Oktoberfest in the Upstate
I love living in South Carolina. There really are very few things I miss from the Washington, DC area. But I have discovered I really miss the Oktoberfests I used to attend back North.
Last year, we attended a well-publicized Oktoberfest at a local restaurant. They closed off the parking lot, set up tents, and everything. The atmosphere was pretty good I guess. I saw a few dirndels and lederhosen, and they had a good oompah band. But no dancing, no maypole, none of that slapping-the-lederhosen dance (I can't remember what it's called).
The food was tasty, but not what I would call authentic. The beer truck was from Budweiser, of all things! Blech! (Okay, I don't drink alcohol, but I do know that Bud can't compare to a good German beer!) The spatzle seemed more like macaroni and cheese. And the schnitzel. Oh the schnitzel. I was expecting a nice piece of Wiener Schnitzel. One of my favorites. It was chicken. Not even pounded thin. Just chicken schnitzel. (Which I guess isn't too far from a Southern favorite, chicken-fried-chicken.)
Last night, we stopped by another Oktoberfest. This one was sponsored by the German-American Chamber of Commerce. Now THEY should know how to do an Oktoberfest, right? Wrong. It looked more like a cocktail party. Professionals standing around tables like they were at happy hour. One food line, with a table that looked like it belonged at a wedding reception. And the band. Oh the band. It was one guy with an electric guitar and another guy on drums. No accordion, no tuba, and definitely no lederhosen. We left and had dinner at a pizza joint instead.
You're probably thinking, "Why would you expect a decent Oktoberfest in Upstate South Carolina?" Well, it's actually not too much to expect! We live about 4 miles from the only BMW plant in the United States. Not just the plant, but the US headquarters of BMW. There are lots of Germans here! So why is there no decent Oktoberfest?
I guess I was spoiled growing up. We were very involved in the German culture around DC. Dad and I took German classes for many years at Die Deutsche Schule Washington. Dad sang in the German choir. We had many, many German friends. And of course we've traveled extensively throughout Germany. I was even in the Hofbrau Haus in Munich when I was 13 years old!
So perhaps I just expect too much. But even so, I miss a good Oktoberfest.
Last year, we attended a well-publicized Oktoberfest at a local restaurant. They closed off the parking lot, set up tents, and everything. The atmosphere was pretty good I guess. I saw a few dirndels and lederhosen, and they had a good oompah band. But no dancing, no maypole, none of that slapping-the-lederhosen dance (I can't remember what it's called).
The food was tasty, but not what I would call authentic. The beer truck was from Budweiser, of all things! Blech! (Okay, I don't drink alcohol, but I do know that Bud can't compare to a good German beer!) The spatzle seemed more like macaroni and cheese. And the schnitzel. Oh the schnitzel. I was expecting a nice piece of Wiener Schnitzel. One of my favorites. It was chicken. Not even pounded thin. Just chicken schnitzel. (Which I guess isn't too far from a Southern favorite, chicken-fried-chicken.)
Last night, we stopped by another Oktoberfest. This one was sponsored by the German-American Chamber of Commerce. Now THEY should know how to do an Oktoberfest, right? Wrong. It looked more like a cocktail party. Professionals standing around tables like they were at happy hour. One food line, with a table that looked like it belonged at a wedding reception. And the band. Oh the band. It was one guy with an electric guitar and another guy on drums. No accordion, no tuba, and definitely no lederhosen. We left and had dinner at a pizza joint instead.
You're probably thinking, "Why would you expect a decent Oktoberfest in Upstate South Carolina?" Well, it's actually not too much to expect! We live about 4 miles from the only BMW plant in the United States. Not just the plant, but the US headquarters of BMW. There are lots of Germans here! So why is there no decent Oktoberfest?
I guess I was spoiled growing up. We were very involved in the German culture around DC. Dad and I took German classes for many years at Die Deutsche Schule Washington. Dad sang in the German choir. We had many, many German friends. And of course we've traveled extensively throughout Germany. I was even in the Hofbrau Haus in Munich when I was 13 years old!
So perhaps I just expect too much. But even so, I miss a good Oktoberfest.
posted by Susan | 8:34 AM
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