Munich comes to Manila in Oktoberfest 2012

If there's one thing Pinoys do exceptionally well, it's holding festivals. So it's no surprise that the world's largest festival would feel right at home in the Philippines. "At the beginning we had to sell our tickets, now people are grabbing tickets out of our hands. It's one of the more popular festivals in the Philippines," Sofitel General Manager Goran Aleks said during a press conference on September 5. Now on its 74th year, Oktoberfest Manila promises to be another all-night celebration of Epicurean proportions. According to Aleks, this year will be an even more exciting Munich Oktoberfest experience. "It has been beyond all we imagined… We try to improve every year," he said, noting that this is the third year that German Club Manila is holding Oktoberfest at Sofitel Philippine Plaza. One thing to look forward to in this year’s Oktoberfest is Sofitel executive chef Eric Costille's spread of authentic Bavarian food, which will include fresh roasted pork knuckles, roasted calf, and grilled sausages. "It's very straightforward food: grilled, baked, roasted meat... It's very homey, very friendly," Costille described the spread, adding that people will probably love eating the hot food with their beer. "Sausages are paired very well with the beer. Even the sauerkraut, because of the fermentation. I cannot imagine eating this kind of food with wine. It's just the wrong fit," he said. The Bavarian Sound Express will perform Oktoberfest original music, to keep guests singing and dancing all night long. "At some point, 9:30, 10, we have everybody on the tables dancing and singing. In the past it was only a German festival. Now I would say it's... 60 percent Philippines and 40 German. In the past it was really just German," Aleks said. Michael Scheile, president of the German Club, said that Oktoberfest in Munich actually starts in September, and ends on the first Sunday of October. "202 years ago, the Crown Prince Ludwig celebrated his wedding, with 40,000 people. They enjoyed it so much, they decided to do it every year," he said, adding that the festival was moved a month earlier due to the weather. According to the Oktoberfest website, the Oktoberfest festivities were eventually moved to September, because the warmer nights allowed guests to stroll over "die Wiesen," the fields which were named after Ludwig's wife, the Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. "It actually takes place in October here, which is better than the original which takes place in September," said Ralph Timmermann, Charge d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Manila. In the Philippines, Oktoberfest will be held at Sofitel’s newly-refurbished Harbor Garden Tent, which will be decorated in traditional Bavarian colors of white and blue. Ladies in dirndls and gents in lederhosen add to the Munich Oktoberfest vibe. Timmerman said there is a long history of cultural relations between Germany and the Philippines, but none are as well-known as Oktoberfest. “There is the 106-year-old German Club, the Goethe Institut, festivals such as the annual German Film Festival, and the concert series in Paco Park," he said. "But I think our most popular German cultural event is really the Oktoberfest. It is clear why this is the case. It's a unique combination of Southern German tradition, food, music, and dress. And it's also a great way to have fun." — BM, GMA News Oktoberfest Manila 2012 will be held from October 19 to 20 at the Harbor Tent Garden in Sofitel Philippine Plaza. For more information, contact the German Club Manila at 817-3552 and 818-3552 or email germanclub@germanclub.ph.