Cincinnati
Cincinnati for food lovers: Oktoberfest Zinzinnati on the Ohio riverfront, Cincinnati chili, German roots and the free streetcar.
At a glance
- Home of Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, first held in 1976, at Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove
- Free entry to the Oktoberfest, a record 808,300 attendees in 2025
- The Cincinnati streetcar is free to ride
- Cincinnati chili and the cheese coney, the city’s own dishes
- 1food festival
Food festivals in Cincinnati
IagoQnsi, CC BY
Map of Cincinnati
What to taste in Cincinnati
Cheese coney
A small hot dog under Cincinnati chili and a mound of shredded cheese, sold at the Oktoberfest too.
Cincinnati chili
A spiced meat sauce served over spaghetti, “three-way” with cheese, in the city’s chili parlours.
Goetta
A breakfast sausage of pork and pinhead oats, a Cincinnati speciality of German origin.
Brats and metts
German-style sausages, on the menu of the Oktoberfest stands.
Cincinnati is a river city in the south-west corner of Ohio, on the north bank of the Ohio River, facing Kentucky. Nineteenth-century German immigration shaped its neighbourhoods, Over-the-Rhine above all, and its food, and it is the reason the city holds Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, a festival that celebrates “Cincinnati’s German roots through food, beer, music, dance, and Gemütlichkeit”, in its organisers’ words.
A chili city with German roots
- Cincinnati chili: a spiced meat sauce over spaghetti or hot dogs, served in chili parlours across the city.
- Cheese coney: the hot dog version, under a mound of shredded cheese.
- Goetta: a breakfast sausage of pork and oats, a German legacy.
- Findlay Market: the city’s historic public market, in Over-the-Rhine.
The festival’s organisers, the Cincinnati Regional Chamber, worked with the German-American Citizens League to organise the first Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, in 1976.
The riverfront in September
In 2026 the Oktoberfest ran from 17 to 20 September at Sawyer Point Park and Yeatman’s Cove, the parks along the Ohio River downtown. Entry is free, and the festival counted a record 808,300 attendees in 2025.
- Streetcar: free to ride, with extended hours during the festival.
- Parking: paid surface lots along Eggleston Avenue. The main Sawyer Point lot is closed to event vehicles.
The 2027 dates had not been published on 14 October 2026. The organisers were already taking vendor applications for that edition. Downtown hotels are the closest beds to the festival, and the free streetcar links them with Over-the-Rhine and its market.
Before you go
- Streetcar: free to ride, with extended hours during the Oktoberfest.
- Parking for the festival: paid surface lots along Eggleston Avenue.
- Alcohol: the minimum legal age to buy alcohol is 21. Bring photo ID.
- Payment at the Oktoberfest: drink booths take cards only. Most food stands take cash and cards.
- Airport: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, across the river in Kentucky.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Oktoberfest Zinzinnati held?
At Sawyer Point Park and Yeatman’s Cove, on the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati.
Is the Cincinnati streetcar free?
Yes, it is free to ride, according to the Oktoberfest organisers, with extended hours during the festival.
What is a cheese coney?
A small hot dog topped with Cincinnati chili, mustard, onions and shredded cheese, a city speciality.
When is Oktoberfest Zinzinnati?
In 2026, from 17 to 20 September. The 2027 dates had not been published on 14 October 2026.