Update, October 16: rained out. Sunday turned into a washout and we called it. The plan stays here for next year — the wiener dogs will race again.
Munich’s Oktoberfest didn’t happen for me this year, so the Valley’s own is getting the job. The Four Peaks Oktoberfest is back on Tempe Town Lake for its 53rd year, and we’re going Sunday. Sunday is the day to go: admission is free for everyone, the wiener dog races run all afternoon, and Monday is the first day of Fall Break, so nobody has to rush home for bedtime.
We’re leaving the car behind, too. It’s the light rail both ways, which means no parking hunt downtown and a train ride that Charlotte will count as half the fun.
👪 The Crew
- Me. Day-pass holder, navigator, and official dachshund-race commentator.
- Charlotte. Here for the wiener dogs first, the rides second, and a giant pretzel third.
- Our friends. Invited! I’ll put names in here once everyone answers.
🚆 Getting There
Home to the lake: a short drive, then the B Line to downtown and the A Line to Tempe.
- ~12:00 PM: leave home and drive about 15 minutes to the Metro Parkway Park & Ride at the old Metrocenter. It’s the end of the line, and parking there is free.
- B Line south to downtown Phoenix, then transfer to the A Line heading east toward Tempe and Mesa. Get off at Mill Ave/3rd St. Plan on about an hour of riding, and check the Valley Metro trip planner that morning for Sunday times.
- Walk about 5 minutes north to Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Pkwy.
- ~1:15 PM: in the gate. It opened at noon, so the dog races are already rolling.
Open transit directions in Google Maps
The fest doesn’t sell parking, so if our friends drive in, the city garages near Rio Salado and Ash Ave are the move, and Tempe TRiP shows live spots and rates. Everyone meets at the wiener dog track in Central Park, next to the Beer Hall.
🎟️ Tickets & the Train
| What | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday admission | Free | all ages, noon–10 PM |
| Friday/Saturday admission | $20 presale, $25 gate | 20 and under free all weekend (not our day) |
| Carnival rides | on site | City of Fun Carnival; ride prices not posted yet |
| Light rail day pass | $4 adult, $2 ages 6–18 | good for the whole day, both lines |
| VIP Backstage | from $80 | private bar and stage view, skip it |
- The bag rule is strict. Only clear bags or single-compartment totes no bigger than 12″ × 6″ × 12″ get in, and no backpacks at all. Pack light.
- No pets. Only service animals and the registered racers, so our dog-watching is strictly from the sidelines.
- It’s rain or shine, there’s lots of shade, and cards work everywhere inside.
- Double-check everything on the official site and its Know Before You Go page. Fares are on Valley Metro.
🕑 The Day, Hour by Hour
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 12:00 | Leave home, drive to the Metro Parkway Park & Ride, and grab day passes. |
| ~1:15 | Off the train at Mill Ave/3rd St and through the gate. |
| 1:15–2:30 | Wiener dog races in Central Park by the Beer Hall. Find a spot along the track and pick favorites. |
| 2:30–3:30 | The Stein Holding Contest at the Lakefront Stage (grown-ups holding a full stein out at arm’s length until they shake). Then Kinderfest. |
| 3:30–5:00 | Carnival rides, plus the last dog heats before they wrap at 4. This is the warmest stretch, so shade breaks between rides. |
| 5:00–6:00 | Dinner: brats, a giant pretzel, and strudel. Sunset is 5:58. |
| 6:00–7:30 | The lights come up on the lake. Whiskey’s Quicker headlines the Lakefront Stage at 6:30, and there’s time for one more ride. |
| 7:30 | Walk back to Mill Ave/3rd St and ride home. Back by about 9, and no school in the morning. |
🐕 The Wiener Dog Races
The main event, as far as Charlotte and I are concerned. The dachshunds race Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 PM in Central Park near the Beer Hall, heat after heat all afternoon. New this year is a “Low Center of Gravity” class for dogs 12 inches and shorter, which sounds like the most serious competition in the entire state.
Nothing’s guaranteed in wiener dog racing. Half of them sprint for the finish, and the other half stop to visit the crowd. Either way it’s the best free show in Tempe.
🎠 Kinderfest & the Carnival
The Kinderfest kids’ area has the Hansel & Gretel Village, Bubble Mania, the Duck-toberfest Pond, gold panning, and carnival games. The midway rides come from City of Fun Carnival, from the merry-go-round up to the Sizzler. Kinderfest hours and ride prices still say “TBA” on the For Kids page, so I’ll check again the week of.
🥨 Brats, Pretzels & Strudel
From the food and drink page (this year’s full menu is still filling in):
- Brats, several ways: the Kilt Lifter brat, jalapeño cheddar, the West Coast brat, and the signature one. Plus frankfurters for the less adventurous.
- The Bavarian Plate, if someone wants the whole spread.
- A soft pretzel with cheese sauce, which is non-negotiable.
- Fresh-baked strudel and cookies for dessert, or churros, funnel cake, and ice cream.
- Lemonade and sodas for the kid crowd.
🌤️ Weather Outlook
Oktoberfest forecast: Sunday, Oct 11
See the numbers
| Hour | GFS | ECMWF | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 AM | 89° | 89° | 86° |
| 1 PM | 91° | 90° | 88° |
| 2 PM | 92° | 91° | 89° |
| 3 PM | 92° | 92° | 90° |
| 4 PM | 92° | 92° | 90° |
| 5 PM | 92° | 92° | 89° |
| 6 PM | 92° | 91° | 86° |
| 7 PM | 92° | 90° | 84° |
| 8 PM | 91° | 88° | 81° |
| Rain chance | 10% | 4% |
This is a long-range look, 12 days out, so only the two models that reach that far (the American and the European) are in the chart so far. Both say sunny and about 92° in the afternoon, a couple of degrees warmer than a typical Oct 11, with only a 4–10% rain chance. That means sunscreen, hats, and water bottles, shade breaks during the 3-to-4 PM peak, and saving the rides for when it cools off. By 7 PM it should be back in the 80s, which is good weather for walking along the lake.
I’ll re-run the forecast the week of, once the National Weather Service and the other models come into range.
✅ Still to Lock In
- Hear back from our friends, then put their names in the crew list.
- Day passes: load the Valley Metro app, or buy passes at the Metro Parkway machines.
- Check Kinderfest hours and ride prices when the site posts them.
- Clear bag only. Leave the backpack at home.
- Meet-up spot: the wiener dog track in Central Park, by the Beer Hall.
- Pack: sunscreen, hats, water bottles, and a portable charger.
- Re-check the forecast the week of.
- Dress the part? The fest has an attire page if anyone wants to go full lederhosen.
Pretzels in hand, a spot on the rail, and a message for every dachshund on the starting line: stop whining, and run.