Party! Here are 6 big Oktoberfest celebrations in Boise, Meridian, Nampa
Ready to pretend you’re German? Hey, there are wurst things.
Let’s party! Oktoberfest time is almost here!
Lederhosen-and-dirndl-themed celebrations will fill the Treasure Valley over the next several weeks in the Boise area. Here are the standouts for quaffing beers and devouring brats.
Old Boise Oktoberfest
2 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, 6th and Grove streets, eventbrite.com.
Taking over an entire block, this downtown Boise tradition is an old-fashioned beer bash. Thousands of revelers will gather to enjoy 10 different German and German-style brews pouring for nearly eight hours. (Pace yourself!) The Reef restaurant and bar will provide food on-site ranging from a schweinebraten sandwich ($12) to German sausage ($9) and Reuben balls ($6).
It costs $10 to enter, or $5 for kids 11 and younger. (Or you can buy in advance online with an added service fee.) The first 200 people through the gate get a free 16-ounce glass stein with an Old Boise Oktoberfest logo. After that, you can purchase for $10. But you don’t need a stein. Beer also will be sold in regular plastic cups for $7. (White Claw will be available, too.) No drink tokens this year; cash and credit cards rule the day.
Live music: Wolfie & The Bavarians (2:30 to 4 p.m.), DJ mixing from Bourgeoisie Beats (4 to 7 p.m.) and Casio Dreams (7 to 9:45 p.m.) Games will include stein hoisting and a brat toss, plus cornhole. Oh, and there will be a huge LED screen showing college football.
Payette Brewing Co. Oktoberfest
5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 and 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, Payette Brewing Co., 733 S. Pioneer St., Boise. payettebrewing.com/oktoberfest
Proudly starting on the same weekend as Oktoberfest in Munich, Payette Brewing has turned its two-day celebration into a yearly Boise highlight. This all-ages event is free to enter. You’ll find plenty of fun-loving folks dressed for the occasion. (The brewery will crown a Mr. and Mrs. Oktoberfest both nights.) Twenty-ounce beer steins cost $7; tokens also are $7. You can get a bag of Bavarian peanuts or two Acme Bakeshop pretzels for a token, too.
Plenty of German-inspired food will be sold from multiple food trucks/trailers. And the seven-piece Boise Polka Project will crank tunes from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday.
Be warned: Parking can be challenging during peak hours, so consider alternative transportation.
Das Alpenhaus Oktoberfest
3 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, and Saturday, Sept. 20, Das Alpenhaus Delikatessen, 1340 S. Vista Ave., Boise. facebook.com/dasalpenhausboise
Boise’s German-lovin’ deli gets serious about Oktoberfest each year in its parking lot out front. There will be tons of beers from Germany and Austria, plus red and white wine (and non-alcoholic beverages). The Boise Edelweiss Band, Treasure Valley Musik Meisters and Suono Dolce Tuba Quartet will supply tunes. And the food? Well, if you’ve ever eaten at Das Alpenhaus, you know the cuisine will be the real deal: brats, pretzels, sauerkraut, eisbein, schweinshaxe, German potato salad and more.
“Start working out those shoulder muscles!” Alpenhaus warns on social media, because, yes, stein hoisting competitions are planned. As always, this Oktoberfest is free to enter and open to all ages.
Barbarian Brewing 10 Year Anniversary/Oktoberfest
Noon to 11 p.m. (taproom), 4 to 11 p.m. (Oktoberfest celebration) Friday, Sept, 26, and noon to 11 p.m. (both) Saturday, Sept. 27, Barbarian Brewing, 114 E. 32nd St., Garden City, barbarianbrewing.com
Barbarian Brewing will combine celebrations over two days. You’ll find live local music, commemorative 10-year anniversary Oktoberfest mugs, T-shirts and hoodies, Oktoberfest and Festbier on draft, a barrel-aged collaboration and plenty of food.
Food trucks on Friday will include Joker’s BBQ, Nomadic Oven and Cloud Cakes Bakery. On Saturday, they’ll be Joker’s BBQ, Crisp, and Cloud Cakes Bakery. Music on Friday (starts at 6 p.m. and goes late): Ryan Curtis Band, Wes Schlag and the Bad Quitters, and Hillfolk Noir. On Saturday: Sheep Bridge Jumpers, Floating Witch’s Head and Jay William Miller Band.
Leashed, friendly dogs and (unleashed) kids are welcome, but please supervise at all times.
Nampa Oktoberfest
3 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, Nampa Civic Center, 311 3rd St. South, facebook.com/nampacivicenter
German grub and beer? It’s always everywhere at this annual bash. The Boise Valley Edelweiss Band and Black Dust Rodeo are slated to provide live music. Other entertainment includes “contests, games and fun for all ages,” according to organizers.
Advance tickets are $10 for the first 100 or $12 afterward — then $15 at the door. There’s also a Prost package deal ($55) that includes entry, a glass stein, one drink token, one meal voucher and an Oktoberfest T-shirt. For $160, you also can reserve a table for eight “in a prime location near a bar and all of the action in the garden.” It includes entry and eight drink vouchers.
Meridian Oktoberfest
10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, intersection of Idaho Avenue and 2nd Street, meridianchamber.org/oktoberfest
This one ain’t small. Organizers say they’ve had more than 10,000 attend the all-day onslaught of fun. All ages are welcome at the outdoor event, which is free to enter. It will feature a planned 80 vendors, plus tons of German beer and cuisine — and lots of games. Think strudel- and brat-eating contests, a best-dressed competition, beer pong, cornhole and a 150-person stein-holding marathon at sunset. Live bands will include the Boise Edelweiss Band and more.
This story was originally published September 1, 2025 at 4:00 AM.