Celebrate Oktoberfest in Your RV

Oktoberfest is a celebration that started in Munich in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of the Barvarian Crown Prince Louis (who later became King Louis I) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The wedding festivities were open to the townspeople of Munich, and the celebration was such a hit that the tradition continued. Today, the festival draws about 6 million people to Munich each year.

But if a trip to Europe is not in the cards for you, you can enjoy your very own Oktoberfest while camping in your RV. Here are just a few ideas to get inspired!

Disregard the Calendar

Many Oktoberfest celebrations begin in September because the weather is usually more agreeable in Europe. However, the original Oktoberfest was held in October (the wedding was on October 12, in fact), so you’d be completely within reason to enjoy your festivities this month.  

Seek Out Traditional Beers

The most traditional beers you’d see at Oktoberfest in Munich are Oktoberfests, märzens, and festbiers. True Oktoberfests come only from six specific breweries in Munich, while all others must be called Oktoberfest style beer. Festbiers are lighter bodied and have become the modern, official style of all beers served at the festival. In America, you’ll likely find a lot of beers with some form of “Oktoberfest” in the titles, but the beers will likely be actually closer to a Märzen lager.

Create a German-Inspired Meal

Besides beer, bratwurst sausage is the star of most Oktoberfest meals. Luckily, brats are a perfect food for camping! A super easy meal to make is brats and onions on the grill. For extra flavor, you can boil the brats in beer before searing them on the grill. Serve the sausages and onions on rolls with plenty of brown mustard and sauerkraut or with boiled cabbage. Don’t forget to buy or make your very own soft pretzels!

Cue up the Music 

Music at Oktoberfest may make you think of brass bands, which makes sense because the celebration usually incorporates polka and traditional folk music. To get into the spirit of Oktoberfest in your RV, create a playlist with some traditional tunes, such as “Ein Prosit” and “In München Steht Ein Hofbrӓuhaus.” But also know that lots of different genres of music are played during Oktoberfest in Munich, so listen to whatever makes you happy. 

Dress the Part

No Oktoberfest celebration would be complete without the traditional garb associated with the event. For men, that means wearing lederhosen, a white shirt, leather suspenders, long socks and boots, and a German-style Trachten hat. For women, the outfit is a dress called a dirndl, which is a bodice, a blouse, and full skirt with an apron.

Have you been to Oktoberfest in Munich? What things would you do to enjoy your own version of the festival in your RV? Let us know in the comments or contact us today!