the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood, community woke up to disappointing news today: the Ridgewood Oktoberfest has been officially canceled due to the ongoing state of emergency. The severe weather conditions and focus on public safety have regrettably made it impossible to host the popular fall festival.
While the cancellation is a letdown for attendees, the organizers wanted to share a massive thank you to the heart of the event: the local small businesses and devoted residents.
A True Community Effort: Fully Funded by Local Support
In a major milestone for the event, the 2025 Ridgewood Oktoberfest was set to be the first year completely funded by the generosity of Ridgewood’s small businesses and residents. This overwhelming show of local support highlights the incredible spirit and camaraderie of the community.
“Huge thank you to our amazing sponsors & vendors — this would’ve been the first year fully funded by Ridgewood small businesses & residents (best community ever!),” stated the organizers.
Though the day’s event is called off, that community spirit is exactly what will power an even bigger and better return next year!
Mark Your Calendars for 2026!
Put a huge circle on your calendar: The Ridgewood Oktoberfest is already scheduled for October 11, 2026!
The organizing team is already looking ahead and actively seeking new volunteers and team members to help make the next event a spectacular success. If you’re passionate about local festivals and giving back to the community, you can reach out to them at ridgewoodoctoberfest@gmail.com.
Fun Facts About the World’s Largest Folk Festival
To keep the spirit alive, it’s worth remembering the scale of the original celebration—the Wiesn in Munich.
- Massive Attendance: Oktoberfest in Germany is officially the largest folk festival in the world. In 2023, the event drew a record-breaking 7.2 million visitors.
- A River of Beer: Those millions of visitors consumed close to 2 million gallons of beer (approximately 7.4 million liters) during the 2023 festival alone.
- Royal Origins: The very first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, and it culminated with a now-traditional horse race.
- Munich-Only Brews: Despite global celebrations, only beer from one of six designated breweries within the city limits of Munich can be officially called “Oktoberfestbier.”
The history of the festival is rich with tradition, from the addition of roasted chicken vendors and carnival rides to the now-ubiquitous glass steins. We look forward to seeing Ridgewood’s unique celebration of this fun-filled tradition return in 2026!
we hope the villager Ridgewood cleaned out all the catch bases and ditches throughout the town. There’s no excuse it’s been extremely dry all summer.