Oktoberfest, Munich

It all begins with a Maß of beer

The world-renowned gathering and celebration of Bavarian culture, traditions, and yes, beer, has become an iconic event that draws in millions of visitors and locals to partake in the festivities.  Traditional music echoes, aromas of wurst and festbier cascade through the air, and dirndls and lederhosen fill the streets. This once-in-a-lifetime fest hosts a myriad of attractions of all kinds.

Funny enough, Oktoberfest primarily takes place in September! Starting midway through September and running through the first weekend of October. Since 1950, the modern fest opens with a parade, a twelve-gun salute, and most importantly, the tapping of the first keg of fest beer at noon via the Mayor of Munich! Once the first keg is tapped, a loud “O’zapft is!”  is cried, meaning, the fest is open!

By noon on day 1 fest bier is flowing, and thousands of people are already starting to underestimate their ability to consume copious amounts of beer and there is a special place for those folks, Puke Hill. This famous hill cascades on a slope next to the Bavaria Statue, if you find yourself having a few too many, this may be where you end up! Avoiding this mistake, you will learn that 1 Maß or  Stein of beer equates to 2 pints of beer. Drink accordingly my friends, or end up at Puke Hill."

A common misconception is the fest is directly related to beer and only consuming alcohol, which is the main draw for visitors, however, the fest itself encompasses hundreds of large fair rides, making it extremely kid-friendly. Pro tip - ride the rides before you start drinking beer, or avoid rides if you are hungover. We made that silly mistake and were on the verge of dying afterward.  Along with the rides, booths are set up with little trinket shops to buy your official Oktoberfest Souvenirs and many delicious traditional food vendors. Items from 3-foot-long wursts to traditional cookie necklaces are aplenty. If you feel like grabbing a bite before your tent reservation, you won’t be disappointed!

Reservations, what a great segue to my next topic - your tent! “Official” tent reservations begin around Feb - Apr, and I say “Official” because the only way to secure legitimate fest tickets is through the official Oktoberfest website and reserving/purchasing your tent reservations directly with the tent of your choice. Of course, the evenings provide more of the party atmosphere, which ultimately means they book up quite fast. The same goes for weekends.  I wouldn’t sleep on a day reservation, as the fest “party” atmosphere still is abundant!Now you don’t necessarily need a tent reservation, there is the off chance you can walk into a tent and flag down an employee to see if there are any tables with open spots. I wouldn’t recommend this option for groups larger than 4 people, as it would be very tricky to find a half-empty table!

There is no shortage of traditional Bavarian culture at the festival, Whether you're a beer enthusiast, a lover of traditional music, or simply someone looking to experience the magic of over 75 years. Oktoberfest offers an unforgettable experience and gives you a glimpse into the heart of German culture. Prost to keeping the Oktoberfest traditions alive for years to come!