Oktoberfest officially kicks off on September 22nd - if you're not making the trip to Germany to celebrate (sadly, neither are we), you still have time to plan your own Oktoberfest party! Bring the infamous German holiday to your own backyard Biergarten with a detailed theme party, and the help of GigMasters for entertainment!

Entertainment

Must have: music! Book a German band or Polka band - for a smaller party, you can also hire an accordion player to stroll throughout while playing. You won’t regret grabbing some beer props and booking a photo booth; guests will love the take-home prints and you’ll all enjoy the sure-to-be fun pictures the next day.

Food & Drinks

• Set up a DIY beer tasting area (we'd recommend beers like Sam Adams Oktoberfest)
• Sparkling Pumpkin Cider Beertail (your favorite pumpkin beer + sparkling cider, lemon wedges & cinnamon)
• Hand out pretzel necklaces to guests upon arrival (all you need is yarn + some pretzels!)
• Don’t forget - homemade soft pretzels/pretzel bites (set up a dipping station of different types of mustard) and German bratwurst with sauerkraut 
• Finally - it wouldn’t be a fall event without some pumpkin bread

Decor & Theme Attire

White and light blue are the official colors of Oktoberfest (green is good too!), so all decor should match those colors. Hang a big Oktoberfest banner at the entrance to the party, and Harlequin garland throughout the area (if you’re feeling crafty, you can make it yourself). Set up a DIY flower headband area for guests to make, hand out blue beads (you can order in bulk!) as well as some green alpine hats. Most importantly, order plastic boots to serve beer (would it even be Oktoberfest without a boot full of beer?). On your invitations, remind guests to dress for the theme!

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Share your Oktoberfest event stories with us! Comment below or use #thepartystartshere and follow us (@gigmasters) - we would love to hear from you!