Free entry, live music and 20+ specialty beers land this October long weekend on Saturday 3 October as Harbord Hotel debuts its first ever Oktoberfest-inspired carpark party.
Harbord Hotel, Freshwater’s much-loved beachside local, is throwing open its carpark gates for a free-entry Oktoberfest-inspired party on Saturday 3 October.
Frothtoberfest gives Sydneysiders and Northern Beaches locals the perfect long-weekend excuse to head to Freshie, with entry free and the party running all day.
From 11am, the entire Harbord Hotel carpark will be transformed into an open-air biergarten, with beer tents, long picnic tables and over 20 specialty beers pouring from dedicated beer trucks, including German import Weihenstephan and local craft partners Nomad Brewing Co, Ekim Brewing Co, Freshwater Brewing, Zig Zag and Three Tails Brewery.
Food will be German-inspired share plates – pretzels, schnitzel bites, pommes frittes and snags fresh off the grill – with the menu designed by Harbord Hotel Executive Chef Adam Rust.
“We’ve built a menu that’s all about big, generous flavours you can share with the table – pretzels, schnitzel bites and snags hot off the grill,” said Executive Chef Adam Rust.
“Personally, I’ll have a snag in one hand and a stein of Weihenstephan in the other – that’s Frothtoberfest done right.”
Live music runs throughout the day from Sydney’s Hot Potato Band, 11am – 4pm. The Sydney-based brass-pop collective has spent over a decade touring nationally and internationally, released three studio albums, and built a reputation for turning their brass-and-percussion roving shows into full-blown dance parties – they’ve played major stages including Woodford
Folk Festival and are known for high-energy, crowd-swept sets that suit a long, sunny carpark session down to the ground. The event follows the runaway success of Harbord Hotel’s annual ANZAC Day carpark party, a local institution known for turning an ordinary car park into one of the best-loved days on the Freshwater calendar.
“If you’ve been to one of our ANZAC Day carpark parties, you’ll know we love putting on a good day,” said Glenn Piper, CEO of Epochal Hotels. “For Frothtoberfest, we’re filling the famous Harbord carpark with long tables, more than 20 specialty beers, Bavarian-ish food with plenty of brats, big steins, and live music all arvo, it’s going to be a cracking day.”
To help locals get there and home safely, Harbord Hotel is also running a dedicated courtesy bus route for the event, with pick-up details to be released one week out. Frothtoberfest is an 18+ event.
The launch cements Harbord Hotel’s reputation as one of the Northern Beaches’ premier outdoor event venues, building on a string of carpark takeovers and live music sessions that have become a fixture of the Freshwater social calendar.
Frothtoberfest Carpark Party
🗓️ Saturday 3 October 2026, from 11am – runs all day. Falls on the Saturday of the NSW October long weekend
📍 Harbord Hotel carpark, 29 Moore Road, Freshwater NSW 2096
🎟️ Entry: Free entry. 18+ event
🚌 Getting there: Dedicated courtesy bus route running for the event
🌐 harbordhotel.com.au/event/Oktoberfest
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