Oktoberfest — if you don’t like beer
Can you go to Oktoberfest if you don’t like beer? This guide explains how to enjoy the world’s most famous beer festival, without taking a sip.
Oktoberfest is probably the world’s biggest Volkfest beer festival. But if you don’t like beer, can you still enjoy the event? Here is a guide to Oktoberfest for those who don’t like beer.
Beat the crowds: go early, and on a weekday
Lunchtime is the best time to visit Oktoberfest if you don’t like beer. The event opens at around 10am, and on weekdays, it is not too busy at this time. This gives you the chance to enjoy walking around the large and seeing the traditional venues, without bumping into crowds of drunk people. It starts to get busier from 2pm onwards.
Take a look at various Beer Tents
You don’t have to drink beer to enjoy the Oktoberfest beer tents. Each brewery hosts their own tent, decorating them in a different style and offering music shows. It’s interesting to visit the tents to see the different decorations and atmosphere, and you can order soft drinks at the tables. Going earlier in the day makes it easier to visit multiple tents and get a seat.
Dress in traditional Bavarian clothes
It’s not compulsory, but many people at Oktoberfest wear traditional clothes, called Dirndl or Lederhosen. When else do you get to walk around town dressed in these fairytale outfits? Buying or hiring traditional clothes is a lovely way to enjoy and participate in the event, without having to drink beer.
Try traditional German and Bavarian Food
Each beer tent has extensive food menus, including smoked fish, venison stew, beer-battered fish, potato salads and vegetarian options. If you don’t like drinking beer, you can still enjoy the deer tent atmosphere by having a meal with a soft drink. What’s more, this is a great chance to meet other people at the festival as you can chat to people at other tables.
Enjoy the massive Oktoberfest carnival
Around the tents is a funfair with big rides, a Ferris wheel and games. This is a nice atmosphere and you can enjoy the entertainment without drinking, it’s also great for kids — in fact, some of those rollercoasters are probably NOT recommended if you drink several litres of beer.
Try the food stalls
Outside of the tents, there are food and snack stalls selling pretzels, chocolate fruits, BBQ corn, fish and other dishes. This is a great chance to try carnival and traditional food while watching the other festival goers, the horses and carriages and admiring beautiful traditional outfits.
Listen to the music
In the beer tents, live brass bands play traditional and modern music. This is a nice opportunity to visit different tents to see the bands and join in with the dancing. While many of the dancers are fuelled by beer, you can still participate even if you haven’t drunk any.
Try other alcoholic drinks
There is one tent dedicated to wine where you can buy by the glass or bottle — but be prepared, one glass of wine can cost the same as 2L of beer (around 15 euros). There are also stalls around the site selling wine, sparkling wine and spirits.
Drink non-alcoholic drinks at Oktoberfest
There are also many non-alcoholic options, including sparkling apply juice, lemonades, teas and coffee. So you won’t feel compelled to buy alcohol, even if you are in a beer tent.
You can also try Radler
Radler is the German for shandy, and is a mix of lager and lemonade. If you don’t like the taste of beer but want to get involved, you could try asking for one Mass of Rader … but be warned, it is a 2L glass!
Conclusion
Oktoberfest is free to enter, and you can just go in to take a look. Although the main focus is beer, I hope this guide shows that even if you don’t or can’t drink beer, it’s still a really interesting festival where you can see traditional Bavarian culture, clothing, music and design.
