Colors in the Catskills 2026: Three Weekends of Foliage and Family Fun at Hunter Mountain

Quick Facts: Colors in the Catskills

• The festival spans three weekends on October 3–4, October 10–11 and October 17–18 at Hunter Mountain in New York's Catskills.

• General admission is free, making the festival itself an easy addition to a Catskills fall foliage weekend.

• Authentic Oktoberfest is October 10–11 with a Doxie Derby, steinholding, keg rolling, Bavarian-inspired food, beer and live entertainment.

• First Leaves opens October 3–4, kicking off the series as fall color builds across the mountain.

• Costume Takeover closes the festival October 17–18, adding a Halloween-friendly theme to the final weekend.

• Scenic SkyRides run during the festival, taking riders toward Hunter Mountain's 3,200-foot summit for panoramic Catskills views.

• Saturday festival hours are 11 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sundays run 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; the Scenic SkyRide starts at 9 a.m.

• VIP upgrades are available for travelers who want extras including Scenic SkyRide access, a limited-edition shirt and commemorative mug.

• Official info: Colors in the Catskills | Hunter Mountain Resort

A Catskills Fall Festival With a Mountain Twist

Plenty of towns throw an Oktoberfest, but very few hold theirs on a ski mountain at the height of leaf season. Hunter Mountain's base area turns into a festival ground for three straight weekends, with live music, local food and craft vendors, and a lineup of competitions that lean happily into the absurd.

The festival changed its name from Oktoberfest to Colors in the Catskills, and the new name fits. The Bavarian traditions are still here, but the real draw is the scenery. Mid-October is typically prime foliage time in the northern Catskills, and the slopes above the festival grounds put all of it on display.

Colors in the Catskills festival crowds at Hunter Mountain, New York. Image source: Hunter Mountain.

Three Themed Weekends From October 3 to 18

Each weekend has its own personality, so pick the one that matches your crew.

• First Leaves, October 3–4: The season opener, timed to the first wave of color on the mountain. It's a good pick for travelers who want festival energy with slightly smaller crowds.

• Oktoberfest, October 10–11: The weekend that keeps the festival's original spirit alive, with Bavarian food, beer tents, and the most traditional lineup of the three. Expect this to be the busiest weekend.

• Costume Takeover, October 17–18: By the final weekend, the festival starts leaning toward Halloween, with costumes joining the fall festivities. It's a particularly fun option for families already looking for an October getaway rather than a specifically Oktoberfest-focused trip.

Fall color is always a little unpredictable, so there’s no way to know for sure which weekend will be the brightest. That’s part of the fun, though. Even if you miss absolute peak foliage, Hunter Mountain’s elevation gives you a much bigger view of the Catskills than you’d get from the road, and the SkyRide is still worth doing for the scenery alone.

Donuts frying at a food stand during Colors in the Catskills at Hunter Mountain. Image source: Hunter Mountain.

The Doxie Derby, Steinholding, and Keg Rolling

The competitions are where Hunter Mountain's Authentic Oktoberfest weekend on October 10–11 gets especially fun. Alongside the beer tent, food trucks, kids' games and live music, visitors can cheer on three wonderfully different tests of speed, strength and questionable decision-making: the Doxie Derby, steinholding and keg rolling. New York State tourism specifically lists all three among the weekend's featured events.

The Doxie Derby is exactly what it sounds like: dachshunds racing down a short course while spectators cheer on every pair of tiny legs. The race has become one of Hunter Mountain's signature Oktoberfest traditions, and frankly, it is difficult to imagine a more efficient way to get an entire festival crowd emotionally invested in a sporting event. Hunter Mountain has included the derby among its returning fall favorites for years, and it remains one of the marquee competitions in the expanded Colors in the Catskills festival.

The Doxie Derby brings dachshund racing to Hunter Mountain's Authentic Oktoberfest weekend on October 10–11. Photo courtesy of Hunter Mountain.

Then there's steinholding, or Masskrugstemmen, which turns something as ordinary as holding a beer mug into a surprisingly serious endurance competition. The basic idea is simple: competitors extend a full stein straight out in front of them and try to keep it there longer than everyone else. Under the standardized rules used by the U.S. Steinholding Association, a traditional one-liter glass stein filled to the one-liter line weighs roughly three pounds, the arm has to remain straight and roughly parallel to the ground, and spilling liquid means immediate elimination.

In other words, the challenge isn't simply hanging on to the glass. Competitors have to maintain their form while their shoulder and arm slowly begin questioning every choice that led them to this moment. The U.S. Steinholding Association even maintains standardized judging rules, state championships and formal competition guidelines, which tells you just how far this particular Oktoberfest pastime has traveled beyond "hold my beer."

Steinholding is one of the crowd-favorite Oktoberfest competitions during Colors in the Catskills at Hunter Mountain. Photo courtesy of Hunter Mountain.

Keg rolling adds considerably more movement to the proceedings. Hunter Mountain confirms that keg rolling returns as one of the crowd-favorite competitions during Colors in the Catskills, though the resort hasn't published detailed 2026 competition rules online. The premise is considerably easier to understand from the sidelines: participants race while maneuvering beer kegs across the festival grounds, with speed and control becoming increasingly incompatible goals.

Participants celebrate a win during the Oktoberfest competitions at Colors in the Catskills at Hunter Mountain. Photo courtesy of Hunter Mountain.

Together, the competitions give the October 10–11 weekend much more personality than a standard food-and-beer festival. You can watch dachshunds sprint, adults discover exactly how heavy a liter stein becomes after a few minutes, and competitors attempt to persuade a keg to travel in a straight line, all with Catskills foliage rising behind the festival grounds. Add live performances from Jimmy Sturr, Guilty Pleasures and DJ Frankie, plus local craft vendors and the Scenic SkyRide, and this is easily the most traditional Oktoberfest-focused of the three Colors in the Catskills weekends.

Fall Foliage From the Scenic SkyRide

The Scenic SkyRide is the best way to see the Catskills in color without lacing up hiking boots. The lift climbs Hunter Mountain and offers a 360-degree view of the surrounding peaks and valleys, which in October means miles of red, orange, and gold.

Go early in the day for the shortest lines and softer morning light. Temperatures at the summit can run noticeably cooler than at the base, so bring a warm layer even on a sunny afternoon. The ride is also a good choice for families or anyone who wants the big mountain views without committing to a long hike. Give yourself a little extra time at the top, too, because this is the kind of view that tends to turn a quick photo stop into a much longer one.

Hunter Mountain's Scenic SkyRide gives visitors sweeping views over the Catskills during fall foliage season. Photo courtesy of Hunter Mountain.

The Festival Is Free, but You Can Upgrade

General admission to Colors in the Catskills is free, so you can wander the festival grounds, watch the competitions, browse local vendors, and catch live music without buying an admission ticket. That makes it especially easy for families or anyone building the festival into a larger Catskills foliage trip. Food, drinks, vendor purchases, and optional mountain activities are paid separately.

If you want to make more of a day of it, Hunter Mountain also offers a VIP Package with several extras. The package includes Scenic SkyRide access with express-lane entry, a limited-edition 2026 Colors in the Catskills T-shirt, and a commemorative mug with your first fill included, either beer or soda.

The biggest perk is probably the SkyRide access, especially on a busy fall weekend when foliage crowds are at their peak. If the mountain views are high on your list, bundling the lift with the festival extras can make more sense than treating each part of the day separately.

VIP packages are limited, so check the official Colors in the Catskills festival page for current pricing and availability before you go.

Colors in the Catskills is the kind of fall outing that works for almost everyone. Families get dachshund races and costumes, beer lovers get a proper Oktoberfest weekend, and anyone who just wants to see the leaves gets a chairlift ride over some of the best color in New York. With free admission and an easy drive from the city, it's worth claiming one of these October weekends before the snow arrives.

Personally, I’d be there for the Doxie Derby alone, but the fact that you can pair it with peak foliage and a SkyRide makes the whole thing feel like a very good excuse to spend a day in the Catskills.

Recommended Links

Official festival page: Colors in the Catskills

Instagram: @huntermountain

Facebook: Hunter Mountain

Official photos: Hunter Mountain Colors in the Catskills media collection

New York State tourism: Colors in the Catskills event listing

Hunter Mountain: Plan a Hunter Mountain visit

Photo credit: Hunter Mountain

Frequently Asked Questions: Colors in the Catskills 2026

When is Colors in the Catskills 2026?

Hunter Mountain's Colors in the Catskills runs October 3–4, October 10–11 and October 17–18, 2026. Each weekend has its own theme.

Is Hunter Mountain Oktoberfest still happening in 2026?

Yes, but it's now part of the larger Colors in the Catskills festival. Hunter Mountain's Authentic Oktoberfest weekend takes place October 10–11, 2026.

Is Colors in the Catskills free?

Yes. General admission is free, although Scenic SkyRide tickets and optional VIP packages cost extra.

When is the Doxie Derby at Hunter Mountain?

The Doxie Derby is part of Authentic Oktoberfest weekend on October 10–11. The weekend also includes steinholding, keg rolling, live music, food trucks and a beer tent.

Can you ride the chairlift at Hunter Mountain in fall?

Yes. Hunter Mountain's Kaatskill Flyer Scenic SkyRide carries visitors toward the 3,200-foot summit for panoramic Catskills views and is scheduled to operate through October 18, 2026.

Is Colors in the Catskills family-friendly?

Yes. Hunter Mountain describes the festival as including family activities, live entertainment, vendors, hayrides and other fall activities in addition to its Oktoberfest programming.

How far is Hunter Mountain from New York City?

Hunter Mountain is approximately 2.5 hours from New York City by car, according to the resort's 2026 press materials.

What are the three Colors in the Catskills weekends?

The weekends are First Leaves on October 3–4, Authentic Oktoberfest on October 10–11 and Costume Takeover on October 17–18.