We visited the original Oktober Fest in Münich Germany. The beers were great, the food was great, and there were rides galore. It was kind of like the Del Mar fair (for you San Diegans), but 4 times larger (and the rides and food were much better). They have about 8 extremely large beer tents. Inside each beer tent was a constant flow of Bavarian beer (in full liter mugs, a real hand full), fabulous food (sausage, pork shank, smoked fish, rotisserie chicken, and even ox roast).
We took the train to Münich early in the morning and noticed a group of six guys behind us with a large cooler full of beer. They cracked the first one about 7:30 am and I believe finished them before the four hour trip was over. We were expecting them to get belligerent (like in the US), but to our surprise they got happy and sang the whole trip. They were even entertaining Natalie. We've realized this to be common throughout Europe, when people do get drunk (not as nearly often as in the US) they become happy and sing. This we'd like to import into the US.
Here is the inside of a beer tent, with um-pah band on the stage left (of course one in each tent). Jeanette and Natalie are at the base of the pole on the right.
The bands, workers, and even the local visitors wore traditional outfits (you know, the knee-length leather pants with suspenders). The servers were all large German women with large um-pahs of their own, and they could carry 10 liter beers each load.
The tents are all very crowded, and most of the tables are reserved well in advance. We found that if you go early and sit at a table that is reserved, they will serve you before the group arrives. And with a little luck, the group doesn't actually need all the bench spaced they've reserved and you can simply join them (did this a few times).
Notice the size of the beers, there is only one size.
We met a lady from Gambia that gave Natalie and Jeanette each a braid in their hair.
We got a room just about a block away from the fair grounds (once again very lucky, the first place we called was the only room we could find available). We didn't see much else in Munich, but we experienced what we wanted to.
Here is Natalie riding the ponies, this became her favorite past-time.
After the original Münich Oktober Fest, Zürich held their own with a much smaller version that consisted of one small tent. However, it was very authentic (I was told they even import the bands and servers). They had the same Bavarian beer and great food. We went a few times, we could go every week if it were there.
Here is Natalie's video clip, she had to get into the swing of it too.
For more info on Oktoberfest or to make reservations for next year, go see:
http://www.munich-tourist.de/english/o.htm