Beer tent atmosphere in regional Victoria: The Blue Gables Oktoberfest

Australian Alistair Hicks is an avid Oktoberfest fan. Since his first visit to the Munich Oktoberfest, he has been so taken with the German festive mood and beer tent atmosphere that he and his wife Catherine have been organising their own Oktoberfest in Australia since 2015. Every year, nearly a thousand visitors from all over the country come to Gippsland in regional Victoria. This Saturday the event takes place again.

99 Prozent der Besucher tragen laut den Veranstaltern Lederhose und Dirndl. Credit: Blue Gables Oktoberfest

It is served. German beer on tap, traditional food and traditional beer tent music. All this will be on offer to visitors to the Blue Gables Oktoberfest in Gippsland this weekend. The Oktoberfest is hosted by two Australians who fell in love with the German tradition.

"Alistair was so excited about his Oktoberfest visit that he wanted to bring his own festival to Australia", says Catherine Hicks.

The family has been organising the Oktoberfest at their vineyard since 2015. "Actually, we always celebrate our Oktoberfest at the beginning of October," Catherine Hicks tells us.

However, she says, the German band Schwarzwald was booked out and the date had to be moved back.

"We couldn't do this without the band. Schwarzwald creates an outstanding atmosphere."

"Ninety-nine percent of the guests come traditionally in lederhosen and dirndl", says Catherine Hicks.

The visitors are mostly Australians, she says, but Germans also mingle with the crowd and enjoy a traditional Oktoberfest on the other side of the world.

Das Blue Gables Oktoberfest in Gippsland erwartet mehr als tausend Besucher. Credit: Blue Gables Oktoberfest