All Oktoberfests are beer festivals, but this one takes its charge more seriously than most. The oldest festival in Nashville and the second largest Oktoberfest in the United States is essentially a huge, magnificent biergarten built for 300,000 people. It takes place amongst the historic brick townhouses of Germantown, the neighborhood German immigrants poured into during the mid-1800’s and that today is one of the city’s sharpest dining and drinking locales. The best beers in Germany line its streets, as do pretzels, sauerkraut and link after link of sausage.
There are a few different ways to do Nashville Oktoberfest. You can start off bright and early with the 5K Bier Run and cool down at the finish line with a morning beer. You can wander in the middle of the day and peruse the hundreds of beer, food, and arts and crafts stands, cheering on the silkiest Dachshunds on line at the Dachshund Derby. You can make a home in the 2K22 Party Tent that stays open until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Or, of course, you can mix and match any combination of events you choose, going from early morning 5k all the way until the party tent shuts down if you have the stamina for it. Whatever you choose to do, dirndls and Lederhosen are optional, but you’ll be in good company if you do dress up.
The Specs
- 300,000 people attend
- General admission is free here, but the festival does sell VIP tickets. They get you nicer bathrooms, a beer stein, unlimited beer and wine at the VIP bar, an all-you-can-eat buffet, and more. A single-day VIP costs $250.
