Sacramento is getting two Oktoberfests on the same weekend this October, and one of them is brand new. Cal Expo has scheduled its first-ever Saktoberfest for October 9-10, 2026, at The Cove, an outdoor event space at the fairground's 1600 Exposition Blvd. property, with organizers billing it as Sacramento's biggest outdoor Oktoberfest celebration.
The festival runs Friday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m., according to The Sacramento Bee. Organizers are promising live music from traditional Oktoberfest bands alongside high-energy DJs, regional beers and traditional German brews, and a food lineup of pretzels, sausages, schnitzel and food trucks, per the same report. Family-friendly games and activities round out the bill, while admission is tiered rather than flat-rate.
Cal Expo's own promotional materials list a fuller slate of programming, including on-stage competitions, a pumpkin patch, cornhole games, and German music alongside DJs, according to Cal Expo. That same listing puts admission on a tiered schedule rather than a flat rate: $5 early-bird tickets sold September 1-3, $8 regular advance tickets through October 8, and $12 tickets sold day-of online or at the gate, plus a separate $10 on-site parking fee, as reported by the Carmichael Times.
A Direct Hit on Sacramento's Original Oktoberfest
Here's the wrinkle: Saktoberfest lands on the exact same Friday and Saturday as the Sacramento Turn Verein's 57th annual Oktoberfest. The Turn Verein's event also takes place October 9-10, 2026, but charges $25 in advance and $30 at the door, according to the group's own event listing.
The price gap is stark. Cal Expo's day-of ticket tops out at $12 before parking, while Turn Verein admission starts at more than double that. The Turn Verein holds its celebration at its J Street facility. Saktoberfest, by contrast, features bands and DJs at The Cove.
The Sacramento Turn Verein hosts an annual Oktoberfest. Cal Expo's new festival will take place alongside it on the same weekend.
Part of Cal Expo's Bigger Fall Push
Saktoberfest fits into Cal Expo's broader autumn calendar, a shift that includes the board's vote to permanently move the California State Fair itself from July to fall starting in 2027 to avoid extreme summer heat, as previously reported by Hoodline.
The fairgrounds have shown they can draw a crowd. The July 2025 California State Fair saw an 8% increase in attendance over 2024, according to the Folsom Times. That track record may be part of why Cal Expo is betting an outdoor beer festival can find an audience even against an established rival across town.
To build buzz ahead of opening weekend, Cal Expo also launched a creator recruitment drive in September seeking local Sacramento social media influencers to produce promotional posts and event-day video Reels in exchange for complimentary tickets and parking, according to the agency's own application listing. It's a modern marketing push for a festival trying to establish itself against a 57-year tradition in a single weekend.
Whether Sacramento's Oktoberfest crowd splits evenly between Midtown and the fairgrounds, or whether one event pulls the bigger draw, remains to be seen once both festivals open their gates on the same Friday in October.
