Oktoberfest 2025
Where “Day Drinking” first started circa 1810.
The story goes……It all started with the royal wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Now for approximately 10 days each year, during late-September through the first Sunday in October the entire world gathers here to ‘throw down’.
History lesson: The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities, including horse races and a large feast, on a meadow outside the city gates, which was subsequently named Theresienwiese ("Therese's Fields"). The decision to repeat the event the following year established the tradition of the annual Oktoberfest.
Munich’s normal population of ~ 1.5 million citizens grows to nearly 6 million inhabitants or roughly between 350k-450k per day during Oktoberfest.
We attended one of the 14 Large Tents: Hofbrau Festzelt with capacity ~ 6000 guests. Here the angel Aloisius oversaw the festivities.
A traditional German band (Kapelle Alois Altmann und seine Isarspatzen) perched high above the crowd on a wooden platform played traditional oom-pah pah music along with modern German and American popular music tunes.
Of course, Sweet Caroline & Take Me Home Country Roads were played.
There are another 21 smaller tents as well. Each tent had its own unique beers, traditions and overall vibes.
Within the tents, patrons sing and dance in the aisles as well as atop tables and benches. Food and drinks are continuously served. There are morning and evening sessions. Our morning session lasted 4 hours: 11am - 3pm.
Outside the tents exists a carnival Midway atmosphere. Visitors can ride (rides), continue to eat, drink and wander the massive grounds at Theresienwiese.
It’s part Mardi Gras, Rio Carnival, Eagles Tailgate, New Year’s Eve (Ball Drop), Super Bowl and Diwali all rolled into one celebration.
And once you leave the grounds proper, the party spills into the streets at the neighborhood pubs, bars and restaurants into the wee hours of the night.
The next day is a Do-Over. Prost!
My complete travel blog is coming, once I sober up and get some sleep.
Dad & Daughter
“Unity Day” (10/3/25 - 35 years since unification)
10/4/25
Dude…..Where’s my Lederhosen?
Four days before our Oktoberfest date, while in Luxembourg, I received a STEP email notification “alert” from the U.S. Department of State - Oktoberfest will be closed due to a bomb threat.
Two days before while in Berlin, a cyber attack nearly crippled the German airport. Our flight to Munich was delayed multiple times, and although we finally safely arrived in Munich, Lufthansa lost my luggage. Suddenly, I had no lederhosen. (Note: My luggage was finally delivered to the hotel 8 hours before our flight home on 10/6).
Frantically walking around the unfamiliar streets of Munich, a kiosk vendor informed Lauren that a shop around the corner near our hotel sells/rents lederhosen, however it closes at 6pm. Our meetup time was 10am the next day. It was do or die time. Arriving ten minutes before the store’s closing I was asked if I had an appointment. No?
The young German man looked at me, then looked at my daughter, paused ever so slightly, let me in and closed the door for the night. Through the glass, the other 10 folks in line looked at us in disbelief. In about 20 minutes I was fitted with my replacement lederhosen.
To celebrate at the checkout counter I did shots of Jägermeister with the Staff. All of us relived this day had finally come to close.
So began my (our) Oktoberfest memories!
As a bonus, Marie’s niece Jackie and her family had arrived from Italy two days before as we planned to spend these next 3 days in Munich with them before they returned to Italy.
When our group arrived at the Oktoberfest meetup point the next day, we met our Tour Guide (Kate) along two guys as well as with two girls all close in age to Lauren.
After the first round of beers, we all thought they were two couples. Turns out the guys (Neil & Matt) were childhood friends from Boston, while the girls (Amy & Morgan) were childhood friends from Chicago. This assumption on our part lead to a big laugh from everyone. Suddenly we were Team Oktoberfest!
The guys were ‘gifted’ the trip from a third friend (and his wife) as the wife had become pregnant (surprise baby) and could no longer travel. The girls like many had this trip on their Bucket List since graduating college.
In fact, at some point we all made a video sending our drunken congratulations to the newly expecting couple back home. Neil after hearing my lederhosen story (above) had complained about not getting an outfit at home before the trip.
Halfway through the event, I noticed Neil was suddenly wearing lederhosen. He told me he traded his jeans for Shawn’s (Jackie’s husband) lederhosen and pheasant hat under the table. The fun was only beginning……
After our 4 hour Oktoberfest Tent Experience session ended, we all agreed to meet up at the Ferris Wheel. Nearly 40 minutes later, when we arrived at the meetup point, much to our surprise they had waited!
We rode the ride, exited the park but not before Morgan twerked over a passed out gentleman at the exit. Amy told us Morgan loves to dance.
That’s when the rain started. We scrambled to find the nearest bar. Of course, it was full to capacity. Within 10 minutes Neil texted Jackie. They had snuck in a back service door entrance and secured us a table to keep the party going!
Jackpot! However the German man at the Front Desk was none too pleased with our tactics. Shawn and the little man went off into the corner. It did not look good. Would we be arrested in Munich?
We stayed. We drank. We hugged. We tipped (big). We were not arrested.
Evening had arrived. We texted pics, traded digits and disappeared into the Munich night.
Lauren and I now have open invites to Boston & Chicago. Our Texas family extended the same invitations to our new friends. Amy and Lauren may hook up in Philly in three weeks. She will be in town visiting friends in Paoli.
Did today really happen?
I noticed Sunday morning, I had photos of strangers (now friends) on my phone, so maybe it did indeed happen as I remembered it from above.
Or maybe just maybe……we all got to experience the magic of Oktoberfest together!
Oktoberfest
Dad & Daughter (and friends and family)
10/4/25
#liveyourdash
Where “Day Drinking” first started circa 1810.
The story goes……It all started with the royal wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Now for approximately 10 days each year, during late-September through the first Sunday in October the entire world gathers here to ‘throw down’.
History lesson: The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities, including horse races and a large feast, on a meadow outside the city gates, which was subsequently named Theresienwiese ("Therese's Fields"). The decision to repeat the event the following year established the tradition of the annual Oktoberfest.
Munich’s normal population of ~ 1.5 million citizens grows to nearly 6 million inhabitants or roughly between 350k-450k per day during Oktoberfest.
We attended one of the 14 Large Tents: Hofbrau Festzelt with capacity ~ 6000 guests. Here the angel Aloisius oversaw the festivities.
A traditional German band (Kapelle Alois Altmann und seine Isarspatzen) perched high above the crowd on a wooden platform played traditional oom-pah pah music along with modern German and American popular music tunes.
Of course, Sweet Caroline & Take Me Home Country Roads were played.
There are another 21 smaller tents as well. Each tent had its own unique beers, traditions and overall vibes.
Within the tents, patrons sing and dance in the aisles as well as atop tables and benches. Food and drinks are continuously served. There are morning and evening sessions. Our morning session lasted 4 hours: 11am - 3pm.
Outside the tents exists a carnival Midway atmosphere. Visitors can ride (rides), continue to eat, drink and wander the massive grounds at Theresienwiese.
It’s part Mardi Gras, Rio Carnival, Eagles Tailgate, New Year’s Eve (Ball Drop), Super Bowl and Diwali all rolled into one celebration.
And once you leave the grounds proper, the party spills into the streets at the neighborhood pubs, bars and restaurants into the wee hours of the night.
The next day is a Do-Over. Prost!
My complete travel blog is coming, once I sober up and get some sleep.
Dad & Daughter
“Unity Day” (10/3/25 - 35 years since unification)
10/4/25
Dude…..Where’s my Lederhosen?
Four days before our Oktoberfest date, while in Luxembourg, I received a STEP email notification “alert” from the U.S. Department of State - Oktoberfest will be closed due to a bomb threat.
Two days before while in Berlin, a cyber attack nearly crippled the German airport. Our flight to Munich was delayed multiple times, and although we finally safely arrived in Munich, Lufthansa lost my luggage. Suddenly, I had no lederhosen. (Note: My luggage was finally delivered to the hotel 8 hours before our flight home on 10/6).
Frantically walking around the unfamiliar streets of Munich, a kiosk vendor informed Lauren that a shop around the corner near our hotel sells/rents lederhosen, however it closes at 6pm. Our meetup time was 10am the next day. It was do or die time. Arriving ten minutes before the store’s closing I was asked if I had an appointment. No?
The young German man looked at me, then looked at my daughter, paused ever so slightly, let me in and closed the door for the night. Through the glass, the other 10 folks in line looked at us in disbelief. In about 20 minutes I was fitted with my replacement lederhosen.
To celebrate at the checkout counter I did shots of Jägermeister with the Staff. All of us relived this day had finally come to close.
So began my (our) Oktoberfest memories!
As a bonus, Marie’s niece Jackie and her family had arrived from Italy two days before as we planned to spend these next 3 days in Munich with them before they returned to Italy.
When our group arrived at the Oktoberfest meetup point the next day, we met our Tour Guide (Kate) along two guys as well as with two girls all close in age to Lauren.
After the first round of beers, we all thought they were two couples. Turns out the guys (Neil & Matt) were childhood friends from Boston, while the girls (Amy & Morgan) were childhood friends from Chicago. This assumption on our part lead to a big laugh from everyone. Suddenly we were Team Oktoberfest!
The guys were ‘gifted’ the trip from a third friend (and his wife) as the wife had become pregnant (surprise baby) and could no longer travel. The girls like many had this trip on their Bucket List since graduating college.
In fact, at some point we all made a video sending our drunken congratulations to the newly expecting couple back home. Neil after hearing my lederhosen story (above) had complained about not getting an outfit at home before the trip.
Halfway through the event, I noticed Neil was suddenly wearing lederhosen. He told me he traded his jeans for Shawn’s (Jackie’s husband) lederhosen and pheasant hat under the table. The fun was only beginning……
After our 4 hour Oktoberfest Tent Experience session ended, we all agreed to meet up at the Ferris Wheel. Nearly 40 minutes later, when we arrived at the meetup point, much to our surprise they had waited!
We rode the ride, exited the park but not before Morgan twerked over a passed out gentleman at the exit. Amy told us Morgan loves to dance.
That’s when the rain started. We scrambled to find the nearest bar. Of course, it was full to capacity. Within 10 minutes Neil texted Jackie. They had snuck in a back service door entrance and secured us a table to keep the party going!
Jackpot! However the German man at the Front Desk was none too pleased with our tactics. Shawn and the little man went off into the corner. It did not look good. Would we be arrested in Munich?
We stayed. We drank. We hugged. We tipped (big). We were not arrested.
Evening had arrived. We texted pics, traded digits and disappeared into the Munich night.
Lauren and I now have open invites to Boston & Chicago. Our Texas family extended the same invitations to our new friends. Amy and Lauren may hook up in Philly in three weeks. She will be in town visiting friends in Paoli.
Did today really happen?
I noticed Sunday morning, I had photos of strangers (now friends) on my phone, so maybe it did indeed happen as I remembered it from above.
Or maybe just maybe……we all got to experience the magic of Oktoberfest together!
Oktoberfest
Dad & Daughter (and friends and family)
10/4/25
#liveyourdash
© Scott Kern