Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has an impressive Oktoberfest festival every year that you absolutely must check out if you are in the area. For the 2025 season, the Bethlehem Oktoberfest is being held October 3rd-October 5th, and also October 10th-October 12th. On Fridays it will be open from 5-10 p.m., Saturdays 12-10 p.m., and Sundays 12-6 p.m. It is so much fun, and a great rendition of the original event that is held in Germany.

Autumn brings with it pumpkin spice, chilly evenings, apple picking, farmers markets, and of course the traditional Oktoberfest. This unique festival is held every year in Bavaria Germany typically running from late September to early October. It is such a huge part of their culture since the early 1800s. An enormous amount of beer is typically consumed, and the Germans enjoy traditional foods, amusement rides, and various games. In Pennsylvania, I have really started to see the Oktoberfest theme start to be more prevalent for different events and restaurants within the fall season.

Before visiting this unique area in Pennsylvania, you should know that at one time, it was the center of trade and industry during the industrial revolution in the United States. Bethlehem Steel was a leader in American manufacturing and was a major supplier in both World Wars providing armor plates and 1,100 war ships. The company ran from 1857 to 2003 and has truly had an impact on a global level. If you are interested in learning more about this crucial period in history, you will want to check out the area and visit the The National Museum of Industrial History located right in Bethlehem by the Steel Stacks. It is important to understand the background of this region, especially if you are traveling here for the first time.

When you enter the main Oktoberfest area, you will find sweet greeters that will tell you about the different spots in the festival. The individuals working in this event are very knowledgeable and can guide you through what you can find there. This festival is outside, but there are also a lot of tented areas and little shops that line the walking path. There are also bathrooms available if needed. (Another very important fact you should know before going to a venue or event!)

When we went, I thought it was really neat how many games that were going on as well. Right away we noticed a huge crowd around a line of people holding beer. I later found out that this is called “Steinholding” and is a traditional Bavarian contest where you have to hold a full one-liter beer stein as long as you can. The ladies holding the contest reported that there was a person that had held his beer for 12 minutes, and honestly that seemed very impressive because after watching the contest, it appeared that most of the people were out by 2 minutes. Unfortunately, we did not see it, but apparently, they also have “The Pennsylvania State Steinholding Championship” here as well.

They have axe throwing, wiener dog races (dachshunds), a wiener dog parade, live music, beer gardens, and lots of areas to get traditional German food and snacks. There is also a very cool glass blowing area and shop set up that is called the Hot Glass experience by Arts Quest a glass studio. Their creations are simply magnificent, and the artists demonstrating are super talented. They also have classes if you are interested in learning glass blowing yourself at the Bethlehem Banana Factory Art Center, and I will leave a link at the bottom of the blog if you want to check that out.

Location wise, this place is just about an hour and a half drive from Philadelphia, so this would be an awesome day trip spot too if you are staying here as well.

Let me know in the comments if you have traveled to this interesting event, and also what you thought of it. For more highlights of this festival, make sure that you check out the YouTube video.  I hope you are having a wonderful day, and remember to click the like and subscribe button!

I highly recommend the book “Hiking Waterfalls In Pennsylvania.” It specifically maps out where you can find waterfalls in each area and region of the state. If you are an outdoor adventurer, you will want to check this out!

For more information regarding this book, just click on the Amazon affiliate link below!

https://amzn.to/3ZqkB62

Additional Related Articles-

https://www.steelstacks.org/festivals/oktoberfest/

https://www.bananafactory.org

https://bethlehempa.org

Bethlehem Christmas Market

Bethlehem Steel Stacks

NortheastAllie

For generations, my family has lived in the Philadelphia area, and my writing reflects these influences. This blog explores perspectives on life, encouragement, travel, health, and local living.

See Full Bio