4th September 2015

Hosting Your Own Oktoberfest Party | Oktoberfest Party Ideas, Costumes & Supplies

Oktoberfest is the world's largest beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival running from 19th September to the first weekend in October, with more than 6 million people from around the world attending the event every year. If you can't visit Oktoberfest in person, what could be better than hosting your own Oktoberfest party? So throw on your lederhosen, grab a Bratwurst and head for the Bier Garten — Oktoberfest is on its way! What could be better than an excuse to dress up and celebrate the good life with the traditional food and beer of Germany? We've got some ideas and tips to help your Oktoberfest party go with a swing, including authentic Okoberfest fancy dress, decorations and party supplies — from Oktoberfest beer maid costumes and lederhosen outfits to Oktoberfest tableware and great value Oktoberfest party packs.

Oktoberfest Costumes

[gallery size="full" columns="2" link="none" ids="2252,2253"] Dressing up in a traditional Oktoberfest costume is always part of the fun, whether you just don a hat or go for the full Oktoberfest Beer Wench Costume or Bavarian Man outfit, Party Packs have a huge range of Oktoberfest fancy dress costumes and accessories for your party guests

Oktoberfest Beer Tasting

If you want to create a truly authentic Oktoberfest party experience, you should buy beer from the six Munich breweries that have tents at Oktoberfest as only these breweries produce the official Oktoberfest beer. Here are a selection of our favourites available to buy in the UK: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner and Spaten. You can also buy selected Oktoberfest beer selection packs. Use this guide to help you choose your Oktoberfest beers.

Traditionally the ceremonial barrel-tapping happens at noon on the first Saturday of Oktoberfest and the host should tap a keg or crack open some bottles, proclaim "O’zapft is!" (It is tapped!).

Dress up beer bottles and cans for the occasion with festive German-inspired wrappers. Try these Oktoberfest Wine/Beer Bottle Labels or you could even design your own customised labels.

Oktoberfest Food

Second only to the beer, authentic Oktoberfest party food is hearty and easy to make or readily available in most supermarkets. Here's some easy Oktoberfest party food ideas:

Traditional Oktoberfest Bavarian pretzels (soft pretzels) view recipe here served with the Bavarian cheese delicacy obatzda - view recipe here
Sausages (try and get authentic German sausages such as Bratwurst, Knackwurst, Thüringer)
German Potato Salad - view recipe here
Sauerkraut - view recipe here
German Rotkohl (Sweet/Sour Red Cabbage) - view recipe here
Käsespätzel (basically macaroni cheese)
Apple Strudel - view recipe here
Lebkuchen - Traditional gingerbread cookies are a particular Oktoberfest favourite - view recipe here

Oktoberfest Decorations & Tableware

Oktoberfest party supplies and tableware feature a Bavarian flag check pattern. These unofficial colours of Oktoberfest should line every table in your beer garden and the famous chequered pattern can be found covering tables and hanging from ceilings in almost all of the tents in Munich. To save on washing up, I would use a Oktoberfest tableware pack - this Oktoberfest party pack contains a table cover, 8 plates, 8 cups and 16 napkins.

Oktoberfest Party Tableware from Party Packs

There are lots of German and Oktoberfest decorations you can use to quickly decorate your Oktoberfest party from bunting to Oktoberfest Photo Booth props. After a few steins, guests will love Bavarian themed photo booth props such as this Oktoberfest Maiden Vest Say käse!

Oktoberfest Photo Props - German Bavarian Busty Maiden