It started with an invitation from friends. Germany – Oktoberfest? How could we say no? 

But this isn’t actually our first Oktoberfest experience. While visiting my husband on his military rotation in Poland, we went to Munich in 2021 toward the end of the pandemic. The world was slowly beginning to open back up. We were excited to experience Oktoberfest – but there was one pretty significant problem.

There was no Oktoberfest at the fairgrounds. The pandemic hadn’t completely ended, and the traditional Oktoberfest celebration at the Theresienwiese wasn’t being held. Instead, Munich created a scaled-back alternative, with smaller events and beer gardens throughout the city.

Still, we had a wonderful time. We drank German beer, enjoyed the food, explored Munich, and got a taste of the Bavarian culture we had come to experience. My husband bought authentic German lederhosen and I got a dirndl dress.

But we didn’t get the full experience of walking into those enormous beer tents, hearing the German music, and watching the official opening ceremony.

So when our friends invited us to go — this time for opening day of the real Oktoberfest — there was really only one answer: absolutely!

We’re turning this trip into a week-long German adventure with historic breweries, traditional food, sightsetting, beer tents, and, of course, plenty of opportunities to raise a stein and say Prost! Thank you for the invite Keith and Aimee!