Attending Oktoberfest was one of my goals for this year, but to be honest, I was a little nervous about it.  I’d built it up in my head for so long that I wasn’t sure it was going to live up to the hype.

My fears were completely unfounded.  It is  even better than expected- like every German stereotype multiplied by 10!  And it’s not a festival of tourists either, the attendees are mostly German, and mostly dressed in traditional (albeit, Made in China type traditional) outfits.   We arrived in Munich around 6:30 PM on a Monday and managed to get to the tents by 8, where we easily got a table outdoors at one of the large tents.  Oktoberfest has all of my favorite things:  fancy dress, carnival rides and beer.  We only stayed for a couple of hours that evening and decided to “do it up right” at Oktoberfest the next day.

Prost! Our first liters of beer.

One of many beer festival tents.

Approximate order of events follows.  All times should be regarded as best estimates, especially all times listed after consumption of first liter of beer.

2:00PM- Buy Oktoberfest hat.  Feel totally legitimate.

2:10PM- Arrive at beer tent.  Order a liter of beer.

3:00PM- Still drinking first beer.  Order and eat a roast chicken.

3:30 PM- Become friends with the other Germans at our table.

4:00PM- Order and eat an enormous pretzel.

4:30PM- Salty pretzel has desired effect: another liter of beer please.

4:35 PM- New people sit down at our table.

4:40 PM-  New table mates become my new best friends!  We agree to be friends on facebook and keep in touch.  BFFs.

5:30 PM- Sitting in chairs is for chumps.   We stand on our chairs instead.  Yeah, Germany!

5:45 PM- Pretend to know the words to traditional German songs.  It sounds like “Ein Stein ma Gaaner!  Ein Stein ma Gaaner!”

6:00 PM- “Summer of 69″ comes on, which is the most exciting thing that has ever happened.  I tell everyone I am Canadian.

6:30 PM-  Finish second liter of beer.  Everyone in Germany is my friend!

7:00 PM- Decide to leave the beer tent and ride the rides.  Woooo!

7:15 PM- Ride on the drop zone ride AND the bumper cars.  Don’t pay.  Way too much fun.

8:00 PM- New beer tent.

8:10 PM- Another roast chicken and another liter of beer.

9:00 PM- Maybe I’ve had enough beer?

9:30 PM- Try to find U-Bahn.  Very Difficult.

midight (I think?)- arrive back in apartment.  Giddy.  Again!

Pretzels and sausages. Oktoberfest staples.

Me and my new German (and Finnish) best friends.

Chris with my rad new hat.

Evening beer tent mayhem.

I know that from this description it sounds like Oktoberfest is complete debauchery, but the reality is that it’s actually almost a family event.  Apparently people go to work dressed in Lederhosen and Drindls and just head to the fest after work, often with their children.  The nicest friendliest people, and one of the best festivals I have ever attended.

Prost!

Rachel