Melburnians, it's time to dust off your lederhosen: after two long years, our city's OG Oktoberfest is back and bigger than ever. Hosted at Hofbrauhaus in the heart of Chinatown, this year's festivities will kick off on September 17 — the same day as it does in Munich — and run all the way to October 29.
The party begins at noon on September 17 with the annual crowning of the duke or duchess of Hofbrauhaus. Everyone who has booked a table for lunch that day will enter the draw, and the new royal members will have the honour of conducting the festival's first keg tapping. They'll also receive a $300 voucher and a ceramic stein that will be filled free of charge at every visit until next year's Oktoberfest. For those who don't nab the crown, you can also try your luck at the stein-holding competition every Friday and Saturday to win a year of free bier.
Throughout the six-week festival, punters can also win prizes for competitions on nailing, yodelling, pronouncing tricky German words, hat dancing and more. There's ample opportunity to wine prizes both big and small, but even if you're not on your A-game, there will also be heaps of specials to take advantage of. If you wear a traditional Bavarian dress on Saturdays, you can get 300ml tap biers for just $2 between 4pm and 5pm, and 1L steins will be $15 during happy hour from 4pm to 6pm on Thursdays and Fridays.
If you're a Virgo, Leo or Scorpio,you're in luck: if you celebrate your birthday at Hofbrauhaus during the fest, you'll get a free meal as well as a free round of drinks for you and your mates. And for the first time ever, Hofbrauhaus has launched a beer garden that'll really make you feel like you're in Munich partying alongside the locals.
To grab your tickets, head to the Hofbrauhaus website.
