Oktoberfest celebrations are already popping up all over the world, so it may be time for you to see if there’s any Oktoberfest fun happening in your neck of the woods. This holiday is a great way to get in touch with German ancestry while trying new beers, sausages and pretzels. The only problem is this celebration can often come with a pretty high price tag. Depending on the Oktoberfest you attend, you could find your wallet a lot smaller if you’re not already looking for ways to cut the price. These ten simple ideas will allow you to find the perfect way to make your Oktoberfest celebration a lot more fun and a lot less taxing on your budget.
1. Look for Discounts
When it comes to local activities, like Oktoberfest, there’s usually a strong community backing which will work in your favor. For instance, many local businesses will work with the festival to help you save some money. You may be able to get a few dollars off of your ticket by eating at your favorite pizza place, for example. Perhaps, your local grocery store may host a raffle to give away free tickets, or at least provide you with coupons with your purchases. There’s also the option of trying to win tickets from the radio station. As long as there is a local event to be had, you should find some discounts to keep you happy. Usually, these discounts are for ticket price alone, but some local breweries might pass out coupons for free tastings of their beer.
2. Dress Up
It is becoming a huge trend for many Oktoberfest celebrations to honor those who are daring enough to come dressed up in traditional German attire. You may be able to get a discount on tickets at the door, beers and other items if only you’re willing to show off some lederhosen for the day. There’s even competitions for those that are best dressed, which could help you to win some big prizes if your costume is favored. With all of these options, why would you not want to dress up for the special occasion? You can find traditional German clothes sold online or in Halloween stores if you’re looking for a quick solution to the attire problem. However, the clothes aren’t incredibly hard to make either. With a little extra effort, you may find yourself walking away with some big prizes, so attempting to make your own costume could be incredibly fruitful. You don’t even have to be incredibly skilled with sewing as finding certain clothing items in thrift stores can lead you on the path of success.
3. Research Your Ticket
Purchasing Oktoberfest tickets can be one of the crucial stages to saving the big bucks. Most Oktoberfests offer a wide variety of different options, so don’t treat 2 the same way. Your ticket should let you know what is included in the price of admission, so make sure you get everything you paid for. Some tickets will include a free beer or two, some will offer samplings, while others won’t offer anything at all. If beer isn’t included in your ticket whatsoever, then you might want to skip out on the event if ticket prices seem way too high. If food is included in your ticket price then you’re doing pretty good too, but most of the festivals won’t add this in. A lot of Oktoberfests are offering VIP access now too, which could grant you early entrance, special beers and so on. Again, make sure to weigh in the value before you decide to jump on the VIP bandwagon.
4. Pace Yourself
A lot of people head to Oktoberfest because they want to get plastered as quickly as possible. This is probably one of the fastest ways to lose money on your deal. Usually, you only get a certain number of free drinks, so downing them straight away will leave you feeling pretty zapped for the rest of the event. It may even make you more likely to spend money on more beers, which won’t be priced fairly. The key is to pace yourself when drinking at the event, so you can experience the games and music before you’re three sheets to the wind. It will also make you less likely to get kicked out of an event if you drink and behave in a responsible manner. Not to mention, if the Oktoberfest is doing beer sampling, rather than full steins, then drinking quickly may leave you feeling terrible. Some of the beers ingredients don’t always hit the stomach well together. Thus, pacing yourself will allow you to plot out your sampling map, while also allowing you to get some food on your stomach.
5. Hydrate
So many people forget how wonderful water is when they begin to drink copious amounts of alcohol. However, water can really help prevent you from feeling like garbage mid-way through the festival or even the morning after. Sure, it may not feel cool to down a glass water at an Oktoberfest, but your body will thank you for doing it. A general rule of thumb is to drink one glass of water per glass of beer, so make sure you keep some bottles nearby if you plan on staying at the festival all day. Water will help you from getting too intoxicated too, which could save you from some embarrassing moments. Not to mention, it’s often not the chilliest in many areas during the September and October months, so you might want to keep some water on hand so you don’t get as dehydrated. Beer already dehydrates the body, but when you combine it with sitting under the hot sun then you could find yourself feeling pretty nasty.
6. Eat
Going to an Oktoberfest on an empty stomach can be one of the worst things you can do, especially if you plan on getting your money’s worth out of the ticket. Try to eat a heavier meal that will help soak up the alcohol when you begin to drink. Of course, you shouldn’t not eat during the festival as well. Greasy foods like sausages are one of the best items you can choose to pick up at the festival. Make sure to add on the sauerkraut and mustard too. You might consider grabbing a batch of fries, fired pickles, cheese sticks or anything else that may help you process the beer a little better. Believe it or not, pretzels aren’t really a safe bet when it comes to drinking food. They will be in abundance at the festival, but if you’ve been drinking some time then skip out on this fan favorite. You should also avoid sweets because they will super charge the alcohol and will leave you feeling like you’re ready to hit the sack.
7. Join Competitions
Most Oktoberfests are bound to have a competition or two during the event. This can be a great way for you to get a bit more out of your money. Usually, it doesn’t cost a thing to enter a competition, so if anything it will just add to the entertainment factor of the festival. There’s a wide range of competitions offered too. You may find one as simple as a costume contest or as difficult as traditional German dances or yodeling. Many will perform food or beer based competitions, so you might want to hold off on the food and drink before you find out what competitions you can sign up for. Another famous competition is holding up steins of beer. These can get pretty heavy, so you may want to do a little work out to train yourself a few weeks before the event.
8. Go For the Entertainment
One of the best things you can do to save money for Oktoberfest is to tell yourself you’re going for the entertainment. The beer and food will always be there, but if you see it as a cultural event you’re going to get more out of the entire event than if you go for beer alone. So, take a few minutes to check out the live music, cultural shows and games before you pull out the wallet to begin drinking. You may find that sipping on a beer while watching the show is a lot more fun than chugging beer after beer while you wait for a sausage you ordered. You may even learn something about German culture and history by sticking to this attitude.
9. Try New Things
When it comes to Oktoberfest, you may try to step out of you comfort zone as much as you possibly can. If you have a ticket that includes samplings, then go for the beers you haven’t had a chance to try or those that may be too expensive for you to purchase on a regular occasion. This will broaden your horizons and may even give you a new type of beer you’d like to start purchasing. You might even try to taste as many German import beers as you can to make the Oktoberfest complete. The same can be said with food though. Try to steer clear of the stuff you’d grab on a regular occasion. Instead, try out the delicious sausage with extra flavoring or the toppings you may have never thought would work for the meal. You may be surprised by how much you get out of the deal.
10. Designated Driver
It may be common sense to contact someone about acting as your designated driver, but many people would still rather catch a cab, which can really blow up the price of the event. Usually, cab companies will hike up the price if they know they’re picking up or dropping off at an event, so you may want to skip out on this. Not to mention, if the Oktoberfest is popular, you may have to wait some time for a ride, which could really be terrible if you’re not feeling well after the event. Designated drivers are more trustworthy and will ensure you get home safe and sound. You may want to offer the designated driver a little money to make the occasion better, or you might want make the deal sweeter by purchasing a sausage or pretzel for them. As long as you know you have a driver, then you’ll be ready to enjoy the celebration with a lot less worry and a little more money.
Oktoberfest is certainly a great time to celebrate German culture and heritage while having a little fun with friends and family. With a festival filled with so much beer and food, you could easily find yourself spending a small fortune if you’re not careful. However, with these ten tips you should be able to get more out of Oktoberfest than you ever even imagined.
