The History Behind the Biergarten

Cullman’s Oktoberfest comes with the expected beer, music and German food, but this celebration has something many fall festivals cannot claim: the town’s German story started long before anyone rolled out the biergarten.

Founded in 1873 by German immigrant Johann Gottfried Cullmann, Cullman grew from his vision of a colony for European immigrants. More than 150 years later, that origin story still shows up in the city’s identity, including one of Alabama’s longest-running fall traditions.

The Cullman Oktoberfest returns October 1–4, 2026, filling Depot Park with German food, music, cultural displays and a Hofbräuhaus Biergarten serving Hofbräu München beer.

Plenty of Oktoberfests can produce a respectable pretzel and a row of steins. Cullman has the advantage of history.

A Tradition With Local Roots

The festival’s food lineup keeps the German influence close to the center of the weekend, while the music and cultural programming reinforce the connection between the modern celebration and the community that grew from Cullmann’s original settlement.

One of the more distinctly local traditions is the Burgermeister, an honorary figure selected to represent the community during Oktoberfest. The Burgermeister nomination process keeps that tradition tied to Cullman residents rather than treating it as festival decoration.

The city’s German connection also reaches beyond history books. Cullman maintains a sister-city relationship with Frankweiler, Germany, the hometown of Johann Gottfried Cullmann. That ongoing relationship gives the festival another layer, connecting the founder’s 19th-century journey to a present-day link between the two communities.

That is what makes Cullman’s Oktoberfest feel different from a seasonal theme dropped into town for a long weekend. The lederhosen, beer and German menus may be the most visible pieces, but underneath them sits a much older story about immigration, settlement and the ways communities choose to remember where they came from.

For Cullman, Oktoberfest is less about pretending Alabama is Bavaria for four days and more about recognizing the German influence that was already here.

In this corner of Alabama, Bavaria is not merely a festival theme. It is part of the family tree.

For more celebrations rooted in communities across the state, browse the Guide to Alabama directory at https://www.guidetoalabama.com/festivals.