Sunday Sip - So Does Oktoberfest in Munich Live Up To The Hype?

Ja!! Es Ist Wunderbar! (YES! It is WONDERFUL!)

Welcome back to the Sunday Sip! Fall is in the air, and I’ve not seen one ad for spiced lattes in Germany. Brenda shared some gems from our trip to Germany last week, and in my last edition a couple of weeks ago, I told you what inspired our trip to experience Germany and Oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest in Munich

We walked into the Hacker Festzelt tent at the Wiesn (Theresienwiese), and folks were dancing on the tables. The next thing you know, the band is playing “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, and I’m singing right along. Apparently, this is just another day of fun at Oktoberfest in Munich.

Our Guide to Munich: The Director of Happiness

While Rick Steves has been a wonderful companion on our trip so far, the guide I used as the foundation for touring Munich was crafted by Mr. David Ringler, the Director of Happiness. 

If you are a frequent flyer on Life In Michigan, you may remember a story Brenda shared in August 2023. We’d visited with Dave at his Cedar Springs Brewery (a short 20 minutes north of Grand Rapids). The seed had been sown to soak up a few drops of Bavaria in celebration of my 60th circling of the sun. Dave shared his passion for German beer and culture with us. When we mentioned planning a trip in 2024, Dave shared a wonderful list of suggestions for not only how to get around in Munich but also beer halls, food, and lodging. I quickly squirreled away Dave’s helpful hints, which all paid dividends as we explored Munich.

Proper Attire

One particular piece of information that was close to my heart was Dave’s suggestions on the best places to acquire Lederhosen. If you aren’t familiar with them, Lederhosen is the classic Bavarian attire for men. These are basically leather pants. They are typically shorts, but some wear them long over the knee (sort of like a culotte) and even full length, ala Elvis The Pelvis. They might not be flare-legged, but you’ve got the idea.

My goal was a pair of Lederhosen (shorts version) of my very own. Once we arrived in Munich, I made a beeline to Almwelt GmbH, as Dave mentioned them as one of his favorites. I headed upstairs where a helpful fellow sized me up and asked what color I wanted. He selected a few options for me to try on and, thankfully, ran me through how to unbutton and button up the Lederhosen. It's not terribly complicated, but the new leather makes the buttoning process challenging at first.

Originally, I wanted a pair of lederhosen with braces (suspenders). However, the guy at the store said those were old-fashioned and only sold them with a belt. I went with a pair that features a stag belt buckle. I think they look pretty snazzy.

As I was looking for my lederhosen, Brenda searched for a dirndl, the traditional Bavarian attire for women. As with Lederhosen, you could spend a small fortune on your Bavarian clothing. Brenda’s goal was to find something that looked great, fit well and was also on sale. With Dianne (her sister) helping select options, she found a fabulous dirndl.  

My brother-in-law Greg (Dianne’s husband) found a snappy shirt and vest for his Oktoberfest wardrobe. Together, we looked like we were native Bavarians.

Pre-Fest Tour

During our trip to Florence, Italy, last year, we had a wonderful food tour via the With Locals. Having had such a great experience, we booked a tour with Marjut to get a sense of Munich. Sadly, the weather didn't cooperate. A light rain and cold wind accompanied our three-hour tour of the old town of Munich. Starting at the gothic Frauenkirche, I found that my shoe fit perfectly within the Devil’s footprint. 

Majut shared the story of how the people of Munich fooled the devil into thinking they’d built a church without windows. When you walk into the church it actually appears not to have windows. However, they are cleverly concealed by huge columns. It's only when you change your angle that you can see them. Enraged, the devil jumped up, leaving a footprint, and stormed off. The wind in front of the church today is a reminder of the Devil’s anger at being made a fool.

Under sodden skies, we tromped into Marienpltaz to marvel at the New Town Hall and it's amazing neo-gothic architecture. This building is adorned with hundreds of figures, and you’ll find the Ratskeller in the cellar. We took a quick peek at this restaurant and made a note to come back for dinner.

From the New Town Hall, we stopped at Munich’s oldest church, St. Peter’s. Inside, we stood in awe at the relics of St. Munditia. Her jewel-covered skeleton lies in a glass ossuary.

As we left St. Peter’s, the rain tapered off, and we toured the Viktualienmarkt, which Dave Ringler had mentioned as a must visit in his guide. We wandered among the various fresh produce, cheese, and meat vendors. Here, Marjut took us to the biergarten within the market for a sampling of German beers.

We rounded out our tour with a run through the bustling Hofbräuhaus before crossing the street to Augustiner am Platzl for dinner. Brenda and I ordered currywurst with fries (pommes), which was fantastic. The curry sauce on the bratwurst was super. Angie ordered the roasted chicken. Again, Dave Ringler was spot on with his recommendation, as that chicken was outstanding. We returned to Augustiner am Platzl again for beers and chicken. That place was wonderful!

Fest Day

The following day, under billowy white clouds with a smattering of blue sky, we made our way to the Wiesn. While I used Google Maps to highlight the walking route, you didn’t need a map. Just follow the streams of people in their Bavarian clothes making their way to the festival.

The Wiesn reminded me of a state fairgrounds. Amusement riders were whirling around, with sideshow games and food vendors, as we made our way to the beer tents. The air felt full of charm and good spirits.

Perhaps, in the beginning, the beer tents were actually tents. I think beer hall would be the proper term. We made our first stop at the Schottenhamel Spatenbrau.

I’d read that unless you are a group of at least ten or have some connections with locals or tour groups, you must arrive early to find a seat at a table in the non-reserved sections of each tent. Apparently, each tent keeps a certain number of seats open for those without reservations. 

We made our way into the tent at 10:30 am without a line and plenty of open space. Taking a seat, I smiled as I was now at Oktoberfest. As luck would have it, the folks at the table next to us were from Michigan! What are the odds?

Maßkrug

A server approached to take our order within a few seconds of sitting down. I’ll be honest: I was so overwhelmed with all the sights and sounds of actually being in a beer tent at Oktoberfest in Munich that I’m not sure if there was a menu or what. I ordered a maßkrug (1 liter) of festbier.

I’d seen photos of servers slinging handfuls of beers, yet seeing is believing. Each person seemed to have their own technique for porting beers. Some wrapped their hands around all the mug handles. Others seemed to stack the beers. Amazingly, most of the beer stays in the mugs, although I’m sure the servers get their share of beer baths over the course of a day.

As we sat enjoying our beer, streams of people flowed into the beer hall. Soon, there was hardly room to move. 

Dave Ringler noted that Augustiner is still locally owned and considered the best by locals, so we planned to hit their tent. Given the seating situation, Brenda and Dianne went on a scouting mission. They soon found a table with six open slots near the band. We downed our beers and made a run for Augustiner.

New Friends

We sat down with a couple of older German fellas to my right and another fella at the left end of the table waiting for his three buddies to arrive. We felt at home. The crowd in the Augustiner tent was a bit older than Spatenbrau. The overall vibe was warm, welcoming, and relaxed.

After another beer, or maybe it was two, the elderly gents departed, and a young couple from Colorado arrived. The hall hummed with conversation and music as we shared stories about the joys of seeing the world. At a young age, they are doing it right, having traveled all over the globe.

We downed another beer and devoured a delicious roast chicken at Augustiner before making our last stop at the Hacker Festzelt tent, where my story began. The atmosphere was buzzing with folks dancing and singing. It was only three in the afternoon. Feeling elated with a headful of beer, we made our way back to the hotel.

Gemütlichkeit

The year before, when talking with Dave Ringler about Cedar Springs Brewery, he mentioned the atmosphere he wanted to bring to his town and inside his brewery was “Gemütlichkeit.” It roughly translates into a feeling of coziness, warmth, friendship, and comfort. As I’m writing to you now and thinking back on my Oktoberfest experience, that word says it all. 

I felt a huge amount of friendliness and warmth at Oktoberfest in Munich. I’ve written before about my love for my Michigan beer family. I feel gemütlichkeit from them. In Munich at the Wiesn, the scale is 1000 times bigger, but that warm and welcoming feeling is the same. 

GIG - The Art of Michigan Music

GIG—The Art of Michigan Music 2024 is less than a month away. I hope you’ve blocked your calendar for Friday, November 8th, through Sunday, November 10th. We still have tickets available, so get yours today.

Be sure to sign up for the GIG—The Art of Michigan Music newsletter, where we will provide all the details on the event as it unfolds!

Upcoming Events You Won't Want to Miss

There is so much to share every week. If you have events that we missed, please be sure to post a note on Substack. 

Music

Great Honk Fest III at Island Park in Ann Arbor on Oct 13 - Free Live Music at Island Park, Shelter B, in Ann Arbor. 1-6:30. BYO Picnic gear; family-friendly. Buddy Keys as Hellvis, The Whiskey Charmers, The Hourlies, Fangs and Twang, and Deadsurf are all performing

Temple of the Fuzz Witch, Faerie Ring, Blessed Black at The Sanctuary in Hamtramck on Oct 16 - A night of heavy music with the masters of blackened doom Temple of the Fuzz Witch

Spitvalve • Busby Death Chair • Cherry Drop at Cadieux Cafe in Detroit on Oct 18 - It will be loud, wild, and a ton of fun.

Chef Chris and his Nairobi Trio at the River Raisin Distillery in Manchester on Oct 19 - Funky old-school blues with power and soul brought to you by our friends at Manchester Underground Music and Art.

The Absurd + Karma Vulture w/ Jackson & the Poolsharks, Asphalt Flowers, Forge the Sun at Lager House in Detroit on Oct 19 - Rock, punk, progressive and more.

The Sadies with Duende at Third Man Records in Detroit on Oct 19 - Alt Rock is the name of the game with our friends in Duende (ole!)

A Night of Song and Stories with Steve Wynn wsg Ladyship Warship at Bowlero Lanes and Lounge in Royal Oak on Oct 21 - A Night of Songs and Stories with Steve Wynn (of The Dream Syndicate) Wsg/ Ladyship Warship (Detroit’s Northern Swamp rock duo performing a stripped down set)

This is Halloween with Hollywood and True Devil at The Token Lounge in Westland on Oct 25 - Scary rock music with our friends True Devil opening for Hollywood.

The Cult of Spaceskull + The Amino Acids + Glass Chimera + Cult Of Nasty at Small’s in Hamtramck on Oct 25 - This could get weird and wild. Bring a rain jacket.

Halloween Shindig with Slumlord Radio at Turnstiles in Grand Rapids on Oct 25 - Get your rocks off with a Halloween rock and roll extravaganza.

Halloween - The Heavy Metal Horror Show at Diesel Concert Lounge in Chesterfield on Oct 25 - Detroit’s legendary heavy metal horror show, Halloween takes the stage! Don’t metal with Evil!!!

Ante-Madder Album Release Ft. Disturbio Social 313, Coastal Club (Ohio), Natural Graffiti & Disciety at Corktown Tavern in Detroit on Oct 26 - It could get crazy at this rock music party in Detroit.

Warhorses with Rueful Noise at Bowlero Lanes and Lounge in Royal Oak on Oct 26 - Heavy psych rock that will set your soul free.

Beers

Growl-er BeerFest at Selcra Meijer Park in Brighton on Oct 13 - Livingston County’s only dog-friendly beer fest. Bring your pup and enjoy awesome Michigan craft beers. Take a look at the fun you can have.

Detroit Fall Beer Festival at Eastern Market in Detroit on Oct 19 - Celebrate fall in all its glory at the Michigan Brewers Guild Detroit Fall Beer Festival. Come have a Life In Michigan beer with us at the Barrel + Beam tent.

Witchy Woo Fest at Blom Mead & Cidery in Ann Arbor on Oct 25 - Let’s dive into the spooky, the weird, the otherworldly. Come by the taproom for our Witchy Woo Fest to meddle in the mysterious! They’ll be turning down the lights, lighting the candles, and exploring the spooky!

Various Intrigues

Lansing Toy Collectible Comic and Record Show at Okemos Conference Center on Oct 20 - Toys, comics, records, what else do you need?

Grand Rapids Tattoo Festival at DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids on Oct 25 - The 2nd Annual Grand Rapids Tattoo Festival offers a selection of over 250 of the best artists from all over the world right here in Grand Rapids for three days of tattooing, art making, merch selling, and much more.

In Other News

There is nothing new on the Life In Michigan front, so go back and savor stories on Batch Brewing’s Oktoberfest as well as the stellar Michigan Brewers Guild U.P. Fall Beer Fest. Then check out Brenda’s story on the little town that could,

Substack Restack Attack

Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:

Radio Amor: Fred Thomas' career-defining double album unravels at its own pace by

Marty Slagter

- Marty provides an excellent review on Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti musician Fred Thomas.

New Bands for Old Heads: Why You Think New Music Sucks by

Gabbie

- Ever wonder why some folks don’t listen to new music? It could be because the mold is cast. Gabbie’s article is fun and enlightening.

Adventures Yet To Print

We’ve given a glimpse into our Germany trip, but we’ll have more stories to come on Life In Michigan, as well as a first-timers adventure at Oktoberfest on MiBrew Trail. When we get home, we’ve got the Detroit Fall Beer Festival, so look for that story in the very near future.

What Are You Reading?

Sorry, kids, I’ve not read anything other than German road signs and menus for the last couple of weeks. I’ll be digging into my current read of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.

What Are You Spinning?

Lack of a turntable means no tunes right now. I’ll get them rolling again when we get home.

That’s A Wrap

Thank you for reading. I hope your week is awesome! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!