Launched in 2015, Nottingham Oktoberfest returned to the Forest Recreation ground last week.
For five days, a giant blue and white tent, big enough to hold 2,000 people played host to authentic German beer and food such as Bratwurst, Schnitzel and Pretzel, all carefully selected to guarantee an authentic eatery experience.
The beer is specially brewed in a 200-year-old brewery in Bavaria according to German Purity Law then kept cold in 2° C and transported to Nottingham in a colossal beer tanker holding of 23 thousand litres – this probably goes some way toward contributing toward the atmosphere and the dancing on the benches at the long tables at which you will be served by waitresses and waiters dressed in Dirndl and Lederhosen.
Of course, Nottingham Oktoberfest is about much more than beer! Coming from Bavaria, the German band entertains throughout the night from traditional Oompah music to great German Schagler. We got there a little late in the evening and they seemed to be doing 80’s classics! But hey I’m not complaining.
I have been to the Oktoberfest each year since it began. In 2015 I went on the opening night and it was much the same as this year, good atmosphere, but quiet in terms of turnout. In 2016 I visited on a Thursday evening and it was a different story. The tent was packed to the rafters with revelers, mostly students, so your experience really varies depending on the day you visit.
Oktoberfest has a long tradition which started in Munich 200 years ago and is actually a celebration of the gathering of the harvest, hence the real party atmosphere. Many visitors to today’s Oktoberfest really get into the spirit too by dressing in lederhosen, which can be hired from the tent, or you can bring your own if you already own it – before you ask I don’t!
By Tanya Louise
Editor
@tanyalouise_
*The tickets were complimentary but the views, along with the hangover, were my own.
Keep an eye out for further events on http://nottingham-oktoberfest.co.uk/
