I'm an American who went to Oktoberfest for the first time. Here are 5 things that surprised me most about the German festival.

I encountered a lot of surprises after attending Oktoberfest for the first time. Emily Pogue As an American who went to Oktoberfest for the first time, I encountered lots of surprises. Chugging beer and standing on tables will get you kicked out, but dancing on the benches is OK. I was surprised to find there was a full carnival outside the tents. As a beer aficionado , I've been to my fair share of brew festivals throughout the US, several of which were "Oktoberfest" themed. So, when I booked a trip to visit Oktoberfest in Munich a few years ago, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. However, after just a few steps into the roughly 100-acre festival, I realized just how special it really is.