Downtown Meridian is getting ready for one of its biggest fall celebrations of the year.

Meridian Oktoberfest returns Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Idaho Ave. and 2nd St. in Downtown Meridian, bringing together local businesses, food and drinks, live music, 70 vendors, family activities, contests, and a full day of Oktoberfest festivities.

Hosted by the Meridian Chamber of Commerce, the event was originally created with a larger purpose in mind: bringing people into Downtown Meridian and shining a spotlight on the businesses, organizations, and people that make the community unique.

Today, Meridian Oktoberfest welcomes approximately 15,000 attendees from across the Treasure Valley and beyond, giving thousands of people an opportunity to spend the day exploring Downtown Meridian.

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Created to Support Downtown Meridian

For the Meridian Chamber, Oktoberfest is about much more than hosting a festival.

Supporting local businesses is central to the Chamber’s mission, and Oktoberfest was designed to create an event that would bring new eyes to Downtown Meridian while encouraging attendees to shop, eat, explore, and discover businesses they may not have visited before.

That local focus can be found throughout the event.

This year, approximately 70 vendors will fill the festival footprint, including food vendors, artisans and makers, product-based businesses, retailers, service-based businesses, and community organizations.

Guests can browse locally made products, learn about area businesses and services, meet business owners, grab something to eat, and spend the day discovering what the Meridian community has to offer.

Local Food, Drinks and Beer Vendors

Oktoberfest wouldn’t be Oktoberfest without plenty to eat and drink.

Food vendors will be serving festival favorites throughout the day, including plenty of pretzels and German-inspired options alongside a variety of other food and treats.

The event will also feature four beer vendors with strong local ties:

Loose Screw Beer Co. — Meridian’s own craft brewery and a longtime community gathering place.

127 Saloon — Downtown Meridian’s country-western bar bringing its signature personality and pours to the event.

Voodoo Brewing Meridian — A local brewpub serving craft beer and elevated pub favorites.

Sockeye Brewing — A Treasure Valley brewery that has been producing award-winning ales and lagers since 1996.

Guests who are 21+ and plan to purchase alcohol will need a valid photo ID and a 21+ wristband, available for $5 at the event’s wristband sales stations.

Live Music Throughout the Day

Music will help set the atmosphere from afternoon through evening.

Boise Edelweiss will take the Main Stage from 12:00 PM to 3:45 PM, bringing traditional Oktoberfest energy to Downtown Meridian.

Later in the evening, Soul Patch will take over the Main Stage from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM, closing out the event with live music as Oktoberfest continues into the night.

Contests, Games and Oktoberfest Competition

Guests looking for a little friendly competition will have plenty of opportunities to participate — or cheer from the sidelines.

The day’s lineup includes:

Youth Strudel Eating Contest
Kids ages 8–14 will race to finish their strudel at 11:00 AM on the Main Stage. The contest is sponsored by Boran Coffee Lounge.

Best Dressed Oktoberfest Attire Contest
Lederhosen, dirndls, and Oktoberfest style take center stage at noon as attendees compete for the best-dressed title.

Cornhole Tournament
Frontier Park will host a competitive cornhole tournament from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Participants will register through the Cornholio app and should come ready for a real tournament.

Pretzel Toss Game
At 2:00 PM in Generations Plaza, partners can test their aim by tossing an inflatable pretzel onto a plunger-style headpiece. The game is designed for kids and adults alike.

Strudel Eating Contest
The adult Strudel Eating Contest begins at 4:00 PM on the Main Stage and is sponsored by Boran Coffee Lounge.

Beer Pong Tournament
Teams can compete from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Centennial Park.

Brat Eating Contest
At 6:30 PM, competitors will take on the Brat Eating Contest on the Main Stage, sponsored by Valley Wide Cooperative.

Stein Hold at Sunset
One of the signature events of the evening begins at 7:20 PM. Competitors will test their strength and endurance during the Stein Hold at Sunset, sponsored by Loose Screw Brewery.

Activities for Kids and Families

Meridian Oktoberfest is designed to offer something for all ages.

From 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, families can visit Generations Plaza for Children’s Craft Projects. Younger attendees can also participate in the Youth Strudel Eating Contest, Pretzel Toss, and other activities happening throughout the day.

Families can spend the morning and afternoon exploring vendors, grabbing food, listening to live music, watching contests, and enjoying the downtown atmosphere together.

Plan Your Oktoberfest Day

The full event schedule includes:

10:00 AM: Event Opens

10:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Children’s Activities - Sponsored by Children's Museum of Idaho - Generations Plaza

11:00 AM: Youth Strudel Eating Contest (8-14 years old) - Sponsored by Boran Coffee Lounge - Main Stage

12:00 PM - 3:45 PM: Boise Edelweiss - Main Stage

12:00 AM: Best Dressed Oktoberfest Attire Contest - Main Stage

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Corn Hole Tournament - Frontier Park

2:00 PM: Pretzel Tossing Game - Sponsored by Boran Lounge - Generations Plaza

4:00 PM: Strudel Eating Contest - Sponsored by Boran Coffee Lounge - Main Stage

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Beer Pong Tournament - Sponsored by Smile Spirits - Centennial Park

6:30 PM: Brat Eating Contest - Sponsored by Valley Wide Cooperative - Main Stage

7:20 PM: Stein Hold at Sunset Contest - Sponsored by Loose Screw Brewery - Main Stage

7:30 PM - 9:00 PM: Soul Patch - Main Stage

9:00 PM: Event Ends

A Celebration of Local

At its heart, Meridian Oktoberfest is a celebration of the Meridian community.

It gives local businesses an opportunity to meet thousands of potential customers. It gives musicians and performers a platform in the center of the city. It gives vendors a chance to showcase what they create and provide. And it gives residents and visitors another reason to spend time discovering Downtown Meridian.

For the Meridian Chamber of Commerce, that is exactly what the event was created to do.

Come hungry, bring the family, meet up with friends, shop local, enjoy the music, cheer on the contests, and spend the day experiencing Downtown Meridian.

Meridian Oktoberfest
Saturday, October 3, 2026
10:00 AM–9:00 PM
Idaho Ave. and 2nd St. in Downtown Meridian

Learn more at meridianchamber.org/meridian-oktoberfest/.

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Meridian Oktoberfest was created with one simple goal in mind: to bring people into Downtown Meridian and help them discover the businesses, people, and energy that make this part of our community so special.

As the Meridian Chamber of Commerce, supporting local businesses is at the heart of what we do. We wanted to create an event that would not only be fun and unique, but also give people a reason to spend time downtown, explore local businesses, and experience Meridian in a new way.

Over time, Meridian Oktoberfest has grown into one of the Chamber’s largest community celebrations, welcoming approximately 15,000 attendees from across the Treasure Valley and beyond. For us, that turnout represents more than a successful event. It means thousands of people are spending time in Downtown Meridian, discovering local businesses, meeting local vendors, enjoying local entertainment, and experiencing the heart of our community.

That was always the intention.

Built Around Local Business

Local participation is woven into nearly every part of Meridian Oktoberfest.

The event brings together around 70 vendors, creating a mix of businesses and organizations for attendees to discover throughout the day.

That includes food vendors serving festival favorites, artisan and maker booths, product-based businesses, service-based businesses, retailers, and community organizations. Attendees can grab something to eat, browse handmade and locally produced goods, meet business owners, learn about local services, and discover organizations they may not have encountered before.

Our beverage lineup also highlights local businesses, with vendors such as Loose Screw Beer Co., 127 Saloon, Voodoo Brewing Meridian, and Sockeye Brewing helping create the Oktoberfest experience.

For the Chamber, that local focus is intentional. We want the dollars, attention, and visibility generated by Oktoberfest to create opportunities for the businesses that make Meridian and the surrounding community what it is.

A Full Day of Entertainment

Oktoberfest is designed to give people a reason to stay downtown, not simply stop by for an hour.

Live music fills the Main Stage throughout the day, including traditional Oktoberfest sounds and an evening performance.

Families can start the day with Children’s Craft Projects at Generations Plaza, while attendees of all ages can watch, cheer, and participate in a lineup of Oktoberfest competitions.

The day includes a Youth Strudel Eating Contest for ages 8–14, giving younger attendees their own chance to compete. Later, the adult Strudel Eating Contest takes the stage.

Guests are encouraged to embrace the Oktoberfest spirit during the Best Dressed Oktoberfest Attire Contest, where lederhosen, dirndls, and festive outfits become part of the celebration.

Competition continues throughout the day with the Cornhole Tournament, Beer Pong Tournament, Brat Eating Contest, and one of the event’s signature traditions - the Stein Hold at Sunset.

The Stein Hold brings everyone together as the day transitions into evening, with competitors testing their strength and endurance while the crowd cheers them on.

It is exactly the kind of moment we hoped Oktoberfest would create: people gathering downtown, laughing together, supporting local businesses, and making memories in Meridian.

More Than an Event

At its core, Meridian Oktoberfest is about visibility.

Every attendee who comes downtown is another person who may discover a restaurant they have never visited, walk into a shop for the first time, meet a local maker, learn about a service-based business, find a new favorite brewery, or simply realize how much Downtown Meridian has to offer.

That impact extends beyond the businesses operating inside the event footprint. Bringing thousands of people into the area creates additional opportunities for surrounding restaurants, shops, bars, and other downtown businesses.

That is why the location matters.

Hosting Oktoberfest on Idaho Ave. and 2nd St. in Downtown Meridian allows us to put the community itself at the center of the experience.

We are not just hosting an event in Meridian. We are inviting people to experience Meridian.

A Celebration of Meridian

Meridian Oktoberfest has become a place where families, friends, businesses, musicians, vendors, and community organizations can all come together.

You can spend the morning with the kids, shop dozens of vendors, grab lunch, listen to live music, cheer on a strudel-eating contest, challenge your friends to cornhole, enjoy food and drinks, and stick around for the Stein Hold at Sunset and evening entertainment.

And while Oktoberfest is certainly about having a good time, there is a bigger purpose behind all of it.

The Meridian Chamber of Commerce created this event to support local businesses, strengthen Downtown Meridian, and give people another reason to connect with the community.

Seeing approximately 15,000 people fill downtown each year - shopping, eating, listening to local music, participating in contests, meeting business owners, and enjoying Meridian together - is exactly why we continue to invest in it.

Meridian Oktoberfest is a celebration, but it is also a showcase of what happens when a community comes together to support local.

Meridian Oktoberfest takes place Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 10:00 AM–9:00 PM on Idaho Ave. and 2nd St. in Downtown Meridian.

Meridian Oktoberfest Brings a Full Day of Food, Music, Local Business and Downtown Fun