The final weekend of Shimmering Summer calls for a celebration.

Join us for a family-friendly Oktoberfest featuring delicious food and drinks, live music, lawn games, hands-on activities, and more. Traditional German fare and Oktoberfest beers will be available for purchase at our Festival Field pop-up pub, open from 11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. throughout the weekend. Explore Evanescent—our large “bubble” art installation, grab a stein and a pretzel, listen to a live polka band, and enjoy an afternoon outdoors with family and friends. There will be plenty to enjoy all weekend long as we soak up the last weekend of summer.

Admission is free for Garden members; Regular parking and admission fees apply for nonmembers.

Food & Drink Menu

Bratwurst Brothers
Bratwurst Brothers bring the fun of Oktoberfest to life with traditional German favorites, polkas, waltzes, and crowd-pleasing sing-alongs. Featuring seasoned Chicago-area musicians, the band delivers a lively, family-friendly Oktoberfest experience with plenty of audience participation and gemütlichkeit!

Jim and Justin of Modern Day Romeos 
Jim and Justin are an acoustic duo from the popular Chicago-based band Modern Day Romeos. They perform high-energy, interactive, acoustic shows playing classic rock, pop, 80s and 90s favorites, and modern hits.

Die Kellerknaben
From the beer halls of Münich to the taverns of Chicago, Die Kellerknaben has its roots deep in the heart of polka. Die Kellerknaben plays music that makes you want to dance! Not just a fad, the polka is part of the American heritage. The band will delight you with Oktoberfest favorites and classics from the international landscape. You’ll feel right at home singing along with the hits. No other style of music gives people so much joy, cheerfulness, and hilarity. We need this to brighten our daily lives!

The group has performed all over the Midwest, including venues such as Miskatonic Brewing, Cedarburg Cultural Center, Goldfinger Brewing, Phyllis' Musical Inn, Obscurity Brewing, Westmont Brat House, Old Elburn Hall, the Town Of Cicero, and the Westmont Lions Club Oktoberfest. Die Kellerknaben is also a favorite at senior communities, park districts, and festivals, and has played numerous corporate and private events.

Josh Skaja
Josh Skaja has played music in fancy big-city orchestra halls…and seedy small-town dives. He’s filmed live concerts for TV (and annoyed people in sports bars who were just trying to watch TV). He’s performed for heads of state and been heckled by a guy with eight teeth. On a boat, with a goat, on a train, in the rain…you get the idea. It’s all in service of one thing: connecting with people just like you, bonding over a shared love of great songs by the Beatles, Paul Simon, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, James Taylor, the Police, Chris Stapleton, Van Morrison, and more.