What to Know
- Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest 2023 will happen each weekend from Sept. 9 to Nov. 4 (select dates)
- New in 2023: The weekend celebration begins on Friday nights in October; these will be "intimate indoor events"
- Live music, hearty German eats, the Chicken Dance, and more traditional events will festoon the festivities
If it is September, then it is Oktober, or rather, Oktoberfest, which is when the long-running German tradition first raises a shiny brass horn, a sizable stein, or a Tyrolean hat.
You'll hear the strains of accordion from several places around Southern California in the weeks to come, but many people like to call upon the Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest, which is, yes, set in the mountains, giving it further Oktoberfest-y feels.
Or rather, at the Big Bear Lake Convention Center, which isn't too far from the water (and, yep, those pretty peaks surround the fun). As the days grow crisper, the party dances on, making it one of the most quintessential fall festivities around.
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Live music is a stirring centerpiece and two Bavarian bands will appear during some of the festival's biggest and most bustling weekends.
If you like your oompah to have plenty "oom" and lots of "pah," the kind of tunes made for savoring sauerkraut-topped kielbasa, you'll want to make your way to this venerable happening, passed its half-century mark a few years back.
Just be sure to check the full music line-up before you go.
The Scene
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Chicken Dancing — there shall be copious wing flapping, oh yes — stein-carrying contests, and a log-sawing showdown will fill the nine-weekend schedule.
And if you'd like to given the flapping on a Friday night?
Here's something new: The party will begin on the final weekday throughout October, giving Oktoberfestians the chance to extend their Big Bear Lake travels. Note that the Friday festivities will take place indoors.
Oh yes: Lodging is important, and plenty of comfy rooms are nearby. Find out more about where to stay on the Oktoberfest site, tickets, times, and the beers on tap (many are imported from Germany).
Slip into your lucky lederhosen and raise your pretzels high: September means Oktoberfest, and Big Bear Lake, after five-plus decades of oompah magic, is starting the fun on the second Saturday of the month.
