Brats and Beer Are Here

Don your dirndls and hosen for 10 Oktoberfest celebrations in Austin

A group of guests shotgun beers at Zilker Brewing's Wunderfest event.

Zilker Brewing

No lederhosen? No problem. You don’t need traditional Bavarian garb to get a hearty taste of Oktoberfest in Austin this fall. From stein-hoisting showdowns to sausage-eating spectacles, here are 10 can’t-miss events bringing the beer, bratwurst, and Bavarian cheer. No passport required.

Yard House
Daily, September 18 to October 26
Craving jumbo Bavarian pretzels with a German beer? Check out Yard House's Oktoberfest-inspired specials. Guests at any Yard House location can purchase a 32-ounce Yard Haus Oktoberfest Refillable Souvenir Stein for $15 and enjoy $5 stein refills daily until the end of the Oktoberfest celebrations. Try beer specials like the Weihenstephaner Festbier with bier brat sliders, a Bavarian pork chop, or apple strudel to satiate the sweet tooth.

Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden
Thursday through Saturday, September 25-27, various times
In true Bavarian fashion, the 14th annual Banger's Oktoberfest will feature plenty of live music, the classic tapping of the firkin (with free beer), a stein hoisting contest, more music, and of course, lots of German cuisine for the festivities.

Banger's Austin Oktoberfest Banger's has one of the most popular Oktoberfests in the city. Banger's/Facebook

Zilker Brewing
Saturday, September 27, 11 am to 5 pm
For one day only, Zilker Brewing transforms into Wunderfest, where guests can opt to participate in a series of Oktoberfest-inspired challenges including stein holding, keg racing, pretzel eating, and of course, beer chugging. They might even win a prize. Teams can sign up for the contests here. Guests wanting to enjoy the fun without a side of competition can enjoy Zilker's special Wunderbier Festbier lager paired with bites like the Spicy Boys chicken schnitzel sandwich or the döner kebab burger from Patty Palace.

Oktoberfest Pub Crawl
Saturday, September 27, 4-11 pm
A pub crawl is practically mandatory for Oktoberfest. Tickets include access to at least four bars without having to pay a cover charge, free after-party access, drink specials, and a full night of fun. The crawl starts at Coyote Ugly Saloon. Tickets (starting at $7.72) are available on Eventbrite.

Oktoberfest 5K/10K
Saturday, October 4
Need a break from all the beer? Challenge your best pace at the official Austin Oktoberfest 5K/10K at Richard Moya Park. Runners are encouraged to dress up in their best German attire. Registrants will get a special t-shirt, and a finisher's towel and medal. Registration (starting at $30) is open now at runsignup.com.

Shinerfest
Weekends in October ending Saturday, October 25, noon to 9:30 pm
K. Spoetzl Brewery and Distillery's 3rd annual Shinerfest will feature a live music lineup of artists like Shane Smith and the Saints, plenty of Shiner brews, themed bites for the occasion, and more. The event serves as the culmination of the brewery's three-weekend Oktoberfest celebrations, where guests can stop by each weekend in October from 10:30 to 8 pm for live polka music, a German-style menu at K. Spoetzl BBQ Co., and Shiner Oktoberfest beer. Tickets (starting at $42.42) are available on Eventbrite.

Austin Oktoberfest at the German Free School
Saturday, October 11, 11 am to 7 pm
Led by the German-Texan Heritage Society, Austin Oktoberfest invites crowds to the German Free School. Expect plenty of Bavarian brews, family-friendly activities like pumpkin painting, live music and a prost or two. Tickets ($17.85) are available on Eventbrite.

Oktoberfiesta at Austin Beerworks
Sunday, October 19, 11 am to 6 pm
Get ready to party at Austin Beerworks' annual Oktoberfiesta. The popular event will feature live music all day; food options from La Taquicardia Tacos, Obsidian Pizza, and ABW Can-tina; new specialty beers, and more.

Austoberfest at Scholz Garten
October 25, noon to 10 pm
In addition to the traditional beer stein holding competitions, Austoberfest at at Scholz Garten includes a sausage-making contest. Guests can cast their vote for their favorites from 1-4 pm. Held in the oldest operating tavern in Texas, the back-in-time event will include family-friendly games, bowling, and a free half-liter glass stein for the first 100 guests. Tickets (starting at $40) are available online.

Wurstfest (New Braunfels)
Daily, November 7-16, various hours
The New Braunfels-based homage to all-things bratwurst returns. Don your dirndls and get ready for plenty of brats, biers, dancing, games, music, and more. The family-friendly event officially started in 1961 as a one-day festival and has since been 10 days strong in the decades to follow. Tickets (free sometimes, otherwise starting at $15 at the gate) are available at wurstfest.com.

oktoberfest beer festivals holidays german culture

Out to Pasture

New hotel and restaurant open at historic Austin 'pastures'

Photo by Casey Dunn

Henry's gives a chic, updated look to an old property.

Mattie's at Green Pastures, a Southern restaurant on a historic property with famous pigeons, already felt like a retreat from the more urban parts of Austin. Now the property at 811 W. Live Oak St. has reached its hospitality potential with the addition of the Inn at Green Pastures, with 63 new guest rooms, a private pool, a lounge, a bar, and even a whole new restaurant called Henry's. Room reservations will open Friday, December 12.

The Green Pastures property in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood used to cover 50 rural acres, but now it's down to seven — still a healthy size considering its always-changing surroundings. The pièce de résistance is a 120-year-old Victorian farmhouse that was built by local minister and physician Dr. Eugene W. Herndon and later purchased by lawyer Henry Faulk, who moved his family in and ran the surrounding land as a farm.

By 1946, the owner's daughter Mary Faulk Koock and her husband, Chester Koock, turned the home into a restaurant — the first racially integrated restaurant in Austin, according to Green Pastures — and more family members stewarded the property until it was sold by a local investment group of more than 100 members in 2015. The restaurant became Mattie's in 2017.

The biggest news for Austinites is the new restaurant, which will be open day-to-night for morning coffee service, snacks, full meals, and cocktails. For now, it's just open from 4-11 pm, and will open in its full capacity starting December 12.

Foodies can still get the famous mini-biscuits from Mattie's, plus hot smoked salmon on a bagel, a hotdog with relish, a burger using beef from Grassfield Farm in Hondo (about 50 miles west of San Antonio), and grilled redfish with German potato salad. These dishes will be served in the restaurant as well as to guests in their rooms. Small plates like charcuterie boards and oysters will be available at the pool.

Henry's at Green Pastures hotdog Not everything at Green Pastures is fancy.Photo by Jessica Stephens

Cocktails aren't relegated to the nighttime hours. Guests can order a breakfast martini with gin, red berry liqueur, lemon and strawberry jam; then they can come back at lunch or dinner for a Hugo Spritz or a signature cocktail. Draft cocktails like an Artemis Cup, Back Porch Tea, and Espresso Martini keep things simple and can be served without alcohol.

For travelers and staycationers, the guest rooms and nine suites in the newly constructed, three-story hotel offer a "quiet, restorative retreat," according to a press release. Both room styles show off high ceilings and windows that maximize that height, plus hardwood floors, marble sinks, anddeep bathtubs. The suites are all named after wildlife that might be found on the property, and the building is shaped like an "L" to work around existing live oaks. Even parking is out of the way, hidden underground.

Inn at Green Pastures guest rooms The guest rooms keep things simple and serene.Photo by Casey Dunn

The new structure was designed by the highly regarded local architecture firm Clayton Korte. Its many recognizable projects include other historically sensitive builds, like major renovations just announced in November at Austin's Paramount and State Theatres. On the interior, local design studio Noah Marion is responsible for leather goods around the property including catchall tray, decor, games, apparel, and more that will all be for sale to guests.

Completing the resort feel, a luxury spa is planned for a 2028 opening.

Finally, the property will also be available for events, including weddings, with access to its gardens, event hall at Mattie's, and Green Pastures ballroom. A cottage also provides a space to get ready for the events to come.

Inn at Green Pastures The new addition looks nothing like the Victorian farmhouse it accompanies.Photo by Casey Dunn

“The Inn at Green Pastures is our way of offering guests a deeper connection to this special place,” said Jeff Trigger, chairman of the investor board and president of La Corsha Hospitality Group, in a press release. “Whether you're here for a wedding, a quiet getaway or drinks at Henry’s, we want every stay to feel personal, elevated and rooted in the beauty of Austin.”

Rooms at the Inn at Green Pastures start at $395.

openings hotels cocktails pools weddings

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Out to Pasture

New hotel and restaurant open at historic Austin 'pastures'