Thought only Oktoberfest existed? Well, I thought so too. While many are familiar with the German festival of Oktoberfest, which we celebrate in the Philippines too, the spring offering of Maifest is lesser known to me, but it is apparently celebrated in much the same way.
Maifest is the traditional German celebration that marks the arrival of spring and Mark and I got to experience it when it came back at Grand Hyatt Dubai for a third year running, last April 29, just as summer in Dubai has officially started.
I can already feel the authentic European atmosphere when we arrived at the venue as we were greeted by these friendly staff in Lederhosen and Dirndl, the traditional clothes for German men and women respectively.
Filling the tent are touches of green, yellow, and white decorations, plus daisies, which represent the traditional Maifest in Germany where people would gather spring flowers to decorate their homes and churches.
Also at the center of the tent is this pole which represents the traditional wooden Maipole/Maypole, where Maifest will be kicked off with the traditional Maipole dance around a gorgeous pole in the park.
Instead of the traditional Maipole dance, Maifest 2015 was kicked off by a march around the venue headed by the Die Kirchdorfer band...
...followed by the opening of a beer barrel and a toast headed by Stavros Packeiser, Assistant director of Food and Beverage at Grand Hyatt Dubai, to officially start the Maifest celebration.
The Die Kirchdorfer band, which flown in all the way from Munich, also provided authentic merriment with traditional singing and dancing all throughout the night.
Aside from the authentic European vibe provided the by the band, the traditionally-dressed waiters and waitresses, and the ambience, we also got to enjoy German favorites as Grand Hyatt Dubai has yet again laid out on a mammoth spread of German delights, including seasonal spring fare of Spargel (asparagus), cold cuts, bacon, cheese, and breads.
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The bacon and cream cheese were what I loved in my plate. They were perfect with the pretzel and that bun which I forgot the name of. :p
There were also the traditional favorites of authentic Kalbsbratwurst (sausages), steaks, grilled fish, roasted chicken and duck, and suckling pig.
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I loved everything on my plate, except for the steak. Although it was flavorful, it was a bit hard to chew. I also loved the baked potato with cream cheese and bacon bits. Cheese and bacon are always a perfect combination, aren't they? The huge Kalbsbratwurst (sausage) and suckling pig were also my favorites!
And of course, there are the popular dessert, Erdbeerschnitte (a type of strawberry gateau), cream puffs, cheesecakes, rum balls, ice cream, candies, and fresh fruits.
Mark loved the cheese cake while the rum balls, cream puffs, and ice cream definitely satisfied my sweet tooth!
Mark also got to indulge in the finest German hops! He's not really into drinking as he gets rashes and he easily turns red, but he just can't resist his favorite Jaeger bomb, that he had not just one but 3 rounds!
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The sausage and suckling pig were so good that we got a second round of both to pair with our booze, well Mark's booze I mean. :p
I really would have wanted to try some, but Mark didn't allow me as it will just trigger my GERD. So I had no choice but to settle with rounds and rounds of apple juice. Haha! :p
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Mark and I definitely enjoyed the night! Even if we can't understand some of their songs and chants, we felt the vibe and enjoyed so much. We also somehow felt that we belong, because apparently, the Germans are also always up for a good party where there is plenty of great food and drinks, just as we Filipinos are! :D Just look at how Mark enjoyed! :p
Dubai, having expats as more than half of its population, has already become a venue of festivities from different cultures around the world, and that is one of the things that I enjoy in my expat life. Thank you very much, Grand Hyatt Dubai, for letting us experience how to celebrate and have fun the German way! :D
For updates about Grand Hyatt Dubai, you can visit and like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GrandHyattDubai, or follow them on Instagram: @grandhyattdubai. You can also visit their website at http://www.dubai.grand.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html.
MAIFEST 2015 at Grand Hyatt Dubai
P.O. Box 7978
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 4 317 1234
Fax: +971 4 317 1235
Email: dubai.grand@hyatt.com
We were guests at the Maifest 2015 at Grand Hyatt Dubai and our meal was complimentary, but as always, this post is sincerely written and all views and opinions are my own.
sweetnothings.kriskamarie
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