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One of the best parts about the month of October, apart from the autumn leaves and Halloween celebrations, is Oktoberfest. Originally created in Munich, Germany to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxonia, Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival of Bavarian culture, traditional hearty meats, and, of course, Bavarian beer. Munich’s Oktoberfest celebration is the largest festival in the world, drawing around six million visitors, and generally runs from late September to early October. However, as the tradition has spread to numerous American cities, Oktoberfest has become a month-long event.
Experience Oktoberfest in Munich
While a trip to Germany in the middle of the new semester probably isn’t the wisest decision to make, if you end up with some time off, attending Oktoberfest is a great way to spend it. Oktoberfest is one of the biggest public events in the world for many reasons, one of them being that it’s free! Well, not entirely free (you do have to pay for the beer), but it’s free to enter the festival. Visitors don’t need to buy a ticket or pay a fee to enter Oktoberfest, and once inside, they don’t need to pay to enter the various tents either.
If you plan on taking advantage of the free admission, we suggest arriving at Oktoberfest as early as possible. During the weekdays, it’s best to arrive before 2:30pm when things get busy. And as for the weekends, don’t expect to sleep in if you want to experience the Oktoberfest glories. Visitors arriving in the late morning or afternoon often find themselves out of luck when it comes to entering the tents, and the tents are where the beer’s at! If you’re worried about not arriving on time, or are traveling in a large group of people, we suggest making reservations at the various tents you want to visit. All reservations are made through the individual tent-owners (companies sponsoring each tent), and should be made well in advance.
Finally, when it comes to Oktoberfest, we recommend trying everything, and we mean everything! Let’s start with the beer. Bavarian beer claims to be the best beer in the world, something we can’t argue with. The great taste of the beer, says the Germans, is because of the stringent purity requirements for all brews. Decreed by Duke William IV in the 16th century, Bavarian beers can only be made with three ingredients: water, hops, and barley. If you don’t believe us or the millions of guests who consume about six million liters of beer at Oktoberfest, we suggest you hop on the bus and indulge in the “liquid gold”.
To go along with your “mass” (the Oktoberfest term for a liter of beer), be adventurous and try some of the delicious Bavarian food. From simple fare such as chicken and roast pork, to the more traditional cuisine of pork knuckle, cheese noodles, and Weisswurst or white sausage (veal and pork bacon), Oktoberfest will expand your culinary horizon and make you crave for more.
Celebrating Oktoberfest in the States
If you can’t make it to Oktoberfest, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the costumes, meats and beer. Many American cities have Oktoberfest celebrations of their own (thousands across the country), and while not as steeped in tradition as the original, there’s something to enjoy at each one. At Seattle’s Oktoberfest crowds are drawn to the annual “Texas Chainsaw Pumpkin Carving Contest”, in Tulsa nearly 200,000 visitors turn out for Bier Barrel Racing and a massive group Polka dance, and in Huntington Beach, California, cute waitresses in skimpy German barmaid costumes serve up test-tube Jaegar shots in addition to pints of beer, and even pose for pictures.
Oktoberfest is a great opportunity for new and active members to meet and bond, and for active members to strengthen their friendships. It’s also the perfect place for members of different chapters to interact as your Greek community can enjoy themselves without the fraternity and sorority rivalries or competition. So even if you’re not German, embrace the Bavarian culture, grab a pint, and celebrate Oktoberfest with your family, friends, and fellow Greeks.
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