Fox Cities Chamber: Octoberfest Weekend kicks off Friday, Sept. 25, with License to Cruise, featuring more than 400 vehicles

APPLETON, Wis. (Aug. 25, 2026) – Octoberfest Weekend (Sept. 25-26, 2026) kicks off with its annual License to Cruise event, featuring more than 350 vehicles along College Avenue in downtown Appleton. Additionally, an indoor showcase with nearly 80 curated specialty vehicles, featuring classic, rare and low-production cars is on display at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center, located at 355 W. Lawrence Street (map). Between the vehicles along College Avenue and at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center, attendees can expect to see more than 400 cars throughout the License to Cruise nighttime car show.

The 2026 License to Cruise features:

  • Walk along College Avenue and marvel at more than 350 classic rides that are all at least twenty years old, celebrating decades of automotive history
  • Step inside the Fox Cities Exhibition Center to discover more than 80 specialty vehicles built around this year’s rare and remarkable low-production theme
  • Explore handpicked collections of hot rods, muscle cars, tuner cars, drift cars, motorcycles and vintage bicycles, curated to captivate every kind of car lover
  • Raise a glass at the Houdini Plaza beer station serving up cold drinks and good times all evening long
  • Feast your way through 14 food trucks dishing out flavors for every craving
  • Feel the beat at the Houdini Plaza live music stage, featuring Gold Medal Sound and a high-energy performance by Boogie and the Yo-Yoz
  • Exclusive brew for License to Cruise, Garage Beer and Garage Beer Lime will be available Friday night only. This light beer from NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce has a crisp and refreshing taste and is only 95 calories per can.
  • Designated Driver program keeps you safe and allowsattendees to celebrate responsibly throughout Octoberfest Weekend. Available to guests age 21 and older on Friday, Sept. 25, during License to Cruise and on Saturday, Sept. 26, during Octoberfest, the program allows participants to purchase a $5 wristband and enjoy unlimited Michelob Ultra Zero throughout the event.
  • Purchase wristbands and drinking tickets on Friday night and don’t waste time standing in line on Saturday because tickets are good all weekend long. No carry-ins will be allowed during the Octoberfest Weekend festival, so all drinks must be purchased via the outdoor bars along College Avenue with drink tickets and wristbands.

“We typically see more than 100,000 people come down to License to Cruise and they span from the very young to the very old,” said Gary Rohde, event coordinator of License to Cruise. “I handpick each of the vehicles you see at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center, and I start planning for the more than 400 cars that are a part of the show a whole year in advance. I’ve been a car enthusiast all my life and have helped with organizing car shows since 1992. I look for unique cars, vehicles you don’t see very often and eclectic vehicles to feature at this event. You will see vintage bicycles, muscle cars, trucks, classic cars, drag racers and even motorcycles. We try to appeal to everyone at this event.”

The atmosphere for License to Cruise extends beyond dedicated car enthusiasts, offering live music, food, drinks and downtown energy that appeals to families, groups of friends and first-time attendees. People can come down to License to Cruise, buy drink tickets and a wristband on Friday night, and those tickets are still good on Saturday for the entirety of Octoberfest.

License to Cruise opens up with Gold Medal Sound from 3-6 p.m., followed by Boogie and the Yo-Yoz from 6-9 p.m. on the WVBO & Star 98 stage at Houdini Plaza.

Octoberfest Weekend draws more than 300,000 attendees annually and generates an estimated $42 million in economic impact for the Fox Cities region. The multi-day experience encourages visitors to explore downtown Appleton, stay overnight and take in all that Octoberfest Weekend has to offer, including:

  • Live music
  • Local food vendors, drinks and craft brews
  • Arts and craft vendors
  • Family entertainment area
  • More than 400 classic cars on display for Friday’s License to Cruise car show
  • Free indoor car show at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center, displaying “Low Production, Unique Vehicles and More”

License to Cruise is made possible thanks to these generous community sponsors:

Additionally, local nonprofit organizations are central to the Octoberfest Weekend experience, helping operate food and beverage areas while raising funds that support important community initiatives throughout the region. To learn more about Octoberfest Weekend and its impact, visit octoberfestweekend.com.

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