What is your favorite tent at Oktoberfest? What Actually Happens inside the tents at Oktoberfest?

Many dream of visiting Oktoberfest. However, a lot of folks don't understand the deal. There's lot of information about the history, but here's some practical information to help you wrap your mind around what goes on there.

Most on this side of the pond picture some kind of "Beer Fest" event with just drinking to excess. That's really not it. Or, if that's your experience, you've missed the point.

The grounds are divided into two main sections - one side is all of the carnival-like attractions. The other side are all the various beer tents. However, these "tents" hold some 10,000 people inside. There are 14 main tents: Hippodrom, Armbrustschützenzelt, Hofbräu Festzelt, Hacker-Festzelt, Schottenhamel, Winzerer Fähnd'l, Schützen-Festzelt Käfer's Wies'n Schänke, Weinzelt, Löwenbräu-Festhalle, Bräurosl, Augustiner-Festhalle, Ochsenbraterei, Fischer-Vroni.

Once you are in a tent, what goes on there? The atmosphere varies depending on the time of day.When you have reservations, you can either get a lunch reservation (hours vary slightly in each tent) or an evening reservation.

Midday in the Tent

The tents are required to dial it down during midday. If you are in the tent then, you will hear live "Blasmusik" - Oom-pah style. This is a great time to sit at a table with a bunch of other folks and have a conversation, enjoy the great beer and food, and sway to the music. My favorite tents during the afternoon are the Augustiner and the Ochsenbraterei. Augustiner is the best beer in Munich and I've always had great friendly servers here (especially in Box 3!) . I like the Ochsenbraterei (Ox tent, for short) for the food. They roast a whole steer on a giant spit and you can order various parts of him - it's really awesome with a liter of Spaten to wash it down. Last year, we sat in the balcony and we had two male waiters who were extremely friendly and efficient - that took great care of us during our afternoon there. All in all, the atmosphere is much less hectic and the servers have more time to take care of you.

Evenings in the Tent

In the evening, things change considerably. To me, it's like a play - every hour is another act.

ACT I

Scene I - Sitting down

Most evening reservations start around 4:00 PM.

For the evening reservations, everyone arrives within a 15 minute window, so things are hectic, to say the least. When I have reserved seats, I spend the first 30 minutes "protecting my seats" - people without reservations see an empty space and I have to chase them away.  I have to enlist the help of my guests to keep telling passersby, "No!" Some people insist on sitting at our tables and I have to sometimes get the waitresses to help me chase the intruders away. Since I can only hold the seats open for a 15 minute grace period, it's important for my guests to be on time!

Scene II - First Beer

As people are sitting down, the waitresses are rushing to get everyone their first round. When they get to your table, all they really want to hear is how many beers your table wants. For everything else, you need to wait. When she gets back with the beer, you have to pay up fast - if you have a coupon, you have give her that plus a euro for service. After the beer is doled out, she will consider taking orders for other beverages like Radler or Soda.

Scene III - Food

The next phase after that is to order food. I recommend that people eat early - later you will find it's hard to eat when people are dancing on the table! The first order she takes is for the Brathendl - chicken. That's most every tent's default selection and it's always very good. Again, when she gets to the table, you need to tell her how many chickens - don't try to oder anything else! After the chicken is delivered to her section, she'll consider taking orders for 0ther food items from the menu.

Act II

After the plates are cleared, there's another big push to refill everyone's beer. On the stage, the music is starting to get really fun. The tempo is more rock and roll with a lot of bass to give everyone the beat. The songs are of the sing-a-long variety - there's a ton of tune you know. Everyone is starting to get loosened up and you'll start to see folks grab arms, swaying to the music together and singing - it really is irresistible! There's lots of "prositing" - saying cheers with a hefty clink while looking everyone in the eye!  As this act plays out, people will start to climb up on to the benches and start dancing in place - it actually not allowed to get on top of the tables - try it and you'll meet the security staff!

Act III - Getting Silly

It happens every time. Whenever beer is served, people drink too much and things start to get silly. The worm turns between 8:30 and 9:00 PM. If you don't like being in the mosh pit, it is now time for you to look for the exit. This is when people start sloshing their beer around and falling on tables. Since some of our guests have left by now, we are obligated to give up any free seats we may have. If you've paced yourself, you can still have a lot of fun, but you need to be careful!

So, what's the best tent in evening?  I usually take my groups to the Hofbrau Tent - it's known as the foreigners tent and the music is really great - it's really a party tent. But, truthfully, most of the tents are all rocking at this point and there isn't much difference.

I've had a great time in all the tents and they are all worth a look. I like the decor of the Hacker Tent and it's fun to watching the shooting competition in the Schuetzen Festzelt. Beer, guns, and roller coasters - what a great time!

There is a big tent with a huge stage and brass band up front. Some of the town officials gather to tap the first keg. The food in the tent in really good - the favorite in Buching was "Kesselfleisch"

A tasty little dish of somewhat fatty beef - goes great with beer.  The people are awesome and more than 90% are wearing "Tracht" - the Bavarian national dress - Lederhosen for the Gents and Dirndls for the girls (Every girl looks better in a Dirndl!!!)

The party starts out slowly, as all German Parties. Be patient. It starts with traditional Blasmusik - Oom-pah music. The point here is to talk to your friends, eat some good food and get down a good fatty base in your stomach. Believe me, this is good advice. Once a good layer of fat is lining your stomach, it's a big safer to have a few beers. The beer is served in a Masskrug - a one liter glass - which is about three 12-ounce beers. Plus the German beer is a tad stronger than American beer.

Gradually, the music picks up and soon you hear songs you can sing along to.

The Viehscheid in the small towns is more rowdy than is allowed at Oktoberfest. Here, dancing on the tables is de rigeur. Having your friends hoist you and the table up in the air is beyond pale. An Asocial stunt like that at Munich's Oktoberfest will land you in the hoosegow - here it gets you cheered like a hero. More drinking, more celebration, more fun. Unfortunately the tent closes at midnight and you are unceremoniously thrust out into the cold - and the mud. But, since you started at 9:00 AM, you probably should go home. Did I mention it's Monday?!!??! (I love Bavarians!)