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Best of the Fest-An Insider's Guide to OI<toberfes BY BRIAN M C M A H O N

From where to find the "hip" tent to the proper toasting technique, this

selection of tips will make your trip to "die Wiesn"

one to remember.

M illions of tourists from around the world flock to Mimich, Ciermany, ever\

vear to celebrate Oktoberfest. You can just eat a bratwurst or hoist a liter at a table of travelers but for a closer lot)k at all the fairgrounds ha\'e to offer, from a cornucopia of food and tra­dition to the locals' advice on where to drink and how to toast, here is an insider's guide xo the best of the test.

From the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) all the way to There-senwiese, the alluring aroma of roast chicken mixed with malt beer and sugar-coated almonds hangs over the throngs of Leder-hosened Bavarians and giddy tourists fi l l ing the streets to the "Wiesn." This is Munich at its most memorable, Oktoberfest. For two and a half weeks every year, this festival brings together all that is Ba­varian in a celebration unrivaled in size, culture, and taste. Oktoberfest is know n the world o\er lor its delicious one-of-a-kind German beers, gigan­tic soft pretzels, and appetizing brat­wurst. Flocks of foreign visitors look forward to the infectiouslv merr\ at­mosphere of singing and dancing on the benches of crowded beer tents.

Perhaps half t>f them have been filled in on its history—a long run­ning wedding celebration that has been held almost every year since 1810, and maybe half of them do not

really care. I t is hard not to enjoy Ok­toberfest on any level and i f you are a tourist in town for a day or two, it is likelv that the more predictable and stereotypical aspects o f the festival wi l l provide a \ery memorable fill. However, have a ck)ser look—steer to the far ends of the fairground, stop by an unassuming booth, take a mo­ment to take in the crowd, follow the locals, and you w i l l find an Oktober­fest steeped in long-held Ba\arian traditions, quirk\ fun, and a plethora of different delicacies.

To begin with there is the choice of fourteen beer tents, each wi th its own unique atmosphere and features. H(}we\er, you are likely to find most American, Australian, and Japa­nese tourists heading directlv to the famed Hofbriiuhaus tent to mingle and drink with still more American, Australian, and Japanese tourists. Not that Hofbrau is without its mer­

its, but you would miss out on far too much i f it were the only tent you vis­ited. For those seeking to rub elbows and toast a Mal l (liter stein of beer) wi th the hipper generation, check out the Hacker and Schottenham-mel tents. " I guess the best place to go for young people is Schottenham-mel," says Antonia Berneike, a na­tive German and student in Munich. "They have a young crowd; it's usual-Iv packed so better he there early, i.e. 4:00 p.m. on the weekends." Schot-tenhammel also has the distinction of hosting the "Anstich" or tapping of the first keg of beer by the mayor of Munich each year, which officially opens Oktoberfest.

Head over to the Augustiner-Festhalle and experience a beloved Munich tradition. A favorite gather­ing place of real Munichers, it serves the famous local brew Augustiner. Munich Walks tour guide Ralph

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Opposite: As dusk falls, the statue of Bavaria looks across the Theresienwiese, filled with rides, food, beer, and people enjoying the Germany's famed festival. Courtesy Munich Tourist Office. Above left: Enjoy all that the variety of Oktoberfest beer tents have to offer by doing some tent hopping. Make sure to check out the Hacker-Festzelt, known for having one the livelier local crowds and more inventive decors, made to look like "Bavarian Heaven." Courtesy Munich Tourist Office. Above right: At noon on opening day in the Schottenhamel tent, the Lord Mayor of Munich taps the f]rst keg of beer to officially open Oktoberfest. Once the first keg is tapped, it will take many more to satisfy the thirst of visitors over the following two weeks. Cour­tesy Munich Tourist Office. Near right: The Fisher-Vroni tent grills up the lesser known, but very tasty Bavarian treat Steckerlfischen or "fish on a stick." Courtesy Munich Tourist Office. Far right: Munichers rarely use the term "Oktoberfest," opting instead to refer to the celebration as "die Wiesen," short for Theresienwiese, the fairgrounds and former meadow where the festival is held. Courtesy Munich Tourist Office.

Lliinstroth attests to the quality and renown ot" one of the town's oldest beers. "Augustiner has never paid for advertisement and they still only make a fixed amount of beer every year, no more," Lliinstroth says. Augustiner is a rare find in Germany let alone the rest of the world; the company does not sell or distribute its beer outside of Munich.

For some colorful and histori­cal customs, pop into the Schiitzen-

Festhalle. Inside the tent, themed after the "shooting clubs" popular in the nineteenth century and still active today, you w i l l find a plethora of patrons decked out in the finest of traditional Bavarian style outfits. Not nearly as loud or rambunctious in the afternoon as other popular tents, Schiitzen-Festhalle provides excellent people watching with its classic costumes and traditional at­mosphere with an exceptional brass band. Check out one of the tent's in­teresting customs and ask to meet Der Schiitzen Konig {Shooting King) the

club's man of honor. As the member winning the annual target-shooting contest, he gets to carry this distinc­tion, along wi th an impressive medal, for the year.

Among the other tents, the H i p ­podrome is well known by locals as the hangout for the fashionable, beautiful, and even famous, and the "Briiurosl" tent, serving the popular Paulaner beer, is another great place to run into locals. "Each tent has its own theme and tent hopping is en­couraged," says Mike Richardson of Radius Tours in Munich. "Once you sit down though you may not want to get back up."

Sometimes just getting into any beer tent can be a trick in and of

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UNDERSTANDING THE LOCAL CROWD - OKTOBERFEST'S BAVARIAN CUSTOMS

Probably the most impor tan t custom to observe at Oktoberfest is the specific Bavarian style of toast ing wi th your liter beer or "MalB" (pronounced mahss). Every person in the par ty gets their beer before tak ing the f i rst sip and only then do all raise their glasses in a "Prost," (German for "cheers") making sure to clink glasses with everyone else in the group. It is bad luck to cross arms dur ing this and even worse luck if you do not make direct eye contact with the person as you "Prost " to t hem, resul t ing in seven years of bad...well, romance. Also, as is customary, par­t icularly in Bavaria, you must set your beer back on the table f i rst after the toast, then (and only then) begin dr ink ing.

You are likely to notice a good deal of tradi t ional Bavar­ian style lederhosen and dirndls being worn by an increasing amount of young people at the festival. However, be attentive and you can f ind out if that Fraulein of your dreams is stil l avail­able and wait ing for someone to buy her a beer. If the bow of her apron is tied to the left side, it is a signal that she is already spo­ken for, while a bow on the r ight side signifies her single status.

If you pay close at tent ion you wil l probably hear the word "Wiesn" used both in speech and in signs around Oktoberfest . This is short for Theresienwiese, the fa i rgrounds and former meadow where the festival is held. In fact , most Munichers

rarely use the te rm "Oktober fes t " when speaking about it, usu­ally just referr ing to the festival as "die Wiesn."

If you are fami l iar wi th a smidgen of the German language, you may f ind yourself a bit perplexed while r id ing the Munich subway or "U-Bahn" dur ing the weeks of Oktoberfest . That is because the subway drivers typical ly also call out the stops in Bavarian, the regional dialect of the area. This is more likely on weekends when people f r om out in the country, who may have Bavarian as their f i rst language, come to visit. See if you cannot f ind someone to translate for you as U-Bahn drivers are known to crack a joke or two while on the job dur ing these weeks (such as "Next stop Theresienwiese. exit here for all people who are th i rsty." )

Another run-in you might have wi th Bavarian is on the popular Lebzel terherzkuchen. the ornately decorated and de­l ightful ly tasty gingerbread heart-shaped cookies, which range in size f rom the palm of your hand to twice the size of a dinner plate. Phrases wr i t ten on them in icing are often in the Bavarian dialect such as the popular "I mog d i " actual ly "Ich mag d ich" in proper German, t ranslat ing to "I like you " as in a romant ic way. Fortunately whatever language you speak, giving someone a large heart-shaped cookie is a universal ly understood sign.

itself, especially considering that some companies reserve a good deal of "Boxen" seats around the edge of the tent more than a year in ad\'ance. In the most popular tents during the weekends, vou wil l find testi\al-goers arriving as early as 11:00 a.m. or noon to claim tables for the rest of the e\-e-ning. And you w i l l not be served beer

From September 20 to October 5, 2008. some six million revelers will pay a visit to ffie world's largest annual festival—Munich's Oktoberfest Courtesy Munich Tourist Office.

inside of a tent unless you can find a seat at a table. I f you cannot, ho\\e\er, there is a last resort. "Go to Hof­brau," Lliinstroth of Munich Walks savs. "They ha\'c a section where vou can stand and be served beer."

Then there are the interest­ing odds-and-ends out on the fair­grounds, or "Wiesn," worth search­ing out during your tent hopping. Next to the Schutzen-Festhalle you can find the "Vogelmeister," a charac­ter of a man in traditional dress with a handlebar mustache who attracts crowds to his booth with expert imi­tations of a wide range of birdcalls. Stick around for the audience partici­pation and he wi l l show (or attempt to show) how to use his unic]ue tiny mouthpiece to make these authentic bird sounds.

Also, as you meander the fun-filled aisles of outdoor games and food, be sure to stop by the "Teufelrad." The small entrance fee is well worth it to observe and participate in this most entertaining and outlandish of Ok­toberfest games. The set-up consists of a large, flat spinning disk, approxi­mately twelve feet in diameter, sur­rounded by a low padded wall. The game's announcer calls for a specific group from the audience (that is all males from fifteen to thirty-five) who rush out to get a seat as close to the center as possible. The wheel begins to spin, hurling laughing contestants off and into the walls. I f not enough to extract those still hanging on, a large ball on a rope spins precariously to and fro from overhead, taking out unsuspecting \. For those skill­ful enough to still maintain footing, hea\\ rope lasstis are tossed at the contestants unti l everyone is pulled off. I t is everv bit as comical to watch as it is exciting to play, and for the

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most part you \l be in a crowd of lederhoscn-and-dirndl-dccked Ger­mans as many other tourists continue on past outside.

While vou are enjoying the deli­cious soft Bavarian pretzels or ten­der rotisserie chicken so common in the tents, be sure to make room to try some of the other wonderful fest delicacies. Probably the least expected treat that you w i l l find a crowd of M u ­nichers enjoying is fish...on a stick or "Steckelfisch." The Fischer-Vroni tent cooks and spikes these easy-to-carry treats right in front of you on a t l i irty-foot-long gri l l . There is an assortment to choose from as well, the most tra­ditional being grilled mackerel.

I f you yearn for something a little meatier, head to the Ochsenbraterei, another local favorite, where you wil l find plenty of hearty oxen dishes. The massi\'e oxen are slow roasted on a spit in the middle of the tent and served as a roast, loin, filet, goulash, and just abt)ut any t)ther way you might be in the mood tor that day

For warming up and waking up, look for the Kafer Wies'n-Schanke tent. Their \\'ell-known Munich brand of coffee is served in this small but late-hours tent. Kiifer l it-erallv means beetle and vou can also browse through souvenirs here with the brand's trademark ladybug insignia or buy a cup of coffee and get the mug to keep. Coffee and sou­venirs aside, consider yourself even luckier i f you are able find a place to sit down inside this cozy and local Iv well-known establishment, as it often attracts enough celebrities and VlPs to fill up early on.

Also, be aware of when you might decide to drop in on Oktoberfest, as not all fest days are created equal. Opening day brings with it the spec­tacle of the Oktoberfest parade, but also the thickest of crowds. I f open­ing dav is a must see for you, then it is recommended to arrive early. "True Bavarians wi l l be there by 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in the morning and wait

Above: It is no easy task bringing out everyone's first round at the same time, but skilled Oktoberfest beer maids do their best to fight through the multitudes and make sure that all in the party get to prost and toast together without a long wait. Courtesy Munich Tourist Office. Right: Each tent has its own theme and tent hopping is encouraged. However, remember, you will only be served a beer if you have a seat at a table. Courtesy Munich Tourist Office.

tor the first beer at noon! " savs Ber­neike of Munich. "By 10:00 a.m. the tents are usually closed. It is like a huge picnic/warm-up-and the only day on which you are allowed to bring your own alcoholic drinks."

The second day of Oktoberfest is especially interesting for its show of traditional dress and outfits from all over the world and the second weekend of Oktoberfest is commonly "Italian weekend," bringing w i t h it ample crowds and even less room to find a seat in your favorite beer tent. I f you are looking to travel to the fes­tival with family, Oktoberfest has set aside certain familv davs, usually on Sundays wi th discount prices and a

somewhat toned down, but still fun , atmosphere in mam- of the tents.

Amidst the melody of brass bands, the smorgasbord of exceptional local cuisine and good friends, it is impos­sible not to have fun at the largest annual festival in the world. Dive in deeper, take a chance on your next order, or just meander around a little longer and you might have even more fun and maybe even leave wishing Oktoberfest did not come just once a year, G L

Brian McMahon works as an advertising copy-. writer and free-lance journalist in Cincin­nati, Ohio, where he also attended Fairview German Lanjjuajje School from Kindergarten to the sixth grade and developed a love of all things German.

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