Oktoberfest by the Numbers

My husband and I started home-brewing a couple of years ago after taking a few brewery tours. We love to learn about the different styles of beer around the world.

As craft beer has become more popular, we’ve noticed more and more beer festivals going on, especially this time of year.

Oktoberfest: A Once in a Lifetime Experience

One of the most popular and biggest festival is coming up – Oktoberfest in Germany. It’s a sixteen day festival that begins mid or late September onto the first week or so of October.

It’s a huge celebration of Bavarian culture, though it’s best known for the beer. It’s estimated that over 7 million liters were served in 2013.

Even if you have little children, Oktoberfest can be a fun event, with plenty of rides and music. (Though you’d probably want to take them back to your hotel or campground before it gets rowdier in the evening.)

This year it’s being held September 19 – October 4. While it may be too last minute for you to swing by there this time around, you might want to make a trip out there in the future. Before you do, you may want to get some stats and facts to make the most of your visit.

Oktoberfest By the Numbers

While getting into Oktoberfest may be free, expect to hand over some of your money to enjoy everything.

According to Oktober Insider, the average person can pay around 45 Euro ($51 USD) for some food and drink. Even though the Beer Purity Law known as Reinheitsgebot (repealed in the 1990s) restricted ingredients included with beer, German beer still has plenty of choices for you to try out.

Of course, even the best beer is enhanced with food. Some popular cuisine you may see include steckerlfisch (fish on a skewer), sauerkraut, knodel (dumplings), and hendl (roast chicken). Besides grabbing food and drink, make sure you catch the shows.

If you missed out on going to Germany this year there are plenty of Oktoberfest activities happening locally where you live.  You can go online and check which Oktoberfest festivities in your town will give you the most realistic experience and the best beer and food.

If you want to go to the real event in Germany try to make your reservations way ahead of time next year to get the best deal. Plan now and you can snag a fantastic and memorable trip for a low price.

Thoughts on OktoberFest

I’m curious to see how many of you have attended Oktoberfest. For those who traveled, how was it? What were some of your favorite activities? When did you book your trip?