This past Saturday I finally got to take part in an iconic Fairfield senior year tradition: Oktoberfest. For the past three years during the month of October, my Instagram feed has been flooded with photos of seniors sporting their lederhosen outside of the Seagrape. Now that I am finally a senior and of legal drinking age, Oktoberfest has been marked on my calendar ever since I moved in. Needless to say, Saturday was highly anticipated.
Due to the limited number of tickets sold, I only secured my spot in Oktoberfest 20 hours before the event began—thanks to a surprise drop of extra tickets. I was lucky enough that my friend had an extra dress, so I was amped and ready to spend my Saturday drinking cider and eating pretzels.
Despite the ticket troubles, I definitely think this event was worth all of the hype and build-up. As a resident of Lantern Point, my roommates and I all had a blast getting ready together before making the quick walk over to the Grape. Once we got in line for the event, there were multiple members of the Fairfield Men’s Club Lacrosse team there to scan tickets and check IDs. Since this was a strictly Fairfield seniors-only event, Stag cards were also required for entry. I loved this exclusivity since it gave us seniors time to hang out with our closest friends and bond with the people we are graduating with.
Once our tickets were scanned and IDs were checked, we were in. The main event space consisted of a huge tent that was put up in the Grape’s parking lot. There was ample room to stand under the tent to get some shade, and also plenty of space behind the tent to hang out in the sunlight. There was also room for a DJ set up, a buffet full of traditional Oktoberfest foods and multiple tables with cups of beer, cider and seltzers for everyone to grab. The volunteers working the drinks made sure that the tap was flowing all throughout the day—the tables never came close to emptying. Initially, I thought that the tickets were a little bit pricey, but once I was at the event I could see exactly where my money was going. For five hours of unlimited drinks, food, music and a shaded place to hang out, I thought that it was worth every penny.
Since this was a seniors-only event I was able to see so many of my closest friends and tons of familiar faces. I also got to chit-chat and bond with classmates whom I never had the chance to connect with before. As someone who is very outgoing and loves to talk (even without the help of a few ciders), this event was my dream. I genuinely love making new friendships with my fellow seniors, and Saturday was the perfect opportunity for it.
Although I was exhausted and crashed right when I got home at 6 p.m., Oktoberfest truly lived up to the hype. It was such a special opportunity for seniors to all hang out together during our last year in Fairfield. Since my months left in Stag Country are (sadly) numbered, each moment that I get to spend with the class of 2025 is truly cherished. If I could do Oktoberfest all over again, I totally would.
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