Alpine Village Oktoberfest Review & Everything You Need To Know

L.A’s Largest German Beer Tent Oompha Band Celebration

Oktoberfest at Alpine Village in Torrance, CA, was not exactly Munich.

For starters, there was only one beer tent.

But there was a beer tent and, like the ones in Germany, it was pretty big, in L.A.’s South Bay Beach Cities. It was rocking with people drinking big beers to an oompha band on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Unfortunately, it is now closed. Its last event was in 2010.

Here’s what it was like when it was open and hosting the Oktoberfest parties.

There’s also a large stage, picnic tables full of friends and strangers, a constant chatter of music and conversation between individuals dressed in lederhosen and German barmaid outfits and people hoisting huge mugs of beer.

They roll out the barrels of beer for a pleasant change of taste pace) and with it comes barrels of fun.

It’s not Munich but it is for a night at Alpine Village.

From a singles standpoint, it’s okay. For some reason, many of the South Bay’s singles don’t go or care about Oktoberfest anymore. At least the ones who live in Hermosa and Manhattan Beach.

Oh that’s it – they don’t like to leave the Hermosa Pier for anything! Convincing them to go out to Alpine Village when they can drink closer to home is as difficult as getting a table reservation on opening day at the real Oktoberfest.

Still, a few do make it out, and your best bet for finding them is on a Friday night. And there’s also singles from other cities – Torrance, Long Beach, Hawthorne, Redondo Beach – who welcome the opportunity to guzzle large quantities of beer under a tent and do the chicken dance to a band from Germany.

What you will find as much as anything are groups of friends (most of whom are not single) and couples.

The huge mugs, reminiscent of the real deal in Munich, are part of the atmosphere. In fact, people not only bring their own year after year, but try and outdo others by drinking out of some whose size borders on ridiculous.

Alpine Village brings in an authentic band from Germany – more than a dozen strong, with a full brass compliment – to set the mood. As a result,there’s many people wanting to know, hey baby, if she wants to be their girl. Ooom. Ahh.

Perhaps the are just curious about Alice and want to know who she is exactly.

But one thing’s for sure: They definitely want to do the Chicken Dance.

The band invites people on stage with them and when this happens, patrons pour up there as fast as the Spaten flows. The band also takes a large flag and hands it to a partier, which results in a conga line that makes its way through the entire tent.

Oktoberfest at Alpine Village is a South Bay party tradition, and it’s common to find groups of people who arrived via party bus from the Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo beach cities. It also attracts people from other South Bay cities.

By 11 on weekend nights, it’s almost as crowded as the real Oktoberfest (well not really but you get the idea). The dance area is almost always the liveliest place to party.

Ein Prosit!

ALPINE VILLAGE OKTOBERFEST FACTS: 

The beer tent is open 6 p.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays and Sunday from 1-6 p.m….Entry is $15 and $5 on Sundays (there are no longer discount coupons in the Easy Reader or Beach Reporter; it’s $10 in September)…Beers are $7 and the optional large 1-liter mugs – which are empty upon purchase – are $15…There are two food stations at a corner by the entrance and by the stage…A German brat or half chicken dinner with two full sides (potato salad, saurkraut or cole slow) is $10…Tickets are required for food and drink purchase.

Address: 833 W. Torrance Blvd., Torrance, CA
Phone: (310) 327-4384
Website: AlpineVillage.net