When people talk about great Oktoberfests in the US, the conversation usually drifts to Wisconsin or the big city bashes. But a small Minnesota river town founded by German immigrants in 1854 has quietly built one of the country's most loved versions — and it's spread over two full weekends.
New Ulm, named after Ulm in Germany and home to just under 15,000 people, holds its Oktoberfest across the first two weekends of October each year. The 2026 edition runs October 2-3 and 9-10, split between historic downtown, the Best Western Plus, and the August Schell Brewing Company on the city's southwest edge. Entry is free, and plenty of visitors show up in dirndls and lederhosen, which says a lot about how seriously the town takes its heritage.
The accolades keep stacking up. The festival ranked No. 5 in America in the 2026 USA Today 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards and made the same list in 2025. Locals on Reddit echo the praise: friendly crowds, cold beer, live music, and games that suit a crisp fall afternoon.
The first weekend is the family-friendly one. Downtown festivities take over Minnesota Street with live entertainment, German food, kids' activities, shopping, a biergarten, and the Germanic-American Day Parade on the Saturday. There's also the Minnesota State Steinholding Championship, where competitors try to outlast each other gripping full one-litre steins — exactly as odd and entertaining as it sounds.
The second weekend's highlight belongs to beer lovers. On October 10, August Schell Brewing Company hosts a ticketed one-day party combining its brews with food trucks, music, and games. Schell's has been brewing for more than 150 years, making it the second-oldest family-run brewery in the country, and it brews a special Märzen for the occasion — malty, caramelly, and exactly what an Oktoberfest lager should be. Amber lagers and pilsners round out the lineup if Märzen isn't your thing.
Getting there is simple: New Ulm sits about 90 miles from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, an easy drive through southern Minnesota farmland. For somewhere to sleep, Bingham Hall is a storybook-style bed and breakfast near downtown, though the town's accommodation options are limited, so book early for festival weekends.
If you want a proper Oktoberfest without the Munich flights or the crush of a big-city fest, New Ulm is a genuinely charming alternative — small enough to walk, German enough to feel authentic, and timed for peak Midwest autumn colours.
