Oktoberfest (or at least the next best thing to __)

About this time last year, J and I were on our honeymoon in Europe. He got to go to the REAL-DEAL Oktoberfest, I stayed with my friend C because we both had a cold. This year, as we couldn't experience the REAL-DEAL, we went to the next best thing (a very distant 3rd or 4th, I'm sure, but we really didn't have much to choose from!).

A small brewery called Beau's in Vankleek Hill puts on a weekend version of Oktoberfest in early October. This is the second year they've had the event, and there were a few other places to choose from: there was another Oktoberfest that same weekend in Richmond, not too far from Ottawa, and there is the Oktoberfest in Kitchener-Waterloo that has been around for ages (this one is apparently the #2 Oktoberfest in the world, or something crazy like that. Again, probably a DISTANT 2nd...).

So off we (J and I, along with my sister V and brother in law K) went to Vankleek Hill with our tickets that promised us a free alpine hat, a free beverage (alcoholic for my companions, non-alcoholic for me) and a free pretzel. I have to admit, I was most excited about the pretzel and the hat, but I promptly lost my hat in the wind about an hour after we got there. It was rainy and windy and quite cold, but the atmosphere really livened things up!

The boys immediately bought their own Beau's Brewery mugs, into which they could pour their beers all afternoon. My sister and I bought Beau's Brewery toques since those alpine hats really weren't made for alpine weather.

So free things are usually too good to be true, and I will just say that the same applied to the free pretzel. It was very small. So small that I didn't even bother taking a picture of it. However, it was still free so I guess I can't complain (...much more than I already have).

Our bellies needed filling, and J and K's bellies needed lining for the amounts of beer they were going to consume. If you remember, J drank 6 litres of beer at the REAL-DEAL....he didn't think think he would drink quite as much this time around, but still, his belly needed some Bavarian lining. Off we went to the food tents.

I love my weinerschnitzels, so I had to get one on a bun along with potato salad.

J got a sausage in a bun with sauerkraut on top. He was quite silent while eating it, which is a good indicator that it was quite good (J is also pertty silent when drinking beer....until about the 6th litre, then we can't seem to get him to stop talking!).

After the food were the games. Now, my friend C told me that these games weren't even typically authentic Bavarian games....but come on! When you are only attending the truly distant 5th or 6th Oktoberfest in the world, they need to step it up a notch and have some games.

We watched the Sausage eating contest (the winner ate 12 - and kept them all down). We watched the empty keg throwing contest (some of those throws made me nervous and they actually had paramedics on site just in case). And we watched the full-keg carrying contest (one of the paramedics actually won! Must be from hauling all those injured people...).

As the afternoon progressed, J worked on his beer consumption and although he didn't manage to drink 6 litres, he looked pretty happy.

Perhaps we will be able to bring the little one to the REAL-DEAL Oktoberfest to sip her first beer sometime next September/October..... I'm JUST KIDDING.

I will do all the beer drinking and J will be babysitting.