Austin's Oktoberfest weekend starts today and runs through Sunday at three spots across the city — free admission everywhere, stein-hoisting contests, live polka, and enough sausage and beer to make Bavaria jealous. According to ATX Things reporting, here's exactly where to go and when, across St. Elmo Brewing's two Austin locations and Banger's Sausage House on Rainey Street.
What's actually free, and where
Both breweries are running the whole thing at no cover. St. Elmo Brewing (stelmobrewing.com) is doing it at both of its Austin locations — South Austin and Springdale — from today through Sunday. Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden (bangersaustin.com) is running its own three-day Oktoberfest on Rainey Street, also free, 11 AM to 11 PM daily.
Saturday's high is forecast near 95°F. Every daytime slot below — the noon and early-afternoon music sets, the kids' stein hoisting — happens in direct sun. If you're heat-sensitive, aim for the 6 PM-and-later sets instead.
Friday (today): happy hour and the first bands
St. Elmo is keeping it simple today — German Happy Hour all day at both locations, with $10 steins. No schedule of events beyond that; it's a come-as-you-are weeknight kickoff.
Banger's has the bigger Friday lineup: The Oompahs play at 4 PM, followed by The Hens at 7:30 PM, with all 202 taps and the full Oktoberfest food menu running the whole 11 AM–11 PM stretch.
Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden
$$Saturday is the day to actually plan around
This is when all three locations run full programming at once, so it comes down to which neighborhood and which vibe you want.
| Location | Neighborhood | Saturday schedule | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Elmo Brewing — Springdale | East Austin (8110 Springdale Rd) | 3 PM kids' stein hoisting, 4–7 PM Mackenzie's Good Time Polka Band, 6 PM adult stein hoisting | The polka band — the most traditional set of the weekend |
| St. Elmo Brewing — South | South Austin (440 E. St. Elmo Rd) | Feliza's Bakery 12–6 PM, Cinful Sweets 2–8 PM, 3 PM kids' stein hoisting, Tubameisters 3–7 PM, 6 PM adult stein hoisting | Two dessert vendors plus a brass band on top of the stein contest |
| Banger's | Downtown/Rainey Street (79 Rainey St) | Noon: MacKenzie's Good Time Polka Band, 4 PM: Jean-Pierre & The Zydeco Angels, 7:30 PM: The Country Clubbers | Longest single-day run — three full sets, noon to close, plus stein hoist and "Hammerin' the Loggin'" games |
Mackenzie's Good Time Polka Band plays both St. Elmo Springdale (4–7 PM) and Banger's (noon) on Saturday — same band, different neighborhoods, hours apart. If you want to see them without the crowd, Banger's noon slot is your quieter option.
Food at St. Elmo's locations comes from outside vendors, not a house kitchen: Spicy Boys (fried chicken, a fixture next to St. Elmo South), Pueblo Viejo, and Patty Palace are named on the weekend menu, alongside the two dessert trucks above. Banger's runs its own kitchen — sausages, schnitzels, pretzels, and German-inspired specials — for all three days.
""There's a beer garden vibe with a stage for live entertainment. They also have a food truck (Spicy Boys) on the premises... I can't rave enough about Spicy Boys next door. If you're feeling hungry, please try them. This was some of the best fried chicken I've had in terms of flavor and thrill from the tingly spicy sauce." — Nicholas Stevenson, Google review, St. Elmo Brewing South
Sunday: it winds down, but doesn't stop
Banger's keeps its full live-music lineup going Sunday — Michael Hoffer & The Austin Attitude at noon, Austin Cajun Aces at 4 PM, JD Casper at 7:30 PM — on the same free, all-day format, though the venue closes an hour earlier (9 PM) than Friday and Saturday.
St. Elmo South has the weekend's one ticketed add-on: Paint Your Own Stein with Café Monet, 12–2 PM, $10 via cafemonet.org, which includes one drink ticket (the pottery itself is priced separately). Kids are welcome — it's billed as a coffee-mug paint session, not a full stein.
What locals should know
- All three locations are free to enter. The only priced item across the whole weekend is Sunday's Paint Your Own Stein session at St. Elmo South ($10).
- Costumes are encouraged, not required — St. Elmo's own listing specifically calls the weekend family-friendly with dirndls and lederhosen welcome, not mandatory.
- Both St. Elmo locations are pet-friendly, and so is Banger's — this is a dog-weekend as much as a beer-weekend if you plan around the heat.
- Kids' stein hoisting starts at 3 PM Saturday at both St. Elmo locations, an hour before the adult version at 6 PM — same format, smaller steins.
- Banger's is the only venue running all three days with a full band lineup morning to night — if you only have one afternoon, that's the single stop that covers the most ground.
Not the only Oktoberfest this month
This isn't Austin's first stein of the season — Live Oak Brewing's 29th annual Oaktoberfest ran last weekend out near the airport, with its own polka lineup and a disc-golf course on-site. Between that one and this weekend's three-venue spread, Austin's brewery scene is deep into its fall run — expect more of these through mid-October.
FAQ
Is Austin's Oktoberfest weekend free? Yes. St. Elmo Brewing's South and Springdale locations and Banger's Sausage House on Rainey Street are all free to enter, Friday, Sept. 25 through Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. The one paid add-on is a $10 Paint Your Own Stein session Sunday at St. Elmo South.
Which location has the most going on Saturday? Banger's runs the longest single-day schedule — three live bands from noon to close, plus stein-hoisting and lawn games, all in one 79 Rainey St location. St. Elmo's two locations split their Saturday programming between South and East Austin.
Are kids and dogs allowed? Yes at all three. Both St. Elmo locations and Banger's are billed as family- and pet-friendly, with a dedicated kids' stein hoisting (smaller steins, 3 PM Saturday) ahead of the 6 PM adult version at both St. Elmo sites.
Do I need a reservation? No — none of the three venues require tickets or reservations for general entry. The only exception is Sunday's Paint Your Own Stein session at St. Elmo South, booked separately through cafemonet.org.
What if it's too hot? Saturday's forecast high is near 95°F. Every venue's evening slots (6 PM stein hoisting, 7:30 PM bands) happen well after the day's peak heat — a safer bet than the noon-to-3-PM window if you're heat-sensitive.
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