12 Best Oktoberfest Activities for Teams to Celebrate at Work

Say ‘Prost!’ to the beer season with your team through a fun and interactive Oktoberfest party. While Munich may be the spotlight of this legendary celebration, who says teams can’t enjoy the Bavarian party vibe at the office or from home? Beyond just beer and bratwurst, the right Oktoberfest activities can get your team in the Gaudi mode. They’re perfect for themed team socials, cocktail hours, and company offsites, giving everyone a reason to connect and celebrate together. 

In this article, we have handpicked a selection of Oktoberfest activities that will bring the lively spirit of this German festival to life for remote, hybrid, and in-person teams. Read on. 

Table of Contents

What is Oktoberfest?

Oktoberfest is a world-renowned German festival that originated in Munich in 1810, coinciding with the royal wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria. It’s a celebration of Bavarian culture, featuring lively traditions that include beer, food, music, and dancing. Traditionally held from late September to the first weekend in October, the festival draws millions of people to enjoy steins of beer, bratwurst, pretzels, and a variety of fun activities.

Why Bring Oktoberfest Festivities to Your Team?

An Oktoberfest-themed party is a fun way for teams to experience a lively Bavarian celebration together. Whether you host beer tastings, bar games, or craft workshops, these activities put everyone in the festive spirit and make it easy for them to mingle beyond work. From raising a stein and saying ‘Prost!’ to traditional music, food, themed activities and decor, Oktoberfest events create a relaxed setting for teams to make lasting memories. 

Which Oktoberfest Activity Should You Choose?

12 Best Oktoberfest Activities for Teams

Explore 12 fun and engaging Oktoberfest activities, including culinary experiences, creative workshops, and games to host a festive event for your team. These activities work well for remote, hybrid, and in-person teams so no one is left out of the fun. 

Prost! Bavarian Bites and Brews

Bring the flavors of Oktoberfest to your team with festive food and drink experiences inspired by Bavaria’s famous culinary traditions.

Hooray Teams insight: After hosting Oktoberfest celebrations for distributed teams, we’ve found that the most successful events combine one culinary experience with one interactive activity. For example, pairing a pretzel-making workshop with trivia or a beer tasting with Beer Tank naturally keeps conversations flowing and prevents the event from feeling like just another happy hour.

We’ve also noticed that offering non-alcoholic options and Bavarian-inspired snacks makes celebrations more inclusive while still preserving the festive atmosphere.

1. German Beer Tasting 🍺

Beer has been at the heart of Oktoberfest for over two centuries, making German beer tasting one of the most authentic ways to celebrate the festival. Team members can sample various regional beers like Pilsner, Hefeweizen, Kölsch, or Dunkel and explore their flavor profiles before sharing their tasting notes and favorite brews with the group.

We recently hosted a guided beer tasting at our workplace, and it was such a hit. Our beer expert even shared a fun fact about how Dunkel beer was once considered a “liquid bread” in Bavaria. We also had a ‘First Beer Ever’ story circle, and the whole team cracked up hearing everyone’s hilarious first-time experiences.

Pro tip: Opt for non-alcoholic beer variants like Alkoholfreies Pilsner for team members who prefer to skip alcohol. 

2. Pretzel Making Class 🥨

Pretzels are one of Oktoberfest’s most classic foods. Let your team try this popular snack firsthand by learning how to twist and bake them at a pretzel-making class. Team members learn to knead, shape, and knot the dough to bake chewy, fluffy German pretzels. They can also add custom toppings like cheese and cinnamon sugar and serve the snack with mustard dips to add a flavorful layer to their creations. 

You can even host a pretzel decorating competition and award creative titles like ‘Twist Master’ or ‘Brezn Picasso‘ to the best ones. To elevate the experience, pair your freshly baked pretzels with traditional German sides like Obatzda, bratwurst, or a Hefeweizen to recreate the vibe of a Bavarian beer tent. If you have a remote team, choose a hosted class that includes ingredient kits so everyone can bake, interact, and enjoy the experience together online. 

Did you know? Pretzels were invented by an Italian monk who baked twisted dough loops around 610 AD to reward kids who learned their prayers.  

3. Oktoberfest Snack Bar 🌭

If you want to treat your team to traditional Bavarian street food during Oktoberfest celebrations, set up a snack bar at work. You can decorate the space with classic blue and white decor and load the station with classic favorites like soft pretzels, bratwurst, sausages, schnitzels, sauerkraut, and hearty potato salad. To complement the flavors, offer a refreshing mix of beverages such as non-alcoholic beer, sparkling apple cider, and a few mocktails. 

If you have a remote team, send them meal vouchers to order takeout of their favorite snacks to enjoy over a video call. To make the most of this experience, schedule the event during lunch hour or late evening so employees can relax and enjoy their meals in a laid-back setting. 

Try this: If setting up a snack station isn’t feasible, host a Bavarian potluck instead where team members bring their own snacks and beverages to share with coworkers. 

4. Beer Cocktail Mixing 🍸

Put a fun twist on your Oktoberfest happy hour with a beer cocktail mixology session. Teams mix beer-based cocktails like radler, colabier, or ginger lime lager using German lagers or pilsners paired with citrus and flavored mixers to create unique drinks. For a more engaging experience, bring in an expert mixologist to guide everyone, suggest flavor combinations, and share tips to create well-balanced beer cocktails. 

You can also run mini challenges like cocktail naming or garnishing contests and vote for the best entries for a friendly competition. To further dial up the fun, have everyone dress up in themed outfits, play lively music in the background, and participate in games like guess the beer style or pub trivia to keep everyone engaged.

Creative Oktoberfest Activities

Dive into creative Oktoberfest activities that let teams enjoy hands-on experiences and craft Bavarian-inspired keepsakes together during team celebrations. 

5. Beer Stein Decorating 🎨

Beer steins are central to the Oktoberfest experience. Decorating your own stein adds a personal touch to the celebration and gives everyone a keepsake they’ll actually use long after the event ends.  Set up a decorating station with paints, decals, markers, and embellishments so team members can personalize their beer mugs to sip their drinks in style. For remote teams, ship curated decorating kits to participants and host a virtual decorating session so everyone can enjoy the activity together. 

Need inspiration? Try one of these easy themes during the session:

• Classic Oktoberfest: Beer mugs, pretzels, and ‘Prost!’ lettering
• Bavarian Icons: Edelweiss flowers, alpine hats, and cuckoo clocks
• German Folk Art: Floral patterns, swirls, and hearts
• Personalized Stein: Initials, team catchphrases, personality traits

6. Alpine Hat Makeover 🤠

Alpine Hats are an iconic part of Bavarian attire, and festivalgoers often wear them to complete their Oktoberfest look. You can also bring the tradition to your team by hosting an alpine hat decorating session. Set up a craft station (send curated kits to remote teams) with colorful feathers, braided cords, faux flowers, or pretzel charms for team members to personalize their traditional Bavarian hats together. 

Offer custom hat pins with initials or embroidered patches for everyone to add a personal touch to the creations. Team members can also wear their finished pieces to strike a pose at a themed photobooth or showcase their creativity at a mini fashion parade. 

7. Festive Cookie Decorating 🍪

Bring your team together for an Oktoberfest cookie decorating session to decorate and savor some Bavarian-inspired treats. Team members paint plain sugar cookies with designs such as pretzels, beer steins, alpine hats, edelweiss flowers, hearts, and more using edible food colors.

You can also set up a cookie display table (remote teams can create a virtual gallery) for everyone to check out each other’s decorated treats and exchange them with coworkers. 

Did you know? Lebkuchenherzen, aka gingerbread hearts, are tied to ribbons so festival goers can wear them as necklaces while exploring Oktoberfest. 

8. Bavarian Flower Crown Making 💐

Flower crowns have become a popular part of Oktoberfest fashion, adding a festive touch to the celebration. Making Bavarian flower crowns is a fun way for teams to recreate these iconic headpieces and style them together. Using faux or fresh flowers, ribbons, floral wire, and decorative embellishments, team members can craft their crowns from scratch. 

To make the event more inclusive, let everyone create custom variations like lapel pins or bracelets, so they can style their creations based on their preferences. Wrap the session with a group photoshoot where everyone poses with their handcrafted pieces to post on social media or publish in internal newsletters. 

Did you know? The flower crowns we see at Oktoberfest today are often associated with Jungfernkranz, a Bavarian floral wreath worn to weddings and festivals.

Oktoberfest Games and Competitions

Oktoberfest is packed with lively games and challenges like keg rolling and Masskrugstemmen that capture the spirit of the festival. Here are a few games you can play to bring the festive spirit to work. 

9. Oktoberfest Trivia 💡

Does your team know why Oktoberfest is held in September? Or what’s the meaning of the word Prost? An Oktoberfest trivia is a fun way to test their knowledge and engage in a friendly competition. You can create a question bank around topics like Oktoberfest traditions, Bavarian culture, German cuisine, traditional attire, and more to challenge your team. Mix in fun rounds like myth or fact, guess the picture, or rapid-fire questions to keep the game interesting for all. 

Bonus read: Check out 100+ Oktoberfest trivia questions to enjoy a fun quiz inspired by the Bavarian festival. 

10. Oktoberfest Bar Games 🎯

Oktoberfest bar games bring the festive energy of a traditional German beer hall to your team event. You can plan some classic games played during the festival to engage everyone in a lighthearted competition. This can be hosted as part of a game break between activities or like a fun Office Olympics-style tournament during team happy hours. 

Here’s a mix of games suitable for remote, hybrid, and in-person teams: 

• Masskrugstemmen: Hold a stein filled with beer (or water), keeping your arms fully extended and parallel to the ground for as long as possible. 
• Hammer Schlagen: Drive a nail into a wooden stump using a wedge-shaped hammer with the fewest number of hits to score a win. 
• Beer Pong: Take turns throwing ping pong balls into the opposing team’s cups. If a ball lands in a cup, the other team must drink its contents.
• Oktoberfest Bingo: Mark off themed prompts from your cards as called out by the host to create a winning combo and shout ‘Bingo!’ to win. 

Pro tip: Give fun prizes to the winners, such as Oktoberfest-themed goodies, badges, gift cards, and more, to reward them.

11. Oktoberfest Scavenger Hunt 🔎

Put a festive spin on the classic game by hosting an Oktoberfest-themed scavenger hunt for teams. Participants follow a list of clues inspired by the festival to track down accessories, food items, costumes, and decorations hidden around the venue within a set time. Remote teams can find matching items in their immediate surroundings to participate from a distance. You can also frame the prompts as trivia questions, riddles, or creative clues to make the game more interactive and engaging. 

12. Beer Tank 🎤

If your team loves Shark Tank, they’ll enjoy Beer Tank, a fun Oktoberfest-themed spin on the classic show. In this fun twist, team members pitch their fictional beer brands, complete with unique flavor profiles, catchy names, and clever marketing angles, to a panel of mock “investors” in hopes of landing a deal.

Split your team into small groups and give them time to brainstorm their beer concept, including ingredients, branding, and a sales pitch. Then, have them present to a judging panel (aka your office “sharks”). As a bonus, arrange for team members to enjoy a beer tasting session at the end of it and raise a toast to the team with the most convincing pitch. 

Pro tip: Introduce a jingle round where participants create and sing a catchy jingle of their brand for a more hilarious experience.

Bonus Oktoberfest Activities

Want more ideas for an Oktoberfest party? Here are some bonus activities to bring some extra festive cheer to your team.

• Oktoberfest Lingo Workshop: Go beyond ‘Prost!’ and learn some traditional festival lingo, including greetings and simple conversation starters, by hosting a language learning session. You can also mix in fun role-play exercises (like ordering a drink at a beer tent) or trivia games to make the experience fun for all. 
• Bavarian Themed Party: Host a themed celebration inspired by traditional German beer garden culture, with Bavarian-inspired decor, music, food, and fun party games. For an extra festive touch, have everyone dress up in lederhosen, dirndls, or blue-and-white accessories to recreate the authentic German beer festival vibe. 
• Oompah Band Performance: Invite an Oompah band to perform at your team party (live or online) to create a lively festival atmosphere. The upbeat tunes can get everyone clapping and grooving and set the tone for a memorable celebration. 
• Munich Virtual Tour: Take your team on a guided tour through Munich to explore the birthplace of Oktoberfest. Team members will get to see iconic landmarks, learn about the festival’s history, and explore Bavarian culture from afar. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When is Oktoberfest?

Oktoberfest is celebrated from mid-September to the first Sunday of October. 

Can we plan an Oktoberfest corporate event for teams?

Absolutely! Planning fun games and activities for an Oktoberfest party can be a great way to embrace the festive spirit with your team and enjoy a fun refresher from work. 

How to host a virtual Oktoberfest celebration for teams?

To host a virtual Oktoberfest celebration, select a video conferencing platform like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Create a list of virtual Oktoberfest party activities, like beer tasting, pretzel making, and trivia, and assign a host to lead the session. Send out meeting invites with all the necessary details so everyone can join the event. You can also opt for remote team building companies to enjoy a fully hosted experience. 

Is Oktoberfest just about beer tasting? 

No! While beer is an important part of the festival, Oktoberfest is also about celebrating Bavarian culture through food, music, traditional attire, and community spirit. 

What are some of the best activities and games for Oktoberfest party?

Some Oktoberfest party games and activities include trivia, beer tasting, bingo, and pretzel-making classes. 

How to celebrate Oktoberfest at work? 

You can host activities like beer stein decorating, festival games (like Masskrugstemmen or keg rolling), and dance sessions to celebrate Oktoberfest at work. 

What are some fun Oktoberfest events for remote teams?

Oktoberfest-themed trivia, bingo, and beer tastings are some of the fun events that can be adapted for online celebrations. 

What foods are served at Oktoberfest parties?

Popular Oktoberfest foods include bratwurst, schnitzels, soft pretzels, sauerkraut, potato salad, roast chicken, and apple strudel.

What are some fun Oktoberfest games?

Beer pong, keg rolling race, and hammer schlagen are some fun games for an Oktoberfest party.