Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Beer, food, and music. Those three words are as synonymous with German culture as they are with Peruvian. And with a large German population living in Peru, it should come as no surprise that this year’s  6^th Annual Oktoberfest at the Vertice del Museo de la Nacion will be bigger than ever. Last year, over 15,000 people attended and enjoyed beer, sausages, pretzels and Bavarian folk music during the three-day festival.

The original Oktoberfest, the world’s largest fair on record, is a two-week event held every year in Munich, Germany.  The celebration of Bavarian food, music and beer originated in Germany in the early 1800’s as a commemoration for the wedding of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, namesake of the famous Theresienwiese field where the festival is held.  Since then, the city of Munich comes together for this 16 day monster party every year.

Lima’s more scaled-down, but just as fun version came to be when Sepp Schauberger found himself in our coastal city in the 1970’s and put together a team to bring the German festival to Peru. The first ever Oktoberfest in Lima took place in 2002 with 2,500 people in attendance. That number more than tripled in size long ago.

Along with chowing down on "weisswurst" and "brezels", guests will be able to drink a special edition Cusqueña beer akin to the one served in Munich for the festival. The recipe for the beet dates back to 1516 and its ingredients are said to make it a beer that won’t give you a morning hangover headache.

Music will be provided by "Zugspitzmusik", a renowned Bavarian folk band named after Germany’s highest mountain peak. Dressed up in lederhosen-ware, the group will showcase typical Bavarian dances and songs, using traditional instruments such as Alphorns and Angeles trumpets, which Germans actually used as way to communicate with each other from one village to another.

This year’s festival will kick off on Thursday October 11, with an inaugural performance by Zugspitsmusik. The party will continue through the weekend and end on Sunday with the festival dedicating the day to the children.

For more information on the festival and the origins of Oktoberfest, click here for last year’s feature.

Add to del.icio.us |

Ok. I do like diversity but reading this sounds to me like a very ridiculous festival, how can you celebrate German heritage in the middle of the biggest Indigenous city in the world?  Can you mix Andes and Bavaria? well, you metioned beer, so maybe that can be a good way to do it.

Does anyone know what the cost is to get in and if you can buy tickets somewhere?

I attended a german school in Lima and I do not share your views.  I love the display of culture from different countries, this is part of living in a Cosmopolitan City like Lima, get out out the indian box and open it to the world. 

If I was in Lima this month, for sure I would be there!  Prost!!!

Of course Peru must be open to other cultures!!! You can't live on Cusquena and ceviche 365 days of the year, there is a whole world out there if Peruvians could just open their eyes!

wonderful! my husband is german-american and of course loves  good german beer!! its nice that Peru is opening to a different cultures , good for our two towns near by the andeans (Pozuzo and  the other which scaped from my fingers just now..)  whom are german/bavariam immigrants  mantaining their customs and i bet they feel proud to share their peruvian heritage too!!!  here in seattle-wa we do have a nice little  german town named leavenworth so turistic and  so cute full of german "menus" and good beer along with bavarian music.!!
rosa

Peruanista YOUR comment IS ridiculous. According to your narrow minded point of view, we shouldn't celebrate Halloween, St. Patricks Day or even Christmas either, because all these celebrations are originated in other cultural environments and have nothing to do with the Andean culture. Secondly, who told you Lima is the "biggest indigenous city in the world"?? What do you understand by "indigenous" in the first place? Chill out, and enjoy a good cold glass of beer. perhpas that would refresh your mind.

I think it is a great idea celebrating diiferent customs from different countries.It's alot of fun for the whole family and you also can learn something.For example the origins of the octoberfest,what was a birthday celebration dating back nearly a 150 years ago.
Proit all together

Hola por favor desearia la fecha de cuando se celebrara el oktoberfest del 2008 si tienen fechas pasenme la voz. saludos jessica

Well, what peruanista wrote is quite silly, i am peruvian and live abroad, and i celebrate our independance day as if i were in lima, so, why shouldnt the germans from bavaria celebrate their oktoberfest in peru? they miss their country and parties the way we do being far away, and i find it very nice that they want to share that with persons who are not germans...

esa "peruanista" debe ser una chola resentida! que viva peru y alemania!

...come on,don't be too hard on the 'peruanista'...My choice,if a Oktoberfest and a Peruvian fest are celebrated on the same day and beer from each country will be served,i would go to the Peruvian fest instead.(I can find German beer in any liquor store here where i live),but,Peruvian beer???...(it's like finding gold).
Maybe we need to spread Peruvian celebrations in more parts of the world,so more people will enjoy our heritage,our magnificent dishes and our tasty and refreshing BEER! ('La Cusquena' rules!!)
For the most part,these festivals are 'all about' tasting the beers.Because,between a German polka and a Peruvian marinera....the marinera WINS!...so does our beers. SALUD!

I just wonder,how many "Peruvianfest" or "28deJulioFest" if any,are organized or celebrated in Germany??
Yes,we in Peru,welcome other cultures..is it the same for peruvians to be recognized and celebrated abroad??...let me know.

Hola: Tengo la Direccion es en La videna de san Luis, pero no se los costos, si existe costo por ingresar, en las anteriores no se pago, pero ahora no sabemos..... tambie saber de los platos regionales chukru, y los postres; yo tambien adoro Alemania y al Perú. Y la Peruanista que no vaya, no queremos resentidos ni mal humorados.
A divertirnos

El Costo del ingreso es de 33 nuevos soles y le entregan una cerveza cuzqueñasi van el viernes el ingreso es a las 8 pm en la Videna, si van el sabado es a las 3 pm, si se va el domingo es a la 1 pm. por cada dia es un ticket, Preciso que me respondan la pregunta; estaremos con muchos amigos que no toman cerveza son miembros de una iglesia, es posible el canje por agua mineral o alguna bebida sin alcohol.
Esperamos ir somos divertidos y estamos de pasada por Peru.