Our First Fruhlingsfest

Yesterday was the opening day of Munchener Fruhlingsfest (Munich Spring Festival), which lasts for two weeks and take place at Theresienwiese (Oktoberfest Fairgrounds). Pretty much think of Oktoberfest, and then shrink it.  The festival is sometimes called the “Kleine Schwester des Oktoberfestes,” which translates to Oktoberfest’s Little Sister. With only two big beer tents and one outdoor beer garden, I think the little sister nickname is perfect for this festival.

Brad and I decided to visit the festival on Saturday to see what it was like and actually ended up spending the entire day there.  After exiting the ubahn, you find yourself in the heart of the fairgrounds. On your left are carnival rides, games and food booths, but on your right are the famous Hippodrom-Festzelt Beer Tent and a spinning carousel with a built-in bar. Instead of hitting the bar, we decide to take a walk around the fairgrounds and then find a place to eat. The weather is amazing out and after a quick stroll, we decide to sit down in the outdoor beer garden and enjoy a weissbier before eating sausages mit semmel. We sit down and quickly realize that the waitresses were not the ones from Oktoberfest as they were carrying the beer on trays (rather than in their hands) and could barely figure out the change. We dubbed them waitresses in training and agreed that they would never cut it at the real Oktoberfest. After a couple masses of beer and a giant line at the food stand, we decided to check out the spinning carousel bar. It was nice to have a drink here, but it got super crowded and without a restroom, we quickly finished our drinks and went to the Hippodrom.

At the Carousel Bar enjoy sekt with mineral wasser and limonelle

Brad on the Carousel with a Weiss Bier

We wanted to check it out since we requested this tent for Oktoberfest and wanted to make sure that it was suitable for the KPMG partners visiting us. The tent was beautiful and nicely decorated. The menu was extensive and best of all, you were able to purchase a magnum of champagne. Plus, they had a bubble lounge on one side of the tent to enjoy a glass of bubbly, which of course I did. I loved this tent and thought to myself ‘hopefully we end up getting our table here for the real Oktoberfest’.  

Even the masses were pretty

After a few more drinks and a look around the tent, we decided to head home for a nap!