One of my favorite things about Oktoberfest is all the pageantry surrounding it. On the starting day the festival begins with the Einzug der Wiesnwirte, it sort of means parade of the Octoberfest farmers, but that’s not what it is. It’s all of the tent breweries, bands, wait staff and horses in full regalia festively marching to the Oktoberfest grounds.
It was overcast this year, but still I was determined to go to the starting point at Sendlinger Tor and get some snaps. At this time of year I really wish I had street photography chops. It’s one of the few occasions where people gladly let you take pictures of them. The city is full of interesting takes on tracht. From Bavarian hipsters, to kids wearing converse and lederhosen to tourists with their tats ironically sporting cheap-o dirndls, I love every bit of it.
I love the jolly ‘behind the scenes’ vibe. It was raining pretty hard, and the gals on this Hofbräu float were bargaining with passers by: An umbrella for 3 beer gift certificates.
A couple of years ago, there must have been some kind of detour going on, because the parade went right past our front door. We didn’t know it, and as we walked out of the door that saturday morning on our way to Ikea (we had totally forgotten it was the first day of the Wiesn) there was all of the Oktoberfest pomp and circumstance in full glory, gaily marching past our building at full blast.
I’ll go with my in-laws this weekend for our annual Familientreff. We decided to brave the crowds for a family Oktoberfest outing on the second to last day.
Prost!
wahlmuenchnerin.com 