Schnitzel, polka, Bavarian fun: K-W Oktoberfest gets rolling for 57th year
Posted Sep 26, 2025 07:32:26 AM.
Last Updated Sep 26, 2025 11:11:12 AM.
Even though it’s still September, the 57th Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest is back in the region, set to bring plenty of polka, schnitzel, and Bavarian flair to the local community.
The full festival is set to run from Sept. 26 through Oct. 18, with a list of different events in between for the entire family to enjoy.
“Our community looks very different today than it did 57 years ago, so we pay attention to making sure that our festival is inclusive and welcoming for everyone,” said Tracy Van Kalsbeek, Executive Director with K-W Oktoberfest. “At the heart of everything is that Bavarian Gemütlichkeit, people wearing their tracht and hats, and feathers. It’s a cultural festival.”
Traditionally, K-W Oktoberfest is a 10-day festival, celebrating German culture. This year, though, Van Kalsbeek said they’re getting the fun rolling a bit early in September.
“We’re Canadians, we know what the weather is going to be like, and it’s going to be a little bit nicer usually in September, so it does make sense to kick things off around the same time,” Van Kalsbeek mentioned. “It’s nice to be able to kind of spread it out a little bit over a couple of weekends too, and that makes it a little bit more available for people to be able to attend.”
She said they specifically work to find events and options to cater to anyone who’s looking to participate in K-W Oktoberfest across the region. That ranges from family-friendly events and festivals to adult-specific evenings and more.
While the official keg-tapping isn’t set to happen until Oct. 10, there’s still a series of events across Waterloo Region beginning through the weekend.
Some of those include:
- Oktoberfest Family Treasure Hunt – Saturday, Sept. 27, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fairview Park Mall
- Biergarten Festival Oktoberfest Style – Saturday, Sept. 27, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Schwaben Club
- KW Socctoberfest Community Soccer Tournament – Saturday, Sept. 27, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Woodside Park
- Court at Laurelwood Open Haus – Sunday, Sept. 28, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Court at Laurelwood Retirement Residence
- And more…
“They can experience music, dancing, it’s all the best stuff. We look through that lens when we are creating our different events, so that’s why downtown is free,” Van Kalsbeek mentioned. “It’s a place to start with Oktoberfest. You can come and experience it. From there, you can go out and visit one of our fest halls and really get into the spirit of Oktoberfest.”
The festivities all get rolling with Oktoberfest Koolhaus at Bingemans, kicking it all off with plenty of rock anthems as Theory of a Deadman comes to Waterloo Region Friday, Sept. 26, with Haus Band, the Golden Keys.
Gates open at 7 p.m. with the full event lasting through until 1 a.m. Tickets are still available and can be found on the event’s website.
