I just experienced one of the greatest events of my entire life this past weekend!!! The one thing that I had to do while in Europe was go to the real Oktoberfest in Munich. When we realized that our finances and our class schedule would allow us to venture to the great festival, we immediately jumped on the opportunity.

It is quite difficult to describe in words the magnitude of the fest. Oktoberfest was kind of like the Kentucky Derby on steroids. In fact, combine: all the action of the state fair (rides, booths, attractions, etc), the party atmosphere of the Derby, hundreds of thousands of people, and German food/beer and you have Oktoberfest in Munich. Everywhere you look, you could see thousands of people in their traditional lederhosen. There was also plenty of music to go around for everyone to enjoy, as well.

The beer tents were immense; I read that some of them could hold around 5000 people each. Imagine that amount of people singing, drinking, dancing on the tables, etc. You don’t even have to drink to have a great time. I strongly believe that anyone would be able to enjoy themselves in that environment regardless of the circumstances. Everywhere you look, you see people from all over the world with a big smile on their face.

There was even a mini-amusement park inside the fairgrounds. It contained a few roller coasters, a ferris wheel, small children’s rides, typical county fair rides, etc. Quite literally, there was something for everyone to do at the festival. There were people there that probably ranged from 3 years old to 90 years old. And the food……the food was fantastic. The streets were lined with different snack and sandwich vendors. I definitely got my fair share of schnitzel, sausage, pretzels, and anything else you associate with German cuisine.

All in all, Oktoberfest was more than I expected. I am so glad I was able to go, especially since I have no idea if I will ever be able to return. If you enjoy parties, festivals, beer, food, music, and a great atmosphere then Oktoberfest is your place to be. I honestly feel that this is one event that everyone needs to attend at some point in their lifetime.

Thanks for reading,

Josh Heeman