Oktoberfest is whispered about, joked about, and portrayed on beer steins, special brews, and college comedies all across the country. But what is Oktoberfest, really? Do they actually go through that much beer? And how would you actually get there, if you wanted to?
Time for a history lesson.
Oktoberfest is held every year in Munich, Germany. The 2015 festival was the 182nd edition. The very first Oktoberfest was actually a wedding party celebrating Crown Prince Ludwig's marriage to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. An enormous party was held in a field, now called Theresienwiese—"Therese’s Meadow." The modern version of the festival runs anywhere from 16 to 18 days leading into October. It’s a massive folk festival—like a state fair, it’s a celebration of local food and culture. In this case, however, the culture dates back 500 years, and the local food—mainly beer—draws seven million people a year. The 2016 edition will run from September 17th to October 3rd.
A whole festival dedicated to beer? Please explain.
Of course! While there is more to Oktoberfest than your local frat house would have you believe, beer is an enormous part of the celebration. To be served at the festival, a beer must be brewed in Munich and conform to the German Beer Purity Law. Even with those restrictions, there’s plenty of beer to go around. In 2013, festival-goers drank over 6.5 million liters of beer, and that was about a million liters less than usual.
The fairground holds dozens of tents put forth by brewers and makers of food, wine, and cocktails. There are large tents and small tents, but in this case, even a “small” tent can hold over 400 people with space for even more outside. The largest tent can hold over 8,000 people plus another couple thousand in an outside seating area.
Let's talk about what's important: money.
If you want to go, you’ll need to plan for expenses. Apart from the flight to Munich, you’ll need a place to stay, probably public transport to and from the field, and nightly food and drink. A beer costs at least €10 this year (about $11.25)—though bear in mind that “a beer” is an enormous mug that contains a full liter. You’ll also want to allot money for roast chicken, local sausages, and other Bavarian foods.
If you’re arriving from overseas, you’ll want to fly into the Airport Franz-Josef-Strauss. From there you can take a train, bus, or taxi into Munich. Car rental is not recommended because of the lack of parking, and let’s be honest—you’re not going to want to leave. You probably won’t be fit to drive, anyway.
Oktoberfest is a free event—you don’t need a ticket to get into the festival, or to enter any of the tents. However, you can reserve seating in the tents. If you want to do that, you’d better start early—seating typically sells out by February or March. You’ll want to contact the proprietors of the tents and buy seats directly from them. The Oktoberfest site has separate pages for the big and small tents. Also, bear in mind that some festival days are busier than others. Either show up early or avoid the first day altogether, and remember that locals will flood the area on weekends.
Oktoberfest is a great tradition and a fun celebration of a rich cultural heritage. You’re almost certain to have a good time, but a little planning ahead will have you saying "Prost!" in no time.
