Can you imagine having a wedding ceremony so epic, so exuberant, and so delightfully boozy that, for generations to come, millions of people across the world would gather each year to raise a stein, eat some pretzels and recreate said wedding ceremony in your honor?

For Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, their legendary 1810 nuptials did just that — marking not only the beginning of their marriage but also the birth of Oktoberfest, a world-renowned festival celebrated every year of grand proportions in Munich, Bavaria, and has trickled down to hundreds of celebrations across the globe. Including our little corner of the world, Boulder County, paying tribute to the legendary Volksfest with more than a half-dozen local Oktoberfests.

This year, honor Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese at these Oktoberfest-inspired occasions, fall harvest fetes and autumnal affairs across the Front Range. Whether you plan on throwing back a frosty pilsner at Louisville Oktoberfest or celebrating the changing seasons at Nederland Harvest Festival, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate the arrival of fall — and your favorite royal German duo — in style.

Boulder Fall Festival

In Boulder, fall officially kicks off early at Boulder Fall Festival on Pearl Street from Sept. 13-15. Though you won’t find “Oktoberfest” in this family-friendly event’s description, the weekend celebration still includes a beer garden filled to the brim with local breweries serving up frothy concoctions and seasonal sips. Guests can enjoy grog from Avery Brewing’s draft trailer — a portable version of the popular brewery — which will have the Great American Beer Festival’s award-winning malty lager “The Kaiser” on tap, among others.

A selection of hard ciders, wines, margaritas and non-alcoholic beers will also be available for the gluten- and booze-wary Fall Festival-goers.

The festival will include a jam-packed lineup of music, including Denver-based bands — Latin-soaked fuzz rockers iZCALLi, fast-picking Americana string band Chain Station, intergalactic electric banjo jam trio Foggy Mountain Spaceship — and Californa-based soul music songstress Saritah, among others.

“Our live music lineup this year is probably one of the best we’ve had,” said Anna Salim, vice president of operations and programming at Downtown Boulder Partnership.

“The depth and breadth of music that we have been able to bring together this year is really remarkable. We have local musicians, artists traveling here from out of town and bands that tour nationally spanning all different kinds of genres. So hopefully people will come out and discover their new favorite artist”

In between music sets and beer sips festival-goers can peruse Firefly Handmade Market, which will feature more than 100 creatively curated local artisans selling wares at their booths. From one-of-a-kind jewelry, whimsical paintings and hand-stitched clothing, you’ll likely find your next favorite treasure from one of the local vendors.

One of the most exciting aspects of this year’s fall festival is, according to Salim, the bounce houses that will be taking over the Boulder County Courthouse lawn.

“As far as festivals across the Front Range go, Fall Festival has them all beat because we have children’s entertainment that is completely free,” Salim said. “It wasn’t until I was a parent myself that I realized how important it was to have free, accessible activities for kids at these events. It helps parents enjoy themselves more, and kids certainly enjoy themselves more, as well.”

The massive inflatables will be located inside the beer garden, so kiddos can run around freely while parents enjoy some beverages just a couple of feet away. The inflatables include an 18-foot single-lane slide, a dragon bounce house and a 30-foot obstacle course.

Salim said that the festival is a perfect way to soak up the last dregs of summertime sunshine.

“This year, Fall Fest is falling on the last weekend of summer,” Salim said. “So I kind of see it as a kick-off to the season to come, but it’s also a last chance to celebrate the end of summer and give it one last big hurrah in our beautiful downtown.”

Boulder Fall Festival is free to enter. For more information, visit boulderdowntown.com/fall-fest.

Longmont Oktoberfest

Longmont’s official Oktoberfest celebration kicks off on Sept. 21 in Collyer Park, 600 Collyer St. Presented by the Longmont Humane Society, the fall-time celebration comes complete with beer, pretzels, an eclectic mix of world music and even a hangout space made especially for furry friends.

This year marks the second annual Oktoberfest hosted by Longmont Humane Society, and events and outreach manager Emmy Delis said that they’re ready to bring the heat.

“Last year was the first year having Oktoberfest after the pandemic, so we were shaking off some of the cobwebs and getting used to doing big festivals again,” Delis said. “But this year, we already have more than double the amount of beverage partners, and our music lineup is out of this world.”

Delis added: “The whole theme of this Oktoberfest is meant to feel global and feel

like everyone has a place here. It’s not just a German festival, although we are timing it with Munich’s festival — it’s more of a celebration of everyone that also happens to take place in September.

With featured performances from artists like the Celtic rock group Potcheen, Dominican reggae outfit Harry Mo and the Cru (aka the Colorado Reggae Unit), Klezmer brass band Gora Gora Orkestar and Longmont rock band Native Station taking the stage, this Oktoberfest will feel more like a global cultural celebration than a traditional backyard beer festival.

Attendees can look forward to a selection of food offerings as diverse as the musical lineup — including modern Mexican bites from LoCo Burritos, traditional down-south dishes from Turner’s Pit BBQ and a Japanese onigiri from Kawaii Konbini.

While the event celebrates human beings from around the world, guests are encouraged to bring their canine companions to the festival, as well.

“We have an entire section of the festival that caters to dogs, including vendors that make items like bandanas, treats and leashes — and that area includes water and plenty of shade for pets,” Delis said. “You don’t need a dog to enjoy this festival, but if you want to bring your pet, they are more than welcome here.”

Festival proceeds will benefit a few local animal-centric nonprofits Longmont Humane Society, which provides shelter to thousands of lost, surrendered and abandoned animals every year; Annie and Millie’s Place — a Longmont-based nonprofit that endeavors to keep people experiencing homelessness together with their pets; and Greenwood Rehab, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Boulder County.

“While this event also helps with fundraising, we really love being able to give back to the community in a fun, cool way,” said Delis. “We just passed a big anniversary — our 50th birthday in 2022 — so we have lots of gratitude to give back to Longmont for the many years of unwavering support.”

Tickets for the Longmont Oktoberfest start at $15 (early bird tickets are $13) and can be purchased via longmonthumane.org/calendar/oktoberfest.

Here are some of Boulder County’s upcoming fall extravaganzas

Upslope’s Oktoberfest Party: 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, Upslope Brewing, 1898 S. Flatiron Court, Boulder. Throw back some Bavarian-inspired beers, or sip on a $5 pint of Oktoberfest Festbier Lager, while feasting on pretzels, brats and burgers. There will be a stein-hoisting challenge, a costume contest and a mini-keg toss — all for prizes. Free; upslopebrewing.com.

Louisville Oktoberfest: Friday-Saturday, Sept. 13-14, Tri-City Elks Lodge, 525 Main St., Louisville. Come celebrate harvest and community at this public event. There will be lots of festive food, libations, entertainment and fun for the whole family. The Louisville Oktoberfest is an all-volunteer and nonprofit event that benefits the Tri-City Elks Lodge. Free; facebook.com/LouisvilleOktoberfest.

Boulder Fall Festival: Friday-Sunday, Sept. 13-15, Downtown Boulder. This three-day autumn festival features local food, a large beer/wine/margarita garden, live music, family entertainment and activities. The Firefly Handmade Market will bring in dozens of artisan vendors along the historic Pearl Street Mall; boulderdowntown.com/fall-fest.

Broomfield Days: Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 21-22, Midway Park, 1270 W. Midway Blvd., Broomfield. The day begins with a community pancake breakfast, followed by runners lining up for the Mayor’s Cup 5K and Fun Run before the Broomfield Days Parade comes down Midway Boulevard. Later, guests can explore over 300 vendor booths, food trucks, a car show featuring unique and classic cars, a children’s clown contest, DockDog competition, a duck race, inflatables for children to jump on, a petting zoo with farm animals and live performances on three stages. Free, broom

field.org/broomfielddays.

Longmont Oktoberfest: noon Saturday, Sept. 21, Collyer Park, 600 Collyer Park, Longmont. Close out summer with some fun in the sun with friends and neighbors. Shake your tail to an eclectic mix of world music, enjoy local craft beverages, delicious food and shop local businesses and vendors. Proceeds go to local animal support organizations. $14-$80, longmonthumane.org/calendar/oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest 5K Fun Run: 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, Twisted Pine Brewing Company, 3201 Walnut St., Suite A, Boulder. Celebrate Oktoberfest with a 5K fun run. After the race, try Twisted Pine’s German-style beer, enjoy live music and eat a German-style breakfast burrito. $25-$45, teamboco.com/#/oktoberfestfunrun.

Left Hand Oktoberfest: 5 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Sept. 27-28, Left Hand Brewing, 1245 Boston Ave., Longmont. This longstanding Left Hand tradition that began in 2012 will bring back the live music, polka, stein-hoisting competition, brat-eating and costume contests; $25; lefthandbrewing.com/event/left-hand-oktoberfest-2024.

Oktobeerfest: 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, and 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, Lutheran Church of Hope, 1305 W. 10th Ave., Broomfield. The annual fall festival will have brews, brats, grilled corn, over 30 local vendors and more. All of the proceeds from Oktobeerfest benefit LCHope ministries and communities; lchope.org/oktobeerfest.

Boulder Oktoberfest Bar Crawl: 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, bars throughout Boulder. Participants hop from bar to bar, where they can just smell the aroma of freshly baked pretzels and beer on tap. Every bar will be filled with people looking to celebrate the spirit of Oktoberfest; tinyurl.com/5ymh6tp4.

Oktoberfest at St. Julien: 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, St Julien Hotel & Spa, 900 Walnut St., Boulder. Get ready to raise a stein and celebrate on the lawn and terrace of the St. Julien. Alan Polivka Band will provide the polka and oompah classics. Tickets include a German-themed buffet. There will be prizes for best dressed and stein holder winner and yard games for the kids. $32, tinyurl.com/58t47jy6.

Erie Brewfest: noon Saturday, Oct. 5, Coal Creek Park, 575 Kattell St., Erie. Over 20 craft brewers will pour samples in the newly renovated Coal Creek Park, there will be food trucks, entertainment and commemorative glasses; $40-$45; tinyurl.com/ywbnz5eb.

Nederland Harvest Festival: 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6, Downtown Nederland, 80 E. Second St., Nederland. It’s time for Nederland Farmers Market’s last event of the season. Celebrate the fall season with vendors, events and live music. Free, nederlandfarmersmarket.org.

Sukkot on the Farm: 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, Boulder JCC, 6007 Oreg Ave., Boulder. Bring the family to Milk & Honey Farm to celebrate the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot. Spend time in the sukkah, shake the lulav, feed the animals, taste the farm’s bounty and participate in other seasonal farm activities. Bring a picnic lunch, and stay to eat in the sukkah after the program. Registration is required. $15, boulderjcc.org.

Lauren Farrauto contributed to this story.