La Crosse Oktoberfest runs for ten days each late September and early October, and it is the real thing rather than a marketing exercise. The city's German and Scandinavian heritage is not a costume here — it is the actual culture, and the parades, beer tents, polka bands, and communal food have been organized by the same local families and clubs for over sixty years.
The main events cluster around Veterans Memorial Park and Riverside Park, with a grand parade through downtown drawing costumed marchers, brass bands, and the traditional Festmaster's carriage. The beer is mostly local and regional, served in proper half-liter mugs. If you are visiting the upper Midwest in early October, timing a trip around Oktoberfest is very much worthwhile — this is one of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations outside of Munich, and it has none of the corporate gloss of the bigger events.