To full, too tight, too loud, too expensive – the Munich Oktoberfest is actually an imposition. And yet, visitors by the millions want to be there every year. Its big business. Then there are local people, like me, who dream to find at the Oktoberfest still a cosy, atmospheric folk festival for traditional Munich. An indeed, if you are lucky, you can on a sunny Sunday morning outside in the Biergarten mingle with normal Munich locals and have a little chat. You just have to come early and avoid the overdressed.
Today the normal people are outnumbered by styled visitors in Dirndl and Lederhosen who often look like at an early Fasching (Halloween) event with the younger ones like they want get laid desperately. Nothing wrong with that, and most visitors look still very happy. For those who prefer genuine Bavarian and less loud and shrill it is better to visit the Oktoberfest during midday not only because of more favourable prices. At that time, the brass bands play without any amplifiers and more traditional music as on the evening. Speaking about dress code. Dirndl and Lederhosen are generaly flattering (hiding extra pounds and bringing assets of both sexes in the right light, but must costumes be so loud?
A transparent Dirndl, skulls or a stag on wobbly cleavage – and Michael Jackson on the Dirndlschürze. Creepy! Then the cheap Dirndl with zippers – real costumes have front buttons or check mark! Faaaaasching with something which faintly resembles a Dirndl but is missing a key component: the blouse. Even worse: a stripe shirt with scarf combined. The Gallery of horror. Men can do less wrong (but are prone to look like clones in uniform) in leather pants with knitted Wadlwärmern and the matching Bavarian calf socks in the colours white blue. I must confess we refuse being traditionally – I come with jeans – accepted individual outfit – and my wife with traditional leather pants (IMHO looks better than a cheap or un-traditional Dirndl but is also seen by some as a fashion problem).
Families go there too. We usually ride with the bike to the Oktoberfest, because public transport feels worse than subway in Beijing during rush hour and car is out of question. This year weather was nice on the 3rd of October, but somehow this year the Oktoberfest became more of a duty than fun. The price for beer climbed as every year alright. Its good beer and well spent money. We had a nice place in the sun. One can bring his own food or buy it from a stall nearby, so no need to by a Wiener Schnitzel for 30 USD. Whats really getting out of hand is the price of the so-called amusement. Not my kind of thing anyway, but if you have kids, you feel obliged. About 20 USD for 60 seconds of mediocre Rio water rafting for a family of three. That is just a rip off.