Oktoberfest:
The world's largest fair held annually since 1810 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
Yes, we were there and it was amazing!
Enjoy the pictures!
This is the entrance into the festival although there is quite a lot of things going on around the festival too. It is free to get in and the prices for everything else is pretty typical of a fair.
Like most festivals there is food, rides, games, and BEER
Here are some of the beer "gartens"
Very elaborate and huge!
We got to the festival around 10:00am and the lines to get a table in the beer gardens were already and hour wait.
Some of the food places were as cool as the beer gardens
Not only were their booths over the top, so was some of the food!
If you wanted a beer you had to go inside a beer garden but if you wanted vine or hard liquor that was available outside.
This carousel was a bar that spun
This picture is the boys with the friends we went with. We stopped for some "bubbly"
This is inside the beer garden where we ate and enjoyed some beer.
My first authentic Oktoberfest beer!
Yes, I finished it.
No, they did not help me, they had their own. Just joking, while kids are allowed to drink with their parents in Germany, I prefer to wait a while before I let them. Anyone notice Jason is two fisted? Josef wouldn't even touch the glass.
Disclaimer: the children did not drink any beer, nor were they encouraged to.
The boys embracing their German heritage!
Again, no children drank beer!
The rides were pretty elaborate as well.
The boys and I went on the big slide together.
Their Top Spin is a little more fun then ours. Notice the topless lady in the back. This top spin had a water fountain in front of it and it actually hung the riders upside down with their faces almost in the water, they were able to splash each other as they hung upside down.
A few things a little different from what we are used to at a fair:
You have to pay to use the lavatories (WC), which is typical around Germany, not just at festivals
Everything you drink or eat is in a real glass or mug and on a real plate with real silverware. Even at walk up and order stands. If you wanted a coffee you'd get it in a ceramic mug. They charge you a deposit of 1-2 euros that you get back when you return the dishes.
They also charge the same deposit on bottled pop.
They had very little security except in the beer gartens and we did not see any altercations or issues all day.
They did not have garbage cans anywhere yet there was very little trash on the ground.
Some of the foods we enjoyed:
Pretzels
Crepes with Nutella, Cinnamon sugar, and lemon sugar
Half chickens
French Fries
Chocolate covered fruit
Wine and beer
We saw lots of Lederhosen and dirndls
Fun was had by all of us!
The boys on our walk back to the bus: Josef in Navy & Jason in Red
