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Team Atlanta is Munich Bound! |
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Information for First Timers
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE OKTOBERFEST? Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. The fields have been named Theresienwiese, or Theresa's fields, in honour of the Crown Princess ever since, although the locals have since abbreviated the name simply to the "Wiesn." Horse races in the presence of the Royal Family marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest. In 1811, an added feature to the horse races was the first Agricultural Show, designed to boost Bavarian agriculture. The horse races, which were the oldest and, at one time, the most popular event of the festival are no longer held today, but the Agricultural Show is still held every three years during the Oktoberfest on the southern part of the festival grounds. In the first few decades the choice of amusements was sparse. The first carousel and two swings were set up in 1818. Visitors were able to quench their thirst at small beer stands which grew rapidly in number. In 1896, the beer stands were replaced by the first beer tents and halls set up by enterprising landlords with the backing of the breweries. The remainder of the festival site was taken up by a fun-fair. The range of carousels, etc. on offer was already increasing rapidly in the 1870s as the fairground trade continued to grow and develop in Germany. • Return to Menu •
Sept. 18 - Oct. 3, 2010 • Sept. 17 - Oct. 3, 2011 • Sept. 22 - Oct. 7, 2012 The rule is that the Oktoberfest always ends on the first Sunday in October, and begins 16 days previous to that date. If October 3rd is a Monday or Tuesday, the event is prolonged to that day in order to celebrate German Reunification Day. The Central Agricultural Festival takes place every 3 years at the same time as the Oktoberfest on the southern area of the Theresienwiese. • Return to Menu •
WHY IS THE OKTOBERFEST HELD IN SEPTEMBER? The Oktoberfest originally began on October 12th, but on account of the duration of the festival and the nice weather, the Oktoberfest has begun in September since 1872. • Return to Menu •
WHAT BRANDS WILL YOU FIND IN THE TENTS? The beer at the Oktoberfest is supplied by only 6 breweries. Known collectively as "The Big Six," they are: Spaten-Franziskaner, Löwenbräu, Augustiner, Hofbräu, Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr. The beer at Oktoberfest is specially brewed by these breweries and, except for Hacker-Pschorr, is similar in color to the Munich Helles-style of lager. Surprisingly, 30% of the annual production of these 6 breweries is consumed during the two weeks of Oktoberfest. (Editor's note: Team Atlanta recommends Augustiner, Hofbräu and Paulaner!) • Return to Menu •
HOW MANY TENTS ARE THERE ON THE GROUNDS? There are currently 14 main tents at the Oktoberfest. The tents themselves are semi-permanent structures which are only occupied during the festival. The beer served in each is in brackets after the tent name:
In case the 14 main tents are full, there are many other small tents on the festival grounds that serve the same beer and food, and will allow you to have as much fun as in the larger tents. • Return to Menu •
DO I NEED TO PAY TO ENTER THE TENTS? No, admission is free. If the front lines are too long, check and see if the lines on the side or in the rear are shorter. • Return to Menu •
DO I HAVE TO HAVE A RESERVATION TO ENTER THE TENTS? No, all tents are open to the general public. During the week, all of the large tents (with the exception of two) are required to keep 1/3 of the central seating open to those without reservations. On weekends, these tents are not allowed to reserve any seats in the central area. Keep in mind, though, that all tents except the Hofbräu Festzelt require you to have a seat in order to purchase a beer. If you are in the Hofbräu Festzelt, there is a standing-room-only area in the central part of the tent known as the "Pigpen." Anyone can order a beer in this area, even if you are not at a table. If you are in any other tent, you will need to find a seat before ordering a beer. If you are having a hard time finding a seat and want a beer (why else are you there?) simply ask someone if you can sit at their table for just a moment to place your order, then get up and give your seat back after your beer arrives. Most people will be considerate and allow you to do this, but if not, just move on to the next table and ask. • Return to Menu •
HOW MANY PEOPLE DO I HAVE TO HAVE TO GET A RESERVATION? You will need 6 to 10 people, depending on the tent, with the majority requiring 10. For each reservation a minimum pre-payment of 2 litres of beer and one half-chicken is required. For example, if you reserve 10 seats, the tent will require you to pre-pay for 20 litres of beer (2009 price is approximately 7,85 Euro each) and 10 half-chickens (2009 price is approximately 8,60 Euro each). Each tent has their own rules regarding reservations, so check with the tent of your choice for more specific information. • Return to Menu •
DO THE TENTS ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS? Due to the fast-paced environment, all tents accept cash only. The servers are way too busy to stop and run your credit or debit card before delivering beer to other patrons. There are plenty ATMs on the festival grounds and in most tents, though, so don't worry if you run out of cash mid-way through your drinking day. • Return to Menu •
DO THE TENTS SERVE ANYTHING OTHER THAN BEER? Yes. The majority of tents will offer the basic Oktoberfest brew, as well as soft drinks and water, and a half-beer-half-soda mix called Radler (in case you have had too much to drink but insist on continuing to drink something with alcohol). In addition, the Hippodrom has a Champagne bar and the Weinzelt offers many choices of fine wines. Several tents offer Weißbier, too. If you plan on walking into a tent and ordering a Long Island Iced Tea, though, think again. It's not going to happen. This is, after all, a beer fest. • Return to Menu •
I AM GOING ON OPENING DAY. WHAT SHOULD I DO? On opening day, it really won't matter if you pick Tent A or Tent B, since they will all be packed. It is a given, though, that you will not be able to get into the Schottenhamel tent on opening day, since that is where the festivities officially begin at noon. There will be many political figures and celebrities in this tent, so gaining entrance on that day is just short of impossible. You will still need to get to the festival grounds incredibly early, as you will be fighting tens of thousands of enthusiasts trying to gain entry into the tents. On opening day, the tents cannot serve alcohol until noon, but you will still need to be in line around 7am, and make sure you have a sweatshirt with you, since it can be quite cold in the mornings during this time of year. Remember that this is a free-for-all, since many people will try to show up late then force their way into line in front of you. Don't be rude or resort to violence, but let the people know that they are not welcome to enter the line in front of you. If you find the lines for the larger tents unbearable, try one of the smaller tents. Most tourists think that bigger is better, so they ignore tents such as Schützen Festhalle and Käfers Wiesn Schänke. These are smaller, but you'll have as much fun in them. It's less of a tourist crowd in these tents, too, so you'll get more of the true Oktoberfest experience. • Return to Menu •
IS GOING ON A WEEKDAY EASIER THAN A WEEKEND? Of course! On weekends, you will have to be in the tents right after opening time to gain admittance. During the week, you should still be able to find open space until 1 or 2pm, possibly later. The only advantage to going on the weekends is that the entire central area is kept open for those without reservations. As long as you go early, whether it be during the week or on weekends, you should not have a problem. • Return to Menu •
Oktoberfest beer mugs are made from heavy glass and typically have a decorative brewery logo on the side, thus making them very popular souvenirs among visitors. It is, however, strictly forbidden to steal the mugs, but they can be purchased in the tents at a reasonable price. Visitors are strongly advised to keep the receipts because police are known to search them for stolen mugs even away from the fest area. When police catch someone stealing a beer mug, they are fined up to 50 Euro. • Return to Menu •
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GOING? First off, start early. Don't plan on going to the Oktoberfest in July and expect to find a hotel room or a tent reservation. Both hotels and tents begin to fill up in January and are usually booked soon afterward. Plan on more people than you currently have, because you can always downsize but not upsize. Once you have your reservations for hotel and tents, there's not much else to do except sit back and get more and more excited each day. Once you arrive in Munich and visit the tents, remember one thing: moderation. Remember that this beer is (most likely) higher in alcohol percentage than what you are accustomed to. Drink water on your way to the tents, and make sure you eat while drinking. Because of the German Beer Purity law, it is a rare instance to wake up with a hangover, but it is still easy to wake up feeling less than wonderful. Most of us aren't eighteen anymore, no matter how much we think we feel like it, and you don't want to go back on your second or subsequent day feeling unable to face the challenge. Last thing to remember: have fun! Enjoy your group of friends, but don't limit yourself. Walk around and meet people. This is, most likely, the only time you will be able to meet so many different people from so many different backgrounds. We have been very fortunate to meet different friends from all around the world, and none of us would trade these friendships for anything else. All Germans are very gracious and love to meet new people, as do the majority of other nationalities represented by the people sitting next to you in the tents. Don't come home and realize (too late) that you limited yourself and your experiences! • Return to Menu •
Of course! Send an Email to any of the guys and gals in Team Atlanta and we'll welcome you with open arms. If you are traveling separately but want to meet up with us, let us know. Mark, Duke, Derrick and Sal all have German cell phones and will be happy to give out their numbers so that you can join us! • Return to Menu •
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