The last two years we went to the Hale
Koa Hotel's Oktoberfest celebrations, which are held the last weekend of
the month. They bring in a traditional German polka band for great
music and activities. The hotel goes all out with decorations, games,
and authentic food not available the rest of the year. They turn the
Banyan Tree room into a Bavarian beer hall. Dancing is encouraged and
one of the highlights of the night. Samuel Adam's Octoberfest beer is
our go-to choice of the evening, with pitchers flowing non-stop. We had
bratwurst galore with all manner of fixings like saurkraut, dumplings,
bread, red cabbage, and soups. You barely feel the beer when you eat
that much!
The contests are silly and fun. They
do a stein holding contest for the ladies and gents; there are some
amazing shows of strength! The chicken dance contest lets you see people
really shake it and let loose. The chugging contest is tough due
solely to the lousy non-alcoholic beer involved, but we won anyway.
