Get ready to hail O’zapft Is as the second annual Oktoberfest in Mumbai is just around the corner…
After a dazzling show last year, the Mumbai Oktoberfest has only grown bigger and better this time, with the celebrations gone multiple!
“We are trying to make it as authentic as possible,” says Peter Deubet, Deputy Director General of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce. “The venue, Race course (Mahalakshmi), is a big open space, much like the German festival ground. We have imported a special Oktoberfest tent from Loseberger with a 1200 people seating capacity. We’re flying down the music band Die Oberbayern that also performed at the original Munich event. further, We’ll be serving barrel beer (Erdinger) and also authentic German food and sausages, under the supervision of a German chef.”
The most charismatic part of this three-day-long fest (starting October 14 to 16), however, will be the barrel tapping ceremony — the official opening of the festival before the barrels are thrown open. Also put up for sale will be Dirndl and Lederhosen — the original festival costume for women and men respectively.
“Everything will be under one ac tent. There’ll be a merchandise and Oktoberfest bakery items for sale,” says Deubet. Another highlight is the unveiling of the winner of the online T-shirt designing competition wherein people were asked to design the first official Mumbai Oktoberfest Tshirt. To ensure the safety of the people, there are provisions for one to be driven home. “We have tied hands with Party Hard Drivers as we don’t encourage drunk driving but we want you to be drunk and driven,” wraps Deubet.
One can also hop onto a beer wagon and land smackdab at the Doolally Microbewery (Pune) as Regan Rodricks, owner of Bluebulb, ensures uninhibited fun. “We have a special bus to take people from Mumbai to Pune, with live music all the way.” Overlapping with the Oktober fest is the first Mumbai International Beer Festival, happening over the same weekend at D’Monte Park Recreation Centre, Bandra that promises craft beers from Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, England, China and India.
Gulp down your beer with German girls dancing around and DJ Suketu, (the original Oktoberfest DJ) spinning out live music, at the Manchester United Cafe Bar. Excited to paly, Suketu says, “I’m checking out the songs and videos on Youtube so that I keep the music very close to the original festival.”
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