"We ultimately decided that Oktoberfest has become part of the fabric of the community, and we owe it to the community to ensure that it remains that way." That is how Ken Riney, president of the Exchange Club of Lake Highlands, described the club's decision to hold the 15th annual Oktoberfest Dallas, in the Lake Highlands Advocate's October 6 preview.
The quote follows a less comfortable fact. This year the club considered ending the festival, citing rising costs, declining sponsorships and lower attendance in recent years. The club kept it. It also moved the date to Saturday, Oct. 24, at Flag Pole Hill Park and booked an original Texas country headliner. Both changes line up with what the festival's own recent history says about who shows up and when.
A festival that has moved before
Oktoberfest started small and has changed homes before. The Exchange Club dates it to 2011. That first year the Advocate placed it at Lake Highlands Town Center, at Skillman and Walnut Hill. By 2019 it had spent five years at Town Center and three at Flag Pole Hill, and that year it rebranded as Oktoberfest Dallas. One 2024 Advocate feature gives 2010 as the debut year, so the founding date depends on which source you read.
The calendar has shifted too. The 2019 festival ran on Saturday, Sept. 28, and the club's 2023 sponsorship packet listed Sept. 30. Late September is the date the club now calls traditional, and the date it moved away from in 2026 to avoid the heat.
What the attendance numbers say about the date
The Advocate's coverage over the last few years gives a rough picture of turnout. None of these figures is a final audited count, and they come from different sources. Taken together, they still show a pattern.
| Year | Date reported | Attendance as reported |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Not specified | More than 8,500, per the Exchange Club's 2023 sponsorship packet |
| 2024 | October 5 | Record year; final count not yet settled in the recap |
| 2025 | Late September | More than 5,000, below the prior year's record |
| 2026 | October 24 | More than 10,000 expected, per organizers |
The record year was also the year the festival fell in early October. After that festival, Exchange Club Oktoberfest chair Brad McCutcheon called it "a weather driven event," said the day had "great weather" and predicted "really solid attendance" once final numbers came in. The 2025 recap noted that high-90s temperatures had "plagued daytime activities in the past." On the 2025 festival day, highs stayed in the upper 80s. Organizers called that day a success, and it still didn't reach the previous year's numbers.
Flag Pole Hill is an open hilltop park, and most of the festival runs in daylight. The Kid Zone closes at 6 p.m. and the Market Village runs from noon to 6. When the afternoon is hot, the family half of the event suffers first. An Oct. 24 date puts those daytime hours nearly a month later than the 2025 festival.
The lineup changed, too
The date is one of two levers. The other is the stage. The 2025 recap credited Red, a Taylor Swift tribute act, with driving the 2024 record. In 2025 the evening ran on cover acts, closing with the disco cover band Superfreak.
This year's main stage builds toward an original artist. Texas country musician Pat Green headlines, with George Dunham & The Bird Dogs and Drew Cooper opening. For a festival that has said its sponsorship money is shrinking, a recognizable name is the clearest way to sell gate tickets.
Where the gate money goes
Turnout matters beyond the festival itself because of what it pays for. The Advocate reports that Oktoberfest proceeds fund college and vocational school scholarships for local graduating students, support local police and fire departments, and provide grants to local nonprofits. The Exchange Club says the festival has raised more than $1.4 million since 2011.
The club's scholarship page reports about $162,000 awarded to 75 students for the 2025–26 school year. It says the academic scholarships are funded primarily by Oktoberfest and the club's Auction/Casino fundraiser. For 2026, the club expects its largest single community grant to be $25,000. When Riney talks about owing the event to the community, those programs are what he means. A 5,000-person year and a 10,000-person year leave very different amounts in those funds.
How the day runs on October 24
Gates open at 10 a.m. at Flag Pole Hill Park, 8100 Doran Circle, and the festival runs until 10 p.m. The posted schedule, from the official events page:
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Kid Zone, with daytime performances from the Lake Highlands High School Highlandettes, Folklorico, Wranglers and cheerleaders, plus White Rock North School
- 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Festival Hall; its two daytime entertainment blocks are still marked "coming soon"
- Noon to 6 p.m. Market Village vendors
- 4:25 p.m. Lake Highlands High School ROTC flag posting
- 4:30 to 6 p.m. Drew Cooper
- 6 to 6:30 p.m. Keg tapping and stein-holding contest
- 6:30 to 8 p.m. George Dunham and the Bird Dogs
- 8:30 to 10 p.m. Pat Green
Food comes from Burger Schmurger, Cane Rosso and Strouderosa BBQ, with Pop Popcorn and Dippin' Dots for dessert. Vector Brewing, Andrews Beer and Spirits and Oak Highlands Brewery are pouring. Oak Highlands has since moved to a Richardson taproom at 500 Lockwood Drive, so the festival is one of the easier places to find its beer near Lake Highlands.
Tickets, parking and the rules at the gate
- Presale: $25 adults, $12.50 children. Presale bundles sell $50 in festival bucks for $45, or $100 for $90
- Gate: $30 adults before 6 p.m. and $35 after. Ages 4 to 17 pay $15 all day, and children under 4 get in free
- Deadline: Presales close at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. Pick up online orders at will-call at the main entrance
- Parking: Norbuck Park, KayCee Club and Lake Highlands High School, with shuttles running all day
- Rideshare: The recommended drop-off is 8007 Northwest Highway
- Allowed: Blankets and lawn chairs
- Not allowed: Outside food and drinks. No animals except service animals
The pricing favors arriving early. An adult who buys presale saves $10 compared with walking in for the Pat Green set after 6 p.m. Because dogs can't come to Flag Pole Hill, households with dogs have a separate option two weeks earlier.
The rest of the Oktoberfest month nearby
Oktoberfest Dallas is the biggest of three Oktoberfest events this month, and its vendors overlap with the others. Vector Brewing holds its seventh Hausfest on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at its taproom, 9850 Walnut Hill Lane. The lineup includes:
- A vendor market from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring vendors such as Swizzle and the Whisk and Crazy Plate Lady
- Strouderosa BBQ smoked brats, kraut balls and giant pretzels
- A Weenie Dog Parade and stein-hoisting contest from 3 to 5 p.m.
- Street Dog Project adoptions from noon to 3 p.m.
On Oct. 23, the night before Flag Pole Hill, the Dallas Arboretum holds its Oktoberfest evening from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Pumpkin Village as part of Pumpkins and Pints. For something outside the beer tent, the Bath House Cultural Center's Día de Muertos exhibition runs Oct. 10 through Nov. 7, with an artist reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 11.
For more on the neighborhood around Flag Pole Hill, see our Lake Highlands neighborhood guide.
At Carol Ann Zelley Real Estate Group, we follow Lake Highlands traditions like Oktoberfest because they're part of what keeps the neighborhood connected. If you'd like to talk about life in Lake Highlands or your plans for a home here, schedule a personalized consultation with our team.
