Beer, brats and costumed dachshunds: Maymont’s Bier-Garden returns September 26-27

There’s a specific kind of joy in watching a costumed dachshund waddle past a stein-hoisting contest, and Richmond only gets it one weekend a year. Maymont’s Bier-Garden returns Saturday and Sunday, September 26-27, turning the Gilded Age estate into a two-day European festival of beer, bratwurst and family fun. Every dollar spent goes toward caring for Maymont’s 100 acres, which stay free to wander the rest of the year.

Gates are open 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, and lederhosen are welcome but strictly optional. The grounds will be busy with live music, yard games, German folk dancers, and a Marketplatz of local vendors selling artisanal treats and gifts. Anyone feeling competitive can enter the stein-hoisting or tug-of-war contests, which have divisions for adults and kids alike.

The menu leans Bavarian and Polish, with local chefs like The Mayor and Ryba’s Pierogi doing the cooking. To drink, there’s authentic Paulaner alongside local craft brews, plus cider, wine, and non-alcoholic options, with beer and cider going for $10. Claim a picnic table on the lawn or a seat at the long tables under the Festhaus tent, which Maymont says is bigger and better this year, and settle in for the Hirschjager dancers and The Original Elbe Musikanten German Band.

Kids get their own corner of the festival in the Kinderzone, stocked with crafts, games and entertainment, while food trucks handle the popcorn, ice cream and kid-friendly meals. The headliner for many, though, is the Pint-Sized Pups Parade, organized by the Dachshund Enlightenment Foundation, in which costumed dachshunds process through the festival and guests vote for a winner.

“You can enjoy the sights, sounds and flavors of Europe in Richmond’s favorite gathering place and feel good knowing your festival purchases support Maymont’s mission as well as local vendors who make this event so special,” said Laurie Mavica, the Maymont Foundation’s director of special events and event sales.

Tickets, parking and the fine print

Advance tickets are $10 for adults (ages 17-64) and $6 for kids 16 and under and seniors 65 and up. Wait for the gate and those prices climb to $15 and $11, so registering ahead pays off. Admission is free for Maymont members and Museums for All participants who present a SNAP/EBT card, and every ticket includes entry to The Robins Nature Center until 5 p.m. The Maymont Mansion will be closed both days; tickets are non-refundable, and the festival goes on rain or shine, short of severe weather.

Two practical notes: the event is cashless, so bring a card, and food and drinks are sold separately from admission. Parking is first come, first served, at $10 for the premier lot at the Hampton Street entrance and $5 at the lots by The Robins Nature Center and Maymont Farm, with free spaces reserved in each lot for cars with valid ADA tags or permits. Maymont is nudging guests toward rideshare and transit, with a drop-off and pick-up zone at 1700 Hampton Street, and street parking in the surrounding neighborhood works where it’s permitted.

If you’d rather get in free, volunteer slots are still open, and service earns a voucher to another Maymont event. Otherwise, grab tickets, dust off the lederhosen, and start training your forearms for the stein hoist.