New Ulm Oktoberfest is pleased to announce their partnership with the U.S. Steinholding Association (USSA) to host the 2026 Minnesota Steinholding State Championship Finals on Saturday, October 3rd, 2026 in downtown New Ulm.

The State Championship Finals is the finale of the 2026 Minnesota Steinholding State Tournament, bringing the strongest competitors from across the state together to crown the State Champions in both men’s and women’s divisions. These champions will represent Minnesota at this year’s USSA National Steinholding Championship in Cincinnati, OH on Saturday November 21st, 2026, where the National Champions will win the grand prize of $4,000.

Steinholding is an endurance sport, with the competitors holding a 1 liter glass beer stein with a straight arm, extended in front of their body for as long as possible. The last person holding (with proper Steinholding form) is crowned the winner. The popularity of this simple sport has been exploding in recent years, and USSA was featured with an hour-long feature on this year’s ESPN 8 The Ocho event block.

USSA is recruiting venues to host qualifying round competitions across the state throughout the summer and fall leading up to the State Finals, and a full list of current qualifiers is available at http://usstein.com/Minnesota. Competitors who win one of these qualifiers will be invited to compete at the State Finals and New Ulm Oktoberfest will also be hosting their own Qualifying round competition on October 2nd, 2026.

About U.S. Steinholding Association:

Founded in 2015 by USSA Commissioner Jim Banko, a former Steinholding national record holder, we are dedicated to promoting Steinholding and bringing it to the wider audience that it deserves. USSA has been building a community of dedicated competitors for over a decade, and the 2026 Steinholding competition season marks the 6th year of our State Championship program, with 20 state tournaments participating in the National Championship series.

About New Ulm Oktoberfest:

New Ulm’s Oktoberfest celebration has earned national recognition as one of the country’s top Oktoberfest destinations, with multiple appearances in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce hosts the downtown portion of the celebration, transforming the heart of New Ulm into a lively festival featuring German music, food and beverages, traditional entertainment, and plenty of Gemütlichkeit. Surrounded by New Ulm’s distinctive German heritage, architecture, and attractions, the celebration draws visitors from across the region and beyond for an authentic taste of Germany in the heart of southern Minnesota.