The Best Beer Festivals in Kitchener-Waterloo
Kitchener-Waterloo craft beer events — Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, KW craft brewery events, and Ontario Craft Beer Week programming. Updated weekly.
Kitchener-Waterloo is home to Canada's largest Oktoberfest — a nine-day city-wide celebration each October that pulls in hundreds of thousands of visitors — plus a growing year-round craft-beer scene at breweries like Descendants, Barnstormer, Together We're Bitter, and TWB Cooperative Brewing. During Ontario Craft Beer Week in June, KW breweries host tap takeovers, cask nights, and collaboration launches alongside the province-wide slate.
Kitchener-Waterloo's signature beer festivals
Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest
Signature Kitchener-Waterloo festival. Dates confirmed as the 2026–2027 season is published — bookmark this page or join the newsletter for release announcements.
Ontario Craft Beer Week
Signature Kitchener-Waterloo festival. Dates confirmed as the 2026–2027 season is published — bookmark this page or join the newsletter for release announcements.
KW brewery collaborations
Signature Kitchener-Waterloo festival. Dates confirmed as the 2026–2027 season is published — bookmark this page or join the newsletter for release announcements.
Where Kitchener-Waterloo’s craft-beer scene lives
- Uptown Waterloo
- Downtown Kitchener
Frequently asked
When is Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest?
Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest runs nine days in October, typically starting the Friday before Thanksgiving. It's the largest Bavarian festival in North America outside Munich, with dozens of Festhallen and craft-brewery collaborations across KW.
More Kitchener-Waterloo craft beer
Every Kitchener-Waterloo craft-beer event on one page — festivals, tap takeovers, brewery releases, live music, trivia and cask nights.