After hearing my friends stories about their experience last year, I was so excited to go. What a let down! This year they decided to move the event to a parking lot. Essentially the entire day was spent waiting in line for beer or food and standing around with nothing to look at but some gravel. Horrible! read more

The original spot at bear mountain was perfect. The lake, the bridge, and the walk way around the lake was amazing. I understand why they moved it because it did get very packed but it just felt like fall there. Now that they moved it I don't like it as much. I miss being able to sit by the lake and just relax with good food and drinks. When it was at bear mountain I would give it 5 stars but now that they moved it id give it 1 star. If they move it back to bear mountain then I would update this to 5 stars. read more

As others have stated this event has changed a lot. 2015 may have marked the last time I will be attending this event. In the years prior it was in an area that felt more comforting and walkable. In 2015 it was packed and seemed to be much more expensive. The lines were out of control, at one point I think we waited for food for 1.5 hours. And then to have to stand in yet another line to get beer and tickets? It was absurd. It's sad that the event had to move because we had been collecting the mugs since 2012. If the location of this event were to change or any solutions to the queuing problem are solved then I would definitely be interested in attending again. As of now though I will keep my distance and try to attend a different event altogether. read more

Zero stars if I could. I've been to previous Oktoberfests at the old location and it was amazing. This year it was ruined. It took my group an hour and a half to get our first beer due to the disorganization of the ticket system and the lack of vendors for the amount of people there. If you're only going to have a handful of beer vendors and one food vendor, limit the amount of people allowed in to the event. To me, it seems they got too greedy with themselves by filling the massive parking lot at Anthony Wayne, but offering less vendors than years past. It also lost it's family feel and had more of a concert or festival vibe with groups of people wandering around a fenced-in field rather than the freedom to explore the beautiful park it's situated in. Save your time, money, and frustration unless you like long lines! It's not the same. read more

The new location is horrible. We have attended for several years in a row at Bear Mountain Inn and loved the location, the view of the lake, and the zoo. The new location is an old field with and old concrete steps (amphitheater like) no ambiance, CRAZY lines for food and drinks. We had to wait in line to buy tickets to buy food and drinks, Then wait an hour for beer, then the food line was over an hour long. We left and sold our tickets to people coming in. If Oktoberfest does not return to its previous location, we will not be back. read more

This year's Oktoberfest at Bear Mountain was very disappointing and I will NOT come back. 1. Location: This gated "park" could have been anywhere - you did not feel the Bear Mountain "vibe". The lake (including the beautiful landscape and hiking trails) is what made this fest amazing last year. 2. Food: Terrible. As a German, I can only say that this was a disgrace. Cold and expensive fast food. This was NOT traditional German food. We also waited 50 minutes! 3. Ticket system: You first had to wait in line to buy food/beer tickets to then wait in line again to purchase your food/drinks. Really? 4: Vendors: You would think that German vendors would be present at a GERMAN Oktoberfest. Instead, you had all sorts of vendors which has nothing to do with the theme. 5. Price: $12 for a stein of beer? Completely overpriced. EVERYONE was complaining and I am sure that nobody will return. Stay away from this Oktoberfest!! read more

Can YELP let Us give Zero stars? Oktoberfest 2015 at Bear Mountain was bad on every level except the food. You have to wait on a half hour line to purchase tickets to buy food and drink. How many tickets do I buy?? What if I want more food and another beer? Well that means I would have to wait on line another half hour to purchase more tickets. There were only 2 People manning the ticket booths for Hundreds of People attending. It only gets worse. It took an Hour and a half to get food and another hour and a half to get Beer. 3 Hours total!! They also ripped Us off by claiming They were selling Pints of Beer when in reality it was only 12 ounces. I took the cup home to measure I was so mad. To add insult to injury the band played classic Rock and Roll instead of German Oompah music. Don't waste Your time here. Travel to Hunter Mountain instead. They do it right. read more

For this New Jerseyan, the Bear Mountain Oktoberfest has always been what you might call a long drive for a short day at the beach. However, in previous years, the stunning foliage and genial, relaxed atmosphere at the festival grounds made the trip worthwhile. This year's festival was a complete reimagining of the event, with a logistically flawed ticket system implemented for food and beverage purchases. Because of the horrifically long lines, using this ticket system meant that one had to figure out ahead of time exactly what one would wish to consume over the course of the day -- not exactly conducive to a fun, laid-back afternoon. The surroundings remain gorgeous, but the cramped, loud, chaotic scene will keep me away for future Oktoberfests. Even if the scene is relocated back to the old setting, I'll stay away -- it's clear that the organizers have put sheer profit over any concern for their guests' comfort or enjoyment. read more

Terribly terribly organized! The location was changed to Anthony Wayne and it couldn't of been more disappointing. There were only two food stations, a large one inside the tent and a very small cart outside. The lines were ridiculous. If you have enough food to feed a large crowd then why not break it up into multiple food stations?! If you want to socialize by standing in crazy lines, then this place is for you! My friends and I could've went to a park and brought our own food and beer for a cheaper and better time. read more

A total fail - not worth the the trip. Small, not many vendors, ticket system to purchase food and beer sucks Move it back to Bear Mountain

The lines were insane! They need more staff to work the beer stations. The food was good and decently price. Bring your own stein and the prices aren't bad for beer. read more

The new venue is a total mess. The location is nowhere as picturesque as the site from previous year's at Hessian lake. The food lines have always been bad at this thing no matter where the location, but this year, the food AND beer lines were absolutely ridiculous. 90+ minutes to get a frickin' beer! We got stuck with a lot of tickets that we were never able to use because of the lines! Also there is zero cell signal at this location. This makes locating your friends a hassle but also cripples the vendors trying to sell stuff. Their swipable square credit card readers were unable to work and of course no ATM machines to be found. Way to go guys! One thing that is better over at Anthony Wayne is the parking. Easy in and out. To me hardly worth the relocation and the gross mismanagement of almost everything else! read more

BYOS... Bring your own stein! Beer and bratwurst hell yeah! This festival was awesome! Cool atmosphere, beautiful sights! Awesome little vendors. Come here to hang out, have a good time and relax! Bring your friends, bring your kids, bring your dogs! We had such a great time this past October, and we can't wait for it to be fall again so we can go back! I have a new love and appreciation for German culture after Oktoberfest!! Don't wait til the last weekend to go though, like we did. Some of the foods we wanted to try we're sold out and I believe they were running low on steins. If you bring your own, they will fill it for you, which is cool. Towards the back, opposite end of the main entrance we saw people hanging out around bonfires they made. We are totally doing this next time. I was surprised they allow you to. Definitely a good idea! read more

It took 50 minutes to get food ( pretzel and sausage line). It barely moved. The sausage was cold and utterly disappointing. 50 minute lines are totally insane. A lot of potential and room for more food stations and better logistics. Next year if I go, I will bring my own food. Beer was good and prices are reasonable, but lines are also way too slow. read more

Oktoberfest is not the same at the new location. There seems to be a lot less places to sit and just hang out. There is also a new ticket system for beer that makes fill-ups more complicated and time consuming. Still, it's definitely not the worst thing you can do on your weekend. Still had a decent time. Just a lot different and less scenic than the Bear Mountain location. I think they will move Oktoberfest back to BM next year based on what many have been saying about it this year. read more

These people don't even answer their phones. Not even to pick it up and tell you to hold.

I cannot believe the reviews for this festival!!! We have been going since 2013, and although the scenery is much less beautiful at Anthony Wayne Recreation Area, it's a much more efficient area to hold the event. At Bear Mountain Inn, the parking was abysmal. Unless you arrived before the festival opened, it would take 30 minutes of traffic to even get to the parking area. Oftentimes, the lot would already be full, and drivers were expected to fight for spots somewhere along the street, which was dangerous and caused even more traffic. At Anthony Wayne, you drive right in, pay the parking fee, park, and walk into the festival within five minutes, regardless of what time you arrive. The festival at Bear Mountain was also a burden to people who were spending money to stay at the inn. That's fine if it's a one time event, but not when it's scheduled every weekend for an entire month. We also must consider local residents who had to deal with the traffic the poor parking caused, as well as hikers who would be unable to access the trails when there is nowhere for them to park. At Bear Mountain, the festival used the buildings near the lake to make and sell the food. Although this looks nice, it was the only place to get food (other than pretzels and small snacks), so the line took about an hour. The beer line took about 30 minutes. Since switching to AWRA, beer takes about 10, and food takes 15 (possibly with an upsurge during busier hours or nicer days, but still not at all bad). While these are still long wait times, it's significantly better than before the switch. At any event with this many people, attendees should expect to wait for their food and drinks. The bathrooms are nicer at Bear Mountain, but with only so many stalls in each bathroom, these lines took 30 minutes. No one is happy when they have to wait in line for 30 minutes with a full bladder, interrupting the fun of looking around (as always, men's lines were significantly shorter). And let's get real, once the seal is broken, that is not your only trip to the bathroom for the day. I was SO happy to be able to walk over to the port-a-potties and immediately find one available, allowing for much more time to look around the vendors and hang out. I truly miss the scenery of Bear Mountain, but because there is no lake, there is much more room for seating, and the festival provides games. The vendors are excellent, with an awesome selection to look through whether you're looking for trinkets, souvenirs, toys, or cool food (honey, salsa, cheese, etc.). I'll admit that upon discovering it had been switched to AWRA, my boyfriend and I were really disappointed we wouldn't be able to enjoy our beers near the lake. However, once we went the first year it had switched, we realized how much more relaxed the entire event was because of how efficient all of the amenities were. Although there is no more lake to appreciate, the gorgeous mountains of changing leaves is beyond breathtaking, and being able to pee within minutes of realizing you have to is worth it. read more

The fest itself was kind of fun. Decent beers but a very small selection. Venue area was sort of unsightly and seemed very randomly placed. There was absolutely no cell phone service which was awful for my friends and I because we took the train from North Jersey. Ended up stranded in the pitch black after the festival for hours because we could not get a ride back to the train station because we had no service to call a cab or Uber. Luckily we found a police officer and he called one for us, which took an hour. There should be a shuttle system or a cab system running from the venue to and from the train station for the people who decide not to drive, considering they are fully aware of the no cell service issue. All in all, if you decide go, just drive. You WILL have an issue getting back to the train station. read more

The change in venue from Bear Mountain to Anthony Wayne Rec basically ruined a great Oktoberfest. Feels like you are penned in a large grassy parking lot. New ticket system for food and drink is miserable. Wait in line for tickets, wait in line to get to the food, wait for the people to refill the food trays with cold food, wait in line for beer, you even wait in line to get to the Vendors (who don't take tickets). It wasn't too bad when we did our first round of food/drink as we got there before noon but after that it was ridiculous. Sold off leftover tickets to other people because we didn't want to wait an hour to get another round of drinks. No longer family friendly. Once you finish eating and have some drinks nothing to do but stand around in a packed venue. No lake, paddle boats, playground or merry go rounds we could enjoy- just crowds of people and not much room to move. There are some open fields you can play ball on outside the venue and we found an old basketball court but that's about it. We did some hiking but not really exciting. This used to be one of our favorite fall events for the last 3 years but we won't be coming back next year. read more

Please... Don't waste your time and money. This was the worst organized event I've ever been to. You pay $8 to park and then stand on line to buy tickets, which can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes. You have to buy tickets for food," & drink, so you need to anticipate how much you're going to eat & drink. No refunds. If that's not bad enough, you have to wait on another line for food. And there is only 1 place to get food... So the line wraps around the park. We waited 1/2 hour before giving up; I would say it would have taken 1 1/2 - 2 hours; no exaggeration. Why they wouldn't put vendor carts around the park is mind boggling. And if you want beer (it is Oktoberfest after all), you have to wait on (you guessed it) another line! There are plenty of other Oktoberfests to go to... They may be smaller, but at least you'll get to try the food and beer. read more

I've always loved coming to the Bear Mountain Oktoberfest in years past. Climb up a mountain, get a giant beer right after. The sounds of jolly German music (and ehh sometimes drunk people) would chauffeur you down the mountain for the last couple of minutes. It was magic. This year, the Oktoberfest is about a 5 minute drive away, in a weird field with a tent. That's about it. There's a lot of room to sit, but no scenery and again- you have to drive after your hike. Pros- -You're able to get beer from a variety of different vendors around the field, which gives you a fair amount of choice and reduces the size of the lines. -Parking ($8) from your hike is honored at the Oktoberfest -Large area, lots of tables and a ton of space for a blanket -A lot of porta potties (I think this is a pro?) -Alleviates the parking situation at the mountain for hikers and I guess provides a more tranquil experience for people who hate beer and fun things Cons: -No scenery or view. If you're not locally based, it's not worth the long trip. Just grab some buds and a boombox and a CVS parking lot and it'll come close to the experience. -Pretzels: THEY ARE TINY AND COLD. At an Oktoberfest you at least expect a quality pretzel, and this has been there in years prior. -Other food: Also cold, and not good -Ticket system (which I know is pretty common and smart business-wise, but is still weird). You have to figure out exactly what you want to buy before you buy it in order to have the exact number of tickets. read more

BEAR MOUNTAIN'S OCTOBERFEST was not as great as it use to be. THE FOOD SUCKED. Unlike any Octoberfest before, there was no traditional German items, nor Traditional tasting foods were up to par. They sold Dry Baked Perogies with no onions? Who does that?. The manner of how they handled the purchases was a too restricting. All the original cooking was gone and whom ever catered this event should not return. Sorry, when it comes to food and atmosphere, this one FAILED MISERABLY. In addition, the location was fenced-in area for the event with two exits. Lacks natural beauty, freedom of movement and restricted mentality. I was a uncomfortable with this whole set up and may not return if this does not change. In addition, it just confirms that this wonderful event from the past few decades has been ruined and it felt like just another way to restrict people movement with signs that one cannot walk around outside and into the woods and caged in like a coral as if we were cattle. I really hated this whole restructuring thing that worked well for DECADES near the pond. This worries me on how this trend is going. read more

If I could give no stars to this festival, which is not festive, I would. We spent $8 to park, waited 20 minutes for tickets for food, (another $20 per person for basic lunch) and then waited an hour for the food which was cold and not so delicious. It was such a beautiful day but the grounds were gravel and some grass and there was absolutely nothing to do but stand on lines. There were some good vendors. An awful disappointment. Do not go. read more

I was hesitant going after reading all the reviews but 20 of our friends and i ended up going since we do this every year. Parking was better which we were happy about. There is scenery around but bear mountains scene was better. We did not like the whole ticket set up. It just made no sense. The food line was RIDICULOUS! Luckily we brought our own food so that saved us some hours. The beer lines were crazy too but they have always been crazy. I highly suggest bringing your own stuff and forget the lines. **Please move it back to Bear Mountain!!** read more

Exremely disappointed! For years we have been going to the Oktoberfest at Bear Mountain and absolutely loved it! The open space, beautiful trees and lake, museums and zoo all contributed to this wonderful Fall event. This year, the festival was at Anthony Wayne Park. We spent the majority of our day waiting on lines instead of enjoying each other's company, eating or having a drink. Tickets for food and drink are now required. We waited in a ticket line for 1 hour. We then separated from one another so that one could wait on the food line and the other on a beer line. Each of us were on lines for an additional 1.25 hours!!! Once we got off the lines, we couldn't locate one another because there is next to no cell service. The lines for food and drink were chaotic and it was extremely difficult to find out what line we were actually on. The masses of disorganized people in lines made walking on the paved areas difficult. The environment is no longer ideal for pets. All visitors are crammed into a fenced off area with a big tent in the middle, taking away all of the Fall, park ambiance. The vendors had no lines at their booths and very little foot traffic because visitors were stuck in lines all day and navigating through the line traffic was difficult. So very disappointed at this year's Oktoberfest. We will not return next year if the location and setup are the same. read more

Beer was very good, vendors were excellent, food was satisfactory. My husband would have given at least two fewer stars because of the absurdly long food line. Maybe they're still getting used to logistics in the new location - I never went before this year - but it should be possible to get through a line for food without a bathroom break, no? read more

I am going tomorrow, and I really loved this festival last year, between the freedom of movement and the scenery, the choices of beer and food, I couldn't have had a better time. I was looking forward to it and invited 8 new people to come with me. I should have been on Yelp earlier, it's heartbreaking, now I see they moved it to some horrible dirt lot, with confusing tickets and lines, no lake, no freedom as you are fenced in. I am so upset, I am going to waste a whole day and a lot of gas to come to this now because my friends and I all committed to go a while back. This is so depressing I wish I never went to the Bear Mountain venue so I wouldn't know how good it can be. I will try to make the best of this sad situation. read more

By comparison: Hunter Mountain is well organized. At Bear Mountain, the food line was (no exaggeration) 2 hours long. The beer line was 1:45 minutes long. Only two lines of food service. There should have been 5. Same for the beer lines. The beer lines should be doubled or trebled. The act, Alex Meixner always pleases everyone. He is a hoot! He is a comedian and a musician. A+. But, poor Mr. Meixner and his band had to suffer with the power for their amplifiers cutting out. All in all, the organizers did an extremely poor job, I will not go again. I will find Alex Meixner at some other venue in NY, NJ, PA, TX or WI. But NOT at Bear Mountain's recreation center again! read more

It was a heck of a drive but worth the trip, with there abundant space for picnics and there amazingly tiring hiking trail. However their staff not to friendly and misleading directions. And if your dependent on your phone good look finding arrive but over all worth it. read more

Don't waste your money or time. Close to an hour to get food and 50 + minutes to get a beer and wine. On top of that, food was lukewarm at most. They never checked Id when buying beers and you could buy a few beers at a time. read more

1.0 star rating 10/17/2015 We have been coming to Bear Mountain for five years now and each year we come back saying how good it was. Each year we bring different friends up from Long Island with us but this year after finding out that the venue changed we were not only disappointed but embarrassed after saying how good it was. It went from an awesome location to a dump site. I am pretty easy going and understanding but there was nothing good in regards to how it was run or the site. If it is run this way again and at the same venue I will be done with something that I used to look fwd. to. We were felt like we were had. Driving from the middle of Long Island to get here and find out that we were coming to this really disgust me. read more

Quite possibly the worst run event ever. It's not possible that someone with event experience had any involvement. At any given time over 80% of the attendees were in some sort of line: tickets, beer or food. We waited over 90 mins for food alone. If you were lucky enough to get something to eat of drink the next question was where to put your garbage. The event organizers somehow forgot to hire staff to empty the garbage cans and clear the tables. The place looked like a garbage dump. I would be shocked if anyone who made the trip in 2015 would consider returning in 2016. A total disaster is putting it nicely. read more

Want to go to Bear Mountain trying to read reviews for this October 2016.. has anybody been there this October 2016?? seems like I shouldn't waste my time any comments from anybody??that's been there recently? read more

Visited today for my first Octoberfest at Bear Mt. Authentic Beer but overpriced Steins. If you have a Stein Bring your own. Also the whole event just felt like an parking lot parky nothing special about it. Put this at the end of your Octoberfest place list. read more

First time this year, so I have no comparison to previous years when it was by the lake. What we decided was Oktoberfest would be a great excuse to do a short hike, and then come back down for food and a beer. And it was. Less than 30 minutes will get you some absolutely spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. Yeah, the lines for food were kind of long, but the beer lines went much faster. And while I appreciate the ticketing system makes it smoother for the food vendors, it doesn't do much for attendees to have to decide before they even see the food how many tickets they need to buy (unless the plan is to drink a lot of beer, then it seems like getting more tickets for the much shorter lines is no big deal). Advice to the event organizers: get some maps from NY/NJ Trail Conference to have on site. We were shocked by the number of groups we passed who just thought it would be fun to go on a little hike (at least one with plastic cups full of beer climbing up the mountain) who had no idea how to get back to the Oktoberfest site and asked if we had a map. You'd have thought the moment they hit a second intersecting trail they might have realized it might get a little confusing going back, but apparently not for some. read more

I went today. First time. It was just OK at best. Getting there was easy and so was the parking. The beer selection was mediocre. They had Spaten Oktoberfest on tap. Which is not bad, but I was really hoping for Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier. I ate the knockwurst with the caramelized onions. The flavor was pretty good my only gripe is that they served it on potato bread brand hotdog buns. Really??? It should have been served on a real roll. I had the potato pancakes with applesauce. That was horrible. Potato pancakes are supposed to be crunchy and crisp on the outside while soft on the inside. These were soggy and limp. I also had the large Bavarian pretzel. That was very good. Warm and crisp with just the right amount of salt and huge. I hosted an Oktoberfest party at my house last year and I felt my food was far superior. The vendors there were cool. They had some good stuff. Will I be going back again?? No. I do a better job at home. Maybe I'm a bit too critical because I'm a foodie, but I feel this could've been better. read more

don't waste your time or money. waited at least 20 mins to get a beer. the stein was $26 filled. at least the beer kept me amused while i waited another 20 mins for the food. wish i had gone home instead. sausage was ok but had worst potato pancakes ever. have no idea when they were cooked. read more

Man that was terrible...$10 for parking, overpricedq bland and cold food, like a total of 5 vendors selling cheap things...and the area is TINYYYY. Not an Oktoberfest to me Bad location too..this is a fail of a festival read more

I attended the Bear Mountain Oktoberfest at Anthony Wayne this past weekend. I had a really great time, and there were no lines. This year was much better, no tickets needed for beer and food. I was able to pay with cash or credit card right at the food tent and beer truck. The food tasted great, and the staff was friendly all over. The parking was so much easier having a huge open lot. My family and I had a great time and will definitely return again this year. read more

I again randomly found this place. New location this year with plenty of parking space ($8 but totally worth the convenience). The place wasn't as good as last years event. There was less types of beer and food. The ticket payment system was also a bit annoying. Probably only spent an hour here before leaving. read more