We are very excited to announce an historic partnership with Hofbräuhaus Buffalo to bring Steinholding the Empire State and we're going big with a Steinholding tournament series that spans New York and culminates with the State Championship Finals on October 24th, 2026 at 5:00pm at Hofbräuhaus Buffalo! The Hofbräu bier will be flowing, and the winner of the men's and women's competition finals will make New York State Sporting History to be crowned the State Steinholding Champions!
The State Champs will receive a fresh new pair of lederhosen or a dirndl from our sponsor partners at BavariaTrachten.com where you can use our extremely creative discount code STEINHOLDING to get an extra 10% off any purchase of lederhosen, dirndls, and other great festival apparel all season long! More importantly, the winners at States will be invited to the USSA National Steinholding Championship to compete for the $4,000 cash prize! They'll receive up to $500 personal travel reimbursement and two nights hotel stay in Cincinnati if they represent New York at Nationals! But let's not get ahead of ourselves- they need to qualify for States first!
There are a limited number of spots available for the State Finals and you'll need to compete at one of our Qualifying Venue partner locations (listed below) to qualify for the finals and get your shot at the Steinholding glory.
1. We're partnering with breweries, bars, and festivals across the Empire State to host preliminary qualifying rounds at these venues. Each location will be sending the winner of their men's competition and women's competition to represent them at the Hofbräuhaus Buffalo State Championship Finals. The different venues are listed below along with the dates and times for each competition. If your favorite NY venue isn't hosting a competition, tell them to get registered so you can join the fun!
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2. You can compete at Hofbräuhaus Buffalo in their preliminary round qualifying competitions every Friday and Saturday night at 6:00pm from September 11th through October 10th, 2026, and the strongest competitors will be invited to move on to compete in the State Championship Finals.
U.S. Steinholding Association Official Steinholding Rules will be used. There will be a team of official USSA judges at the finals, so study up on the rules and spend some time training to make sure your form is clean, or you won't last long in the Championship Round!
Check out the initial competition map and venue list below. Don't see your favorite venue listed? Reach out to them and tell them that you DEMAND STEINHOLDING and they need to sign up! We'll be announcing more locations throughout the summer and fall so check back and follow us on FB and IG for updates. Remember- these venues will have limited spaces available for their qualifying rounds, so show up early and register in advance with the venue if you can!
| Venue | Address | Competition Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Mes Que Oktoberfest | 1420 Hertel Ave, Buffalo, NY 14216 | September 12th, 2026 at 2:30pm |
 | Freight Yard Brewing Oktoberfest | 4975 State Route 31, Clay NY 13041 | September 12th and 13th, 2026 at 5:00pm |
 | Spring Garden Association Schlachtfest | 3838 Two Rod Road, East Aurora, NY 14052 | September 13th, 2026 at approximately 2:00pm! |
 | The Ale House | 3744 Vestal Pkwy E., Vestal, NY 13850 | September 17th, 2026, time TBD |
 | Brewer's Taproom & Kitchen | 1384 Dryden Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850 | September 18th, 2026, time TBD |
 | Meier's Creek Brewing Co. | 33 Rippleton Road, Cazenovia, NY 13035 | September 19th, 2026 at 3:00pm |
 | Hamburg Oktoberfest | 59 Lake St., Hamburg, NY 14075 | September 19th, 2026 at 4:45pm! |
 | Eli Fish Brewing Co. | 109 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020 | September 19th, 2026, time TBD |
 | Candyman Pizza / Caputis Sheridan Pub | 2347 Sheridan Dr., Tonawanda, NY 14150 | September 24th, 2026 at 7:00pm |
 | Solera Taphouse Oktoberfest | 4393 State Route 414, Burdett, NY 148 | September 26th, 2026 at 2:30pm |
 | Wellsville Brewfest | Island Park, Wellsville, NY 14895 | September 26, 2026 at ~3:00pm! |
 | Resurgence Brewing Company Oktoberfest | 55 Chicago Street, Buffalo, NY 14204 | September 26, 2026 at 2:00pm and 4:00pm! |
 | Captain Jack's Oktoberfest w/ Jack's Abby | 8505 Greig St, Sodus Point, NY 14555 | September 26th, 2026, time TBD |
 | Lucky Hare Brewing Bar & Grill | 2 Seneca Harbor Dr., Watkins Glen, NY 14891 | October 3rd, 2026 at 2:00pm! |
 | Clifton Park Elks Lodge #2466 Elktoberfest | 695 MacElroy Road, Ballston Lake, NY 12019 | October 3rd, 2026 at 2:00pm! |
 | Muddy River Farm Brewery | 15544 County Highway 23, Unadilla, NY 13849 | October 3rd, 2026, time TBD |
 | A.W. Wander Oktoberfest | 145 East Seneca St., Manlius, NY 13104 | October 3rd, 2026, time TBD |
 | Grist Iron Brewing Company | 4880 NY-414, Burdett, NY 14818 | October 4th, 2026 at 1:00pm! |
 | Prison City Brewing Oktoberfest | 251 North St., Auburn, NY 13021 | October 4th, 2026 at 4:00pm! |
 | Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery | 342 Altamont Road, Atlamont, NY 12009 | October 10th and 11th, 2026 at 2:00pm! |
 | Mount Olive Oktoberfest | 30 Flanders Rd, Budd Lake, NJ 07828 | October 10th and 11th, 2026 at 2:00pm and 4:00pm on 10/10, 2:00pm on 10/11! |
 | Wicked Warren's | 119 W. 3rd St., Jamestown, NY 14701 | October 11th, 2026 with prelim competitions from 12-4pm, then head-to-head rounds at 5:30, 6:15 and 7:00pm! |
 | Hofbräuhaus Buffalo | 190 Scott Street, Buffalo, New York 14204 | Prelim Qualifying Rounds: Every Friday and Saturday night at 6:00pm from September 11th through October 10th, 2026 State Finals: Saturday October 24th, 2026 at 5:00pm! |
Want to compete or host a competition in a State Championship tournament? Check out the buttons below for more information!
