Oktoberfest, Nothing Else Like It

There are a lot of things that have to be seen to be believed, and plenty of others that fit the must-see-before-you-die category. When it comes to being both, there may not be any truer example than Oktoberfest. Everyone can have his or her own opinion about the biggest party on the face of the planet, but I was nothing short of blown away. Having survived and absolutely loved my recent trip down to the Munich festival, I can honestly say that there's nothing else like it.  

First, a small disclaimer: I spent twelve hours in the Oktoberfest grounds--easily enough time to have one of the finest days of my life, but no where near enough to see the entire Theresienwiese fairground. As you'll come to see, a Friday at Oktoberfest is not exactly the best time to leisurely explore. I still saw plenty of sights, but I focused more on the little things that make the celebration so special. My account won't be a summary of everything the festival has to offer. It will not provide historical facts and figures. That's not what makes Oktoberfest so great. This celebration is really about the people--meeting up with old friends, finding new ones, and all enjoying the German traditions and culture together. So here we go with Oktoberfest account.

I woke at 4:30 on the morning of Friday, September 28 and was out of my house in Bad Homburg ten minutes later. Mornings aren't always the easiest for me, but I felt as awake and alive as ever. I walked to the bus in the dark, exited at the train station in the dark, got on the S-Bahn going to Frankfurt in the dark, and arrived at the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, yes, in the dark. Just before 6 AM I made my way down platform eight and waited for the ICE train to pull in. I had actually reserved myself a seat for this ride, and it was nice knowing that I wouldn't have to search for one. The three hour ride to Munich couldn't have felt shorter. I ate my croissants, listed to music, wrote in my journal, and best of all, watched the sun rise out the window. As the crystal clear sky got lighter, my excitement grew. And from then on, each moment seemed more exciting than the last. 

I jumped off the train just past nine in Munich, and walked (very, very quickly) south towards the festival. Even early in the morning, the city was buzzing with men and women decked out in the traditional Oktoberfest dress: lederhosens and dirndls. I turned onto the final block and saw a mass of people flooding towards the entrance. Even so, when I passed under the "Willkommen zum Oktoberfest" banner, I was surprised to see the center strip fairly empty. Where was everyone? I soon found out. 

In front of the Hofbrau Festzelt tent

Let me pause for a moment and explain my plans to meet up with friends. Will Plumb is a fellow Camp Dudley leader studying in Prague, and I had been talking to him all week about trying to find each other. He goes to Richmond, and it turns out that three of his roommates in Prague study at Middlebury. There's nothing better than the Dudley network, and I'm benefitting from it for this entire gap year. Also at Oktoberfest on Friday was Kirk Horton, a soccer player whom I roomed with at a Dartmouth camp two years ago. We didn't stay in contact after the camp, but I got an email from him this past winter saying that he also got in early-decision to Middlebury, that he'll be playing soccer, and that he wanted to take a gap year and play in Europe. It's a bit of a coincidence, but it turned out that he decided upon Germany. So, Middlebury soccer has two guys coming in who both spent a semester playing in Germany--pretty crazy! Anyway, I got a text on the train from Kirk saying he'd be in Munich, and that he was planning on going to the Hacker-Festzelt tent, which is right next to the Hofbrau tent where I planned to meet Plumb. 

The sea of people inside the Hofbrau tent

Continuing with the day: I beelined it straight for the Hofbrau tent, where Munich's world-famous Hofbrauhaus beer garden entertains thousands upon thousands of visitors. It seemed big from the front, but there was no massive crowd waiting to enter. I peered inside and realized why. It turned out I missed the opening of the doors by five minutes, and there had been a mad rush to secure tables. Large corporate groups and people with connections can reserve tables and show up whenever, but for the general public, it's difficult to get a seat. Luckily, Plumb and his Richmond buddies had been standing in line since before 7 AM, and in the rush for tables he was kind enough to save me a seat. My wait was no more than five minutes before I entered the tent. I had to climb over a few railings and benches, but soon I was sitting at  Plumb's table. 

The tent was massive--hopefully the photos do it justice. When I arrived, the standing-only middle section was empty, and so was the upper level with reserved seating. But wow, the rest of the tables on the lower level were packed. The Hofbrau tent draws a young international crowd (i.e. Americans studying abroad). Our section felt like frat row. Richmond took up a bunch of tables around us, to the left Syracuse held some seats, UPenn had some representatives, and only a few tables away was a small Middlebury crowd. So much for experiencing German culture. The tables were so close together that the only way to navigate was to climb on top of the benches. I sat back to back with random people, as we all anticipated the first waitress to bring out the first drinks.

The Hacker tent--not quite so rowdy

I've witnessed a lot of incredible sporting events, but the adrenaline rush in that moment rivaled any spectacular play. The waitress appeared and without missing a beat the band began to play. Everyone jumped to their feet, and most stood on the benches and tables. It was completely and totally insane--and still only ten o'clock in the morning! Every time a waitress came near our table everyone went wild. For ten euros a liter, it's not a very good deal, but it's cool to think you're drinking the same exact beer as a thousand people sitting around you. A side note: those waitresses are strong. One mass, as they are called, is heavy--and they carry up to ten!

After the initial hype of the first beers, people started to settle down and move throughout the tent. I decided it was the best time to meet up with Kirk, because I knew by early afternoon the tent would shut its doors. It was actually very easy to find each other, and after roaming around my tent we moved outside to walk around the grounds. Like me, he wanted to take a lot of photos, so we stopped in some of the nearby tents and checked out each of those scenes. The atmosphere varies from tent to tent, because some put a premium on design, others advertise the best food, and the Hofbrau tent offers the craziest party. Kirk and I talked for over an hour--sharing observations about German culture and society and comparing our soccer situations. We are both really excited for Middlebury and our chances to play soccer there, and we agreed that taking a gap year will benefit us in more ways than we can imagine.

At Oktoberfest with Will Plumb

When I arrived back at my tent, the full scale of the party was on display. Previously clear walkways were clogged with people. Waitresses holding beers and food trays blew whistles over and over trying to push through. The band was still blasting German songs--some traditional and others more modern. They played "Tage Wie Diese"--still the only German song I know--and everyone at least attempted to shout out the chorus. Plumb and I talked for a while, and he introduced me to many of his friends. I talked EPL with a Richmond guy for what seemed an hour, and I also met Laura Canning--a Camp Dudley at Kiniya leader. If you've ever been to Dudley for a summer, you probably know the Canning family. We talked about camp and how much I loved Alex, Shane, and Regis Canning. It seems there is always another Dudley connection to be made.

I stayed in the tent until around nine o'clock. By this point many people were wandering around aimlessly, and those who had had their fill were heading for the exit. I stepped outside and everything was illuminated by bright, colorful lights. I can't decide whether I like the nighttime view better than the daytime one. At one corner of the grounds, the Bavaria Statue rises high above the tents. I climbed up the steps and found a seat, and like all of those around me, I took in the view. Sitting up there, it's easy to understand why Oktoberfest is so special.

The Bavaria statue at night

By 11 PM I was boarding my sleeper train home--completely exhausted, but still full of so many images and memories from the festival. As I said before, it's about the old friends, the new friends, and the collective spirit of the entire celebration. The day was a treat. I feel luck to have had the chance to go and so glad I seized the opportunity. Yes, you do have to see it to believe it, and I'm happy that I can now say I have been to Oktoberfest.

Click here to view all of my photos from Oktoberfest.