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Welcome to
the Munich Oktoberfest!
For Two Weeks, it Does Not Rest
The huge party goes
on and on for two great weeks.
With a toast and a "prost,"
big beers and no fears, oompha bands and cheering crowds, Oktoberfest
is a party larger than even the tents that contain it.
Oktoberfest in Munich – the 2010 celebration is Sept. 18-Oct. 3 and it's the 200th anniversary – is an event on a gigantic scale. It has beer
tents the size of airplane hangers. Pretzles the size of steering wheels.
And beers the size of Bavaria.
Thousands fill the tents, all hoisting the 1-liter brews. They are
seated at picnic tables and often jump up on the benches to a particular
song that matches their mood. The sound echoes through the buldings,
esentiallly joining everyone together under some type of Bavarian beer
bonding.
Oktoberfest
Top Party Tips
• Oktoberfest
2010 is Sept. 17-Oct. 4.
• Arrive at least by 11 on Opening
Day. The 2010 event is the 200th anniversary.
• Get a reservation for groups of 5-6 (or more) in the
tent of choice; it's a must to be in the Hofbrau Haus on Opening
Day.
• Get cash. ATMs are on-site at each of the two entrances.
• Tents open at 11 a.m., and close at 11 p.m. The Oktoberfest
grounds stay open until midnight.
• There is a Metro stop at the entrance.
• Hotels fill up in town fast, so make reservations early,
well before the summer. It's best to stay walking distance, which
is anyywhere near the main train station.
• Biers are 1 liter and cost 8 Euros
• The words to the often-played beer cheers song is: "it's
ein Prosit, ein Prosit, der Gemuetlichkeit....eins, zwei, drei
g'suff."
• Dress comfortably; it's HOT in those beer tents!
• The official Oktoberfest
web site.
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There are more than a dozen of these tents, though since they require
patrons to be seated to have a beer, it's kind of like a controlled
mahem. In the Hofbrau Haus, however, the word "controlled"
should be only prefaced by the words: "out of," because it's
the most untamed of the all tents.
For it is here that Okotberfest is at its most intense. The Hofbrau
is the largest of all the tents, with a capacity of several thousand.
One only needs to be in the vicinity of a table to be served –
and considering the tables are packed so closely to one another and
the aisles it's impossible to be anywhere else –and it has the
youngest, the most international and the most party-heavy partiers.
The band, on an elevated stage at the center of the action, intices
the antics with fun-style music and the continuous "Ein Prosit,
Ein Prosit," cheers song, to which strangers and new friends clank
the large, heavy mugs This is the precice scene everyone pictures when
envisioning Oktoberfest.
Start here, finish here whatever; it's the place to be for Munich
Oktoberfest.
Yet it's hardly the only party. To use a Formula 1 analogy, if the
Hofbrau Hous is sitting on the pole, then Schottenhamel Spantenbrau
is on the outside front row. It could easily be called the Stand-Up
Tent because the entire crowd is on its feet. That's largely because
the band is cranking not oompha tunes, but American rock classics. It's
so large it has street signs identifying the table rows.
A similiar scene takes place simultaniously at the Hacker-Fetzelt,
or Hackerbrau-Festhalle. The Lowenbrau tent and the Augustiner
Brau Festhalle are fun, as well; well, more sedate by comparison
but still with rauckous moments.
 There
is the formality in these tents that one has to be seated to be served.
And just about every table has a reservation sign taped to it so initially
it can be challenging to find a spot. For small grouns, say 2-4, it's
always easy to walk up and join a group at a table, if even to just
get a beer and walk around. If not, simply go to the next tent. Reservations
for six or more are made with the individual tents and are recommended;
this includes food and drink tickets. (See below for information on
contacting specific tents.)
The waitress, dressed in traditional Bavarian dress, will take the
order – just tell her how many beers to bring – and she will
come back in minutes with literally fistfullls of suds. They typically
carry 6-8 in a single trip but 10 or even 12 is not uncommon. It's cash
only, pay as you go (8 Euros; leave at least .50 tip per beer).
Oktoberfest is actually a carnival with county fair-type rides –
but other than the bumper cars nothing that would be recommended for
anyone who has spent any time in the beer tents – and food and
souvenir booths. All this is surrounded by more than a dozen of the
large tents from the various Munich breweries.
The food ranges from beef and pork with side dishes (in the beer tents)
to sandwiches, all manner of bratwurst, sweetened popcorn and even fish
and pasta. But by far the most popular items is the roasted chicken,
moist and delicious (6.50 for half a hendl).
The celebration of the harvest lasts jut two weeks starting the second
Saturday of September, but the party seems to lasts a lifetime. "I'm
here every night, " said one local. "Two weeks is plenty."
The scene at the
Hofbrau Haus, the biggest and best of Oktoberfest.
WHEN TO GO – The obvious temptation is
to be there for opening weekend. It carries with it all the anticipated
build-up to the tapping of the first keg. A parade goes down the event's
main street with horse-drawn carriages carrying kegs to the individual
tents. It has all the excitement of a major sporting event, especially
when the band turns to march into a building.
 The
grounds open at 10 and the beer tent doors don't swing open until 11
– unless you have a table reservation. This is highly recommended
on opening day, especially to even get into the Hofbrau Haus. Otherwise,
it could be a vary frustrating experience to wait in a line, finally
enter a tent and have all this beer around you only not be able to find
a place to park it and partake.
The next day begins with what has to be the world's longest
parade outside of Mardi
Gras. Rolling down Schwanthalerst, it lasts three hours from
10 a.m.-1 p.m. At the festival, it's much more manageable to walk in
and out of the tents with no lines.
Oktoberfest does continue during the weekdays and
hardly slows down at all. In fact, it could be said this is the best
time to visit. You certainly won't be missing anything because the tents
are intense, the bands play, the beers flow and the crowds go crazy.
For this is Oktoberfest and for two weeks, it does not
rest.
The opening of Opening
Day, 2006.
The festivities begin with a parade down the "main street"
and into the tents.
Moments before the
band arrives, a crowd gathers outside the tents.
The band turns into
the tents...
...enters the giant
beer hall...
...and it's party
time!
The first beer at
the Hofbrau Haus!
Inside the Hofbrau
Haus on Opening Saturday 2006.
Oktoberfest
Party Photos
Contacting
the Beer Tents
(Phone: +49, 89, then number)
Reservations include two 1-liter beers and a half-chicken
• Augustiner Festhalle. Manfred Vollmer. 23183266.
Fax: 2605379.
• Hackerbrau-Festhalle, Anton and Christine Roiderer.
8170 7303. Fax: 8170 7385.
• Hofbrau Haus: Gunter and Margot Steinberg. 4489670. Fax:
4483587. E-mail: info@hb-festzeit.de.
• Lowenbrau-Festlalle. Ludwig Hagan and Stepanie Spendler.
477677. Fax: 4705848. E-mail:
festzelt@unionsbraeu.de.
• Festhalle Schottenhamel. 54469310. Fax: 54469319. E-mail:
festhalle@schottenhamel.de.
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