The best beer festivals in Orange County mix multi-week Oktoberfest parties with ticketed craft tastings. Start with Old World Oktoberfest in Huntington Beach, then Phoenix Club in Brea, and midyear OC Brew Hee Haw at the Fairgrounds.
This 2026 guide ranks eight recurring beer festivals and beer events I send people to first. It is a festival list, not a brewery crawl — for taprooms, use our best breweries in Orange County guide.
Dates shift every year. Buy tickets early for Boo Ha Ha, Brewers Mash, and Brew Hee Haw. Confirm age rules before you bring kids.
For the wider calendar beyond beer, bookmark our Orange County events calendar and the best annual festivals pillar.
Wine-first weekends sit on a different track. Keep this list for pours, steins, and craft tasting tickets.
1. Old World Oktoberfest
Old World Oktoberfest is still the beer festival I point to first. The biergarten at Old World Village has hosted Orange County’s biggest Oktoberfest party since the late 1970s.
For 2026 the season runs September 12 through November 8. Sessions land Wednesday through Sunday with daytime family windows and late 21+ Friday and Saturday nights.
You get imported German beers, bratwurst, multiple stages, and free parking in the village structure. Online tickets are cheaper than the door on many nights.
When to go and how tickets work
Wednesdays and Thursdays usually stay calmer and all-ages with a parent or guardian. Friday and Saturday evenings are the loud 21+ rooms.
Map to 7561 Center Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92647.
Plan through the Old World Oktoberfest page. Priority Pass add-ons help on peak October Fridays and Saturdays when lines stretch.
This is my best beer festivals answer when someone wants the classic Bavarian night, not a one-day craft tasting.
2. Phoenix Club Oktoberfest
Phoenix Club Oktoberfest is the authentic German club weekend North County locals guard. The club now hosts in Brea with an indoor beer hall, Bierstube, and patio biergarten.
For 2026, Saturday evenings run 21+ and Sundays stay all-ages. Food and drinks cost extra on top of the entry ticket.
Expect Spaten, Paulaner, Hofbrau, and friends on tap, plus schnitzel plates and stein-holding contests. Buy online in advance. Door sales are not the plan.
Brea weekends and advance tickets
Saturday nights lean adult. Sunday afternoons work better if you want youth dance groups and a calmer hall.
Find it at 375 West Central Avenue, Brea, CA 92821.
Check current weekends through local Oktoberfest roundups and the club’s ticket flow before you drive. This is my pick when Old World’s party energy feels too big and you want club tradition.
3. OC Brew Hee Haw
OC Brew Hee Haw is the summer craft beer roundup inside the Orange County Fair. Unlimited tastings meet tribute-band energy at the Action Sports Arena.
The 2026 dates landed July 17 and 18. Treat it as an annual Fairgrounds beer festival even when exact Fair weekdays shift.
Your event ticket typically includes same-day Fair admission. Parking stays separate, so budget the Fairgrounds lot.
Fairgrounds craft beer night
Arrive early for security lines and the walk to the arena. This is a separately ticketed show inside the Fair, not a free Midway sip.
Navigate to 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
Watch ocfair.com for the Action Sports Arena listing each summer. Pair it with our OC Fair complete guide if you are already planning a Fair day.
This is my midyear beer festival pick when Oktoberfest season still feels far away.
4. Boo Ha Ha
Boo Ha Ha is Orange County’s haunted homecoming beer night. Brew Ha Ha Productions packs 100-plus beer, hard seltzer, and cider pours into the OC Fair & Event Center.
Saturday, October 24, 2026 runs 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Tasting windows usually close earlier than the after-party music.
It is strictly 21+ with a physical photo ID. Costumes are encouraged. Full-face masks and prop weapons are not.
Tickets, VIP, and Fairgrounds layout
Presale general admission has started around the mid-$50s. VIP adds lounge access and dedicated pours.
The festival spreads across Main Mall, The Hangar, and Baja Bar & Grill on the Fairgrounds campus at 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
Details live on theboohaha.com. This is my October craft tasting when you want Halloween energy without a brewery crawl.
5. Brewers Mash
Brewers Mash is the Orange County Brewers Guild showcase. Independent local breweries pour under the stars at the Heritage Museum of Orange County.
Friday, October 30, 2026 runs 6 to 10 p.m. The guild already lists future Mash dates into 2027 and 2028, which is a good sign for recurrence.
Unlimited craft tastings pair with live music, food vendors, and a costume contest. Food is usually extra.
Guild night at the Heritage Museum
Think local brewery depth over import Oktoberfest brands. Costumes are part of the fun, not an afterthought.
Map to 3101 West Harvard Street, Santa Ana, CA 92704.
Tickets and updates sit on the Brewers Mash 2026 event page and OC Brewers Guild events. This is my answer when someone asks where OC Beer Week energy went.
6. OCSC Beer Fest Series
The OCSC Beer Fest Series turns match day into a tasting festival. Championship Soccer Stadium at the Great Park hosts multiple beer fests across the season.
The 2026 series markets four events with 50-plus craft beers and seltzers, food trucks, and live music. Your ticket includes the OCSC match.
Recent 2026 dates include Labor Day on September 5 and Fan Appreciation on October 17. Entry times often open before kickoff for VIP and standard gates.
Soccer plus unlimited pours
This format works if you want a festival pour and a pro soccer game without changing venues. Arrive for the earlier VIP window when you can.
Head toward Championship Soccer Stadium inside the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Use the club’s maps from the OCSC Beer Fest Series page.
This is my pick when Oktoberfest halls feel too indoor and you want open stadium air with a flight of locals.
7. Beer City Half OC
Beer City Half OC is the run-then-refresh festival. Centennial Park in Santa Ana hosts half marathon, 10k, 5k, and Beer Stroll options with post-run local pours.
The 2026 race day is Saturday, November 7. A 2025 debut proved the concept before this return date.
Many tickets include a tasting glass and finisher beer window. A later Shindig often continues at Santa Ana River Brewing.
Race options and tasting pass
Skip the long races if you only want beer. The Beer Stroll and tasting-only tickets exist for that.
Start at Centennial Park, 3000 West Edinger Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92704.
Register through the Beer City Half OC signup. This is my hybrid festival when friends want miles and malt in one plan.
8. SteelCraft Garden Grove Oktoberfest
SteelCraft Garden Grove Oktoberfest is the mid-county container-village alternative. Live music, stein contests, and German-leaning food specials fill the outdoor food hall.
The 2026 celebration ran Saturday, September 19 from afternoon into night. Treat it as an annual early-fall SteelCraft tradition.
It is easier logistics than Old World’s peak Saturdays for many central OC drivers. Confirm ticket versus open-campus details each year on SteelCraft’s event listing.
Central OC patio Oktoberfest
Come for a looser biergarten feel among shipping-container kitchens. It pairs well with a casual group that does not want a Fairgrounds wristband night.
Map to 12900 S Euclid St, Garden Grove, CA.
Watch SteelCraft’s Oktoberfest event page for the next date. This closes the list with a recurring patio festival that is clearly OC, not a brewery-only tap takeover.
Beer festivals comparison
| Festival | City | Season | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old World Oktoberfest | Huntington Beach | Sep–Nov | Classic multi-week party |
| Phoenix Club | Brea | October weekends | Authentic German club |
| OC Brew Hee Haw | Costa Mesa | July (Fair) | Summer craft + Fair |
| Boo Ha Ha | Costa Mesa | Late October | Halloween tasting night |
| Brewers Mash | Santa Ana | Late October | Local guild breweries |
| OCSC Beer Fest | Irvine | Match-day series | Soccer + pours |
| Beer City Half OC | Santa Ana | Early November | Run + tasting hybrid |
| SteelCraft Oktoberfest | Garden Grove | Sept/Oct | Patio food-hall fest |
How to choose in one minute
Pick Old World for the multi-week Bavarian party. Pick Phoenix Club for authentic German club weekends.
Pick Brew Hee Haw for summer Fairgrounds craft pours. Pick Boo Ha Ha or Brewers Mash for late-October tasting nights.
Pick OCSC when you want stadium soccer with the festival ticket. Pick Beer City when friends want a race and a glass.
Pick SteelCraft when central OC logistics matter more than the biggest stage. Then check our events calendar for the exact weekend you can attend.
People Also Ask
Start with Old World Oktoberfest in Huntington Beach and Phoenix Club Oktoberfest in Brea for classic German beer hall energy. Add OC Brew Hee Haw at the Fairgrounds, Boo Ha Ha, Brewers Mash at the Heritage Museum, the OCSC Beer Fest Series in Irvine, Beer City Half OC in Santa Ana, and SteelCraft Garden Grove Oktoberfest for craft and patio options.
A dedicated countywide OC Beer Week is not currently listed as an active 2026 calendar on the Orange County Brewers Guild site. The guild’s flagship public festival focus is Brewers Mash in late October, with Lagers and Tacos listed as 2027 TBA.
The biggest multi-week Oktoberfest is at Old World Village in Huntington Beach. Phoenix Club hosts authentic Oktoberfest weekends in Brea, and SteelCraft Garden Grove runs a patio Oktoberfest. Smaller parish and brewery Oktoberfests appear each fall too.
Yes. Brewers Mash is the Orange County Brewers Guild festival for independent local breweries. OC Brew Hee Haw, Boo Ha Ha, and the OCSC Beer Fest Series also feature many craft pours. For year-round taprooms instead of festivals, see our best breweries guide.
Ticketed tastings include Boo Ha Ha, Brewers Mash, OC Brew Hee Haw, OCSC Beer Fest match days, and Beer City Half OC post-run pours. Old World and Phoenix Club Oktoberfest seasons add multi-weekend tasting and stein culture from September through November.
Old World offers all-ages daytime and early-evening sessions when minors come with a parent or guardian, while Friday and Saturday late sessions are 21+. Phoenix Club Sundays are typically all-ages. Boo Ha Ha is 21+ only. Always read the age rule for your exact session.
Beer festivals here skew Oktoberfest halls, craft tasting tickets, and brewery-guild showcases. Wine festivals lean seated tastings and winery guest lists. If you want steins and unlimited craft pours, stay on this beer list; wine weekends deserve their own OC guide.
For 2026, Old World Oktoberfest runs September 12 through November 8, Wednesday through Sunday, at 7561 Center Ave in Huntington Beach. Ticket prices and age rules change by daypart, so check Old World’s official Oktoberfest page before you go.
