When I found out we’d be moving to Europe, one of the first things I did (besides plan our wedding 😉 ) was to start thinking of “the list”– everything we wanted to see and do with this wonderful opportunity we’d been given. With us based in Germany, Oktoberfest was absolutely near the top of it!
Upon the mention of Oktoberfest, most people immediately think of Munich. We did too, until we started speaking with others who had previously been stationed in Germany. They kept saying, “No – go to the other one!”
“Wait, there’s another one!?”
“Yeah, in Stuttgart!”
“Stuttgart?”
Come to find out, they were speaking about the Stuttgart Cannstatter Volksfest. Those who had been described it as less touristy, which quickly led my ears to perk up and listen more intently. This is the ideal in my book – I’m always trying to go where the locals are! But some touristy things you just can’t miss, right!? The Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum…there’s a reason thousands upon thousands of people visit these places each year. And in this context, it feels like Oktoberfest in Munich is the event in Germany.
But after doing a little research, we elected to give it a go! Stuttgart was only three hours away versus the five to Munich. And given our inability to book accommodation far in advance (we’re talking we had a matter of [three] weeks before the event), we figured we’d have a better chance of finding a place to stay in Stuttgart.
Once we booked a hotel, it was time to buy tickets for one of the tents. With nine different tents to choose from – all with their own atmosphere and unique offerings – it was a little overwhelming to decide which one we should spend the day in. With lack of time (and honestly, lack of energy) to spend on in-depth research, we decided to fully rely on recommendations from others. When Scott asked colleagues from Korea who used to be stationed in Germany where we should go, one consistent recommendation emerged: “You have to go to the one with the chicken!”
“Chicken? Well, if you say so…”
We soon realized they were referencing the Göckelesmaier tent. But when I went to purchase tickets, it was one of the only tents completely sold out for the Saturday we planned to be there. While I felt this was a good sign (clearly that was the place to be!), I didn’t want us to miss out on the action. Fortunately, they had a section of their website where people re-sell tickets.
I certainly questioned it’s legitimacy. I even joked with the bank teller that I may be giving free money away when I made the transfer to purchase the tickets (although, he didn’t find it too amusing). But I rationalized that the official tent website likely wouldn’t endorse the re-selling if it wasn’t legitimate. And frankly, if we wanted to attend (in the chicken tent anyway), we had no other choice.
I felt more confident after I texted with the ticket seller. And once we met him on the day of the festival, everything seemed good to go. We synced up outside of the festival tent where he gave us our wristbands, explained how the drink and meal vouchers worked, and told us what section our table was in. After we chatted, he and his friend headed into the tent ahead of us.
When they went inside, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. I thought to myself, “We’ve got this!” While excited, I was also a little hesitant about this trip. Knowing Oktoberfest is the epitome of a group activity, I wasn’t sure we could pull it off (or if it be as much fun, anyway) with just the two of us. But simply, despite having no friends in Germany, we could not pass up the opportunity to go.
And now, we were set.
Or so we thought…
We went inside and made our way to the table. But when we arrived, it was completely full. And no one seated was making any moves to accommodate us. It was all I could do not to shout, “Are you kidding me!?” Why did they sell us tickets if they weren’t going to have spots for us?
For those who haven’t been to Volksfest, the entire tent is filled with tables that seat up to ten people. Tickets are sold in groups of ten, so the tickets we purchased were two spots at one of those ten-seaters. The entire tent was sold out, so even if other tables around us were empty, we knew it was only a matter of time until those groups arrived.
Without many options, we decided to grab a beer and take a seat at one of the nearby empty tables anyway. But sure enough, in what felt like very little time, a group came to claim their seats, forcing us to get up and hang near the bar. So here we were, standing on the outskirts of one of the most highly acclaimed festivals in the world, beer in hand, watching all of the action without feeling like a part of it.
Looking over, I could see Scott was disappointed. I was, too, but I was trying my hardest not to show it. Since moving to Germany, many things had not gone our way. At times, it felt like Murphy’s Law on repeat. And now this? A weekend we hoped would be easy, fun, and a stress-free break from what we’d been tackling, no longer looked quite so promising.
But then we heard something — three simple words that would change the entire course of our day.
“You guys American?”
My first thought, “Damn. Is it that obvious?” But I responded out loud with a hopeful, “Yes. Why, yes we are!”
We had actually seen the guy who asked us this right when we walked inside the tent. We had mistaken him for a German. With his dark, slicked back hair, big mustache, and the way he rocked his Lederhosen as if it wasn’t a costume – he looked legit. We thought he was a local. After introducing ourselves to him, we proceeded to meet an entire group of fellow Americans comprised of badass dudes in the Army Special Forces, their wives and even a few of their parents & siblings. (Yes – this couple’s parents were there! And winning the day if you ask me.) When we relayed what happened with the people we bought tickets from, they immediately invited us to join them for the day.
And it is one we will never forget.
We had an absolute blast! These were our kind of people. Welcoming, friendly and a damn good time. Their company, coupled with an incredible German tradition, could not be beat. Beers were flowing, songs were sung, the dancing rarely stopped, and good conversation was had by all. We even hit it off with the group of Germans sitting at the table next to us. It was a special experience to enjoy the festival with both locals and fellow members of the military community.
Strangers who became fast friends made all the difference that day. At a time when we desperately needed community, this group impacted us more than they will ever know. And not gonna lie, they made us feel cool. They were impressed that we had only been in Germany for two months and still made it to “Fest” 😉 .
After a few solid hours of good-natured revelry, Scott and I were ready. We wanted to leave while the gettin’ was still good and not push our low-tolerance limits. We exited the tent hand-in-hand and we were greeted by the sun shining against the brightest of blue skies. It seriously felt like a movie scene. But it was better, because this was no movie scene – this was our real life! Our new life.
And it was in that moment, when we emerged from the tent, out to a glorious, sunny day, amid the festival booths and ferris wheels and foreign languages, that it finally hit us…
We live in Germany, now.
And what a wonderful country it is.
Below are a few more photos from the [epic] day. Not pictured: Our AMAZING new friends who adopted us for the day (for security reasons), along with almost all photos shot after our second liter (to preserve our dignity) 😉 .
Reisen, Abenteuer, und Love. 