Oktoberfest: Ever since I turned 21, this has been one of the experiences I have been looking forward to. Beer. Food. Sauerkraut. Music. Cute costumes. Therefore, when Oktoberfest by the Bay was announced for September 25-27th in San Francisco, I jumped at the chance. Matty and I were able to received discounted tickets by going on their website about a month before the event, so we got tickets for $14 a piece (they were $25/ticket originally).

Here is my recap of the events!

Located on Pier 48, the festival looked rather boring from the outside. However, the moment we stepped in, the entire scene changed altogether: there were so many people walking around in costumes, all holding huge steins full of … YOU GUESSED IT —- BEER!!!

At Oktoberfest, you cannot use your cash to buy food; instead you exchange your dollars for tokens – $2 for 1 token. I must admit that this was such a smart ploy – I felt like I was spending less, because they were coins rather than dollar bills. BEWARE: They do not buy back their tokens. So, exchange only what you need. Confession: I sold my leftover tokens to another Oktoberfest-goer, who was on his way to get more tokens.

The traditional German food at Oktberfest was amazing! The sauerkraut [fermented German cabbage] was the perfect combination of sour and crunchy, and provided a nice counterpart to the smoky meatiness of the bratwurst. I loved it!! While it was a bit on the pricey side, at 5 tokens ($10), it was a part of the Oktoberfest experience and I am so glad that we got to enjoy this delectable plate.

There were a few non-traditional food options offered, and we did go to this food truck that served Frickles, or “fried pickles.” While I normally love fried pickles, this food truck was not the best. I would give it a 5/10.

My suggestion: If you do go to Oktoberfest by the Bay, and you should … partake in the traditional German foods! SOOOO YUMMMM.

Of course, M
atty and I had to buy a stein of beer – we were at Oktoberfest after all! Check out Matt toasting his fellow German counterpart with their steins. 🙂 Cheers!

Here is to all 21+ year-old in the Bay Area, especially in Berkeley. There are so many fun opportunities around you – take a BART ride or carpool with some friends and go explore the city! Oktoberfest is a MUST! Do it before you graduate! To all other Bay-Area citizens – GO GO GO!

P.S. A big shout-out to Matty. Thanks for (1) being German, to help me get a richer Oktoberfest experience, and (2) for driving me to this awesome festival! ❤ ya!