We're very excited to announce our partnership with ArtsQuest's Oktoberfest, presented by Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) to bring Steinholding back to PA's Lehigh Valley and we're going big with a Steinholding tournament series that spans the great state of Pennsylvania and culminates with the State Championship Finals on October 10th, 2026 at 6:00pm at SteelStacks in Bethlehem, PA! The Sam Adams Octoberfest beer will be flowing, and the winner of the men's and women's competition finals will 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 Pennsylvania 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 our home state of Pennsylvania 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 ArtsQuest's Oktoberfest State Championship Finals. The different venues are listed below along with the dates and times for each competition. If your favorite PA venue isn't hosting a competition, tell them to get registered so you can join the fun!
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2. You can also compete as part of ArtsQuest's Oktoberfest Qualifier Competition on Saturday, October 3rd, time TBD!
U.S. Steinholding Association Official Steinholding Rules will be used. There will be a team of official 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Musikfest Stadtplatz | Payrow Plaza, 10 E Church St, Bethlehem, PA 18018 | August 6th, 2026, time TBD |
 | Lancaster Liederkranz Oktoberfest | 722 South Chiques Rd., Manheim, PA 17545 | June 13th and September 19th, 2026 at 4:00pm |
 | Vandergrift Oktoberfest presented by Allusion Brewing Co. | 143 Grant Ave, Vandergrift, PA 15690 | September 12th, 2026, multiple rounds of competition starting at 1:00pm! |
 | Unter Uns Musical and Entertainment Society Oktoberfest | 1401 Van Buren Ave., Altoona, PA 16602 | September 12th, 2026, time TBD |
 | Wallenpaupack Brewing Company Oktoberfest | 73 Welwood Avenue, Hawley, PA 18428 | September 13th, 2026, time TBD |
 | Groove Brewing Oktoberfest | 1401 Sanderson Ave, Scranton, PA 18509 | September 19th, 2026, time TBD |
 | Local Remedy Brewing | 531 Allegheny Ave., Oakmont, PA 15139 | September 19th, 2026, time TBD |
 | Cobblehaus Brewing Co. at the Falls Oktoberfest | 1015 Leesburg Station Road, Mercer, PA 16137 | September 19th, 2026, time TBD |
 | Yergey Brewing Yergfest | 235 Main St, Emmaus, PA 18049 | September 20th, 2026 at 1:00pm |
 | Wye Brewing Co. | 3 Forbes Road, Trafford, PA 15085 | September 20th & 27th, 2026 at 1:00pm! |
 | Axemann Brewery | 2042 Axemann Road, Bellefonte, PA 16823 | September 24th, 2026 at 7:00pm |
 | Half Barrel Brewing at Yenser's Tree Farm | 1910 Mahoning Dr E., Lehighton, PA 18235 | September 25th, 2026 from 6:00-9:00pm |
 | Old Forge Brewing Co. | 532 Mill Street, Danville, PA 17821 | September 27th, 2026, 2:00pm (women's competition), 2:30pm (men's competition) |
 | Bonn Place Brewing | 310-14 Taylor Street Bethlehem, PA 18015 | Date/time TBD |
 | Mad Chef Craft Brewing Madtoberfest | 2023 Miller Road, East Petersburg, PA 17520 | Date/time TBD |
 | Blue Ball Brewing | 301 W. Main Street, Ephrata, PA 17522 | Date/time TBD |
 | Barley Creek Brewing Company | 1774 Sullivan Trail, Tannersville, PA 18372 | Date/time TBD |
 | ShawneeCraft Brewing Company | 100 Shawnee Inn Dr., Shawnee on Delaware, PA 18356 | Date, time TBD |
 | Rural City Beer Co. | 6 North Reamstown Road Reamstown, PA, 17567 | August 17, September 16, and September 30, 2023 from 12pm to 8pm- time trials throughout each day |
| ArtsQuest's Oktoberfest Bethlehem | 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 18015 | State Championship Qualifier: October 3rd, 2026, time TBD
State Championship Finals: October 10th, 2026 at 6:00pm! |
Want to compete or host a competition in a State Championship tournament? Check out the buttons below for more information!
