Are you planning an Oktoberfest themed party this year? If so, you are in luck. During my years as a special events planner, I was responsible for throwing a month long Oktoberfest every year. As such, I know of several Oktoberfest party favors that are ideal for adults. Here they are:
Alpine Hats
One of the most well received, Oktoberfest party favors that I have ever used during my event planning days were Alpine hats outfitted with a single feather. Back in the day, my favorite Alpine hat supplier was Cal-Ideas in Pennsylvania. They traditionally sell feathered, alpine hats for less than $2 each. Of course there are plenty of other party supply shops that sell Alpine hats as well. I’d recommend, however, that you stick with the plastic Alpine hats or the Perma-felt hats. In my experience, they tend to look and hold up better than the velour Alpine hats. For whatever reason, the velour hats always seemed to develop bald spots.
Beer Steins
Beer steins were another Oktoberfest party favor that my former party guests would rave about. Over the years, I have used both glass and plastic beer steins. The glass beer steins looked more authentic but were heavy and slippery when wet. The plastic beer steins, on the other hand, were light weight and came with thumb grip handles. In my experience, the guests seemed to prefer the plastic steins over the glass ones. You can typically purchase beer steins through party supply shops like Shindigz and Cal-Ideas for less than $3 each.
German Baked Goods
Based on my years of Oktoberfest planning experience, baked goods make excellent party favors as well. I would typically hand out bags of homemade pretzels, German breads and German desserts. The party guests loved it. The most popular items were Bavarian pretzels, Brotchen (bread), Bauernbrot (bread), Berliners (donuts) and German apple strudel. Thankfully, at the time I had an amazing pastry chef to work with. If you aren’t so lucky, you may want to consider buying your German baked goods from a specialty baker like Europe Bread. Prices are apt to vary wildly. Therefore, I’d suggest that you shop around and place your order early.
Oktoberfest Necklaces
Oktoberfest necklaces went over well with some of my former guests but not all. The guests that didn’t like the Oktoberfest necklaces claimed that the party favor was better suited for children. The guests that liked the Oktoberfest necklaces thought that they were whimsical. Whether you want to hand out Oktoberfest necklaces to your party guests is up to you. If you do decide to go with the Oktoberfest necklaces, you can find them at most party supply and specialty shops. Many of the Oktoberfest necklaces feature beads in the shape of beer barrels and beer steins. Some of the beads light up or glow in the dark. Others do not light up or glow in the dark. Prices will vary based on the type of Oktoberfest necklace that you choose to purchase and the retailer.
Source: Personal Experience
Killeen Gonzalez has a degree in hotel and restaurant management. She is also a former special events planner.
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