May to Bergen, here are the biggest Oktoberfests happening in New Jersey in 2023.
Every Oktoberfest happening in New Jersey 2023:
Sept. 22-24
German American Society of Trenton Oktoberfest, Trenton. 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 22, Noon to 9 p.m. Sept. 23, Noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 24, German-American Society; 215 Uncles Pete’s Road.
Chester Lion Club’s Oktoberfest Weekend, Chester. Noon to 8 p.m. Sept. 23, Noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 24, Chubb Park; 290 W Main Street.
Sept. 26
Hillsborough PBA 205 Oktoberfest, Hillsborough. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Royce Brook Golf Club, 201 Hamilton Road.
Sept. 27-Oct. 1
Ho-Ho-Kus Oktoberfest, Ho-Ho-Kus. 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sept. 27 to 30, Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern; 1 East Franklin Turnpike.
Avalon Oktoberfest, Avalon. 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sept. 29, Sandbar Village; 125 79th Street.
St. Mary’s Oktoberfest, Nutley. 6:30 p.m., Sept. 29, St Mary’s Church; 17 Monsignor Owens Place.
Our Lady of the Lake Oktoberfest, Verona. 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 29 (Kinderfest), 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 30 (Oktoberfest), Our Lady of the Lake Parish; 32 Lakeside Ave.
Academy of Our Lake Fathers Guild Oktoberfest, Glen Rock. Begins 6:30 p.m., Sept. 30, St. Catharine's Field; 180 Rodney Street.
Cape May Oktoberfest, Cape May. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sept. 30, Carpenter Lane between Ocean & Perry and Jackson Street.
Flocktoberfest 2023, Montague. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 30, Tamerlaine Sanctuary & Preserve; 141 Clove Road.
Montclair Brewery Oktoberfest, Montclair. 12:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sept. 30, Montclair Brewery; 101 Walnut Street.
Oktoberfest at Lone Eagle Brewery, Flemington. Noon to 10 p.m., Sept. 30, Lone Eagle Brewing; 44 Stangl Road.
Deutscher Club of Clark Oktoberfest, Clark. Noon onwards, Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, Deutscher Club of Clark; 787 Featherbed Lane.
Hackettstown Oktoberfest, Hackettstown. Noon to 8 p.m. Sept. 30, Noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 1, Grand Avenue, Main Street and Valentine Street.
Kindle Oktoberfest, Cape May Court House. Noon to 6 p.m., Oct. 1, 525 Stone Harbor Boulevard.
Oct. 6-8
Asbury Biergarten Annual Oktoberfest, Asbury Park. Begins 4 p.m. Oct. 6, continues through Oct. 8 (time unspecified), Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten; 527 Lake Avenue.
Greenwhich Township Oktoberfest, Stewartsville. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 7, Thomas Stewart Park; 112 Greenwich Street.
Atlantic Highlands Oktoberfest, Highlands. Noon to 7 p.m., Oct. 7, Veterans Park; 51 Bay Avenue.
Turkey Brook Park Oktoberfest, Flanders. Noon to 9 p.m., Oct. 7, Turkey Brook Park; 30 Flanders Road.
The Biergarten AC Oktoberfest, Atlantic City. Noon to 4 p.m., Oct. 7, The Biergarten Atlantic City; 2701 Boardwalk.
Little Falls PBA #346 Oktoberfest, Little Falls. Noon to 7 p.m., Oct. 7, 65 Union Ave.
Smithville Oktoberfest, Smithville. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 7 and 8, Route 9 and Moss Mill Road (the shuttle departs from the Smithville Shopping Center located on Moss Mill Road).
Hunterdon Hills Playhouse Oktoberfest, Hampton. 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Oct. 8, Hunterdon Hills Playhouse; 88 NJ-173.
Oct. 14-15
Hopewell Community Oktoberfest, Pennington. 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Oct. 14, Trenton Cyrus Lodge; 131 Burd Street.
Demarest Nature Center Oktoberfest and Craft Show, Demarest. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 14, The Duck Pond in Demarest; 38 Park Street.
Forest Lodge Oktoberfest, Warren. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 14, Forest Lodge; 11 Reinman Road.
Tenafly Oktoberfest, Tenafly. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 14, Downtown/Huyler Park; 1 Piermont Road.
Hamilton Oktoberfest, Hamilton Township. 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Oct. 15, Veterans Park; 2306 Kuser Road.
Township of South Hackensack Oktoberfest, South Hackensack. 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. October 15, Veteran’s Park; 191 Phillips Avenue.
Oct. 21-22
Oktoberfest Food Truck Festival, New Egypt. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 21, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 22, Laurita Winery; 85 Archertown Road.
Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can't find her in Jersey's best restaurants, she's probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, join our NorthJerseyEats Facebook group, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Oktoberfest in New Jersey 2023: Complete list of events
