Cannstatter Volksfest

What would three years in Germany be without experiencing Oktoberfest, some may ask? Well, we haven't made it to the granddaddy of all Oktoberfests in Munich, but we did travel to Stuttgart this weekend for the Cannstatter Volksfest, a fine second, in our opinion. We stayed with our friends Kyle and Tiffany, who live in Stuttgart, and had tickets to the Klaus & Klaus beer tent with our friends Jonathan, Danielle, Alan, Elizabeth and others. These "tents", which are more like big buildings, are torn down and reconstructed on the festival grounds each year.

We happily consumed our 1 Liter "mosses" of Dinkel Acker Festbier, a half chicken and roll, and kase spaetzle (cheesy potato noodles topped with friend onions) and took part in the German tradition of dancing on benches to the music of a band playing a combination of German drinking songs and many American hits. Crowd favorites included "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Highway to Hell"...they know every word.

Alan and Elizabeth

Jonathan and Danielle sporting their German Liederhosen and Dirndl...

Seemed like a good idea at the time...

Happy Birthday, Matt!

Two hands required...

In addition to several beer tents, the grounds are filled with tons of rides and food vendors- much like a mini state fair.

This was a really fun weekend and a great way to celebrate Matt's 27th birthday with friends!