Tour Operators & Groups

Tour Operators and Groups: Plan your visit to Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest!

2025 Festival

Known for its vibrant atmosphere, lively celebrations, and authentic Bavarian experiences, the sounds of accordion music fill the air and steins of cold beer wait for the first notes of Ein Prosit at Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest. Be Bavarian amongst visitors from near and far gathering to celebrate at one of the city’s five Festhallen and Willkommen Platz.

Onkel Hans and Tante Frieda are excited to see visitors don their Tracht, raise a stein, polka around and enjoy delicious Bavarian cuisine from our German Clubs/Festhallen and local restaurants and food vendors downtown. 

The 2025 K-W Oktoberfest Festival runs from September 26 to October 18 with the main festivities taking place on Thanksgiving weekend from October 10 – 13. Weekend highlights include:

– Official keg tapping at 12 p.m. on Friday, October 10 in the Willkommen Platz, followed by live music, dancing and a vendor market in downtown Kitchener
– Dinner and entertainment at the Festhallen throughout the weekend
– Wrapping up with the Thanksgiving Day Parade on Monday, October 13 at 9:30am

Contact Tourism Coordinator Mandy Sinclair for itineraries, to create a bespoke experience for your clients during the Festival or year round, planning assistance, and marketing resources.  

Festhallen

Experience Bavaria right here in Kitchener-Waterloo and book a traditional German dinner at one of the region’s Festhallen:  

Habsburg Haus – senior friendly, emphasis on displaying German culture, live music by Wildbahn as well as performances from their own Alpine Dancers and Transylvania Club Dancers. You won’t want to miss is the apple strudel – handmade by Alpine Club members.

Hubertushaus – delicious German cuisine, senior friendly, live music, availability fills up quickly as the club is renowned for its Rollbraten-pork tenderloin barbeque on a rotisserie served with home-made spaetzle and homemade tortes.

Schwaben Club – senior friendly, limited bus access / parking, focused on comradery and tradition.  With a selection of over a dozen different German beers, award winning German food (featuring cabbage rolls, schnitzel, pretzels and black forest cake just to name a few), an engaging live band, an outdoor Biergarten reminiscent of Europe, and authentic entertainment throughout the evening, guests experience what the spirit of GEMÜTLICHKEIT truly means.  

Concordia Club – large venue, live music, delicious German cuisine, Concordia developed Oktoberfest “on a major scale”

KoolHaus (Bingemans) – all ages, live music featuring German and Canadian acts throughout the Festival, ample parking, where tradition and entertainment collide

Locate the local Festhallen with our handy map: https://www.oktoberfest.ca/festhallen/#festhallen_map

Advanced ticket purchase is mandatory for groups and we suggest reserving your table as soon as possible.  

Family Days at the Festhallen  

Sunday, October 13 is family day at three of our local Festhallen – Concordia Club, Schwaben Club, and Hubertushaus – making this a perfect time to enjoy the festive ambiance for all ages. Just note, Schwaben and Hubertushaus close at 3:30 p.m. while Concordia keeps the party going until 6 p.m. All other German clubs are closed on this day.  

On Thanksgiving Monday, Concordia Club and Habsburg Haus are the only Festhallen open and serving up traditional German fare. We highly recommend booking tickets in advance, noting that both clubs are open from 12 – 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Monday. All other German clubs are closed on this day. 

Willkommen Platz

The beating pulse of the K-W Oktoberfest action in the heart of downtown Kitchener.  The Willkommen Platz is open Friday 10, Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October from 11 am to 10 pm.  

Visit the vendor markets for local souvenirs including Idle & Wood Candle Co’s Oktoberfest-themed candles (with a portion of proceeds going to our local food bank), and local hot-sauce sensation Ginger Goat Hot Sauce and even Snicklefritz’s Oktoberfest mustard.

Inside the biergartens, Erdinger and our Ontario craft bier partners will be slinging brews which pair perfectly with Oktoberfest Beer Nuts, traditional schnitzel, sausage on a bun and even the Oktoberfest turkey poutine as you raise a stein and polka around. The space will be buzzing until well after the sun sets. 

With a VIP access badge purchased from K-W Oktoberfest, your group will enjoy stage views from an exclusive upper-level vantage point, VIP bar access, seating, and washroom access inside City Hall.  To purchase a VIP access badge for your groups, please contact tourism coordinator Mandy Sinclair.

K-W Oktoberfest Merchandise

Order essential swag – hat and feather and 2025 limited-edition festival pin – for your guests in advance either online or pop by Hans Haus to collect.

Find the Willkommen Platz on King Street from Queen Street to Water Street. This area will be car-free with bus parking nearby.

Thanksgiving Day Parade

The famed Thanksgiving Day parade makes its way from downtown Kitchener to Uptown Waterloo and features larger-than-life inflatables, marching bands, and floats displaying German heritage along the parade route. 

Book a bleacher seat in advance for your group prior to arrival as the parade travels up Weber Street from Frederick Street and finishes at Bridgeport Road around 11:30 am. Accessible seating to be reserved in advance.  

Portable toilets will be available and along the parade route.   

For bus parking during the parade, please email Mandy Sinclair, tourism coordinator, for details.

Year-round Festing

Keg tapping

Our keg-tapping team fills the keg with alcoholic or non-alcoholic beer (or another beverage of choice) before a traditional keg tapping ceremony complete with Onkel Hans, accordion music and an MC to create an Oktoberfest experience, any time of the year.   

Accordionist 

Polka around to the sounds of Ein Prosit and Roll out the Barrel as one of our favourite accordionists brings the spirit of Oktoberfest to venues in Waterloo Region.  

Visit with Onkel Hans and Tante Frieda 

Enjoy a visit with everyone’s favourite onkel and tante over a meal or as a guest appearance at a stop along the way during your visit in Waterloo Region.  

Women of the Year  

Expanding on the popular Kitchener-Waterloo event, K-W Oktoberfest is hosting the Waterloo Region Women’s Expo featuring two days of panel discussions, vendor village, and more on May 23 – 25, 2025.  

Beyond Oktoberfest Festivities

Wander through the St. Jacob’s Market and get an early taste of Oktoberfest with a stop at the Apple Fritter Co (it’s worth the wait), grab some meats and cheeses from the deli section to create a charcuterie board later in the day (or take a taste of the market home), and top off with some preserves from Kitchen Kuttings.  

While there, stop by the log house housing the Mennonite Story and learn about another German-speaking community in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Opt for a hop-on guide to tour through the surrounding “Mennonite country”.  

Explore the restaurant scene by sampling the Oktoberfest menu at BeerTown in Uptown Waterloo or Canadian Brewhouse in Kitchener. Venture out of town to sample traditional German cuisine at Metro Restaurant, Crowsfoot or the Old Heidelberg House.  

Delve into local history at the Schneider Haus National Historic Site (open 11 – 4:30), the home of some of the area’s earliest non-Indigenous settlers, Joseph and Barbara Schneider. Visit the restored Georgian-style wood-frame home, spring house, the wash house, the bake house, woodshed, and the privy as part of your visit.

Hotels

Crowne Plaza Kitchener-Waterloo

The Walper Hotel

Delta Hotels Waterloo

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kitchener Southeast 

Holiday Inn Express – Waterloo / St. Jacobs 

Staybridge Suites – Waterloo / St. Jacobs 

FAQ

Parking

Please contact Mandy Sinclair, Tourism Coordinator, to discuss coach bus parking near the Willkommen Platz and Thanksgiving Day Parade route.

Washrooms

With VIP access to the Willkommen Platz, guests have access to washroom facilities within City Hall. Portable toilets will be located along King Street.  

For Thanksgiving Day Parade, portable toilets will be located next to the bleachers.  

Drop-Off

Please contact Mandy Sinclair, Tourism Coordinator, to discuss drop-off and pick-up locations for the Willkommen Platz and Thanksgiving Day Parade.