Sunday, October 11th, 2026
11am – 6pm
(Rain date: Monday, October 12th, 2026)
The Harvard Square Business Association enthusiastically announces the highly anticipated Oktoberfest, now in its 47th year! The raucously madcap festivities featuring the 21st Annual HONK! hit Harvard Square on Sunday, October 11th from 11am to 6pm. Come be a part of this unique, irreverent, family-friendly tradition where musicians, activists, performers and spectators “reclaim the streets for horns, bikes and feet”!
Back for its 5th year is the enormously popular Filipino American Festival – a celebration of Filipino music, food and culture!
Harvard Square’s Oktoberfest features cuisine from across the globe, crafts, art, free samples and one-of-a-kind specialty gifts.
Raise a glass to all things fall at one of our beer gardens:
Alden & Harlow (40 Brattle Street)
Lovestruck Books (44 Brattle Street)
Russell House Tavern (14 JFK Street)
Arlington Brewing Company (in front of Charlie’s Kitchen, Eliot Street)
Don’t let the parade pass you by! Street activists, horn aficionados and their comrades will strut down Massachusetts Avenue. The parade departs Davis Square at noon and arrives in Harvard Square at approximately 1pm. Since 2006, HONK! festivals large and small have popped up throughout the world. Every October, the founding band of the HONK! phenomenon, the Good Trouble Brass Band, continues to share its hometown with kindred spirit street bands from all over the U.S.
Make sure to visit Church Street where you will be greeted by The Rotary Club of Cambridge and their exceptional, yet fleeting, “Chalk on the Walk”. This installation will transform the street into a colorful display of artistry and creativity.
Oktoberfest in Harvard Square was started in 1978 by the late Frank Cardullo, a Square mover, shaker and owner of the renowned Wurtshaus, which served up traditional German food from 1917 to 1996.
The early festivals were in keeping with old world customs. Over the years, the festival has taken on a more discerningly Cambridge vibe to become an Oktoberfest unlike any other.
Oktoberfest 2026 Partners include:
Alden & Harlow, Arlington Brewing Company, Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance, Irving House, Lovestruck Books, Passim, Renewal by Anderson, Russell House Tavern
Entertainment Schedule
Main Stage
(located directly in front of the Harvard Square Kiosk)
11am – Tiny Very Tall
Tiny Very Tall is a Boston-based alternative indie-rock band formed by four exemplary teenagers. With songs that cover topics ranging from popular household spices to a cat with a taste for radios, their upcoming album “In A Comic Font” will be released this fall. Leading with strong stage energy and complex musicality, Tiny Very Tall plays with charm and the power of friendship.
12pm – Granite
Granite is a New England-based band that refuses to be boxed into a single genre. Rooted in rock but drawing from funk, alternative, blues, and modern influences, Granite is built on powerful riffs, memorable melodies, and songs that deliver both energy and emotion.
1:00p HONK! Parade
2:00p Boston Music Project
2:08p Extraordinary Rendition Band
2:16p Ideal Maine Social Aid and Sanctuary Band
2:24p Conical Cacophony
2:32p Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band
2:40p Funkrust Brass Band
2:48p The Party Band
2:56p 8-Bit Brass Band
3:04p UNiTY Street Band
3:12p Yes Ma’am Brass Band
3:20p May Day Marching Band
3:28p Brass Balagan
3:36p Brassica and the Wild Sprouts
3:44p Undertow Brass Band
3:52p Rara Bel Poze
4:00p Singing Resistance
4:08p The Bread and Puppet Circus Band
4:16p Unlawful Assembly
4:24p The Jamaica Plain Honk Band (JP Honk)
4:32p Brass Solidarity
4:40p Detroit Party Marching Band
4:48p Forward! Marching Band
4:56p Rude Mechanical Orchestra
5:04p Leftist Marching Band
5:12p DC Activist Street Band
5:20p Expandable Brass Band
5:28p Brass Liberation Orchestra
5:36p All For One Brass Band
5:44p Good Trouble Brass Band
5:52p School of HONK
Eliot Triangle Stage
2:00p The Jamaica Plain Honk Band (JP Honk)
2:30p Unlawful Assembly
3:00p Ideal Maine Social Aid and Sanctuary Band
3:30p DC Activist Street Band
4:00p All For One Brass Band
4:30p Conical Cacophony
5:00p 8-Bit Brass Band
5:30p Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band
Arlington Beer Company Stage
(Charlie’s Kitchen – 10 Eliot Street)
2:00p Good Trouble Brass Band
2:30p Brassica and the Wild Sprouts
3:00p Forward! Marching Band
3:30p Brass Solidarity
4:00p Band Together (Pickup/Orphan Band)
4:30p Dirty Water Brass Band
5:00p Rara Bel Poze
5:30p Funkrust Brass Band
Church Street Stage
(at the intersection of Church Street and Massachusetts Avenue)
2:00p Expandable Brass Band
2:30p Brass Liberation Orchestra
3:00p School of HONK
3:30p The Party Band
4:00p Yes Ma’am Brass Band
4:30p Sass-a-Brass
5:00p May Day Marching Band
5:30p Detroit Party Marching Band
Palmer Street Stage
2:00p Fly By Brass Band
2:30p Leftist Marching Band
3:00p The Bread and Puppet Circus Band
3:30p Rude Mechanical Orchestra
4:00p Brass Balagan
4:30p UNiTY Street Band
5:00p Extraordinary Rendition Band
5:30p Undertow Brass Band
Rachael Solem Memorial Stage
(at the intersection of Brattle and Church Streets)
Sponsored by Irving House
Curated by Passim
12pm – Mimi Fang
1pm – Jacqui Armbruster
2pm – Dom The Composer
3pm – Grace Givertz
4pm – Isaiah Z Johnson
5pm – Nicolas Emden
5th Annual Filipino American Festival
(in the Church Street Parking Lot)
Get ready for a day of Filipino culture, music, food, and entertainment as the Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance, Inc. (HSPAA) presents the 5th Filipino American Festival.
This free, family-friendly festival brings the community together to experience the richness of Filipino culture through live performances, traditional food, interactive activities, and entertainment for all ages.
This year’s festival features an exciting lineup of Filipino entertainers, including Gabby Concepcion, Jam Morales, Rachel Anne Wolfe, Elmer Abapo, and the REO Brothers.
The REO Brothers, the acclaimed Filipino sibling rock band, will bring their energetic live performances of classic hits from the 1950s through the 1980s, featuring music made famous by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Bee Gees, Queen, and many more.
Back by popular demand, the festival’s Filipino eating contests and games are ready to bring excitement, friendly competition, and plenty of laughs to Harvard Square.The highlight is the Lumpia Eating Contest, where the winner will take home a $200 cash prize! Festivalgoers can also look forward to the Balut Eating Contest and Pancit Eating Contest, celebrating some of the Philippines’ most recognizable foods in a fun, competitive atmosphere.
Grendel’s Den Restaurant & Bar
Celebrates Oktoberfest Again!
Lederhosen, dirndls, German beer, food, and music all day Sunday 10/11/26. After the Harvard Square Oktoberfest at 6 pm (ish), we will tap the ceremonial keg of Weihenstephaner Festbier and hold our TWENTY FOURTH annual toast. Come find out who’s wearing the short, suede pants this year! First come first served, no reservations
Tia Fuller with opening act the Zeb Jewell-Alibhai Quartet
6pm
Grammy-nominated saxophonist Tia Fuller is a powerhouse bandleader and Mack Avenue artist known for her dazzling technique and bold creativity. A former Beyoncé band member and Berklee professor, she tours globally and stands as one of today’s most dynamic voices in jazz.
Tia Fuller-sax
Shamie Fuller-Royston- piano
Eric Wheeler- bass
Koleby Royston – drums
Tickets available here.
