My love of Germany and all things German is legendary, so it was with great excitement that we took Ruby to her very first Oktoberfest! We’d been to other Oktoberfests throughout Southern California before, but they had always come off as pretty cheesy and not very authentic.
As it turns out, having a real German friend to find a good Oktoberfest is very valuable. Our friend Malte, who lived in Munich for some time, found out that the Phoenix Club, a German cultural center in Anaheim, CA, held a pretty large one, and much more authentic as it was staffed mainly by Germans. Perfect!
So off we went to this quasi-Munich celebration that originated with Crown Prince Ludwig’s wedding in 1810 with friends (Malte and Amy, and Daniel and Amber) and babies in tow, ready to drink some fine Bavarian beers and eat some hearty food.
As it turned out, the Phoenix Club’s Oktoberfest really was the best local Oktoberfest I’d been to, by a long shot. It certainly helps when Germans are running the show. The food selection was great (far beyond the bratwursts that most local Oktoberfests serve), as was the beer selection.
Even the giant tent looked pretty legit!
And how did Ruby and her baby buddies Paloma and Nora do?
Well for starters, Ruby LOVED the pretzel. But wait…sauerkraut too? Yes, Ruby DEVOURED the sauerkraut. She even cried when we’d stop feeding it to her. Who knew?
Me, Ruby, Daniel, and Nora…kickin’ it Bavarian style.
And the German Tiger and her Cub.
Excellent times. Bis zum nächsten Jahr!