Oktoberfest season is kicking off around the Valley, and Phoenix New Times says there’s plenty of beer, brats and Bavarian-style revelry to go around starting this weekend. That’s the kind of fall energy Phoenix can get behind, even when the temperatures outside still feel more like summer than sweater weather.
The New Times roundup, published Sept. 10, 2026, points readers toward 15 Oktoberfest events around Phoenix this fall. The mix runs from brewery bashes to Tempe’s long-running fest, with parties stretching from Glendale to Gilbert. In other words, there’s no need to lock yourself into one corner of the Valley if you want to get in on the fun.
What makes this stretch of the calendar work so well is how broad the scene is. You’ve got the classic Oktoberfest ingredients — beer, brats and Bavarian-style revelry — but the events aren’t all the same flavor. Some are built around breweries, some around a bigger festival feel, and some lean into the long-running tradition that keeps Tempe on the Oktoberfest map year after year.
Phoenix New Times frames it as the moment to dust off the dirndls and lederhosen, shine up the steins and head out. That’s a pretty good sign the season has arrived. Around here, these kinds of events tend to pull people who want a little more than just a pint: a reason to gather, a reason to celebrate, and a reason to make a night of it.
So if you’ve been waiting for the first real excuse to say prost, this is it. The Valley’s Oktoberfest lineup is already rolling, and according to Phoenix New Times, there’s plenty on deck across the metro to keep the steins clinking all fall.
— Fat Jimmy
