Festival Info

Gates open on Friday, October 4th at 5:00 pm and the music stops at 11:00 pm.

Saturday, October 5th gates open at 11:00 am and the party ends at 11:00 pm.

More information about tickets for KC Oktoberfest 2024 will be available soon.

We are not offering VIP tickets at this year’s festival. Unfortunately, with the growing size of the event, we felt we were unable to provide a quality VIP experience. We may reevaluate and restructure in the future.

You may either print your tickets, or show them on your mobile device at the gate at the event. If you pre-purchased your tickets online, you may use the Fast Pass entry lane when you attend the event.

No. The majority of the event is general admission seating. Only the reserved tables can sell out.

No. Attendees may purchase a commemorative festival mug on-site as well as tokens, which can be redeemed for bier. Tokens are $8 each and can be purchased at token stations on the festival grounds. There are two sizes of festival mugs available:

• A .5L mug (16 oz) can be purchased for $4 (mug only). Your first bier fill and subsequent refills are $8 (one token)*.
• A 1L mug (32 oz) can be purchased for $6 (mug only). Your first bier fill and subsequent refills are $16 (two tokens)*.

Food prices vary from $5 to $15 and are set by each food vendor, who will accept cash or credit card.

No. Crown Center also does not allow glass or ceramic mugs on the festival grounds. In order to reduce cup waste and to abide by health code regulations, we cannot fill mugs brought from home, unless it is a plastic mug from a previous KC Oktoberfest event!

Yes! If you attended a previous KC Oktoberfest event, you may bring your mug back to use at this year’s event. Unused tokens from last year’s KC Oktoberfest or other previous KC Bier Co. events also are valid at this year’s event.

All bier served at KC Oktoberfest is brewed by Kansas City Bier Company, Kansas City’s largest locally-owned brewery. KC Bier Co. brews fresh, authentic German-style bier with 100% imported German malt and hops using traditional German brewing processes. More information is available on the BIER page.

Yes! Two German wines will be available at all beverage stations throughout the festival: Riesling Kabinett, Shlink Haus / Nahe, Germany, and a red blend, The Kiss by Esterházy / Burgenland, Austria. Wines are 6 oz pours for $8 (one token).

Each beverage station also will serve a gluten-free pear cider made by KC Bier Co. in a .5L pour for $8 (one token) or in a 1L pour for $16 (two tokens).

There will also be a wine tasting opportunity featuring 6 other German wines and several presentations by Schlink House Winery.

Yes! A special hotel block for Friday, Oct. 4 or Saturday, Oct. 5 will be available at The Westin Crown Center, on-site at the festival and the Sheraton Hotel, within walking distance of the event. Rooms include (2) general admission tickets for each night booked. Guests will receive their tickets at check-in. You can reserve yours soon! There is more information below.

Yes, re-entry is allowed. When exiting, you will receive a stamp that will allow you to re-enter the festival.

No. A reserved table guarantees your group a spot under the Crown Center Terrace Tent (Main Tent) near the main entertainment stage. The steins and bier tokens are purchased separately. See above for more information on how to purchase steins and tokens.

No. Reserved tables located near the Main Stage are limited to only 36 tables in the Crown Center Terrace Tent on Friday night (5–11:00 pm), Saturday (11:00 am–4:30 pm), and Saturday night (5–11:00 pm).

Please note that there are 169 additional tables available on a first-come, first-served basis where guests can sit. These tables cannot be reserved:

• 55 tables in the Crown Center Terrace Tent on Level 2
• 70 tables in the Polka Tent on Level 2 (which also has a stage and live entertainment all weekend)
• 38 tables in the Level 3 Bier Tent

More details on reserved tables will be posted on the Tickets page as they become available.

KC Oktoberfest features live German-style entertainment all weekend on two stages, located under large tents with covered seating for thousands of guests, in addition to performers roaming the festival grounds. Music is that which you would hear at the Munich Oktoberfest, including traditional polka and modern/progressive polka with a focus on audience interaction and singing along to classic American popular music.

As is customary in Germany, the late night sets showcase an Alpine rock band, which is a high-energy party band that performs German-language festival songs and covers of classic American pop and rock ‘n roll music, with an emphasis on singalongs. The full entertainment schedule is posted under the Entertainment page.

The entire Crown Center complex, including the retail center and both hotels, is handicapped-accessible. Both KC Oktoberfest entrance gates have ramp options that allow access to the festival without stairs. Access to the main music tents is also available via an accessible ramp on the northeast corner of the Crown Center fountain square. That leads guests up to the blue level where the main music tents are.  Handicapped-accessible parking is available on Levels 2A and 3A of the Crown Center Shops parking garage. For more information on visiting Crown Center, please visit: https://www.crowncenter.com/visitor-information.

Fill out the vendor application linked under the Contact page. To create an authentic Oktoberfest event like that which you would experience in Munich, our food and marketplace vendors are chosen with that in mind.

All performers have been booked for the 2024 KC Oktoberfest. To submit an inquiry for future events, please email your interest to info@kcoktoberfest.com.

General Admission tickets can be used on either day just in case your plans change.

Per Crown Center rules, only service dogs are allowed on the festival grounds.

Yes, tickets can be purchased on-site at the festival entrance either day of the festival.

KC Oktoberfest offers covered seating for thousands of guests under several large tents with Bierhalle-style bench and table seating, so yes, it is a rain or shine event!

Yes. GA tickets provide entry into all public areas of the festival, including all tents.

Festival parking will be available in the Crown Center parking garages, which will be free all weekend.

Food prices range from $5 to $15 and will vary among the food vendors at the festival, who control their pricing. Vendors will accept cash or credit cards for payment.

Please send an email to info@kcoktoberfest.com with more information about your request, and a member of our team will assist you as soon as possible.

Yes! Admission for children 12 and under is free, and there is a free Kids & Family Activity Zone inside the festival grounds that is accessible with a GA ticket.

The Games & Competitions Area will host the traditional Masskrugstemmen (stein-hoisting competition), Hammerschlagen (aka “hammer and stump” in America), Bavarian-Style “Best Dressed” competition, and other exciting games and competitions. Check out the ENTERTAINMENT page for more information. The free Kids & Family Activity Zone features a selection of traditional carnival games.

There is limited seating outside the larger festival tents, and plenty of standing room. You are welcome to bring a portable chair, e.g., camping chair, lawn chair, etc.

Weapons, drugs, outside food or drink, non-service animals, electioneering, soliciting, bicycles, scooters, hoverboards, skates and skateboards are not allowed on the festival grounds. For the safety of all guests, all bags are subject to inspection prior to being admitted into the festival.