A burst of color builds across the city of Munich, as people ready themselves for the start to Oktoberfest. This year’s festivities will run from the 19th of September to the 4th of October.
At 10:45AM on September 19th, the parade of hundreds of tent owners and local Munich brewers will commence from Josephspitalstrasse and run until the festival grounds at Theresienwiese.
The Beer
Already under construction in June, the 14 large and 21 small, beer tents will remain in place until their deconstruction after October 4th. Here under sweeping fabric and warm light, beers from breweries such as Löwenbräu-Festzelt and Augustiner-Festhalle will be sold in the iconic “Maß,” the large stone or glass liter mugs. Starting this year, one “Maß” will cost at least 10€, with the cheapest from Vinzenz-Murr-Metzgerstubn for a flat 10.00€.
Finding seating for the in-demand tents may be a problem, especially in the afternoon hours. But, disappointment can be avoided by making reservations for specific tents through the individual tents themselves. These prices may run up to 60€ for smaller tents and more for larger tents and the “Weinzelt” or Wine tent. Hours for the tents run weekdays from 10:00AM to 10:30PM and on weekends and holidays from 9:00AM to 10:30PM.
The Festivities
Oktoberfest is hallmark of celebration, and it is even truer this year, with grand new attractions for goers to choose from. These include the “Original Motodrom”, a motorcycle skill showcase, the haunted house, “Daemonium”, with four levels of scare and the Tower Event Centre, with a new extraordinary driving course. Of course, the old favorites of the carousel “Krinoline” and the chairoplanes will remain as well, offering a mix of new excitement and familiar fun for all kinds of Oktoberfest visitors.
The festival remains family friendly as well, with many attractions such as bumper cars, fair games and reduced rates on Family Tuesdays (September 22nd and 29th), but age considerations for children must still be considered. Those under 8 must are not allowed in the tents late at night, those under 16 may not have strong alcohol and prams are no longer allowed past 6PM.
münchen.tv will offer special live coverage of Oktoberfest from Hofbräu-Festzelt and online with articles, photos and more at http://www.muenchen.tv/weisn