Oktoberfest Themed Birthday Party

My husband’s birthday is December 23rd, and since I’ve known him, he has said he was always cheated as a child because his birthday was so close to Christmas. Even as adults, it has been impossible to plan anything during the holidays, let alone two days before Christmas. He is turning the big 50 this year and our daughter, and I thought, why not have a party early and make it a surprise. Let me say that planning a surprise party for an adult is not easy, let alone having a party at your house when you can’t decorate or do any prep work in advance. But guys, we pulled it off!

Oktoberfest Themed Birthday Party

We wanted an Oktoberfest theme, and we planned a road rally and beer tasting. It was a big birthday to celebrate, but I know that my husband would prefer not to have a big crowd, so I limited the guest list to immediate family and a few close friends. I’m so lucky my Mom lives within walking distance to our house, so we had everyone gather there first so we would be able to surprise him.

Road Rally Activity

Have you ever done a road rally? We put everyone in groups of 4 – 6. They had to decipher clues that lead them to ten destinations around the neighborhood where they got points for getting there first, second, etc. I put together clues, and they had to unscramble words and answer Oktoberfest trivia. The answers lead them to the spot where they had to find the points cards. The team that had the most points when they finished won a prize. I got everyone Jimmy Johns and Starbucks gift cards for the prizes.

While everyone was out on the road rally, we had just over an hour and a half to decorate and get the food ready. Luckily, my Mom, sister, and a few friends stayed behind to help us. I don’t know how I thought M and I could get everything done by ourselves! We got a few of the Oktoberfest decorations from the party store, and I found the Hoppy Birthday banner and printable’s on Etsy. Target had the orange galvanized buckets in the clearance section that we used for the beer.

German Themed Buffet Dinner

When everyone was back from the Road Rally, we served a German-themed dinner, buffet style.

German Themed Menu

Bratwurst Sliders

Cabbage and Apples

German Macaroni and Cheese

Assorted Sausages, Cheese and Mustards

Soft Pretzels

Pickles

Chocolate Chip Bars

Birthday Cake

I had custom pilsner glasses made for the beer tasting. These were also the party favor to take home. My friend Lynn designed the logo and which was also used on the cake and the road rally cards.