We love our festivals here in the Treasure State. From summer’s Sweetpea and Flathead Cherry festivals to our winter carnivals, there are always exciting community events on our calendars.

Montana has some great events coming up – Missoula’s Montana Book Festival, for example. But if you can only make it to one autumn gathering this year, check out The Great Northwest Oktoberfest in Whitefish. It’s inexpensive, entertaining, and completely unforgettable.

This will be the Great Northwest Oktoberfest's 8th year.
Great Northwest Oktoberfest Facebook
The festival gets bigger and better each year.
You'll have two full weekends to enjoy the fun.
Great Northwest Oktoberfest Facebook
This year's dates are September 28- 30 and October 5- 7.
The festival is not all about the beer, although you'll definitely find plenty of that.
Great Northwest Oktoberfest Facebook
The festival is family-friendly, so there's no need to find a sitter.
Great Northwest Oktoberfest Facebook
In fact, children are encouraged to attend.
The German music plays throughout the festival, courtesy of bands with perfect names like The Europa Band and The Bavarian Echoes.
Great Northwest Oktoberfest

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Activities include keg tossing...
Great Northwest Oktoberfest
... waitress races, which also look this blurry in person...
Great Northwest Oktoberfest
... log-sawing competitions for both men and women...
Great Northwest Oktoberfest
... and the cutest Kids' Chicken Dance Contest you'll ever see.
Great Northwest Oktoberfest Facebook
Come hungry. The food is delicious.
WhitefishOctoberFest.com
The festival is catered by Piggyback BBQ and includes traditional German staples and a few rotating specials.
The beer is Whitefish's own Great Northern Brewing Company, and it's always excellent, especially the Oktoberfest Lager.
Great Northwest Oktoberfest
They also sell a few authentic German brews by Hofbräu & one Austrian beer, brewed by Stieg.

Admission to the Great Northwest Oktoberfest, which is held under the “Oktoberfest Bigtop” in Depot Park, is a mere $5. Kids under 12 are free, and you can get in free on September 28 if you’re a Flathead Valley resident. And if Oktoberfest isn’t possible this year, check out this list of some other exciting fall festivals in Montana.

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