An Oktoberfest party is always a hit whether Oktoberfest has been a tradition in your family or culture or not. Oktoberfest translates to great German foods, good beers and music and dancing. Make your Oktoberfest celebration a special celebration for family and friends and create your own Oktoberfest traditions.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: IOne day prep time, the day before and two hours, the day of the Oktoberfest Party
Here's How:
- Plan what day you are going to have your Oktoberfest party and send out invitations for your Oktoberfest party. Ask everyone to bring their favorite GERMAN dish or Oktoberfest or German beer. A lot of US microbreweries and boutique breweries now put out an Oktoberfest beer annually. DO THIS TWO WEEKS BEFORE your party.
- You might want to download the words to songs commonly sung at Oktoberfest - many of them are American favorites but you can buy a German drinking song CD or an Oktoberfest music CD a few weeks ahead of time. American songs are popular at Oktoberfest as well - "Country Roads" is a must and anything else your whole group can think to sing along with will probably fit the ticket.
- During week before your party buy all your Oktoberfest food and supplies. You might want to go to the local dollar store and pick up some steins - as well as your paper goods. Germans almost never use paper plates and if you are going to serve on paper plates, make sure you get something very sturdy. Buy a pony keg or keg of beer - German preferably, but you know what you and your friends like.
- Two days before the party, make your pretzel dough and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight. You don't have to do this but it makes it easier to work with the dough.
- The day before your party - prepare your potato salad and pretzels. Soak your sausages in beer or marinate your meats.
- Get everything ready the day of the party, set up your food and your plates, turn on the Oktoberfest music, clear some space for dancing and put some oompah in it!
Tips:
- If you live in a fair weather place, you can do everything outside and prepare all your meats on the grill making it an easy fun fall afternoon or evening.
- Try karaoke for a different twist to try to get everyone into the spirit of singing if you can't get them excited on their own.
- Set out the pretzels in large baskets along with a big bowl of German mustard for dipping.
- To make the whole thing really easy, simply buy soft frozen pretzels, buy roasted chickens at the supermarket, throw in some sausage and make some sauerkraut and potato salad or boiled potatoes.
What You Need:
- Party supplies and invitations
- Beer
- Brats, Sauerkraut, Potato Salad, Chicken, Pretzels - the foods you want
- Music