For the first time ever, we are hosting a combined State Championship event with both North Carolina AND South Carolina venues, and we're very excited to continue our partnership with Gilde Brewery to host the combined Steinholding Championship Finals of The Carolinas on Saturday October 17th, 2026 at 6:00pm at Gilde Brewery in Charlotte, NC! Qualifying venues from both North and South Carolina are eligible to join this tournament and send their winners to Charlotte! The German lagers will be flowing, and the winner of the men's and women's competition finals will be crowned the Steinholding Champions of The Carolinas!
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 the Carolinas 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 North Carolina AND South Carolina to host preliminary qualifying rounds at these venues. The men's and women's winner from each registered Qualifying Venue will be invited to represent their venue at Gilde Brewery for the Championship Finals. The different venues are listed below along with the dates and times for each competition. If your favorite North or South Carolina 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 Gilde Brewery Oktoberfest in their preliminary round competitions! Competitors who post the best overall times during their qualifying competitions on September 19th and 26th, and October 3rd, 2026, all at 7:00pm will qualify 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 USSA-trained 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Birdsong Brewing Co. | 1016 N. Davidson St., Charlotte, NC 28206 | August 22nd, 2026, time TBD |
 | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery - LoSo | 4150 Yancey Road, Charlotte, NC 28217 | September 12th and 19th, 2026, from 4:00pm-6:00pm |
 | Four Saints Brewing Company Ashetoberfest | Bicentennial Park, 135 Sunset Ave, Asheboro, NC 27203 | September 19th, 2026 at 2:30pm |
 | Fonta Flora Brewery | 6751 NC-126, Nebo, NC 28761 | September 19th, 2026 at 5:00pm |
 | Crank Arm Brewing Co. Sproktoberfest | 319 W Davie Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 | September 20th, 2026 at 2:00pm and 3:00pm! |
 | Foothills Brewing | 3800 Kimwell Dr., Winston-Salem, NC 27103 | September 26th, 2026 at 2:00pm! |
 | Local Legend Brewing Company | 1014 William Hilton Pkwy, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 | September 26th, 2026 at 5:00pm! |
 | New Bern Breakfast Rotary B/S/H/ Oktoberfest | Union Point Park, 210 E Front St., New Bern, NC 28560 | September 26th, 2026 at 8:15pm! |
 | Triangle Oktoberfest at Koka Booth Amphitheatre | 8003 Regency Parkway, Cary, NC 27518 | October 2nd and 3rd, 2026, at 6:00, 7:30, and 9:00 on 10/2 and at 1:00, 2:30, 5:00, and 6:30 on 10/3 |
 | White Street Brewing Company | 218 S White Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587 | October 3rd, 2026 from 1:00pm-4:00pm! |
| | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery - Ballantyne | 15025 Bowl Street, Charlotte, NC 28277 | October 3rd and 10th, 2026, from 4:00pm-6:00pm |
 | Newberry Oktoberfest | 1207 McKibben Street, Newberry, SC 29108 | October 3rd, 2026 at approximately 3-4:00pm (tentative times)! |
 | Southend Brewing Oktoberfest | 117b W Lewis St., Greensboro, NC 27406 | October 3rd, 2026 at 6:00pm! |
| | Gilde Brewery | 3530 Dewitt Lane, Charlotte, NC 28217 | Local Qualifiers: September 19th and 26th, and October 3rd, 2026, all at 7:00pm State Finals: October 17th, 2026 at 6:00pm |
Want to compete or host a competition in a State Championship tournament? Check out the buttons below for more information!
