The German Club Manila and Solaire will stage the much awaited and most authentic Oktoberfest in Manila on October 14 and 15 at The Tent at Solaire. This year’s anticipated German festivity will be the 82nd staging since the Oktoberfest tradition was brought to Manila. The German Club Manila will once again take the helm in leading this year’s most authentic Oktoberfest event with Solaire Resort & Casino as venue partner.
Oktoberfest is a time-honored German tradition held annually in Munich, and is considered to be the world’s largest beer festival that draws millions of visitors who partake in weeks of beer drinking and merry-making.
The festival can be traced back to October 1810 at the wedding of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen, when citizens were invited to the royal festivity that lasted for days. Since then, anniversary celebrations were held annually and had become larger and more elaborate. When the city started allowing beer at the celebrations, brewers started putting up beer stands and as the number of German breweries that participated increased over the years, the festivals were moved to beer halls. Eventually, the annual Oktoberfest in Germany was moved to commence in September to allow for better weather conditions.
In the Philippines, the German Club Manila has kept the spirit of the Oktoberfest tradition alive for many years since the club’s inception in 1906, making them the foremost authority on the well- anticipated beer fest in the country. Every Oktoberfest event by the German Club Manila is a vivid experience of the authentic German festival, from the imported German beer and hearty food, to the celebratory revelry of singing and dancing.
August 25 Media Launch
Members of the media were invited to a preview of this year’s Oktoberfest last August 25 at Solaire to give a taste of what to expect in this year’s celebration. To officially start the program, German Club’s Oktoberfest Michael Scheile and Eiffelene Howard return as masters of ceremonies to add more authentic flavor to the preview event.
Michael Ducke, German Club Manila’s President stated, “The German Club Manila is excited to welcome everyone to experience the most authentic Oktoberfest again here in the Philippines! For the past two years, we have been looking forward to celebrating the next Oktoberfest, and now we’re back and ready to create great memories with everyone. We look forward to seeing all of you at the 82nd Oktoberfest.”
“Following a very successful back-to-back Oktoberfest celebration two years ago, we are thrilled to return as the venue of choice for German Club Manila’s Oktoberfest celebrations and we look forward to continuing this partnership,” Solaire’s Vice President of Food & Beverage Bastian Breuer said.
Solaire’s Vice President of Culinary Michael Dinges also shared what sets this year’s Oktoberfest apart from the rest of the similar celebrations across the metro. “The German Club Manila and Solaire’s Oktoberfest partnership to bring the traditional German tradition underscores authenticity. From the beer, entertainment, to the homemade German sausages and delicacies, all elements of the celebration rooted in German culture. Guests will receive an overflowing selection of Germany’s best tastes and flavors, surrounded by the finest Filipino hospitality,” said Dinges.
Per Oktoberfest traditions, Solaire Vice President of Food & Beverage Bastian Breuer, German Club Manila President Michael Ducke, German Club Manila Oktoberfest Chairman Tobias Rast, and Solaire Vice President for Culinary Michael Dinges were invited up the stage for the ceremonial toast followed by the ever-familiar tune that signals the beginning of the increasingly speedy tempo of the Fliegerlied, an Oktoberfest classic that brings the crowd on their feet and to the dance floor. Apart from this celebration staple, the Oktoberfest main event days will again hear the electrifying music of the Bavarian Sound Express.
Lederhosen clad gents and dirndl wearing ladies emerged with Bavarian delicacies offering appetizers such as a basket of oven-fresh German breads and pretzels, Munich-style sausage salad, and a German cold cuts and cheese platter. Next comes a variety of sausages like the Weisswurst, a Munich-style poached veal and pork sausage dish; a Bavarian meat platter that consists of crispy pork knuckle, pork schnitzel, meat loaf, rotisserie chicken and bread dumpling; a sausage sampler which has grilled coarse pork sausage, frankfurter sausage, veal bratwurst with sauerkraut and roasted potatoes; and the Spaetzle pan made of homemade noodles with cream, mountain cheese and crispy onions. The desserts remain filled with staples like the classic apple and walnut strudel with vanilla sauce and ice cream, the Kaiserschmarrn, a dish made of shredded rum raisin pancakes with berry compote and vanilla sauce, and a beer mug with apricot jelly and yoghurt foam were the perfect neutralizer after a hearty dose of German goodness.
To show the kind of fun to be expected on the 82nd Oktoberfest, guests were asked to participate in various activities. A stein hoisting tested endurance and will power, the beer drinking game challenged each player’s speed and drinking tricks, and the hammer striking showcased physical strength and brawn. For those who couldn’t participate, an exciting raffle draw was in store offering the chance to win much-awaited prizes.
Partnering with Rotary Club for a Cause
A highlight of this year’s Oktoberfest is German Club Manila’s partnership with the Philippine Rotary in Emergency Preparedness and Response (PREPR) Foundation together with ICC- Philippines and Germany, and Rotary Districts 3780, 3810, 3820 and 3830 to hold the first authentic Rotary Oktoberfest on October 13 at Solaire. This project is for the benefit of their End Polio Program and their Disaster Relief and Response.
Tickets Now Available
The 82nd Oktoberfest will definitely satisfy the authentic German fun and excitement you’ve missed with its knockout roster of the best German dishes, plus an astonishing program filled with blockbuster entertainment. Tickets are now available for the Oktoberfest main event days on October 14 and 15 at https://oktoberfest.ph/.