Home version of the big celebration: what a local Oktoberfest looks like in Germany

This year, however, Socialportal took a special look at Oktoberfest "for its own people" - the kind of Oktoberfest that Germans themselves love, without the tourist crush.

All over Germany, such evenings are organised by city initiatives, cultural societies, sports clubs, volunteer fire brigades and local breweries.

The spaces are "their own": cultural centres, pavilions in parks, school yards or small halls.

The menu includes recognisable brezels, obatzda and sausages; the music ranges from schlager to polka; and there is no dress code, although traditional attire is always welcome.

These are formats where it's easy to meet neighbours, discuss city rumours and local events - the festivities become part of the urban fabric rather than a setting for selfies.

And there is plenty of evidence of this. In the Baltic, in Lübeck, the autumn "Gaudi-Festwochen" has been gathering citizens in a cosy tent with live music and DJs for a quarter of a century - the programme and ticket sales are available on the official website and city posters.

In the south, in Freiburg, the "Badisches Oktoberfest" returns to the Herbstmess' format at the city's Messe-complex - with speciality cuisine and evening shows.

In Hesse, the forest Herbsthäuschen near Kassel serves as a cosy setting for autumn "Hütten Evenings" and outdoor dance festivals - a format close in spirit to the "home Oktoberfest".

And around Bamberg, rural branches of the volunteer fire brigade organise local beer festivals.

To see such an Oktoberfest "for our own people", we travelled to Thuringia - to see how they celebrate in Gotha. on 4 October 2025, the Orangerie-Freunde e.V. invited residents to an evening of dancing in the baroque Orangerie.

Theold Orangerie, a baroque hall in the city park, was transformed for one night into an authentic Bavarian beer hall. The festivities started at 19:00 and lasted until midnight: the Orangerie-Freunde e.V. invited everyone to an evening of dancing called "Oktoberfest-Tanz im Orangenhaus".

Tickets costing 12 euros were only available for pre-sale and the hall was full by the start of the event. The guests were greeted by a warm atmosphere of Bavarian hospitality: laughter and music could be heard at the entrance, and most of the visitors were dressed up in traditional costumes. The dressed-up women and men immediately set the tone for the evening, although a dress code was not obligatory - but, as the organisers themselves joked, "turning up in lederhosen and dirndls is not obligatory, but highly desirable".

Inside the Orangerie the guests were welcomed in a hall decorated in white and blue Bavarian colours: garlands and flags fluttered under the arches, Alpine edelweisses were brightly accented on the tables, balloons and ribbons were everywhere.

Wooden tables were covered with chequered tablecloths, and tantalising aromas wafted through the air: freshly baked pretzels and fried white Weißwürstl sausages - all these traditional delicacies were in abundance at the festival. Of course, beer took centre stage: the Weißbier was flowing and there was something to suit everyone's taste.

The evening was opened by popular songs and traditional melodies that made it impossible to sit still. The host of the evening did not let the audience get bored: one tune replaced another and dozens of couples were dancing on the dance floor.

It is worth noting that the Orangery in Gotha Park is not just a beautiful pavilion, but a real monument of the Baroque era. It is considered to be one of the largest and most beautiful orangery ensembles in the whole of German-speaking Europe. The origins of the Orangerie date back to 1711, when the first gardens with exotic citrus fruits were laid out at the palace of the Dukes of Sachsen-Gotha. The modern architectural complex was built between 1747 and 1774 according to the plans of the court architect Gottfried Heinrich Krohne, which were realised by order of Duke Frederick III of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. The ensemble included greenhouse pavilions for winter maintenance of overseas plants - orange trees, laurels, figs - and ceremonial halls for palace receptions. The main pavilion, known as the Lorbeyhaus (Laurel House), was used as a ballroom in summer and in winter it was used to display tubs of citrus for the public. The Orangery was thus both a winter garden and a social salon at the palace.

Over time, the Orangerie fell into disrepair, but today it is experiencing a second rebirth.

Since 2006, the Orangerie-Freunde Gotha e.V. has taken over the architectural treasure: volunteers have restored the pavilions, revitalised the historic park and are actively using the space for cultural events. Concerts, film screenings, exhibitions and festivals - such as Oktoberfest - now take place here on a regular basis.

The historic walls are once again filled with music and laughter, and citizens have the opportunity to enjoy the festivities in a unique baroque atmosphere. You could say that the spirit of ducal times comes alive with the sounds of modern music and the clinking of beer mugs.

This year's Oktoberfest in the Orangerie was a great opportunity for families, friends and neighbours to come together.

The organisers managed to bring a piece of Munich's great festivities to the quiet Thuringian town. Thanks to their efforts, the old hall was brought back to life. The proceeds from the festivities will be used to further improve the Orangery and its garden, so that every participant has contributed to the preservation of the historic heritage. Oktoberfest in Gotha showed how tradition can unite generations and turn history into a living present.

The old walls of the Orangerie will long echo with the fun of this evening, a celebration where Baroque meets Bavaria and the past meets the present.