When people are asked what Oktoberfest is all about, a common answer is one like senior Katherine Ellenberger gave.  She said that the festival is in “Munich” and is where people “drink a bunch of beer.”   Sophomore Nathan Zhang had similar knowledge.  He said that Oktoberfest is “about beer and drinking” and that it “[begins] in September,” an ironic fact.

Oktoberfest is actually the annual celebration that began with the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen in 1810.  It was a wedding celebration that included horse races, music, and many other cultural attributes.

Nowadays, even though there are no longer horse races, Oktoberfest has developed into the “largest festival in the world” and includes carousels and roller coasters.  In addition, Oktoberfest has become infamous for its alcohol.

While this might be true for some people that attend the festival, there is a lot more to it than just that.

Anita Nacea, former Seminole High school student, current German exchange student, and attendee of Oktoberfest, gave some firsthand experience of the culture there.

Nacea said that it is “the most well-known [Volksfest]” (people’s festival) which has caused it to become “more of a foreigners’ thing.”  She also said that, “everyone wears lederhosen and dirndls [and]… It’s like a huge carnival but there [are] also tents” and “live music.”

Senior Sabrina Picardat said that she thought Oktoberfest is “pretty epic” and that it’s amazing how “so many people get together like that.”  Picardat also said that “to get dressed and have fun with people seems really nice,” an opinion many others seem to share seeing as they fly thousands of miles around the globe to come and be a part of each year’s festival.

Overall, though Oktoberfest does involve the stereotypical beer, it more thoroughly involves costumes, traditional songs, native dishes, and German community, making it a much more cultural even than most people might believe.