Question: The annual Stuttgart Frühlingsfest is:
a. A welcome relief from Frühjahrsmüdigkeit (spring fever or tiredness)
b. A family event
c. A beer festival
Answer: All of the above!

This is a great festival that takes place for two and a half weeks every spring on the fairgrounds in the Bad Cannstatt district of the city. It is not the largest beer festival in Stuttgart but it is definitely fun for all.

As you enter the fairgrounds you will find carnival rides for all ages and carnival games to try your luck. The ferris wheel is a popular attraction if you don’t mind heights. For those who prefer fewer thrills, give the fest food a try. All the standard fest foods are available: bratwurst, käsespätzle, pork steak on a bun, and garlic mushrooms to name a few. Candy-coated almonds, cotton candy and chocolate covered fruit on a stick will satisfy your sweet tooth. My favourite fest sweet is dark chocolate covered strawberries on a stick. You normally get six to eight medium-sized strawberries for €3. Expensive? You bet. Worth it? Most definitely!

The first time I went to the spring fest, I was pleasantly surprised to find something special: a French “quarter” with French food and drink. Enjoy different French foods like crêpes and tarte à l’oignon or French aperitifs.

The beer

Beer is a very important part of any beer festival. There are at least a half dozen beer “tents” at this fest. These are less like tents and more like buildings: permanent wooden structures that hold thousands of revelers. Each beer tent is different. Not only does each feature a different brand of beer but each has different music as well. A tent may have a traditional fest band playing or a DJ spinning both dance music and traditional fest tunes.

Beer is served in a traditional maß, which is a litre mug of beer. Pils is the beer of choice at fests like this. Some of us prefer hefeweizen to pils, and while it can be found in these tents, it is definitely not common to drink it here. And some would say uncool as well!

In addition to beer, shots of schnapps are quite popular. There are what I call “schnapps ladies” who are dressed in traditional costumes and move about between tables with a basket of large bottles of schnapps and little glasses. Flag her down and, if it is your thing, order some shots of schnapps for you and your friends. If it is not your thing, it is still interesting to watch how everyone goes about it.

And in case you think the tents are all about alcohol, there are menus on every table and servers to bring you traditional meals such as "Schweinshaxen" (pork knuckles or pork hocks) or grilled chicken while you enjoy the music and the atmosphere.

When to go

Every day is a good day to go to the fest. However, depending on which day you choose, your experience will be different. Weekdays are less busy than weekends. Wednesdays are Family Days with discount prices on rides. Weekends are very busy.

You can get seats in the tents with little problem until 5 or 6 pm. After that, tables are reserved so you will need to move to an unreserved table if you can find one or hope that the people who have reserved the table are generous enough (or few enough) to let you stay. The party gets pretty wild on Friday and Saturday nights, with people dancing on table benches to the music. While this is standard behaviour during peak party hours, you do want to make sure you have stable footing if you give it a try.

Dates and Hours:
The festival takes place in April and May every year. In 2008, the fest is from April 12 to May 5. The fest runs daily from noon until 23:00. On Fridays and Saturdays the fun starts at 11:00 and lasts until midnight.

Getting there:
Public transportation is the best way to get to the fest. Take the Deutsche Bahn to the Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof, get on the U-bahn, the underground subway, (U1 or U2) and get off at Bad Cannstatt station. Some S-bahn (commuter) trains (S1, 2, and 3) will also get you there.

Reserving a table in a tent:
Check out the official website link below. More information on how to reserve tables will be listed there before the festival.