Oktoberfest in March? Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate Halftoberfest at Alpine Village:

That’s right! We just can’t wait any longer to promote Gemütlichkeit, so we’re putting on the Alpine Village’s first ever Halftoberfest celebration in the Alpine Restaurant. This smaller scale party will have many of the same attractions you see in our tent every year but in a more intimate setting.  Still not convinced? Here are the top 10 reasons you should join us at Halftoberfest on March 20th!

Steins:These collectible ceramic and glass drinking vessels come in a variety of sizes and styles some traditional and some not so much. We’ve seen giant steins, steins made from animal horns, star wars steins, and of course the boots. The differences are innumerable but what they all share in common is that they were meant to bring more enjoyment to your beer drinking experiences. So why not give your favorite stein a night on the town in appreciate for all the joy it has brought you?!

O-Girls: One thing at Alpine Village that makes our Oktoberfest celebrations so popular is that we work very hard to put on a great show. You may have noticed that we have a small group of ladies dancing on the stage and sometimes on the tables. These O-Girls do far more than just dance, however, all night they’re working tirelessly behind the scenes and on stage to coordinate games, dance numbers, and keep the show running smoothly. The O-Girls will also be with us at Halftoberfest to make sure everyone has a great night!

Festmeister: Without someone saying, “Zicke Zacke, Zicke Zacke” how would we know when to say “Hoi, Hoi, Hoi?” At Alpine Village Festmeister Hans leads us through every “Ein Prosit” and instructs us through “Fliegerleid” and “Cowboys und Indianer.” More than that, he sings with the band, heads up our contests, and keeps the show on track. With his iconic handlebar moustache, Festmeister Hans is truly a master at his craft!

Boomsteiners: Oompah pah pah meets classic rock/pop with this amazing California based German brass and electric band. Lead singer and front man Phil Pritchard leads the thundering crowd through traditional German favorites like “Schunkeln” and “Zillertaler Hochzeits Marsh” and American hits like “Don’t Stop Believing” and “YMCA.” His charisma with the crowd makes the Munich Boomsteiners one of our favorite bands to play at Alpine Village!

Contests: Another staple at Oktoberfest is the great contests that get the crowd involved with the show. We’ve got stein hoist, chicken hoist, das boot, and other fun chances for audience participation where we give away prizes to the winners and do a fair bit of silliness with those brave enough to come on stage. Halftoberfest will also host some epic battles of brawn and skill!

Chickens: No one’s sure how the chicken first got integrated into Oktoberfest. The traditional “chicken dance” song as we know it is actually called the “Ententanz” in German which means duck dance. Maybe it’s because of all the chicken served along with the beer. In any case chickens and Oktoberfest go hand in wing. From chicken hats to guys in giant chicken costumes, you can expect to see some crazy chicken goodness at Halftoberfest.

St. Patrick’s Day: March is often set aside for celebrating Irish American culture through lots of drinking on St. Patrick’s Day. But did you know that German Americans actually make up the largest immigrant group in the United States? We’re not saying don’t celebrate the Irish, a lot of Americans even have both Irish and German backgrounds. We’re just saying that after you’re done drinking your Irish Car Bombs and Guiness on the 14^th why not keep the party going on into Halftoberfest on the 20^th? At Alpine Village, everyone’s a little German and a lot of crazy!

Lederhosen: It’s been Oktoberfest-proven that when you wear these traditional leather trousers, your beer tastes better and the Frauleins find you irresistible. Why only break these puppies out once a year? Show up to Halftoberfest in your lederhosen and we guarantee you’ll have a great night!

Dirndls: We haven’t seen a woman yet whose beauty was not enhanced by this German engineered traditional dress. We’ve even seen a few men enhance their own assets in a dirndl. Like the lederhosen, it would be a shame not to lace up your dirndl, pull up your stockings, and braid those lovely locks in authentic Bavarian style at least twice a year.

Beer: By the pint or by the liter, we’ve got 20 European and craft beers on tap at Alpine Restaurant and plenty more by the bottle. While we know that it isn’t necessary to drink beer at Halftoberfest, we also can’t think of anything that goes better with good friends, good food, and good music than a tall frothy beverage. We’ll see you at Halftoberfest. Prost!