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15 Oktoberfests and Fall Beer Festivals in the US
Worth Traveling For in 2025
Nickolaus Hines
August 22nd, 2025
15 Oktoberfests and Fall Beer Festivals in the US Worth Traveling
Welcome to First Class Fare, Matador Network’s dispatch for travelers who know the first thing they want to eat, the drink they'll order first, and the reservation that sets the tone for the rest of the trip before they even book a flight.
For me, the surest sign of fall isn’t leaf peepers on the roadside. It’s the beer festivals filling the calendar. I went to my first Great American Beer Festival in Denver in 2017, flying in from NYC with Jim Koch (founder of Samuel Adams and Boston Beer Co.) and stepping into a Colorado Convention Center already buzzing with thousands of beer lovers. A few years later, I moved to Denver, and now every fall I get to see how downtown transforms around the festival.
GABF may be the largest and most renowned fall beer festival in the country, but it’s far from alone. Some lean into Oktoberfest traditions with steins and lederhosen, others showcase fresh hop brews, rare barrel-aged releases, or actually good pumpkin beers. Many now bring in cider, wine, and spirits, too.
I love a hyper-local festival, but these 15 from coast to coast are the ones worth traveling for between late September and early November. From Seattle to Denver to DC, these festivals prove fall is beer’s best season.
Cheers,
Nickolaus Hines, managing editor
T O - D O
 | Book it: Portland, MaineNew England does fall food better than almost anywhere, and Portland is its culinary capital. Lobster rolls and clam chowder are just the start — autumn brings wild blueberries, apple cider doughnuts, and a restaurant scene that rivals cities ten times its size. Throw in a working waterfront full of oyster farms and breweries, and you’ve got the makings of the ultimate fall getaway. |
 EatOrder what may easily become the best lobster roll you’ve had in your life (minimally dressed up to highlight the star crustacean), along with a cocktail or one of the many only-in-Maine craft beers by the bottle. Don’t forget to start with some oysters — it is named Eventide Oyster Co. after all. |  DrinkOnly about 70,000 people call Portland home, but there are about 30 breweries in town. I have yet to try any that disappoint. Allagash and Foundation are two favorites, but you can’t go wrong staying in Old Port and sampling all you can at a bar like Portland Beer Hub. |
 StayStay near all the action of Old Port at the Portland Harbor Hotel*. It’s a cozy home base in the middle of enough bars and restaurants to keep you satisfied no matter how long your trip. The decor brings a fitting upscale nautical feel next to the water. |  DoGet out on the water, no matter the weather, and pull up your own lobster. Lucky Catch has 90-minute tours that include cruising past historical coastal spots, pulling up traps, and learning about Maine’s famous lobsters. Then take your catch to one of the port restaurants to have them cook it up just how you like it. |
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Travel Well
The Matador Editorial Team
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