Beer, brats and a parade of costumed dachshunds took over Oaks Park in Portland as Oktoberfest returned to the riverside amusement park, drawing families, longtime regulars and a troupe of Tirolean dancers to celebrate a fall tradition with deep local roots. The weekend festival featured nearly a dozen live acts showcasing traditional German songs and dance styles, alongside the beer, brats, wiener dog races and pretzel tosses that have become staples of the event.
According to KPTV, Oaks Park has hosted an annual weekend-long Oktoberfest since 1991, and this year's edition kept the family-friendly spirit that's defined the celebration for visitors of all ages. Among the performers was 12-year-old Wyatt McLaughlin, who dances with the Tirolean Dancers of Oregon and told the station he looks forward to Oaks Park Oktoberfest every year. Fellow troupe member Emilee Yaakola is also part of the group, which shares German culture with the northwest community and celebrates an Oregon-style Oktoberfest rather than a Munich-style one, per the station's report.
A 90-Year-Old Regular Finds Her Rhythm
Rosemary Jones, who is 90 years old and originally from Germany, has attended Oaks Park's Oktoberfest for the last three years, according to the same account. She said her favorite part of the celebration is the music, a sentiment that echoed across the festival grounds as the live acts kept the crowd moving between food stalls and games.
Milwaukie resident Allen White also turned out for the festivities, telling KPTV the event is fun because it makes people smile and be happy. That kind of reaction is part of what's kept Oaks Park's Oktoberfest running for decades as a gathering spot for German heritage and Portland-area families alike.
Food, Games and Ticket Details
Beyond the music and dancing, the festival's signature mix of beer and brats gave visitors plenty to snack on between wiener dog races and pretzel tosses. Past editions of the festival have featured authentic German food and beer alongside Kinderplatz children's activities, cooking shows and the wiener dog races, according to vancouverfamilymagazine.com.
The outlet's listing also detailed the festival's alcohol policy, noting an ID check is required and guests under 21 years of age will not be served alcohol. Gate-only tickets have allowed visitors to enter all of the Oktoberfest venues and the amusement park but did not include access to the rides, the listing states.
Exact scheduling for the festival has varied by source: the vancouverfamilymagazine.com listing cites dates of September 20-22, 2024, while Oaks Amusement Park's own site has advertised a 2026 festival for September 25-27. During the cited 2024 dates, kids 2 and under were free, while everyone age 3 and older needed an admission ticket or Ride Bracelet, per the same listing.
For McLaughlin, Jones and White, the specifics of ticketing and scheduling take a back seat to what keeps drawing them back: a shared celebration of German culture that's become woven into the fabric of Portland's fall calendar.
