oktoberfest ramblings...

oktoberfest
Originally uploaded by justrock_kc.

so Oktoberfest is upon us... and wow, do some interesting folks come out of the woodwork for this one! I've been observing with an outsiders perspective and it is really quite fascinating; 3 weeks every year, it becomes completely socially acceptable to make an intoxicated fool of yourself!
Still, this is a pretty crazy time here. tons of folks, young and old, are wearing lederhosen and the dirndl - which is the stereotypical picture you see in your mind of the beer-hoisting waitresses with about 10 liters of beer in both hands - and this is really what they look like in the tents. This is a shot from inside one of the tents at the fest. People go from 10 am until 11 pm and sit at tables to keep their spots reserved, sing with traditional oom-pah bands, drink beer, eat pretzels, and then at night - the more modern bands break out. Song such as "country roads" by John Denver and the oldie "Hey Baby" are belted out in unison by hordes of guys who have been drinking all day - and all in perfect unison - you can hear it from outside the enclosed tents for about a half mile away. It is pretty amazing - and I've really never seen more people in my life!
The 5 major breweries in Munich each have a separate tent, and they have been doing this for hundreds of years...during the day it is pretty family oriented and loose, but at night things can get a little sticky!