Oktoberfest Experience

I had heard about the great festival Oktoberfest many years ago, probably sometime during my teenage years. I can picture myself sitting with friends, thinking how cool it would be to actually attend the festival, drink beer after beer, and act a little crazy. After having the opportunity to experience it first hand, I realize that Oktoberfest has much more to offer then just drinking beer and getting drunk. The festival is a sixteen-day celebration of culture and tradition that dates back to 1810. It is the world’s largest fair, and it caters to over six million people who travel every year from all over the world to attend. I had the pleasure of spending an entire week at the festival, and I loved every moment of it… especially the ones that I remember.

I arrived in Munich, Germany, not really knowing what to expect. I had never traveled to Europe, and I was concerned about how I would communicate with others. My concerns about language barriers faded quickly because many people spoke English and were more than willing to help me. With the stress of not understanding the German language alleviated, I began to notice some striking differences between Germany the States. Walking down the street in the middle of the day and drinking a beer is normal behavior, not just something done by hobos and drunks. The atmosphere is much more laid back, and I was thrilled to be there.

After settling into the culture and my surroundings, I didn’t hesitate to make my way down to the festival. The size of this massive festival, the number of attractions, and amount of people present was amazing. As far as my eyes could see, there were all types of amusements from roller coasters to haunted houses, beer tents, games, raffles and many more. The largest attractions – not surprisingly - were the beer tents. Fourteen tents represent the six breweries that serve the official Oktoberfest beers. They are Spaten, Lowenbrau, Augustiner, Hofbrau, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr. These beers are served in liter size steins and are absolutely delightful. Since the 1970’s Oktoberfest beers have been pale lagers between 5 and 6 percent alcohol. These beers are different than many American style Oktoberfest beers that tend to be have a stronger presence of hops and be darker in color.

Oktoberfest however is not only about drinking. One could not have a single drink and still have an unforgettable time. The array of German foods and desserts was just amazing. Along with the tents that serve food, small restaurants are scattered throughout the festival serving authentic German dishes. Bratwurst and schnitzel definitely seemed to be the favorites as people waited in long lines to get some of their own. In addition, there were a variety of chicken, ox and fish dishes, which were all wonderful. Let’s also not forget the deserts! If you have a sweet tooth, you are in luck! Booths throughout the festival serve ice cream, chocolate covered strawberries and bananas, and much more.

I must say that my time in Munich at Oktoberfest was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. It was everything that I expected and much more. Standing on tables, drinking oversized steins of beer while singing with thousands of people was an amazing experience. The diversity of the crowds blew me away - people of all ages, from all over the world, coming together to celebrate and enjoy life. There was so much to do, you could not possibly have enough time to take it all in, let alone suffer from boredom. I recommend anyone with an interest in Germany or traveling to Europe consider a visit to Munich during Oktoberfest. Whether you like the thrill of amusement parks, eating rich, wonderful foods or drinking authentic German beer, Oktoberfest will appeal to you. With a family friendly environment during the day, and a more adult appeal at night, anyone - regardless of age – will find him or herself caught up in the moment of this wonderfully timeless festival.

Joe Prebble, General Manager - Schneider's of Capitol Hill