Oktoberfest season opens in Arlington and Falls Church this weekend, with a three-day festival in Courthouse, a five-brewery run in Shirlington and — a bit incongruously — a mechanical bull at a restaurant in Crystal City.
Ten celebrations of note are on the local calendar between now and Oct. 3, most of them free. Munich’s original festival runs from Saturday through Oct. 4.
At a glance:
- Courthaus Social — Friday, Sept. 18 through Sunday, Sept. 20, Courthouse
- Astro Beer Hall — five dates from Friday, Sept. 18 through Saturday, Oct. 3, Shirlington
- Ragtime — Friday, Sept. 18 through Saturday, Oct. 3, Courthouse
- Dogwood Tavern — Friday, Sept. 18 through Saturday, Oct. 3, Falls Church
- Audacious Aleworks — all day Friday, Sept. 18, Falls Church
- Northside Social — Friday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19, Falls Church
- UPSIDE on Moore — Saturday, Sept. 19, Rosslyn
- Bronson Bierhall — Saturday, Sept. 26, Ballston
- Surreal — Saturday, Oct. 3, Crystal City
- Westover Market Beer Garden — Saturday, Oct. 3, Westover
Courthaus Social
The Courthouse beer garden is running a three-day Oktoberfest from Friday, Sept. 18 through Sunday, Sept. 20, with a stein-holding competition, a best lederhosen contest, giveaways and food and drink specials.
2300 Clarendon Blvd, Courthouse
Astro Beer Hall
Rather than pick a weekend, the Village at Shirlington beer hall is spreading Oktoberfest across five dates on its newly reopened 100-seat patio, each running 5-7 p.m. A different brewery pours each time: Paulaner on Friday, Sept. 18, Samuel Adams on Saturday, Sept. 19, DC Brau on Thursday, Sept. 24, 3 Floyds on Saturday, Sept. 26 and Port City on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Every date includes stein-holding contests, music and giveaways, plus an $11 beer and pretzel combo alongside the full menu. Anyone in lederhosen or a dirndl gets 10% off their check. Admission is free.
4001 Campbell Avenue, Shirlington
Ragtime
The Courthouse restaurant is running Oktoberfest specials from Friday, Sept. 18 through Saturday, Oct. 3, with sausage and pretzel boards available all day, every day, and traditional festbiers and märzens on draft, district manager Sam Saslowsky told ARLnow.
Custom Ragtime steins are for sale, poured full when you buy one and yours to take home. An outdoor sausage grilling event billed as a “Sausage Party” is set for Friday, Sept. 25, and live music runs from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
1345 N. Courthouse Road, Courthouse
Dogwood Tavern
Dogwood, which shares an owner with Ragtime, is running the same lineup over the same stretch in downtown Falls Church, Friday, Sept. 18 through Saturday, Oct. 3: all-day sausage and pretzel boards, festbiers and märzens on draft, and custom steins sold with a beer already poured.
Its outdoor sausage grilling event, the “Sausage Fest,” falls a day after Ragtime’s, on Saturday, Sept. 26. Live music also runs from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
132 W. Broad Street, Falls Church
Audacious Aleworks
The Falls Church taproom is marking the occasion all day Friday, Sept. 18 with stein specials and Oktoberfest platters. Its Fairfax City location is doing the same.
110 E. Fairfax Street, Falls Church
Northside Social
The Falls Church cafe is opening its outdoor Airstream bar for two days, 5-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18 and 2-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, pouring Oktoberfest beers and specialty cocktails alongside food from chef Emer O’Rourke.
The menu includes homemade pretzels with honey butter and mustard, a bratwurst platter with potato salad and homemade kraut, and frankfurters on split-top buns.
205 Park Avenue, Falls Church
UPSIDE on Moore
The Rosslyn food hall above the Metro station is hosting a free, all-ages Oktoberfest from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, with pretzels and beer cheese, bratwurst and German pastries on a German-inspired menu.
Beer specials include an Oktoberfest Märzen on draft from Silver Branch Brewing. A live band plays from 5-8 p.m., and beer pong and a pretzel toss run alongside. Anyone who RSVPs on Eventbrite is entered to win a beer stein.
1700 N. Moore Street, Rosslyn
Bronson Bierhall
Ballston’s German bier hall is celebrating from 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26 with live music, a ceremonial cask tapping, a stein-holding contest and a “das boot” chugging competition, run with a boot-shaped glass.
Guests who turn up in a dirndl or lederhosen get a free flight glass.
4100 Fairfax Drive, Ballston
Surreal
Oktoberfest returns to the Crystal City restaurant for a second year on Saturday, Oct. 3, starting at 2 p.m., running across its glass pavilion and out onto the Garden Patio. Music, games and a mechanical bull are on the bill, and reservations and tickets are handled on Eventbrite.
Last year’s debut included communal picnic tables, an entertainment stage, a stein-holding competition and a costume contest.
2117 Crystal Drive, Crystal City
Westover Market Beer Garden
Oktoberfest food specials and live music run 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at the beer garden, closing out Westover Day.
The fourth annual neighborhood festival starts at 2 p.m. at Cardinal Elementary with live music, kids’ games, food, a Lost Dog puppy adoption and a local shop pop-up, then picks up at the Italian Store from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
The Beer Garden is also hosting “bring your own stein nights” with live music on Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26, per a social media post.
5863 Washington Blvd, Westover
Know of another Oktoberfest happening locally? Tell us about it in the comments.
Updated on Sept. 19 to add Oktoberfest celebrations at Ragtime and Dogwood Tavern.
