Toast to fall with an at-home Oktoberfest celebration

Louisiana culture is known for great food, fun and festivals. The changing of the seasons at home made me think about all of the wonderful festivals that happen both here and abroad during the fall months.

I decided to dedicate this month’s recipes to one of my favorite fall festivals: Oktoberfest. In honor of this quintessentially fall event, I prepared a delicious German-style menu. The recipes are great to serve a crowd and are perfect for casual fall entertaining.

Oktoberfest originated in Munich on Oct. 12, 1810, as a celebration of the marriage of the crowned prince of Bavaria Ludwig I to Princess Therese Saxe-Hildburghausen. The five-day event concluded with a horse race to celebrate their union. Soon, this horse race became an annual festivity, combined with an annual agricultural festival to celebrate the harvest.

By 1818, Oktoberfest had grown to include games and music, along with food and drink booths.

Now over 200 years later, it has transformed from a quaint German festival to a globally known extravaganza that attracts millions of people to Germany every year. Today, Munich’s many brewers construct massive beer halls, equipped with balconies, band stands and temporary structures that can seat up to 6,000 people for the gathering. The festival features rides, games, parades, music and dancing, along with all types of German foods both savory and sweet.

But the main attraction is the beer. Hundreds of German varieties are served, and it’s estimated that nearly
2 million gallons of beer get consumed over the course of the two-week event.

Here’s how to celebrate at home. Prost!