Redlands Oktoberfest Event

By Katherine Vargas

On Oct. 4, 2025, I attended the Redlands Oktoberfest Annual Event at Sylvan Park in Redlands, California, hosted by the Redlands Optimist Club. This event has been held every year in October for the past 14 years. This year, it was held on both Saturday Oct. 4 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday Oct. 5  from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This event celebrates German culture with traditional food, music, games, and beer. It is a family-friendly event where everyone is welcomed, and a great way for the community to come together to have some fun! 

It is a very family-friendly event, and there were many activities to do. It is a place full of fun and entertainment filled with so many activities and games for both adults and children. For instance, there’s a kid zone with different activities like face painting, bouncy houses and hands-on projects. This event was also filled with many activities for adults as well, such as axe throwing, cornhole, Connect Four, life-size Jenga. Although I don’t have any kids, I would absolutely recommend parents to attend this event. 

After four years of living in Redlands, this was the first time I ever heard of this annual event and also my very first time going. Some of the best entertainment was the different live music they played. I got to hear some traditional German music by the SoCal Polka Band and Raincross Drive. This was different from the music I usually listen to, but it was good and I had a blast.

Something else enjoyable was the food and drinks. They had a variety of food vendors all over the park. I wanted to try something new so I got  the Nava Sausage and tasted a wide range of traditional German beer. I finished off the day with a delicious chocolate gelato dessert from Happy Camper Creamery.   

Overall, this was a great experience and I would absolutely recommend it to family and friends. There are so many activities for both adults and children. I will definitely be going again next year and inviting my family and friends to come with me!