Colorado doesn’t really need a reason to drink beer, but give us one and we’ll throw a festival around it.
A new IPA release? Call the band! A sunny Saturday in January? Set up the tents! So it makes sense that when Oktoberfest season hits, breweries across the Front Range don’t only raise a stein — they raise several. With more than a dozen events stretching from Fort Collins to Denver and everywhere in between, Oktoberfests this year come stacked with sausages, stein-holding contests, questionable lederhosen and plenty of German-inspired beer, all with a Colorado twist.
Some celebrations span full weekends with music stages and kids’ zones. Others feel more like backyard hangouts that happen to have a killer rauchbier on draft. Fritztoberfest in Niwot falls into the latter category.
“It’s really laid-back and intimate,” said Cory Buenning, owner and head brewer at Fritz Family Brewery, the hosts of Fritztoberfest, which takes place on Oct. 4. “The band is an arm’s length away, and you’re hanging out with locals who are in here five days a week. I’ll be here in liederhosen, my family will be here in dirndls, my grandparents will be here, along with my sister and brother-in-law. There will be kids running around. It’s very small-town, very personal feeling.”
Fritz Family Brewery, 6778 N. 79th St., is Niwot’s only brewery, which opened in 2021 after Buenning and his family relocated from Louisville, Kentucky. A longtime brewer with roots in Boulder, Buenning started his career in the early ’90s as a homebrewer before landing gigs at What’s Brewin’, Tommyknocker Brewery and later Snake River Brewing in Wyoming.
For Buenning, Niwot offered something bigger towns couldn’t: stability and a built-in sense of community.
“Niwot is a wonderful place, but, honestly, we first decided to set up here because we could afford to buy the building,” he said. “A lot of breweries are closing now because their leases are up and landlords are raising rents, and so owning the building takes that pressure off.”
Beyond that, he said, the small town has become a gathering place for everyone from families with toddlers to some of the biggest names in craft beer.
“Last night I stopped by and ran into Charlie Papazian, the president of the Brewers Association,” Buenning said. The legendary Papazian founded the Association of Brewers and the Great American Beer Festival. “That’s the fun of being in Niwot. You get the small-town vibe, but with Boulder close by, you tap into a much bigger beer community, too.”
Fritz is known for its German-style lagers, pouring everything from crisp pilsners, like Czech Yourself and Dieter, to malt-forward classics, such as Niwot After Dark and the smoky Smoke and Mirrors. Its Hefeweizen, Haystack, and Kölsch, Cuckoo for Kölsch, keep the lineup balanced and true to tradition. The seasonal centerpiece is the Fritztoberfest Märzen, a malty amber lager that gets its official release during the Oct. 4 celebration.
Beyond the beer, the event will also feature a stein-holding competition, Polka Folka playing from 2 to 5 p.m., and, in true Colorado style, a Mexican food truck will be parked outside. Even in the absence of pretzels and bratwursts, guests are encouraged to show up in full Oktoberfest gear.
The small-town feel of Niwot even spills onto the dance floor.
“Niwot’s kind of old town,” Buenning said. “There’s a lot of older folks, and we get people who come out to waltz and polka and do that whole deal. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day.”
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how your grandparents wooed each other across a hardwood floor in the Eisenhower era, now’s your chance.
If Fritztoberfest is the equivalent of a backyard cookout where your neighbor casually brews world-class lagers (and would be happy to give you a tip or two on homebrewing), then Left Hand Brewing’s Oktoberfest weekend in Longmont is more of a full-on rager with a massive beer budget.
The 13th annual festival takes over The Garden, Left Hand’s on-campus venue at 1245 Boston Ave., on Sept. 26 and 27. Tickets run $10 for Friday and $5 for Saturday, with kids aged 12 and under free. Proceeds will support the Left Hand Brewing Foundation, which has raised more than $325,000 for local nonprofits since 2012.
Friday kicks things off with a bluegrass-heavy pre-party: Colorado Junction String Band performs at 5 p.m., Jake Leg plays at 6:30 p.m. and Magoo will headline the show from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday brings the traditional programming with the contests: brat-eating at 2:45 p.m., stein-holding at 4:45 p.m. and the costume contest at 7:15 p.m., all surrounded by polka from Polka Folka and the PolkaNauts, plus bounce houses and sack races for kids. A craft artisan market rounds out the all-day schedule.
Of course, beer is the star. Left Hand will be pouring its bronze medal-winning Oktoberfest Märzen Lager, described as rich copper with malt-driven notes of bread crust, biscuit and toasted pretzel, along with the 1265 Pilsner, Sawtooth Amber Ale, and a wide lineup of IPAs, sours, canned cocktails, wine and seltzers. Food trucks will serve the usual suspects of brats and pretzels, alongside their own specialties.
“One of the main reasons Left Hand was founded 30 years ago was to bring people together,” said Jill Preston, director of marketing. “We like to say we build community one pint at a time. It’s part of our DNA to support the community, and that’s why we created the Left Hand Foundation after the 2013 floods, and why we’ve donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to local nonprofits.”
At Left Hand Oktoberfest, there’s something for everyone, including fans of polka with a twist.
“The PolkaNauts are a blast,” Preston said. “They dress up as astronauts and play traditional polka as well as current songs in polka-style.”
Whether you prefer your Oktoberfest with lederhosen or astronauts in helmets, a gentle waltz or a costume contest, the Front Range has a beer tent waiting. Just remember to pace yourself, and maybe stretch before the stein-holding contest to avoid a case of beer arm.
Fall parties
Denver Oktoberfest: Sept. 19-21 and Sept. 26-28, Ballpark District, Larimer and 21st streets, Denver. Denver Oktoberfest has been a long-running two-weekend party in Downtown Denver since 1969. From keg bowling to stein-hoisting, live music and more, there’s something here for Oktoberfest pros and its first-timers. Grab a stein, throw on some lederhosen and join the fun; thedenveroktoberfest.com.
Broomfield Days: 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, Midway Park, 1270 W. Midway Blvd., Broomfield. Broomfield Days is Broomfield’s biggest event of the year where friends and neighbors come together to celebrate. The day begins with a community pancake breakfast, followed by runners lining up for the Mayor’s Cup 5K and Fun Run before the Broomfield Days Parade comes down Midway Boulevard. Later, guests can explore over 300 vendor booths, food trucks, a car show featuring unique and classic cars, a children’s clown contest, DockDog competition, a duck race, jump on inflatables, pet farm animals and enjoy live performances on three stages; free, broomfield.org/361/Broomfield-Days.
Longmont Oktoberfest: noon Sept. 20, Thompson Park, 420 Boss St., Longmont. Join friends and neighbors for Longmont Oktoberfest. Complete with beer and pretzels, this event also includes a variety of live music and food and beverage selections for all tastes. There will be lots of fun and games, as well as a local artisan market. Proceeds will be shared between Longmont Humane Society, Annie and Millie’s Place and Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center; $25-$54, ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/LongmontOktoberfest.
Downtown Loveland Oktoberfest: noon Sept. 20, Loveland Aleworks, 118 W. Fourth St., Loveland. Break out the lederhosen, and join the fun in downtown Loveland. Enjoy local craft beer, food, live music, games and vendors; free; lovelandaleworks.com.
Estes Park Autumn Gold Festival: 11 a.m. Sept. 20-21, Bond Park, Estes Park. It’s not an Oktoberfest, but it’s still a fun fall festival with bands, brats and beer. Free family activities include face painting, soap bubbles, bean bag toss, bouncing room, antique cars on display and rides in a fire engine; estesparkautumngold.com.
Oktobeerfest: 5 p.m. Sept. 26, and noon Sept. 27, Lutheran Church of Hope, 1305 W. 10th Ave., Broomfield. This annual fall festival comes complete with brews, brats, grilled corn, over 30 local vendors and more. All of the proceeds benefit LCHope ministries and communities such as The Refuge, North Denver Cares Food Pantry, Almost Home, Inc., and others. Shop the vendors’ wares, dance to traditional polka music and enjoy family fun with kids’ games; lchope.org/oktobeerfest.
OktoBrewfest: 5 p.m. Sept. 26, and 11 a.m. Sept. 27, Lincoln Park, Greeley. Oktobrewfest brings the flavor and festivity of Germany to Lincoln Park with local brews, live bands, delicious food and all-ages activities; free, greeleydowntown.com/events/oktobrewfest.
Left Hand Oktoberfest: 11 a.m. Sept. 27, Left Hand Brewing, 1245 Boston Ave., Longmont. This traditional all-day Oktoberfest will feature live music from Polka Folka and the Polkanauts, competitions like stein-hoisting and brat-eating, plus there will be a costume contest, kids’ activities, bounce houses, an artisan craft market and more; $5, lefthandbrewing.com.
Boulder Fall Festival: 5-9 p.m. Oct. 3, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 5, Downtown Boulder. This three-day autumn festival features local food, a large beer/wine/margarita garden, live music, family entertainment and activities. Plus, the Firefly Handmade Market will set up shop all along the Pearl Street Mall, bringing in tables of Colorado artists, makers and designers who will be sharing their craft and selling their unique, local goods; boulderdowntown.com/fall-fest.
Fritztoberfest: noon Saturday, Oct. 4, Fritz Family Brewers, 6778 N. 79th St., Niwot. The Fritz Family Brewery is hosting this laid-back, neighborhood-style party that will serve up the brewery’s German-style lagers and host a stein-holding competition and live music from Polka Folka, playing from 2 to 5 p.m. fritzfamilybrewers.com.
Erie Brewfest: noon Oct. 4, Coal Creek Park, 575 Kattell St., Erie. Enjoy a day full of music, food, craft and service vendors, games, and, of course, plenty of beer/ciders and spirits. Wags and Friends will provide the live tunes and there will be dozens of beverages to sample; $45-$50; members.eriechamber.org.
Nederland Harvest Festival: 10 a.m. Oct. 5, Downtown Nederland, 80 E. Second St., Nederland. It’s time for Nederland Farmers Market’s last event of the season. Celebrate the fall season with vendors, events and live music. Free, nederlandfarmersmarket.org.
FoCo Fall Fest: 10 a.m. Oct. 11-12, Old Town Square, 19 Old Town Square, Fort Collins. This two-day vibrant street festival is where crisp fall vibes meet hometown pride. Stroll through Old Town Square, where surrounding streets will be closed for pedestrian traffic and the area will transform into a farmers market-style celebration, complete with local artisans, live music across two stages, family-friendly fall-themed activities, mouthwatering eats and plenty of craft beer and beverages; free; focofallfest.com.