A traditional Bavarian celebration featuring stein-hoisting competitions, folk dance, polka music, and a costume contest at the POST Houston Skylawn venue.
Oktoberfest comes to the POST Houston Skylawn on Saturday, October 10, from 4 PM to 10 PM. The venue is at 401 Franklin St. in the Theater District, and it's one of the city's better spots for a view of the Houston skyline.
The day is built around a few classic Oktoberfest traditions. There are men's and women's stein-hoisting competitions, where you hold a full beer stein at arm's length for as long as you can—the last person standing wins. The Das ist Keine Kunst Folk Dance Troupe and the Dost Polka Band provide the music and dancing, and there's a Bavarian costume contest for anyone who wants to lean into the theme. The whole thing wraps up with the traditional Bavarian drinking chant, Oans, zwoa, drei, g'suffa!—which translates to "One, two, three, drink up!"
There's a bit of history behind it: Houston's Oktoberfest traces back to the wedding of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese on October 12, 1810, the union that gave the Munich celebration its name. That original festival eventually moved to September because the Bavarian autumn turns rainy and cold, but the Houston edition has long held its own place on the calendar. It's also a bit of a moment for the city's German dining scene, which took a hit recently when Rudi Lechner's—a Houston institution that served authentic German fare for more than five decades—closed last year.
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If you're planning to go, the day runs from 4 PM to 10 PM at the POST Houston Skylawn, 401 Franklin St. in the Theater District, with an eclectic dining scene downstairs to round out the evening.
