The town itself is absolutely gorgeous and picturesque. However, the Oktoberfest event seems sad to me for a barvarian town. You must pay for the festival (we came a weekend and went 2 days), and admission does not include anything except live entertainment and access to the event, which was expected. The annoying this about thing event is that they really push ticket sales ($1 a ticket and one beer is 8 tickets) so most people were left with extra tickets at the end of the night. Food options were super limited and we were disappointed that there wasn't more German street food here. The evening show two nights in a row was exactly the same...same singer, same songs....kind of lame that that was not planned better. And the music played all American covers...no German music from what we saw :( Overall, the event was just whatever. In all honesty, I'd say save your money and go to the cool cider house or restaurants in town. read more

Oktoberfest - October 1 2022 live band - Festivals Near Me - Leavenworth, Washington

We were really disappointed with this event. It was very underwhelming for the $30 entry fee. There were only about six vendors, and food options were extremely limited. Basically burgers, sausages, kettle corn, and mini donuts. We were expecting much more authentic German food and variety. They did have a caricature artist, a small Ferris wheel, a carousel, and a couple of simple carnival games, but overall it felt more like a small county fair than a true Oktoberfest. The bands were good musicians, but they mostly played American cover songs instead of German music, which took away from the theme. They were supposed to be open until midnight and everything was shutdown by 10 pm. I wouldn't recommend this event. Instead, I'd suggest skipping the entry fee and enjoying one of the many great nearby restaurants or beer gardens in downtown Leavenworth. You'll have a much better time and more authentic food for the same or less money. read more

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Wondwedul city, lovely people, but the event promoters oversold the festival There were seven of us who traveled from Californiato visit the event, and we never got inside the festival due to long lines. read more

An absolute, complete waste of money and time, d - entertainment, grossly lack of seating 10 dollar beer, such an obvious money grab. It use to be a great time,no longer even close. Pretty much a bunch of kids playing dress up Do not waste your time better to stop at old post office tavern and have a cold one , walk main street,go home, silly,ridiculous, what more can I say? read more

If you'd like to experience 1940's Germany, this is the festival for you. Super controlling "cops" who wouldn't even let people dance with their beers in plastic cups. Nothing like the real Munich Oktoberfest. Super ironic considering we're in America, the "freest country", while Germany is relaxed for their festivals. Having experienced both, this is more like a concert with some cheap food, and long lines for beer. I mean, I guess closest you'll get to out here but meh, just go overseas. read more

While the atmosphere at Oktoberfest is fun, purchasing tickets is a waste of money. Leavenworth itself is worth the time to go and enjoy but $30 just to enter the venue and purchase overpriced beer and food is not. Definitely go and experience the town and what it has to offer, we found better food and less expensive beer at the establishment around town and really enjoyed the town. read more

Oh, thank goodness there's a Yelp page for Leavenworth's Oktoberfest so I can tell everyone how they should not attend! First of all, I think my expectations were too high coming from the actual Oktoberfest in Munich. I thought it would be basically one of the 12 tents in Germany minus the carnival rides.. It wasn't really that at all. Yet at the same time, I just wanted a reason to wear my Dirndl since it was super expensive and I usually only get to wear it when I'm in Bavaria. You have to pay to enter the Oktoberfest area but that doesn't give you ANYTHING but admission. You wait in a long line to get your bag checked and go through a metal detector (is this an American thing??). Once you're in you then have to use cash to buy tickets that you'll use on food and drinks, but some vendors don't even accept the tickets and you have to use cash anyway. You can buy souvenirs like shirts and steins and whatnot with your tickets. BEER ISN'T SERVED IN A STEIN - which is kind of the icon of Oktoberfest.. Just charge an extra 5 bucks (or tickets) as a deposit for the stein and let's do that Leavenworth!! I'll totally put down a $15 deposit for a stein if that's the case. I don't want to drink at "Oktoberfest" out of a plastic cup.. I mean, that's not environmentally friendly and everyone knows Germans care about the Earth and recycling so.. Yah.. The Festival hall is the closest thing to an Oktoberfest tent but it's not Germanized enough in the sense where people don't squish together on a table so the maximum amount of people can sit. Too many spaces and small parties taking up the whole table so you really can't find a spot if you tried. IF YOU GO TO LEAVENWORTH DURING OKTOBERFEST: Go to Munchen Haus and Stein. Those bars are SO MUCH MORE FUN. You don't have to pay to get in. Larger beer selection. Friendlier people - talk to anyone. Most importantly, you drink from proper glassware. read more

Leavenworth Octoberfest is a reason to party for most, it's not a fall German celebration! It has the facade of German beer, lederhosen an a little German music but it does nothing to get you to feel the German culture which is sad! It's a body with no soul. The festival is small compared to other Octoberfest around the country, but it is crowded with long lines for food & beer! The food inside the festival is absolutely terrible! Save your tickets for the German beer. Come back to Leavenworth outside Octoberfest, you will get a much better feel an it will be a lot cheaper. read more

Oktoberfest - Beer line Saturday night. - Festivals Near Me - Leavenworth, Washington

It's one of those things where you do it once and you can call it good. I've gone a few years to Leavenworth's Oktoberfest, and it seems like every year it gets more and more crowded and rowdier. We got here around 6PM on a Saturday night and the place was super packed. There was a long line to get in, so get tickets ahead of time if you can. For Friday it's 10 bucks and Saturday's admission is double at 20 bucks. Once you're in the event center, you'll find different vendors for food and drinks. Each vendor will ask for tokens, which does not come with the price of admission. Admission basically gets you into the event. Many of the vendors will have German food and local beers, and I have to say - it's best to just eat and drink in town versus here. You're paying for the experience above anything else, like the live music and dancing. I also found that beer is cheaper in town versus at the event, and since much of the beer is local - it's easy to find in town. I like that people dress up and get into the spirit of Oktoberfest in Washington's Bavaria. If you're going - I recommend going earlier, and watching the parade during the day and starting early. Once we rolled into town in the early evening, most everyone was wasted and the place was a little chaotic. You don't want to be that sober person in the midst of all the drunk people! I recommend if you haven't gone before - it's worth going to, just to experience it but would say that you'll have more fun in town on a low key weekend. read more

The city of Leavenworth has ruined Octoberfest. Literally they have the best setting in the US but slamming up chain link thru the city to block access was ludicrous! Restaurants should stage their own food carts up and down the street along with beer carts, etc. No activities for guests to participate in...besides standing behind the chain link to watch a keg get tapped. Even Octoberfest in Texas has events for the crowds to bring up moral and fun. The set up of chairs and tables down the street had no communication of who was "sponsering" the section and where you could get food and drink. We literally went back to our hotel and loaded up beer, wine and food and brought it back to the tables to eat & drink!! City manager or council that set up this lame event should be fired. Wenatchee was a little disorganized but first time at that location....I bet it is great next year!! Brought out of state friends in for the event and we all agreed (along with the 8-10 tables around us) thought Leavenworth did a horrible job. read more

We've been to many Oktoberfest's over the years, even Munich. I was disappointed with the Leavenworth festival. The town itself is charming. Based on that, I anticipated the Oktoberfest would be fantastic. The reality is that it feels commercialized and is just too expensive. Money, money, money! $20 per person to get in; $7 beers, so-so food, and the worst Pretzels ever! They looked and tasted as if they were made from Wonder Bread. Not authentic at all. Last year we went Frankenmuth, MI and it was much more relaxed, enjoyable, affordable, and had a true authentic feeling. Had so much fun there. I was warned by vendors not to buy too many tickets because they can't be used the following weekends! How much does the city profit from all the unused tickets people leave with? On the plus side, many people were dressed in Lederhosen and Dirndl's It was enjoyable watching everyone. read more

This is strictly for Oktoberfest 2013. This was my first year coming to Leavenworth, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I love the town, it's got just the right amount of Bavarian charm to make it just as unique to Germany as possible. I wished I were able to explore the town some more but its hard to do when there are thousands of people around. I knew this place would probably be overpriced, so I wasn't expecting anything less than that. The entry fee for getting in on Saturday is $20. Don't bother purchasing your entry on-line, that line had a longer wait time then just paying at the tent, and you save $2 per ticket (on line fee). Once inside, you'll need to immediately purchase tickets for EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING. Food, Beer, Wine, and even your beer mug if you so happen to want one. It's $1 per ticket, and beers were 5 tickets. The largest mug there took 2 cups of beer to fill it up decently, not full to the brim, but good enough. The little wines were 5 tickets as well and they were about 5-6 ounces. They only had Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Merlot. Some of the beers I tried were pretty mellow and I liked that because I'm not big on bitter beer. Also if you plan on staying the night in a hotel, you probably want to start booking now!! We had to stay in Wenatchee at the Holiday Inn since it was relatively cheap and not too far away. Everything in Leavenworth was booked up of course and if it wasn't, it was $360 per night. I don't even pay that for Vegas hotels, so I'm not paying that here. LOL The so called spicy hot dog was not spicy at all and was very lackluster. It was over cooked, dried, and tasted like um nothing. One thing I wished was different about this place is that they bring in GOOD, authentic German food. Possibly have some hard cider available on tap next time too! Expect the tents to be jam packed during the evening when everyone shows up. This is where they keep the hot dogs, the bands, and the seating. I call this area the SardineFest. I doubt we'll be back for Oktoberfest any time soon or ever for that matter, but I wouldn't mind coming back and staying during off-season if I can find a good Groupon deal for one of the Bavarian style hotels in actual Leavenworth. read more

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Last time I went to Leavenworth for "Oktoberfest" it consisted of me and my friends sitting around a restaurant table, eating, drinking beer in lederhosen and dirndls and singing. I'm sure the locals thought we were nuts. Forward 27 years - this isn't München or Stuttgart, but wow I'm impressed. There's a reason this was voted Best Oktoberfest in North America by several national periodicals in terms of intimacy, authenticity and aesthetic. Over three consecutive October weekends, expect to witness: 1.) 15,000+ women (roughly 50% wearing dirndls). 2.) 15,000+ men (roughly 40% wearing lederhosen, plattlerhosen or bundhosen). 3.) 25+ varieties of German beers shipped directly from Bavaria. 4.) Satisfactory menu of German food basics. 5.) A plethora of German bands playing traditional Oktoberfest music - most of whom were flown in from Germany. Honestly, this was one of the funnest nights I've ever had. And yes, I do get out a lot. Tip: Leave the sports jerseys and baseball hats at home. Invest in some authentic Bavarian ("trachten") attire. It'll make the experience MUCH better. Trust me. read more

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Long drive for a narrow beer selection and cash grabs at every single turn. 20 dollars to get in, 7 dollars per beer I counted maybe 8 types of beer all paid for with tickets that cannot be redeemed in future years. Food inside is pretty bland, not awful but not great. You would do better to just go to a restaurant with a wider selection. Save a two hour drive from Seattle. All the staff are friendly but there is nothing that would draw me back to this event. read more

Sorry, but this wasn't what I was hoping for. Inside the event, the event staff were outstanding- they get a million stars for putting up with the people and doing it with such grace and style. The bands also, about half a million, they were fantastic. The food offerings, the price of beer, the glut of way-overserved drunken attendees with funny hats, the uncomfortable benches, those get zero stars. The people who brought their kids and walked around still getting drunk, they get negative stars more than I can count. As a pre-purchaser of tickets, waiting in a line for an hour while the non pre-purchase moved quickly and missing the one event I was stoked to see, the keg tapping gets the crowd control/door folks minus 1.5 million stars. I went many years ago when there was no 'compound' it was just in the city and you went, from restaurant/bar to the next, celebrating and eating as you pleased and I waaaayyyy preferred it. read more

Oktoberfest - Festivals Near Me - Leavenworth, Washington

Please for the love of all that is holy, just stay home. The event is such a joke, the Town of Leavenworth should be ashamed. All this event is designed to do is steal your money. You pre purchase all your tickets to only discover this event is just a "wait in line" extravaganza. Wait in line to get your bag checked. Wait in line to get your tickets scanned. Wait in line to buy tickets (you can't buy food/drinks with cash). Wait in line to buy **** beer. The lines are so long that you basically have to get back in line to get another beer because it takes so long to get one. Also. You get carded at the gate and get a wrist band with stamp. This isn't good enough. You get carded when you reach towards the front of the line and also carded again once you order. If they are so afraid of underaged drinkers, make this a 21+ event only. This will cut so much time off of serving drinks. The beer sucks and isn't anything special that you can't buy at Bevmo. The food is even more awful. I hope you enjoy sausages and kraut because that's all you will get. The pretzel I had was a joke. I'm pretty sure it was just frozen pretzels bought from Costco served with nacho cheese dumped with salt. No thanks. Oh by the way, all you will be smelling all day is kraut and vomit. There are minimal choices of restaurants that do not sell German food either so hopefully you don't mind sodium. I was so disappointed about this event, we left incredibly early. I threw away my tickets that I couldn't refund and was had never been happier to leave a festival in my entire life. The staff were nice and I felt they planned for those who over consume. I hope this post will convince enough people to not come that this event gets shut down. read more

Skip the $20 entrance. You can eat, drink and be merry at the various places in town. A lot of them already have beer gardens set up like halls anyway with communal tables and dedicated taps. As for the gated area you pay to get into. There is live music, which is nice, but that's about the extent of what you're paying for. The food and beer is even more expensive than it is in town and there are longer lines. Go figure. There is apparently some weird marketing strategy they have stolen from free to play mobile games where you buy a package of tickets and your food and drink costs 60-70% of it, so you're incentivized to either waste your remaining tickets or buy more. Finally, the area seems really sad and caged in compared to the rest of the town. Yes, I understand that Oktoberfest generally takes place in tents to take advantage of large crowds, but you completely lose the charm of the town. Leavenworth is great. The "Oktoberfest" section is a sham. read more

I'm assuming that all of the bad reviews are from parents, snobs, tight wads and old farts. It's Octoberfest!!! You eat, drink and listen to music. The crowd can range from old to young and I never thought it was "fratty". The food was ok but what do you really expect from Octoberfest vendors? I left the festival and enjoyed a meal at one of the many restaurants in town. Getting in and out of the festival was also easy. We ordered group tickets for $10 each and it was a great deal! Yes, you have to pay for beer and food but you do that at most festivals anyway! I thought the beer selection was good and never waited more than 5 minutes to get a refill. Leave the kids at home and head over to Leavenworth for a fun weekend! I can't wait to go back in 2012! read more

The whole event felt kind of like a big scam. You waited in long lines for everything. You have to change your money in tickets you may never use. They trick you into getting more tickets ( on the board there was written that you should get 40 tickets for 2 beers and a hotdog and coleslaw and beans. While it worth 23 tickets.) i payed to get tickets for the food that was gone by the time we get to the front of line and i tried 2 different stands. When we asked for a refund they get mad and get us out of the way event. There was just a mad lady that "followed" us and made thing into bigger problem until she told us we cannot stay and she didn't listen to our complains even. The whole thing is you to pay 20 dollars to get into an event to pay for tickets that you will not use in the end. Avoid this event. read more

I LOVED the music, the bands were wonderful. It was a great atmosphere...however, I completely agree with Nikolai, the "German" Hot dog was BAD. The beer was lackluster. They really should bring in some specialty food booths, and better beer. At one point, for some strange reason, the "powers that be" decided to stop entrance to one of the tents, if you needed to use the toilet, you had to go outside the tent, and were not allowed back in, separating you from your group! Half way through, they shut down all but 2 beer booths, making it a good 30 min. wait in a 60 people deep line. Shortly after that, they stop serving beer all together and only sell wine, first only red, then only Zinfandel, then only Chardonnay. Strange. People were getting kicked out for just looking drunk. Overall, if they bring in new organizers to run this event properly, they could really have something special, until then...don't bother. read more

OK - I've only experienced Leavenworth's Oktoberfest once about 5 years ago and yes there were lines to get in, lines to get beers and lines to relieve one's self... but damn what a helluva a good time! The music the beers the food and everyone is having so much fun! It's like a big outdoors party and that's fine with me! Not a place at night for the kiddies or grandma! It's a party people! The law enforcement maintains their presence and medics are on hand. If you want peace and tranquility simply avoid this festive series of weekends! Come for the Christmas Lighting! Prost! read more

Definatly not what I was expecting. You pay to get into the event and that's it. No beer or food tickets. The event space is very small, maybe two city blocks. Only polka music which is awesome when buzzed and painful when hung over. Also, fun to watch people try their hand at Alpine instruments like the (ricola style) horn. The keg tapping ceremony was interesting but short lived and wouldn't recommend it. The beer was so-so, didn't find a single style that was really good. All overly hoppy but maybe that is the German style. Staff was friendly and willing to offer advice. Lines for bathroom and beer trippled in the evening as well as the readiness of police to X people out. The food from my understanding was so-so and overpriced. Clearly, nothing vegetarian :( I had more fun wandering around Leavenworth. Also, be ready for short skirts, lederhosen and funny hats! I'd be interested in going again but I'd probably skip the spendy ticket fee and spend my time at the bars. ALSO: not good for kids. So please, don't bring 'em. Don't get me wrong - I had the time of my life but it wasn't worth the money or some of the drama. read more

$20 per ticket entrance fee. $5 per plastic cup beer. $5 for "German" hotdog. $8 for "Dinner", "German" hotdog, beans, and coleslaw. $2 for bottle of water. Food is not good at all, better eat outside of festival. It has booths found at other fairs. So basically $20 for entrance fee just to spend your money later on bad food and expensive beer. Music was good, though. Overall, I would never suggest my friends to come to the Oktoberfest fair in Leavenworth. read more

First, I acknowledge I didn't pay the extra fee to go into the tented area and after reading some of these reviews, I am extra glad I didn't. I personally feel that you can still get the whole vibe of the area by walking around town: there was a parade that afternoon and plenty of places to buy German food and beer. Definitely crowded so it was more of a quick pit stop before heading out of town. read more

I have gone the past 3 years with the same group of people. We always have more fun at the campsite then inside the gates. It's $20 to get in and that gets you nothing but a wristband. Drink Tickets are $1 per ticket and beers are 5 tickets, so at least they don't completely gouge you. The tents are often overcrowded during peak times. There are plenty of honey buckets but somehow people always still form a line. Just walk down the row and find one that's not occupied. Works every time. Beer lines get really long so don't be scared to double fist to cut your wait time in half. The reason for the 2 stars is I don't like to wait in line to pay the $20 entry fee, then wait in line for a beer, and then wait in line to pee. Not my idea of a good time. read more

Like the idea of getting tickets for your purchases of food & drinks. There were alot of booths to purchase your tickets, lots of food booth locations so the lines didn't seem too long. Good variety of music in each tent. The entrance charge is a bit pricey I think just to go in when you have to pay for everything else on top read more

For a beer festival, it's a pain in the butt to actually get any beer. Turn your dollars into tickets, then your tickets into beer, but not before waiting half an hour in a line that wraps around the elementary school gymnasium they host the event in... read more

Have been trying to go for the past few years and seems like every year it kinda gets trashier and trashier. The line to get in is frustratingly long and the bag check makes it worse (sad reality of modern America). The tickets/tokens v cash is very confusing with vendors -- some take one or the other, some take both. The bands are meh -- was hoping to have more like authentic music and bands. The beer selection I'd love to have more German beers brought in, not local stuff. The food is typical Leavenworth and carnival style foods ...nothing like extraordinary. But the worst part honestly is the people -- just seems to get more and more rowdy and awful every year, earlier and earlier in the day. There's a difference between partying and being an drunken jerk... unfortunately most who attend haven't figured out the difference. If you have kids FORGET IT ... it's so crowded and rowdy it'd borderline dangerous to bring them. Maybe going week before on our own or on Sundays will be a touch toned down and more authentic... it's about the culture and the season, not getting wasted and stinky of weed everywhere. you. go.... read more

Leavenworth is literally the perfect place to host Oktoberfest: it's so beautiful and convenient if you're staying in the downtown area. I can't claim to know what "authentic" is (having never been to Oktoberfest in Europe), but I do know what awesome is... And this is pretty awesome. The crowds are not as rowdy or obnoxious as you'd think (there's a good mix of people of all ages and interests, optimal for people watching) and, even with the involvement of alcohol, it's nothing too crazy (perhaps due to its close proximity to Canada lol). I'd go as far as to say, it's all around a good time for all ages over 21. There's a lot to do for whatever you want to get into (even if you're on the side of the spectrum that wants to party hard -- which we were not, but just sayin') and plenty of great food, entertainment and vendors. In fact, we ate some of the best hand-made goodies we've ever encountered at an outdoor event: mini donuts made in front of you, kettle corn (not too sweet or too salty!) brewed on site, game meat jerky (exotic meats, as well, like Alligator), and of course German brats. The format of the fest is as follows: You spend 10$ on Friday and 20$ on Saturday. You then need to obtain your fest currency: tickets. It's a pain in the arse, but 1 dollar = 1 ticket. And the ticket line is separate from the admission line which is separate from the beer line. You can use tickets to get anything from steins to food to beers (7 tickets for a beer). Beers and fest-sponsored fare are exclusively bought with tickets, but some vendors also accept cards and cash. A few things to know: 1. Purchase your admission tickets ahead of time online. It's a pain in the arse because you have to fill out multiple forms for each day, but prevents you from waiting in the crazy long admission lines at the gate and let's you get into the super short already-have-your-tickets line 2. Being that Oktoberfest is pretty much a rated R event, most families sit this one out... so it's significantly less crowded than the tree lighting ceremony. Bonus: It's easier to get into any restaurants you might have been wanting to try. 3. There are multiple tents, each with different musical acts that seem authentic enough (they're not exactly playing Tove Lo up in the tent). The size of the fest is decent, but not so large you'll get lost. The music is so great, it inspires costumed people to burst spontaneously into dance and is super fun (Aka a bunch of people with a passion for tuba, yodeling, and accordion get together under a tent and rock their lederhosen off) 4. People. dress. up. Very scantily or in lederhosen... Or just in a feathered hat. It's like Halloween all over again... but possibly more shameless. 5. The bathroom lines are not terrible or not existent (yay!). Some of the bathrooms are, in fact, port-o-potties (ok, a large portion of the bathrooms are that format), but it's dark enough inside (thank god) you can't really see anything and also the fine fair people clean the things out fairly frequently. So, just don't touch anything and you should be fine. All in all, I'll be back for sure. Prost! read more

My friend and I had extra tickets due to the false information at the ticket booths (it said 40 tickets gets you 2 beers, a bratwurst with beans and coleslaw, whereas it was much less than that). We went to the customer service booth. My friend was talking to one lady who was dismissing her, so she asked to talk to the manager. While she was talking to the manager (a lady with short blond hair, we didn't get her name) I started talking to the lady behind the booth. She said if I have the same concern, I should talk to the manager as well. At this point my friend was already done talking and had stepped away. I told the manager I was wondering why they say you need 40 tickets when you need much less and she said "It's a full meal, you can get German pastry and souvenirs with your extra ticket". I told her I was aware what I can get with my tickets and that it explicitly said on the boards 40 tickets gets you these things, whereas those exact things are worth 24 tickets. She gave me another dismissing answer and when I told her she is still not answering my question regarding why there is false information on the boards, she told me very disrespectfully that this conversation was over. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Never in my life had I been treated the way she had just treated me and only for having asked a question, nothing else. What I didn't know was that I was about to be treated even far worse. When she told me she was done talking to me, without saying another word I left the building but she came after me, telling me that I should leave the event if I don't want to be here! I told her I'm done talking to her and I wouldn't stay here for another extra minute. I went outside and found my friend, and asked her what she had said to her. In about 10 seconds a security guard came over and asked us to step outside the event. I couldn't believe my eyes! We were about to leave and there was no need for a security guard to come escort us out as if we were making a scene or insisted on staying! At this point I was so angry that I asked the staff at the exit door if I could talk to someone about being thrown out of the event for no good reason. After talking to two staff members they took me inside (notice I was already out and they told me to come in to talk to someone) and had me talk to another manager which again I didn't get the name of unfortunately. He listened to me, at this point tears were coming down my face because I felt I was so wrongly treated but all he said was he was sorry and that he would talk to the lady manager later. He didn't even suggest to reimburse our tickets or something that would make me feel a bit better in the state I was in. He left me and then the same lady manager I had talked to earlier came over and started telling me that I can sell my tickets at the people in line. I told her I didn't want to talk to her anymore after the way she had treated us and called security on us. She said she did that because I started yelling! Again, just when I thought this couldn't get any worse, she started lying to my face. I asked her in full astonishment if she was serious. She then rephrased her sentence and said that I had raised my voice. I was in shock, I hadn't for one second raised my voice. The only thing I had done was kept asking her the same question she didn't have any answers for. She finally said your friend had threatened to disrupt the event. Unfortunately my friend wasn't there at that point, she had left because she couldn't take it anymore. Later on when I asked her if she had threatened them, she said she only told the manager that she would write a yelp review and explain her experience! This lady was lying about everything in our faces! Finally another lady came up to me and said if we could step outside and talk about this, and they had sent her over because she was "nice". I told her I was already outside and they told me to come in to talk to someone. After she asked me what had happened and I went over the story for the forth time, she said she was sorry and that they had a rough day. I don't understand how you can throw a festival which is about drinking beer and not expect to deal with drunk people and be upset about it and justify mistreating other people because you had a "rough day". She then asked to remove my bracelet! Basically telling me that I can't get inside anymore. I told her I wasn't planning to and let her cut it off. She didn't even offer to reimburse me for my entrance ticket because it was 4 PM at that point and I could've stayed there for another half a day. That was the end of it. Nobody cared to explain why we were treated the way we were. Nobody cared to make it up to us somehow. It's not like I needed the money for the extra tickets I had bought, it's about being heard and being respected which we didn't feel happened at all. Leavenworth had always been one of my favorite places to visit and I'm very sorry to say it isn't anymore. read more

This festival was very disappointing. The lines were long and the food was very poor. The pretzels were the worst I've ever head - not even really a pretzel. My mom makes a better braut. In the tents the bands seemed to go on a break every hour and there was no music in the thirty or so minute stretch in between. In the end I wish we'd skipped the festival and just hung out in the adorable town of Leavenworth. read more

This is a rating for the festival itself. It is not worth the 20$ to get in. You pay 20 to get in, than go pay cash for tickets to be used at vendors. Beer is 7$, wine 6$, they offer bratwurst, german sausage, keilbasa, ribs, turkey legs, and beans. There were 3 stages with music. Music ranged at different times. The booths were nothing spectacular, all stuff you could walk in leavenworth and buy, lots of loud "frat" kids. (I am 24 and it was too much for me) I will defiantly come back to leavenworth for the oktoberfest season, but will enjoy it on town, maybe the brewery or another pub. read more

Why are there so many bad reviews? It's OKTOBERFEST people! What do you expect? It's a little town that has to get it's money from somewhere. And Oktoberfest is it. Of course it's going to be spendy...what drinking festival isn't? Sure, I think it would be nice if they maybe cut some deals on tickets (like if you buy so many you get a little discount), but whatever. I love the music, the atmosphere, the food and of course the beer! There are lots of fun vendors and it's nice that you can leave to check out the town and then get back in. This was our second year going and we of course had a blast. Can't wait for next year...maybe I'll even dress up :) read more

I'm glad I experienced it but definitely a one time thing. First you pay $20 to get in then pay too much for mediocre food. Definitely eat outside of the festival area since it's right in downtown there are tons of other options) $6 for a German hotdog and $10 for a Turkey leg! But the coffee is free, lol. There are lines for everything. Wait in line to get in, wait in line to change in cash for tickets (you have to pay with tickets and if you dont spend all of them you dont get to turn them back in to get your money back) then you wait in a line for 30 mins to get beer, wait in another long line to order food. There wasnt enough seating either, we walked around to each entertainment area and they were all packed, only standing room left. The music was fun though. I wouldn't reccomend going to any of my friends. read more

Remember the years of past when you go launch an inflatable from the shores of Lake Washington and get plastered floating right in the south turn of the Seafair Hydro Races? And then things changed. Well, there still are a few festivals left in Washington where everyone is getting plastered and the cops and the insurance companies seem to have not ruined the event yet. Even smoking areas are outside in the middle of the action instead of put off in some shameful corner area. Wow. #1 - Yes, there is more than just beer. They serve wine too. No hard alcohol. #2 - No, you don't have to wear a German outfit. About 20% at best do and they are fun to look at. #3 - The line to get in is huge when it opens at noon and in the evening around 8 so unless you like standing in lines, enter between 2 and 7. There usually is no re-entry line so you can come and go as you please. #4 - Yes it isn't cheap, but it isn't super expensive either (depending on how much you drink.) $10 to get in is reasonable considering there is music and dancing entertainment. Everything is $5 a drink which is about what you pay at a bar anyway and very reasonable compared to a Seahawks or Mariners game. But you can't get pitchers and save money. They do have dedicated booths selling tickets by credit card so it's not cash only. #5 - Newsflash: This event caters to robust style beer drinkers, Whomever gives the beer selection a thumbs down, doesn't belong at this event in the first place then. There is a large selection of GERMAN STYLE beer, at least 10 kinds I saw, but aside from the Hefeweizen, you aren't going to find Budweiser, Coors, Red Hook, or Corona here. Duh. We liked the dark "Dunkel" as it was very smooth despite the dark color and the Ayinger had the biggest kick (over 7%). You can always go with a Hefe for something lighter. #6 - Food isn't gourmet but neither is the price.. $5 for a bratwurst, pulled pork, bbq chicken, etc. is a pretty good deal. If you want something more upscale, go outside the gate and pay tourist trap prices at the restaurants in the heart of town. #7 - Virtually everyone is in a great mood and very social. Can't remember ever seeing one fight (not that they never happen - but surprising considering how much alcohol is consumed - the red "Alcohol Police" must help prevent this.) So don't ruin it for the rest of us and go when you are in a bad mood or don't know your utmost limit on your drinking before you turn into an a**hole. Also, I have young kids (6-13 age range) and as others have pointed out, I don't see any reason to bring a family in here. Not that you can't, but there's really not that much (if anything) to see and do targeted at young children in there. Bottom Line: A must do event for anyone that has any affinity for beer (and isn't a snob about it), the German culture, or just likes large events with a lot of drunk people. Leavenworth itself is a must see. But I must admit, the novelty of the festival and the somewhat cheezy touristy town wains ever so slightly with each year that I age. I have a finite number of brain cells to lose and my liver can only take so much but I still make the trek. Unless you are very drunk and brave, you will probably do like most and spend the evening standing or sitting watching the old folk dance while trying to see who's the drunkest and maybe strike up a conversation with one of them. It's definitely fun, but after going several years, like most things, it can get a little "old" - especially when the morning hangover arrives. Ouch. But to each their own. It really is what you want to make of it. The main downside though is that it essentially starts to shut down (stop serving) at midnight (if I remember right) and there are no hopping places to go after. We tried The Loft but they were closing at 1. Maybe we need to look harder next time. read more

Rented a cabin on icicle road and came into the tented area. It's an ok experience but definitely overpriced at $20/person. On the plus side we were super happy to find out that there were shuttles driving around giving free rides to and from the festival. It was extremely dark out so it's a little scary to flag it down, but on the way back they dropped us right in front of our cabin which was great! Some of our group when just on Friday ($10) cover. Will probably do just Friday next year and walk around town on Saturday. read more

This is the second year me and some friends went, and it will be the last. BE WARE of the locals wearing Red Alcohol Enforcement jackets. If you appear to be intoxicated, or having a little too much fun at this overpriced experience, you will be asked how much you drank. I was asked after my first beer. It's so ridiculous. The locals obviously are annoyed. It's not worth the money. read more

Not worth the $20/person. You pay money to get into the fenced area, then you pay more money to buy tickets. Best advice, just hang out in the city for free, eat at the restaurants, drink beer, buy gifts and avoid that fenced in area. read more

The staff is unfriendly!!! They excused me of not giving a not tickets when I went to get a drink. When I failed a complain at the office they where super rude and not professional. They made fun of me, in my face. They where unfriendly to my friend when he asked to speak to the manager and acted like they couldn't find him. One other friend of mine was cute out of alcohol when he wasn't doing anything (and he was still sober). The festival is overpriced for what you get. I loved the town and wished I never went to the festival itself. Stay in town or go to a different festival, thats my recommendation. read more

Not worth the 20$ entrance fee. It was 3 tents with music, overpriced beer, and overpriced souvenirs. I can think of much better ways to spend a weekend. read more