Dayton Art Institute Oktoberfest 2025

The 54th annual Dayton Art Institute Oktoberfest is an international festival featuring food and drink from around the world, unique items from juried artisans and the DAI museum store, family-friendly art activities, and a variety of live entertainment including traditional German music and a steinholding competition. A Dayton tradition established in 1971, DAI's Oktoberfest is southwest Ohio's longest-running Oktoberfest celebration, and the museum's largest annual fundraiser. The event will be held September 26-28, 2025, with hours of 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.

This popular annual festival draws nearly 20,000 people to the museum grounds during the three-day period and is open to all artists 18 years of age or older. The jury fee is $30, with single booth fees at $400 (10'x10') and double booth fees at $900 (10'x20'). Artists must submit five images - four representative of their work and one showing their booth setup. All exhibited work must be original in concept and created by the accepted applicant, with no commercial kits, molds, patterns, or prefabricated forms allowed.

Awards include a Best of Show Award where the recipient will be invited to return to 2026 Oktoberfest at no cost, and up to three Invitational Awards for selected artists to return with no jury process required. Artists receive complimentary booth sitting service, morning refreshments, one free vehicle pass, indoor restroom access, and one electrical outlet per booth. The registration deadline is June 1, 2025, with notification of acceptance on June 16, 2025.