Here are some pretty incredible things you can do at Oktoberfest this year, sans the famous brewskis.
Oktoberfest is one big carnival full of culturally rich and historically relevant activities that often get overshadowed by the beer. Don’t get us wrong, the beers are awesome and deserve every bit of attention that they receive, but so do the understated sideshows and costumes and Ferris wheels and whatnot. Here’s a brief guide to the must-do activities at Oktoberfest. For those of you who don’t know what The Backpacker Co is has curated a special and budget Oktoberfest trips that will not only get you to Oktoberfest, but also quench your wanderlust.
As one of their most popular packages – it includes a trip to Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany. Okto’beer’fest is a 4-day trip at the Bavarian fest inclusive of a table booking, a litre of Bavarian beer and a snack along with accommodation and intercity travels.
1. The Massive Costume Parade
Oktoberfest’s Costume & Riflemen’s Parade is the biggest and most flamboyant representation of the festival’s culture and history. In 1835, this parade was held in the honor of King Ludwin and his wife Theresie, the founders of Oktoberfest. It is now an extravagant tradition held on the first Sunday of Oktoberfest. Here’s what you can expect – about 9500 members take part in the parade and present a huge variety of traditional costumes, habits and traditional dancing routines along with music and other entertainments through the seven miles that are covered by the parade.
2. The Elaborate Rides
The festival features spectacularly gargantuan rides such as the Olympia Looping, Eurostar, and other funfair attractions with a long-standing fairground tradition that can only be found at the Wiesn (as the locals say), such as the Krinoline (old-fashioned merry-go-round), the Teufelsrad (“Devil‘s Wheel”) and the Toboggan.
3. The Underrated Side Shows
Oktoberfest is also host to some of the most skilled performers in Germany. The Schichtl Variety Show, a true Oktoberfest Institution, features theater and cabaret acts that are both enigmatic and breathtaking. You don’t want to miss this one, folks.
4. The Even More Underrated Music
The music at Oktoberfest is usually focused on the traditional Bavarian wind music (also known as Blasmusik), although an international pop song or two being performed from time to time isn’t unheard of. Mainly, the festival’s music element consists of a bigband open-air concert of all Oktoberfest bands with some 400 musicians set to take place on the second Sunday of the festival.
5. The Lively Tents (Even Without The Beer)
The extravagant tents of Oktoberfest are by far the biggest attraction of the festival. From Oide Wiesn, a special German delicacies tent located at the grounds of Munich Oktoberfest that allow its visitors to sample traditional German foods, dance to Bavarian music and admire at colorful costumes to the Schottenhamel tent, which in 1867 was just a small beer booth with 50 seats, has now become the largest Wiesn tent with circa 10,000 seats. The Schottenhamel is the favorite hunting ground for Munich’s young people who meet there to drink and party. Other tents worth checking out are said to be the Ochsenbraterei and the Hacker-Pschorr.
6. The Great German Feast
One of the greatest things apart from the beer is the food. From traditional Bavarian white sausages to the absolutely delectable soft pretzels, the food at Oktoberfest is borderline sinful. (We can see you drooling from all the way here, already.) Pro Tip: if you do ahppen to visit Oktoberfest, and you must, don’t forget to bring back their gingerbread cookies for your loved ones. (And feel free to send us one. Or seven.) Technically edible, these cookies are more of a souvenir than a delicacy.
7. The Promising After-parties
For those of you who believe that the party doesn’t really start until the after-party, we have great news. Spread across several bars in Munich, Oktoberfest has a bunch of afterparties planned for the festival attendees. Check out a list of afterparties here if you ever need a day off from the Wiesn but still fancy a traditional Bavarian atmosphere.
8. The Grandeur of Munich
Munich, in itself, is a cozy but historically rich and incredibly picturesque city. When not drinking beer and/or partying it up in one of the tents, you can explore Munich and it’s local beauty. From the food markets and the pubs to the grand Marienplatz, museums, and other historical attractions, Munich is pretty easy to immerse yourself into.
9. The Neuschwanstein Castle
Built by Ludwig II of Bavaria as an homage to Richard Wagner, the king’s muse, this castle is nestled in the greener hills of southwest Bavaria. Whilst at Oktoberfest, this is a great tourist location to visit. Undoubtedly worth a one-day visit, tourists travel from all over the globe to get a good look at Neuschwanstein Castle.
10. The Englischer Garten
In the heart of Munich lies Englischer Garten a.k.a. The English Garden. Making NYC’s Central Park seem like a pinkie toe, this lavish and undeniably massive is one of the World’s biggest and most tourist-friendly parks. The park holds Japanese teahouse and garden that was built for the 1972 Summer Olympics, as well as the Schönfeldwiese – a meadow in which nude sunbathing is permitted. (Take that, Central Park.) If that’s not cool enough for you, we bet this will be. The park includes surfing – yes, you read that right – on artificially pumped water bodies and even a wonderful beer garden.
Lucky for you, we know just how you can make your Oktoberfest trip happen. The Backpacker Co organizes curated holidays for you, if you’re a free-spirited closet hippie or simply need a break from, well, life and one of their most popular packages include a trip to Oktoberfest. Click here to know more or drop in an email at sales@thebackpackerco.com. Don’t forget to tell them The Sherp sent you, to avail your 10% discount!