The Barn at SALT at Our Kakaʻako is turning into a Bavarian beer hall this Saturday, with Oktoberfest kicking off at 5 p.m. and running until 9 p.m. Admission is free, German beer and brats will be for sale, and the first 96 customers to order a liter of Paulaner each night get a free collector's plastic stein.
According to KHON2, the celebration features German-style beer, food, music and festive activities as it returns to SALT at Our Kakaʻako in Honolulu. The station reports the festival is in its seventh year, with Village Bottle Shop & Tasting Room celebrating its 10th year at SALT and bringing what KHON2 describes as one of the largest selections of German and German-style Oktoberfest beers in Hawaiʻi. Per the outlet, that lineup includes Spaten, Hofbräu, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Samuel Adams Oktoberfest, Ayinger, Weihenstephaner and Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest beers.
Two Saturdays, Same Free-Stein Deal
Listings differ slightly on the exact dates. Honolulu Magazine and Hawaiʻi Public Radio both list the event for Saturday, Sept. 19 and Sept. 26, from 5 to 9 p.m. in The Barn, while a Chamber Music Hawaiʻi listing schedules the same SALT Oktoberfest for Sept. 21 and 28, 2024, with event details identifying Sept. 21, 2024. Honolulu Magazine notes the first 96 people each night get a free stein, and KHON2 reports that includes a free collector's plastic stein for the first 96 customers who order a liter of Paulaner. Entry itself is free, with attendees paying as they go for food and drinks, according to Chamber Music Hawaiʻi.
Food options lean heavily German. Honolulu Magazine reports German brats will be available from Village Bottle Shop, with pretzels and other baked goods for sale from Aloha German Bakery. KHON2 adds that Aloha German Bakery will offer Bavarian pretzels, sweet cakes and other treats, while Village Kapolei will serve bratwurst with beer mustard and sauerkraut, plus currywurst.
Stein-Hoisting Contest And Live Music
The night's centerpiece competition runs from 6 to 8 p.m., sponsored by Samuel Adams and Sierra Nevada, as noted in the same Hawaiʻi Public Radio listing. KHON2 reports the stein-hoisting competition has free entry and will return with separate men's and women's contests, with winners receiving limited-edition 2026 ceramic steins.
Live music comes from Mike Lewis & Friends featuring The Matterhorns and the Honolulu Brass Quintet, per Hawaiʻi Public Radio. KHON2 reports Mike Lewis & Friends featuring The Matterhorns will perform music for singing and dancing, while Chamber Music Hawaiʻi's Honolulu Brass Quintet will perform traditional Bavarian music.
Why September, Not October
Oktoberfest's timing traces back to Munich's original festival, which KHON2 reports shifted earlier to take advantage of warmer weather and longer days, even though the original event traditionally ends on the first Sunday in October. That's why the traditional Oktoberfest celebration takes place largely in September, according to the outlet. In Hawaiʻi, the party tends to stretch even longer: a regional roundup from Hawaii Aloha Travel notes that while the autumn festival typically lasts 16 days in Germany, from mid-September to early October, the festivities here extend through much of October. The same source describes SALT's event as a two-night celebration featuring a stein-hoisting competition, live music, German beers and food, a description echoed in a 2025 event listing from SALT at Our Kakaʻako crediting Village Bottle Shop & Tasting Room as host.
KHON2 reports that once inside, The Barn becomes a traditional-style beer hall for the night. The outlet adds that the SALT parking garage offers validated parking, and attendees are encouraged to consider using a rideshare service.
