Well, here it is September and time for Oktoberfest to begin. That’s always just seemed wrong to me — Oktoberfest should be in October, not September…. but after all these years, it’s probably not going to change.
The Bavarian Inn, here in Shepherdstown, will hold their annual Oktoberfest on Sunday, but the main, really big one begins today, September 16th at 12 pm and ends on Tuesday, October 3rd. Of course, I’m talking about Oktoberfest in Munich.
I don’t think there’s a bad day to attend Oktoberfest, but if you’ve never been before, you should make an effort to attend either the opening ceremony or the closing ceremony — or better yet, both.
The opening ceremony in the Schottenhamel tent marks the official start of Oktoberfest when the Lord Mayor of Munich taps the first keg and shouts, “O’Zapft Is!” — the Oktoberfest equivalent of a green flag being waved on a racetrack.
The closing ceremony in the Hacker-Pschorr tent is another spectacle to behold. Think about 10,000 of your (new) best friends in one big sing-along. The lights go down, the sparklers are lit — it’s kind of like New Year’s Eve.
Oktoberfest 2023 will have all the signature events like the costume parade, family day, traditional Bavarian concerts and much more.
So if you haven’t been, should you put Oktoberfest in Germany on your bucket list?
Abso-freaking-lutely.
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