Prost! If you’re in Canada, October means a few things… Thanksgiving, Hallowe’en, and my personal favourite – Oktoberfest. What could be more fun than strapping yourself into lederhosen or a dirndl, donning a feathered cap, and washing down jugs of beer with soft pretzels and flavoured beer nuts?!

If you missed out on grabbing tickets, or don’t live close to an official Oktoberfest event, you can still celebrate the best Bavarian festival of the year!

First, you’ll need an authentic food experience. Cook up some sausage, or try your hand at some traditional schnitzel recipes using pork, chicken, or beef. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could try making a rouladen, aka bacon-wrapped steak. If you’re of the less kitchen-inclined variety, grab some bone broth and try a goulash.

Then, you’ll want to pick your beer. There are plenty of local breweries featuring Marzen or Okktoberfest styles, which are golden, bready, and a bit on the sweet side. There are also plenty of German beers to try – whether you grab a pilsner, lager, dunkel, or weissbier (or anything in between) – if you’re undecided, sample a few!

Lastly, you’ll need to choose your music. The chicken dance is a classic – otherwise, traditional folk and polka music should make up the majority of your playlist.

Of course, German food, drink, and music is delicious and delightful year round. There’s just something about partaking in the tradition of Oktoberfest that makes it that much more fun – genießen!