German beer, homemade Bratwurst, and Polish sausages, Germany might be closer than we think.

In fact, you can find a little bit of Germany at Oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest is celebrated at our very own Alpine Village in Torrance. It is the home of the oldest and largest Oktoberfest celebration in Southern California It is a 7-week celebration that goes on during September and October.

The traditional Bavarian fun is supplied by Oom Pah Pah big bands flown in direct from Germany, your belly is sated by traditional German fare, and your thirst is quenched by delicious German beers.

Sadly, many of us attend not knowing how this celebration came about.

Each year my friends wait this time of year just to attend Oktoberfest. It is mostly popular among young adults because of the different types of alcoholic beverages that can be found there.

However, drinking has never caught my attention. Aside from beer and liquor, I knew there had to be more to this event, so I decided to check what the hype was all about.

Apparently Oktoberfest is more than just another excuse to get drunk, but a reflection of the German culture.

According to Alpinevillage.com the celebration began in Germany with the royal marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on Oct.12, 1810. Their marriage was widely celebrated by the citizens of Munich.

According to Ofest.com, as the years went by the marriage was still being celebrated. In fact many features were added to the event as time went by. Eventually, Oktoberfest even featured horse races. These horse races were the most popular among the citizens of Munich.

Later, there were even carousels and swings set up which were followed by the establishment of beer stands that later became replaced by beer tents because of their popularity.

Many of my friends were attending Oktoberfest oblivious to the fact that this event is beyond more than drinking now they are more aware that it is a reflection of a culture. This lovely event is not emphasizing the history behind it, which makes a beautiful event.

This year the Alpine Village will celebrate Oktoberfest with Haderlumpen and Undelhoevner Dorfmusikanten, which are Oom Pah Pah bands, flown from Deutschland just for your entertainment.

It is safe to say that this royal marriage had a great influence for its nation. A wedding such as this could indeed put the royal wedding of our time to shame.

Just when we thought that Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding was overrated; Oktoberfest gives us a reality check.

I guess we will have to wait for their first anniversary to see what kind of interesting festival the people of England will throw for them.

For the rest of you who are only interested in drinking, assuming of course that you are all old enough to do so, the Alpine Village stocks more than 150 different brands of German beer and several different types of liquor.

2011’s Oktoberfest  is the 44th consecutive celebration which has been chosen by USA Today as one of the best Oktoberfests in the world.

I hope those of you who decide to attend Oktoberfest will enjoy it. Celebrate the beauty of the German culture and take some time to enjoy the reality of these people. After all if it weren’t for them you wouldn’t have a legit excuse to be there.