I did the Munich version of Octoberfest once and found that scene to be overwhelming and not so fun. The rest of my years there, I really enjoyed Octoberfest in the smaller communities. It seemed more personal, especially for the farmers. Their version of the celebration was much more geared towards the cause, rather than the party. Though there was still a ton of drinking and food, it wasn't just about partying, but the reason for the party. Similar to how smaller Louisiana communities celebrate Mardi Gras differently than NOLA.
Spent a year in Munich... loved all the festivals... including Oktoberfest. A few descent stories... My personal record was 9 liters of beer in one day with minimal hangover (testament to the German purity laws regarding beir), a short walked in the English Garden cleared it right up and back at it.. this time with food and only a few liters of beir throughout the day. While leaving the fairgrounds of Oktoberfest one night, saw a guy in boxers laying on a pile of trash bags, stone cold passed the $#%@ out. The German custodian saw our group's collective look of concern and said, "Don't worry, he's English." Group all said, "Ohhhh," and we went on our way. Not during Oktoberfest, but at the Hofbrauhaus, our Turkish waiter brought over 22 individual drinks, 20 liters (called Mass) and 2 half liters at once. They cleared a direct lane for him to our table and he was half olympic weightlifter and sprinter. Freaking champion! Was living in northern Wales and was able to go back again during Oktoberfest. My flight to Munich from Manchester, UK was hilarious... the English drank the Lufthansa flight out of beer in the 1st third of the flight, all the white wine and almost all the red before the 2nd third of the flight was finished and the flight attendants were tired and just put the cart up. Impressive when you know it is about a 2 hour flight. PS Do not plan a trip to Helen, GA for Octoberfest if you have been to the real one.
Want an October Fest experience closer to home? Try the little German community of Roberts Cove around Rayne, Louisiana. Hard to believe such a place exist in the heart of Cajun country. https://www.robertscovegermanfest.com
