Tis’ the Season for Beer, Brats and Dirndls

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Oktoberfest – one of my favorite events of the year! There really is nothing like being outside with friends and/or family and celebrating in the midst of fall foliage.

If you are wondering what Oktoberfest is, it is a 16 to 18-day folk festival that is celebrated annually in Munich, Germany from late September into early October. It is considered the largest Volkfest in the world, which is also known as a giant beer festival or a carnival. Oktoberfest is HUGE in Bavarian culture and the festival attracts millions of visitors every year from all over the world. (Click here to read my blog post on when I visited Munich, Bavaria in December 2018 for the Christmas markets.)

Even though I have yet to travel to Munich for Oktoberfest, this event is extremely high on my bucket list and I hope to make it there in the near future. Instead, I attend local Oktoberfest events in both New Jersey and New York and they are such a blast!

In this blog post, I am excited to go over what to expect at an Oktoberfest event and how you could have the best time at your local festival.

**Rare Dirndl gifted me with a homemade German dirndl for the Oktoberfest season. I include affiliate links for Rare Dirndl throughout this blog post meaning that if you make a purchase via my affiliate link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only promote and talk about products and services that I have used and like.

How to find a Local Oktoberfest:

If you are unable to make it to Munich, Germany and want to attend an Oktoberfest event locally to where you live, I highly recommend searching Oktoberfest in the events section on Facebook! You could also do a simple Google search. Numerous towns and cities in the United States and Canada have Oktoberfest events, so I doubt you will have any issues finding one.

As many of you know, I am from the New York City area and in regards to where I attend Oktoberfest, I always enjoy the Hudson Valley festivals at Krucker’s in Pomona, New York; Anthony Wayne Recreation Center at Bear Mountain, New York and Hunter Mountain in the Catskills, New York. What I love about attending Oktoberfest in the Hudson Valley is that these events are held around gorgeous scenery, where you could admire the colorful mountains, forests and nature around you (making you feel like you’re in Bavaria). I have also attended Oktoberfest parties in large and small cities like New York City as well as Seaside Heights and Asbury Park, New Jersey. They are also fun as well if you cannot make it to New York State.

What to Wear at an Oktoberfest:

In my personal opinion, if you are going to attend a German Oktoberfest, no matter where it is, I think it is the most fun and festive to wear a dirndl (if you’re a female) or a lederhosen (if you’re a male).

I was thankful that Rare Dirndl gifted me with a gorgeous homemade dirndl that perfectly suits my style and shape. The dirndl that I am wearing above is Rare Dirndl‘s Family Treasures Dirndl in turquoise (which is one of my favorite colors). This stunning dirndl features gorgeous print with deer, doilies, script and other motifs on it. There is also grey piping at the armhole, neckline and princess seams as well as a double faced light teal satin ribbon lace up in the front with edelweiss hooks, creating that corset look. In addition, there is a light teal crinkle semi-sheer apron with lace at the hemline, making it that perfect Bavarian style.

*BONUS: There are also two side skirt pockets so that you could store your phone, cash or other items when you are having fun at Oktoberfest!

Because I now own my very own German dirndl, I am even more excited to go to my local Oktoberfest this year!

About Rare Dirndl:

Erika Neumayer is the owner and designer of Rare Dirndl. She started her dirndl company in 2010 because, as an active member of the German community in Chicago, Erika was disappointed to see that Germany’s dirndl designs were far ahead of the designs and styles coming out in the United States. Nowadays, Erika makes high-quality dirndls, blouses, bloomers and accessories that are both trendy and fashionable, but still honor Bavarian, Austrian and Swiss Alpine traditions.

Erika’s homemade dirndl‘s are perfect for any Bavarian party or celebration!

What to Eat and Drink at Oktoberfest:

I LOVE German food and because I don’t get to enjoy it as often as I would like, I totally savor it all at Oktoberfest! Below is a list of German foods and drinks to savor at your local event:

German Specialties:

• GERMAN BEER (ALL THE BEER)
• Würstl (Sausages) – There is nothing I love more than German beer with a bratwürst and maybe some warm apples on top of that. SO GOOD!
• Brezen (Homemade Pretzels)
• Spätzle (German Noodles or Pasta) – Most of the time, these are served with cheese or a light gavy.
• Reiberdatschi (Potato Pancakes)
• Knödel (Potato or Flour Dumplings)
• Apple Strudel/Apple Dumplings (German Apple Tart)

American Fall Goodies:

• Apple Cider Donuts
• Hot Apple Cider
• Pie (Pumpkin, Apple or Pecan)
• Pumpkin Spiced Coffee or Desserts
• Spiked Cider
• Wine

Having Fun at Oktoberfest:

Every Oktoberfest that I have been to has a live German band where you could dance with your friends to German folk music. At most American festivals, there are usually fire pits; yard games such as corn hole, bocce, ping pong (or sometimes beer pong), horse shoes, Kan Jam, etc; carnival rides and games and so much more! There are even some hiking and walking trails at a lot of the Oktoberfest events I’ve attended in New York State.

Prost!

I hope you all enjoyed discovering the best ways to have fun at your local Oktoberfest. Maybe one day we will see each other at the real deal in Munich! For more information or questions on Oktoberfest, please email me at [email protected] Click here to order your homemade German dirndl through Rare Dirndl today for your next German party!