Photos: Bay Area’s Oktoberfest season now in full swing

Let the dancing and stein-holding contests begin!

Oktoberfest season is well under way in Germany and here in the Bay Area.

Redwood City’s celebrations under the tent at Courthouse Square will run through Sunday (with tickets available Sunday afternoon and evening only; Friday-Saturday are sold out), and the parties start soon at classic restaurants like Alameda’s Speisekammer and Teske’s Germania in San Jose.

Big city Oktoberfests coming up include Clayton (Sept. 30-Oct. 1), Oakland’s Dimond district (Sept. 30-Oct. 1), Los Gatos (Oct. 1), Mountain View (Oct. 7-8), Walnut Creek (Oct. 13-14), Campbell (Oct. 21-22) and from now through Oct. 29 at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

For details on these or more events, click on our expanded Oktoberfest list. And check out our feature on new beer gardens for gatherings any time of year. There are options in Gilroy, Livermore, Alameda, Menlo Park and elsewhere.