Everyone has heard of the famed Oktoberfest – where people all over the world travel to Germany (and most famously Munich) to don their Dirndl and Lederhosen, stand on the table and drink a liter (or 2, or 3) of beer. What you may not have heard of, is the spring version of the festival, or Fruhlingsfest!
We have been to Oktoberfest in Munich and Stuttgart – both are massive, with 10 or so tents filled with tables and beer as well as every carnival ride and game you can imagine-it’s a blast, and we have loved attending these past 3 years. In between them though, we head to the Stuttgart Fruhlingsfest aka Oktoberfest’s Springtime little sister. If you are planning a trip to Germany and may be considering the timing of festivals in that plan, here are the things you should know about these two epic fests.
Size
Fruhlingsfest is about 1/2 the size of Oktoberfest but if you haven’t been to Oktoberfest you won’t be able to tell. There were only about 4-5 tents for the classic beer experience (aka standing on tables, singing and dancing) at Fruhlings verus the 10-12 or so that you will find in the fall. The Oktoberfest in Stuttgart had 2 Ferris Wheels whereas Fruhlings just had one. Ultimately Oktoberfest is more impressive when you are walking around and taking it all in, but once you are inside a tent, it’s all the same.
Crowd
Fruhlingsfest had a smaller crowd than both of the Oktoberfests — and we went on a Saturday for all of them. This is a double edged sword because, yes, crowds suck, but they also add to the energy in the atmosphere. You’ll never see empty tables at an Oktoberfest. In fact, if you want a seat at a table without a reservation, you need to be there at 8am before they open. On a Saturday afternoon at Fruhlingsfest we had no issues popping in without a wait or reservation and finding an empty table in the center to eat and dance on. Most of the tables did have reservations after 5:30pm though, so that’s something to keep in mind. There are also a lot less people dressed up in the traditional “Fest-gear” of Drindle and Liederhosen at Fruhlingsfest. I was surprised to see that it was almost a 50/50 split whereas at Oktoberfest, if you are wearing jeans and a t-shirt you are definitely in the minority!
Food & Drink
The food is exactly the same no matter which season’s fest you attend. They have almost identical menus in the tents along with the famed one-liter beer mugs. In Stuttgart, one of the food-villages (for lack of better term) they had set up was identical for both Oktoberfest & Fruhlingsfest! If you were worried about that aspect, fret no longer because you can snag the same quality of food, beer, and wine no matter which season you show up. The only difference is the specific “fest” beer that they have since it is unique to each festival. Honestly though, they all just taste like light, tasty beers to me so I wouldn’t pay too much attention to that detail (unless you are a beer fanatic, in which case, I really can’t help you with further details).
The bottom line is that, yes, Oktoberfest IS better, but it’s not such a wide margin to eschew the opportunity to attend Fruhlingsfest, especially if you are from out of town and may never make it to an Oktoberfest. Honestly, if I had never attended an Oktoberfest, I would be seriously impressed with Fruhlingsfest. The tent experience, with standing on tables and singing and dancing with strangers from all over the world, is one of the coolest things you can experience at a festival, and you will have that chance at either fest.
That being said, there is a sense of accomplishment one feels in saying you have been to Oktoberfest, and everyone knows what you mean – which leaves you two options – plan your trip to Germany around Oktoberfest and do the damn thing, or, make your way to Fruhlingsfest and just wait to post pictures until October…because no one will be able to tell the difference anyways! Haha
Questions? Post them in the comments below!
Happy Planning!
Xx
Kali