Northside Oktoberfest

11/25/2025

Spread some love on the Northside this Holiday season!

09/20/2025

'Twas right before Brewfest

As from far and wide

The crowds had been gathering

On the City's Northside.

And my wife with her scarf

And I in my cap

Had just settled in

To see a keg take its tap.

Scarcely knowing the difference

Between porter and stout,

We'd come to give our palates

A craft beer workout.

When what to our wondering eyes should appear,

But that fellow from John's who knows all about beer!

Oh, his demeanor was dapper,

His eyes twinkled non-stop;

He could tell limbic from lager

Just by tasting one drop!

He fielded all questions

With aplomb and no trouble;

He would expound at length

About a triple and double.

It had begun long ago

When one special yeast

Had made "liquid bread"

The first moveable feast.

'Til now -- as Hawks to the end zone

By their courses they came --

As introducing good friends,

He called them by name:

Now, porters, now pilsners, now, witbier we bring!

Here's dunkels and pale ales -- and a good bock from last spring!

As the harvest moon brightens without any glare,

So he his wisdom did graciously share.

And we heard him exclaim as the crowds started to clear,

Merry Brewfest to all -- and to all a good year!

R.C. Swartz
2011

09/20/2025

The 29th Annual Northside Oktoberfest is Tomorrow! 🥨

Northside Oktoberfest brings together three unique experiences - there is something for everyone!

Iowa City BrewFest | 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Exclusive sampling event
- Tickets can be purchased online until 8AM on Saturday. After 8AM, purchase your tickets at Johns Grocery
- Check-in at Gilbert/Market outside of Bluebird Diner

Bier Hall | 12:00 - 8:00 p.m.
- Tickets only available to purchase at the event
- $5 mug allows you to purchase beer & wine at the surrounding Northside restaurants
- ***Does not allow you to sample

SodaFest | 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- $5 unlimited soda samples!
- Purchase your mug at Market/Linn outside of Iowa Conservatory
- Plus, free activities with The Iowa Children's Museum

Learn More Here: https://mailchi.mp/70c9dd333923/northside-oktoberfest-ka21x59lch-13447024

09/17/2025

Here is everything you need to know before attending Bier Hall at the 29th annual Northside Oktoberfest, happening THIS Saturday, September 20th!

🎟Bier Hall tickets can be purchased at the event. Tickets are $5 and include a commemorative mug that can be filled with beer or wine purchased from the surrounding Northside businesses.

📍Check-in will be located on Linn Street next to the Webster

🎷We have a full lineup of events from 12:00 - 8:00 PM! See below for the entertainment schedule.

🥨Come hungry! From 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. the following restaurants will be set up outdoors for easy festival access. Around 3:00 p.m. restaurants may transition to indoor food service. But don't forget, the party continues until 8:00 p.m.!

Where do I find food?
- Brix Cheese Shop & Wine Bar
- Johns Grocery with Thoma's Meat Market
- Kindred Coffee
- Marco's Grilled Cheese cart
- New Pioneer Co-op
- Oasis Street Food & Oasis Falafel Restaurant
- Paper Crane Ramen and Cocktail Lounge
- Wild Culture

Where do I find beer?
- Brix Cheese Shop & Wine Bar (inside/outside)
- George's (inside)
- Wild Culture (outside)
- Johns Grocery (outside)

09/15/2025

We have a fantastic lineup of German fare this year! You'll notice traditional items like German Potato Salad alongside a few twists on classic dishes like the Asian-inspired Schnitzel from Paper Crane. The Northside restaurants have gone all out for the 29th annual Northside Oktoberfest happening THIS Saturday!

Food will be served outdoors until 3:00 or 4:00 p.m., after which most restaurants will transition to their regular indoor service. The party continues until 8:00 p.m. with DTKK headlining the evening from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. You won't want to miss their performance - they are the Amana Colonies' Original and Authentic German Blaskapelle.

PLUS we'll have roasted Bavarian cinnamon-glazed nuts from Pella at the intersection of Linn and Market next to SodaFest. They smell almost as good as they taste!

🥨Brix Cheese Shop & Wine Bar
🥨Johns Grocery with Thoma's Meat Market
🥨Kindred Coffee
🥨New Pioneer Food Co-op
🥨Oasis Street Food & Oasis Falafel Restaurant
🥨Paper Crane Ramen and Cocktail Lounge
🥨Wild Culture

09/12/2025

🍂🍻 Northside Oktoberfest is back for its 29th year! Mark your calendars for next Saturday, Sept. 20th, as the historic Northside neighborhood transforms into Iowa City’s ultimate fall festival!

Here’s what’s on tap:
🍺 40+ craft beer vendors at the exclusive Iowa City BrewFest (11AM – 3PM)
🍻 Bier Hall street party & beer garden vibes (12PM – 8PM)
🥤 SodaFest with Iowa Children's Museum for families & kids (11AM – 3PM)
🎶 Live music, contests, food, & free entertainment all day

🎟️ BrewFest tickets just $60 — limited and going fast!
🎟️ $5 commemorative cups & wristbands available for Bier Hall & SodaFest at the fesival.
🎟️ General festival admission is FREE — come for the vibes!

Don’t miss Iowa City’s signature fall tradition — nearly three decades strong!
👉 Get your tickets + details at:
www.downtowniowacity.com/northside-oktoberfest

Northside Oktoberfest Celebrates 29 Years September 20, 2025 - https://mailchi.mp/downtowniowacity/northsideoktoberfest-13446985

09/09/2025

Over 140 brews will be available to 2025 Iowa City BrewFest attendees. And don't forget, your $60 comes with *unlimited* samples!

⬇️Check out the current list of brews here:https://downtowniowacity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-BrewFest-Brews-1-1.pdf

📱Create an account with Untappd! On event day, you can log in to keep track of your favorite brews.

🍺Follow the event on Untappd to receive updates on this year's menu. Check out the up-to-date menu here: https://untappd.com/v/northside-oktoberfest-brewfest/423566

🎟Purchase your Iowa City BrewFest ticket here: https://downtowniowacitymarket.com/products/2025-iowa-city-brewfest-tickets-northside-oktoberfest

Your favorite beer festival returns to the Northside this fall on Saturday, September 20th! Northside Oktoberfest celebrates 29 years and will include BrewFest, the beloved sampling event from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Come enjoy the Bohemian nature of the Northside Marketplace with unlimited craft bee...

07/16/2025

Tickets for Northside Oktoberfest’s BrewFest, presented by Eastern Iowa Airport • CID, are now on sale in person at Johns Grocery! 🍻

Snag your early bird ticket now and save $10 — prices go up to $60 on September 1st and only 800 BrewFest tickets are available.

Learn more or purchase tickets online at: www.downtowniowacitymarket.com

07/01/2025

Filming in the Northside this August! Please share with your friends and family and help us make some HISTORY!

05/19/2025

I'll never forget La Casa. The Seuppel family was amazing. Unfortunately at one point with business tailing off, they announced that they were going out of business. Our community rallied, supported them, but then eventually business slowed, and they again announced that they were closing. This cycle happened again, and finally they did end up closing, and Iowa City lost an amazing business.
Business these days is very hard, and owing a family business is even harder, and that is why we need to support all of our local businesses now more than ever!
On this page, it is amazing to see all of the amazing memories of our town, and I love learning about the all of the people and businesses that have made Iowa City what it is. I just wished that more of our very transient community took the time to dig a little deeper and to see why it is so important to shop local. If we don't continue to shop local, we loose what makes Iowa City unique.
So the Iowa City Downtown District has come up with a way to help our "Legacy" businesses. Starting today, it's simple: buy $200.00 worth of anything from these places that make Iowa City such a cool place to live, and get a $40.00 gift card for FREE!
So please, continue to shop local, continue to help promote and preserve our current businesses, so they don't become just memories on this page.
Shopping local matters, now more than ever!

04/24/2025

And now you know the rest of the story…

John's Grocery, affectionately better known as “Dirty John’s,” is the last remaining totally independent grocery store in Iowa City. Learn about the story be...

04/15/2025

Something going down on the Northside!