Attending Oktoberfest in Munich but looking for activities to do? Check out this post for 10 fun Oktoberfest activities to enjoy this fall!
If you’re going to Oktoberfest for the first time as a visitor, you may be wondering… what exactly is there to do in Munich’s largest festival? Well, I’ll tell you this. THERE’S A LOT!
From parades to competitions, Oktoberfest has tons of activities you can do besides the usual which is getting drunk. I mean… of course, who wouldn’t want to get drunk at Oktoberfest? The festival is practically one of the many places you could be drunk and no one will judge for it.
However, if you’re looking for things to do beyond getting tipsy, keep reading! This post highlights 10 activities you can partake in at Oktoberfest including some epic competitions and games most visitors don’t know about when they come.
Germany Travel Series
P.S. This is a post in my Germany Travel series. Here is the complete series:
Cologne Restaurants: Where To Find the Best Restaurants in Cologne Germany
Prettiest Cities: The Top 8 Prettiest Cities in Germany You Need To Visit
Uber: Is There Uber in Germany?
Beer Festivals: 10 Top German Beer Festivals in Germany Other Than Oktoberfest
Check Out the Opening Day Parade (oktoberfest activities)
Checking out the Opening Day Parade is a great activity you can do at Oktoberfest. The parade is also known as the Parade of the Landlords and Breweries and it takes place on the first Saturday of the festival. The parade also officially starts Oktoberfest for everyone and it’s led by the Münchner Kind (Munich Child).
The Munich Child is the symbol on the coat of arms of Munich and it depicts a monk holding a Bible and blessing people with his other hand. The symbol, however, has evolved over time to depict a child with curly hair, dressed in red or brown, carrying a radish.
Furthermore, at the parade, you can also expect to find different kinds of participants in attendance such as landlords, tent owners, and representatives from the six largest Munich breweries. The parade even begins at Herzog-Spital-Straße in Munich’s city center and ends at the Schottenhamel tent, giving you plenty of space to see it.
Ride the Devil’s Wheel (oktoberfest activities)
Riding the Devil’s Wheel is another great activity you can do at Oktoberfest. This classic attraction is also known as Teufelsrad in Germany and it involves a large, wooden disk that rotates horizontally in the middle of a wooden arena, surrounded by stands. The point of the ride is to test people’s centripetal forces as they sit on the rotating disk.
The best seats on the disc are obviously in the middle since the people at the end of the disk will slide off faster. If you’re still able to stay on the disk, however, despite the centrifugal force, you will be “shot down” with a lasso or a large ball.
Learn the Traditional Schuhplattler Dance (oktoberfest activities)
Learning the Traditional Schuhplatter Dance is another great activity you can do at Oktoberfest. The dance is a traditional folk dance that originated in the alpine regions of Austria and southern Germany where it was known as a courtship display. Men would perform the dance to impress women since it involved a lot of elaborate leaps and hip movements.
The origin behind the name also comes from the fact that in the dance the performers are stomping, clapping, and striking the soles of their shoes (schuhe), thighs, and knees while keeping their hands flat. So, if you want to learn a fun new dance at Oktoberfest while wearing your dirndl or lederhosen, this is the activity to do.
Enter the Stein Holding Competition (oktoberfest activities)
Entering the Stein Holding Competition is another great activity you can do at Oktoberfest. The competition is also known as Masskrugstemmen in Germany and it’s a test of traditional Bavarian strength that’s done with a one-liter beer stein (Masskrug). During the competition, people have to hold a Masskrug out in front of them with a straight arm parallel to the ground for as long as possible. The last person still holding the Masskrug in good form wins.
To improve your chances of winning, competitors usually practice holding the Masskrug for as long as possible during their free time. They would then repeat the practice hold after a short rest. So, if you would like to enter this competition at Oktoberfest, I highly recommend practicing as soon as possible. The Masskrug is as heavy as you think it is so you need to be prepared.
Watch People Conquer the Toboggan (oktoberfest activities)
Watching people conquer the Toboggan is another great activity you can do at Oktoberfest. This classic attraction involves an ascending conveyor belt that people ride on to get to a spiral staircase that leads to a wooden slide. The funny thing about this attraction, however, is that riding the ascending conveyor belt to the spiral staircase is not easy.
The conveyor belt moves swiftly for anyone to walk on so people struggle to keep their balance while it’s moving. This, however, is what makes watching so funny since people have hilarious ways of attempting the ride.
Record the Wiesn Landlords’ concert (oktoberfest activities)
Recording the Wiesn Landlords’ Concert is another great activity you can do at Oktoberfest. The concert is also known as the Oktoberfest Landlord’s Concert and it’s a free concert that takes place on the second Sunday of Oktoberfest. In fact, you can expect the concert to feature popular Bavarian marches and songs as well as brass band music, Schlager, and more modern sounds.
The concert even ends with thousands of balloons released into the sky so I highly recommend recording the concert front and center near the Bavaria Statue.
Be a Spectator at the Traditional Costume and Hunters’ Parade (oktoberfest activities)
Being a spectator at the Traditional Costume and Hunters’ Parade is another great activity you can do at Oktoberfest. The parade is also known as the Trachten- und Schützenzug and it’s a colorful parade that showcases traditional costumes, customs, and folk dancing from all over Europe. It takes place on the first Sunday of Oktoberfest, starting at the Max II Monument and ending at the Oktoberfest meadow.
At the parade, you’ll see participants in traditional costumes, marching bands, floats, and the Münchner Kindl (the city’s mascot). So, if you plan on being a spectator at this parade, I highly recommend getting there early to claim a good spot on the parade route. Like any parade, this one attracts visitors from all over the world so it will be crowded.
Get a Custom Oktoberfest Gingerbread Heart (oktoberfest activities)
Getting a custom Oktoberfest Gingerbread Heart is another great activity you can do at Oktoberfest. This can be done at Martl’s Herzmalerei which is a shop in Oktoberfest that’s known for making custom gingerbread hearts with all kinds of sayings. For example, some people get a custom gingerbread heart at Martl’s Herzmalerei to make a declaration of love to their partner. So, some custom hearts could say “the biggest heart for the biggest treasure” or “the biggest heart for the biggest love in the world”.
So, if you’re looking to get something special for your partner at Oktoberfest, I highly recommend stopping by Martl’s Herzmalerei for a custom gingerbread heart. You don’t even have to put a romantic saying on it since funny ones will suffice as well.
Do Some People Watching on the Kotzhugel (oktoberfest activities)
Doing some people-watching on the Kotzhugel is another great activity you can do at Oktoberfest. The Kotzhugel is the hill next to the Bavaria statue that people from Oktoberfest go to for sleeping and vomiting. The hill can also be easily spotted from behind the tents at Oktoberfest and it’s the official place for passing out if you’re drunk.
As a (sober) people watcher, you can also go to Kotzhugel to sit down and laugh at the drunks. I wouldn’t recommend however doing this by yourself because you never know how people are going to behave when they’re drunk.
Attend the Closing Ceremony (oktoberfest activities)
Attending the Closing Ceremony is another great activity you can do at Oktoberfest. The closing ceremony usually includes a gun salute and an unofficial ceremony at Oktoberfest.
The gun salute happens on the last day of Oktoberfest at noon where around 60 gunners in their traditional costumes shoot black powder shots at the foot of the Bavaria statue. The shots are then accompanied by a brass band playing the Bavarian anthem and the whole event is known as Boellerschiessen in German.
The unofficial ceremony is hosted by the Hacker-Pschorr tent at 11:30 p.m. and people celebrate by dimming the lights, singing, and lighting sparklers. Bands may also play sentimental songs like “Ein Prosit”. So, I highly recommend attending the closing ceremony if you’re planning to go to Oktoberfest on the very last day!
Overall, I hope you enjoyed this post on the 10 fun Oktoberfest activities you can enjoy this fall! Please let me know in the comments below if you’ve done any of these activities before and what your experience was like. I would love to hear from you! 🙂
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