We've gone to the Big Bear Oktoberfest 2 years now and we always have a good time. It's a great experience for people young and old, families, couples, and friends. An endless supply of alcohol for adults, non-stop music, and some games outside for the little ones as well. They have a few vendors outside if you feel like perusing. I personally find that for me I can hang out at Oktoberfest for a few hours before I start to get a bit bored. I always stay long enough to watch the stein holding competition, a few drinks and a few rounds of snacks. My favorite part of the entire affair every year is that it's pretty decently priced. For small parties, you don't necessarily need to pay for preferred seating, especially if you like to walk around. The free take home shuttle is also such a god-send if you're staying nearby. Will definitely come back again! Maybe not yearly but for sure every once and again :) read more

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Octoberfest fun!! Huge wonderful fun space! Came here for the first day of Oktoberfest and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves for the five hours we were here! The band Lady Hosen was phenomenal. Every employee was super fun & engaging! Had the grilled bratwurst with the sauerkraut, warm, German potato salad, and it was scrumptious. Shared a large pretzel as well! Fabulous fabulous time! We got there at one right when it started and left about 6:00. We heard it gets really crazy later in the day so we opted for the earlier time. Highly recommend! read more

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I had such a great time at Oktoberfest! It was my first time going so I wasn't sure what to expect. We bought our tickets online ahead of time so the check-in was pretty fast. They do sell tickets on site as well. When we walked in everyone was dancing, singing, and just having an amazing time! The band was incredible! They had so much energy and kept everyone on their feet all night! I brought a coat thinking it was going to be cold, but it gets pretty warm inside. The bathroom line indoors can get long so just make sure to go with time or outside in the portable restrooms. Outside there were some vendors selling food and clothes. They even had a mechanical bull and a screen showing the baseball game. Overall, it was a very fun experience! read more

Ok so here's the scoop, if you are young and into the bar scene this is good say after 6pm. It opens at 1pm, we arrived at 4pm. From 4-7pm it was really good for everyone. This year we paid for the top of the line package which included a beautiful big stein, zip up sweatshirt, preferred seating with waiter service, 1 huge beer, and one dinner per person. $200/person. Service: First, the service by Jose was outstanding!! He checked on us constantly and catered to our every need. It was well worth the extra $ just to have Jose. For those who have not been, you stand in line for everything and I mean everything. Drink, eat, shopping, bathrooms, and entrance. The food: very very good! Since ours was part of a package we are not sure how much they were but we liked them all. Pork chop with purple sauerkraut was fantastic! Bratwurst with sauerkraut was good. Tater tots with cheese sauce and steak bits was really good, pretzel with beer cheese was super great and apple strudel with vanilla sauce was good. Beer: choices were great! We love Mango cart and they had it along with many german and domestic beers. Outside they had many mixed drinks, some looked tropical. Finally they had Irish coffee, mulled wine, and hot toddies. All the food was tasty and that is hard to do in a large event. Parking: terrible terrible terrible! I would think they would have preferred parking and more disabled parking. There is nothing good to say about this. There was a parking attendant protecting a parking place in the front for the owners daughter, Hannah. This parking guy was a jerk and acted like we were supposed to know this but there was no sign on it or anything to tell us what was going on. For all we knew Suzy was saving a place for her sister lol. Events on the main stage: really awesome but we could only see one because people were standing in front of the tables. The first contest was log sawing and management made people sit on the floor but after that management gave up and we were blocked from all the events. In fact, it looked like a fire hazard because all the aisles were blocked which gave access to the exits. Bathrooms: what a joke! I saved the best for last. We will not be back because of this issue. One bathroom for women and one for men (in the building) or a few port-a-potties outside. For women, the line inside was 25 minutes long, it went outside in the cold and completely blocked one side of a double door!! The port-a-potties had a line that was even longer so we passes on it, not sure how much time it took. Either way there was not enough facilities for the crowd, period! Like I said had we not each paid the $200 for the awesome package we had, it would have only been a drunken german beer fest in Big Bear Lake. My suggestion: go early and leave early or skip it and try Lake Arrowhead or another Octoberfest! For the owner: I appreciate the security and all the staff. Everyone was so very nice and friendly. read more

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This was awful! 4 of us went and we were in and out in an hour! We went Saturday afternoon 11/1 and it was almost laughable! No german music, but inside people were singing 80s songs on a stage where a few people, most likely tipsy were dancing! We got a beer and went outside where there was a market of people selling things. We walked past this area to the outdoor area on the other side where, again someone was signing 80s songs on a stage where tons of people were sitting. There was no place to sit, which was fine because it was so tragic that we knew we werent going to stay! I thought this would resemble is some way the real Oktoberfest in Germany, but no! Zero! No rides, good food, good music. No real beer mugs, just plastic cups! Was a huge waste of time and money, we bounced and had a great time at a restaurant then a bar. PS - They need to hire bathroom staff to clean, I went into the mens room before we left and it was disgusting! read more

We decided to come for the very first day of Oktoberfest to help kick off the celebration and had an absolute wonderful time. We arrived as soon as they opened, so hardly anyone was there and although we were there for five hours it never got very crowded at all. We got the standard tickets and had plenty of room to find seats where we wanted. For the meal, we split a giant pretzel with beer cheese and then split a sausage plate, and everything was just delicious! The beer selection was quite good with 3 or 4 different German brands to choose from, plus the usual lineup. The entire area was decorated wonderfully, and really showed the pride in this long, running Oktoberfest, the longest running in Southern California! The absolute highlight of the day was the band (Ladyhosen) which played really good traditional music and got the audience engaged and participating in the whole event. We both had an absolute wonderful time and look forward to coming back to Oktoberfest here in the future. read more

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It was a great time. Since I was here on a sundeee, it wasn't too crowded so it was great. There are plenty of German beers and food too. There was an area where the football games were being shown. The German band playing inside and another live band outside. It is pricey so didn't really buy any merch. read more

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This is just plain local corny fun. I've now been here a few years in a row. Truthfully, I can take it or leave it, but my wife and our friends want to go every year and we all end up having a good time. The place is pretty big and spread out between the main hall and the outside back lot. Get here early for the best seating locations. A few different price option based on age, and "preferred" seating. The beer is great and we always choose the mini kegs which is actually not a bad value and the beer is delicious. $17 for a yummy plate of bratwurst, roll, German mustard, kraut, cabbage and potato salad. Fun and corny band an MC, silly games and fun people. The staff is terrific. read more

Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest - Festivals Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

Just like every year, we come back to this Oktoberfest. The atmosphere is great, the German band is always on it. We ended up buying two Bratwurst Plates, a Giant Pretzel, one Bratwurst, and a German Dumpling; $82. The Bratwurst were boiled, the pretzel was stale, and the best part of the dumplings was the sauce. I don't like sauerkraut, so, I didn't try it. For me, it wasn't worth it, not for that price. The Gesture was really friendly, and did a great job with the balloons for the kids. We had a lot of fun dancing on the dance floor. The Stein holding contest was great, and the sawing of the wood was also interesting to see. They had two bounce houses and for a fee on $15 per child (with unlimited time) was great to get the rest of the energy out of the kids. We'll be back next year, however, we will have to modify our experience read more

Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest - Stage with the band - Festivals Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

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Omg SO much fun, music, contests, food, beer, and so many other drinks. My friends and I came here for the 1st time this year. We had a ton of fun, although it is a family friendly event there are some grown ups that make it seem like it's better if kids don't come. Anyway, water bottles are $3 a pop, for the small regular size, I don't recall how much we spent on beer, but they had good choices. Their pretzel was pretty yummy too, I wish the cheese was a different kind tho. it's also better and more fun if you dress up. Also if you want to compete be sure to sign up, otherwise you will miss ouy on all the games. The trolley ride there is a must. read more

Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest - Mini keg - Festivals Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

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For $25 entrance fee per person on a Saturday, I expected a bit more given that this is one of the top rated Oktoberfests. Parking was fairly easy to find, it wasn't too busy, there was a free parking lot right outside the venue. Line wasn't long to get in, since we purchased tickets online beforehand. Seating hard to find since most of indoors was priority or reserved areas. Food was alright, prices were on the high side. Lines for food and beer didn't take too long. Overall we didn't spend too much time here as it wasn't super entertaining or engaging, especially with the lack of seating available. Was supposed to have performances and games and bands... but didnt seem too lively even later in evening.. when we left the DJ was just playing normal top 40 songs :( Otherwise, it was clean and well organized. Staff were friendly read more

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A cool event that I think is a little unorganized. The line to get in was crazy and took forever and we didn't even show up right when it started. There was only one person checking IDs and bags. Once inside there is one spot for food and one bar. They were playing music and some games throughout the day. There is also only one real bathroom in the entire place. We had a lot of food. I think the best thing was the loaded tater tots. They were really good. I had also gotten the large pretzel. It was really hard and not warm and it was $17. Everything else we had was just ok. For the beer we had gotten the mini keg, which was a great deal. It was about 10 beers for $60. The only thing was it was so hard to open. read more

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Great time with the family!! We love coming to Big Bear for a mini getaway. Had to go to Oktoberfest for the hubby who was raised by a German Dad and his Oma. The live band was great! The decorations were very festive. Lots of games to play outside and tons of amazing vendors. The food taste's authentic. Can't wait for next year. read more

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This place was fun, fun, fun. We didn't pre purchase tickets so had to wait in line until everyone who had tickets got in. No worries, everyone in line was fun to talk to and the hour wait flew by. Once inside I went outside to grab a table. We were lucky to get one with a great view of the band and easy access to good, drinks and the dance floor. We started with a couple large pretzels which were good but a little over salted. The German mustard provided with the pretzel was a really good addition. A bit later we went with the loaded tots, a bratwurst and strangely a asada burrito. Everything was very tasty and enjoyable. What about the beer you ask ? There was plenty of beer going around. We found it easier to have a few mini kegs. The Pilsner was cold, light and very enjoyable. This was a great experience. I look forward to attending again next year. read more

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I have been to Oktoberfest down in Pomona and let me tell you it sucked and it's filled with a bunch of young people who just want to start fights. Now coming to Oktoberfest in big bear it is so nice and everybody is so sweet!! We loved the atmosphere and the food was great. The drinks were also good! Had so much fun this is our second year going. read more

Genuinely one of the WORST EVENTS I HAVE EVER BEEN TO. I have been to the fairplex oktoberfest and I heard nothing but good things about the big bear one so some friends and I decided to book a cabin nearby. Aside from the struggle in getting transportation there, the event itself was so abhorrently bad I cannot even put it into words. Nothing to do, you have to pay to play beer pong! The food was some of the worst food I've ever tried, staff was rude. We wasted a couple hundred on this trip and needless to say we were disappointed. DO NOT GO TO THIS OKTOBERFEST! waste of time and money. Poorly run and managed, what a joke. read more

Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest - Festivals Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

We went yesterday with six people and being called the biggest and best Oktoberfest,that's a joke !!! I guess none of the organizers never been to the real one in Munich ! We all ordered the German dinner with chicken,sauerkraut and potato salad,the chicken was smaller than a Cornish game hen and top of that it was bone dry and shriveled up,sitting under the heating lamp for way too long ,the potato salad came from SYSCO food service and was very runny and tasteless !!! Not sure if being there on a Sunday had something to do that only a few dozen people showed up and I guess with those outrageous prices I'm not surprised!!!! We definitely not going to be back next year! read more

What a fun event. So far my favorite Octoberfest I have ever attended. Held at the Big Bear Covention Center with plenty of outdoor indoor tables but you can upgrade to VIP to ensure you get a table big enough to hold all your friends. Really fun MC and band. They pretty much made the event. Plenty of fun contests which my friends dominated. They had bars indoors and outdoors and they served alcohol. That's right alcohol. Not just beer and wine. This made my night. Also had a lot of delicious food. Wasn't cheap but not crazy expensive either. At night they had outdoor fire pits and an additional band that played some lively rock. Everyone was really nice and a lot of fun. My friends and I are making.this an annual event. read more

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Always a good time at this annual Oktoberfest! We have been coming each year as a tradition in our family for many years. I will admit I was a little nervous this year due to Covid19, but it is the 50th Anniversary so we had to come check it out. They managed to be very successful in this outdoor set up. Lots of tables socially distanced, plenty of area to move around yet not get to close to anyone. The main stage was far and although they had a dance floor, everyone kinda danced at their table instead. Enjoyed some tasty brews along with the German food and we had ourselves a fun evening. Glad we came on a Thursday instead of encountering the weekend crowd. Everyone had masks on for the most part and I would say there was only about 30 people max. Normally the place is packed! We enjoyed our Sauerbraten and dumplings. We had fun dancing to the Chicken Dance and another Oktoberfest attendee and myself won the log sawing contest together! So much fun! Even though the "rona" is out there, the workers kept us all safe and entertained. So glad that this event was not canceled as it wouldn't be October without this Oktoberfest! Ein Prosit!! Thank you Big Bear City for still holding this classic event! read more

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We went on a Saturday night. It was way too crowded. Standing room only. Shoulder to shoulder. Venue was unorganized. Had to ask where the food and beer lines were. Lines were very long. I heard the beer line was 45 minutes. We ordered food but didn't get any beer. Attended this Oktoberfest and didn't drink any beer. Very disappointing. It was hard to see any entertainment and hard to hear any music. Souvenirs were expensive. I probably would not go back to this Oktoberfest. read more

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Good atmosphere and food. Beer was amazing. Good live German band playing music. Friendly service.

Getting there: Big Bear Oktoberfest is located at the Big Bear Convention Center on Division Rd. We stayed at the Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa, BUT if you can get a cabin near there, that would be ideal. They have a parking lot, but it appears to gets packed pretty fast Experience: This was my 1st year going to the Big Bear Oktoberfest, because of COVID-19, they were only seating people outside. It did get crowded and most tables said RESERVED. We really enjoyed the live band, during our time there the musical stylings of the Kalifornia Krauts. They were fun and provided a great backdrop. They had a bunch of contests and games which added to the fun. As far as COVID precautions are concerned, people are drinking the entire time. I feel like it's impossible to ask people to put their masks on while they're consistently drinking, so if you don't feel comfortable with no masks, this not the place for you. Overall we had fun! read more

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I'm not exactly sure what the standard Oktoberfest experience is supposed to be, but the energy was flowing at Big Bear Lake. The live music and cornhole kept me entertained for a while, and the costumes and dancing seemed authentic and was fun to watch. Nitpicking, but the steins and other merch were too pricy to justify the purchase even though the designs rocked. Similarly, I wished the entrance tickets covered something over purely existing in the festival, like 1 free drink ticket or snack item. Either way, for your undeducated wannabe Oktoberfest enjoyer, just show up and get cultured. read more

My family and I started attending the Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest several years ago. This event is a Fall tradition with a building built to look like a tent with authentic German bands, food, deserts and of course many incredible imported beer selections like Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier and Hofbräu München. FIRST I have to compliment Kasandra, manager of the Oktoberfest. We had several interactions with her during the 2022 Oktoberfest after attending multiple times throughout September-October. She is kind, gracious and an incredible host! My mother was an ethnic German and incredible chef. You can taste and see the attention to detail in the Bavarian recipes and their quality dishes at Oktoberfest. This isn't "German fair food" like I have had at other venues, but top quality, authentic Bavarian food. Outside there are other venders for a variety of other fast and ethnic foods. The bar tenders are also awesome and the venue allows bringing your own Steins to fill (and refill). Oktoberfest also has quality gifts such as Steins and German themed gifts in their gift shop. Short of visiting Munich or an entire city Oktoberfest like Leavenworth, Washington, Cincinnati, Ohio or Helen, Georgia, Big Bear Lake offers a wonderful experience with great hospitality in an incredibly scenic city. read more

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*Buy your tickets in advance. We saw people without tickets turned away because they were at capacity. PROS: -They provide a free shuttle service to reduce congestion and drunk driving. I believe they pick you up at any bus stop but all the info is on their site. -The event is spread out over multiple weekends. -Both indoors and outdoors this year (not sure about previous years). -They have stands with local vendors selling their goods. CONS: -This isn't a surprise but everything is overpriced. I was expecting the food to be overpriced but it was the beer that seemed to be the worst. -Long lines. It's not a large space and even though they limit ticket sales, it still fills up. -Parking lot fills up completely by late afternoon. -I wasn't drinking so they gave me a designated driver band. The employee said that she thought that it got me free coffee and hot chocolate but she wasn't sure. I didn't want to wait in a really long line to be told that it didn't. I wish it was clearer whether DDs were offered any complimentary drinks. Overall, this can be a really fun event. Maybe the pandemic lockdown helped us all forget how annoying large events can be with long lines, high prices, crowds, etc. I think it's best appreciated with a larger group of friends as the maximum amount of fun will likely make you forget how much you just spent on a single beer or how long you just waited to use the restroom. read more

We paid for preferred sitting inside. It took 30 minutes for a beer. I complained and my group of 5 moved outside and they purchased a round a drinks for us. It took Jose another 30 minutes to bring us a drink ! For the amount we paid doesn't justify the poor service! I will think twice before recommending this event. Manager came buy ! We been waiting for 39 minutes plus to close the tab. They need to retrain their staff and managers ! They want people to pay the price but they don't provide the service. Save your your money and go some where else!!!!! read more

Took my girlfriend here on a Friday night last October (2024). We had a great time! The food and drinks were outstanding! The folks working the event were also great. I'd highly recommend this event! read more

One of the best Oktoberfest parties I've been to ever. And I've been to the real deal in Múnich more than once. The Warsteiner Oktoberfest beer, the homemade German food and the Apple strudel were really genuine & tasty. But my favorite of the night was Festmeister Hans and his oompa band playing modern cover songs with with a tuba, accordion, drums, guitar & a killer horn section. Covers of AABA, Michael Jackson & Queen with an oompa twist. Brilliant and very entertaining We had a blast! read more

Visited Big Bear this weekend for the sole purpose of going to Oktoberfest. We arrived in town and unfortunately tickets were sold out, however, we managed to score tickets last minute. The food was delicious. Definitely recommend the Pumpkin Ace Cider-it tastes just like butter beer! Food lines took long but We had the rosemary 1/3 chicken and the bratwurst Burger. Delicious! We had a good time. They had a really cute spirit jersey souvenir but they only had big sizes :/ wish they had more. I also really loved that they had a table set for our fallen military members read more

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Always a great time. This year they had vip tickets with reserve seating. Definitely party the extra. I love to watch the games. Like were long to go in but since we had our tickets already we were able to walk straight in. Kids are allowed and there is activities for them to do. This is my second time and definitely will come back next year. read more

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This place is just fun, rain, snow, sunshine. We're all more optimistic than the US postal service. It's always a great time for Octoberfest read more

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I love Oktoberfest! The more you participate, the better experience your going to have. It's the time to leave your cares behind, and let that kid inside out. Prost read more

Very fun time. Was really cold when we went. They have a lot of food vendors to choose from. Along with live music on a stage. They also had beer drinking contests. Ended up getting a big pretzel and a beer. Very delicious. Highly recommend going to this read more

Pretty fun festival! I like how they have both an indoor and an outdoor area. Food and drinks are very expensive- for $40 we got two brats, two beers, and an apple strudel. The food was just okay, I feel like the food at the Huntington Beach Oktoberfest is better (plus they have beer flights which is more interesting to me). Entertainment was very good and fun. I loved the ambience and the setting. Just could use some improvement on food and beer selection and ordering options. read more

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No stars if possible. Bought tickets at end of August, for Sunday October 6. The Line Fire started about September 6 and continues now at a low rate. Because the Big Bear Lake valley was under "evacuation warning" through noon on October 4, and 2 of the 4 routes into Big bear were closed due to the fire, we decided to cancel. They won't refund ticket price even though the cancellation reason is beyond their "policy" statement. read more

Someone told us this was the best Oktoberfest in California. That's so far from true. For those considering, you should know what beers are $16 each, you have to pay to just walk in the game area AND pay to actually pay the games. The sausages are steamed (not grilled) and very overpriced. If you buy a nice Stein for $60, they don't let you get a free beer with it! Most of the staff seemed burnt out. Also, they don't let you leave once you enter because they don't want you pregaming anywhere due to the high prices. One saving grace is the band is really great! read more

This worst experience ever and literally walked in and walked back out. This is a small place and long lines for food and no one can abide by which way the line is telling people to wait and the people here were rude. Just in general people who come here are not authentic at all and it literally was a white fest of drinking beer and being belligerent. I just couldn't stand the environment so we walked in. Walked around. We're gonna wait in line for food but the people in line were rude as well. I basically just gave this place a donation. Will never make the 2 hour trip again to this Oktoberfest. I honestly don't know how people would take their children to this either. read more

Breaking Oktoberfest of multiple weekends was genius and saved locals tons of aggravation by reducing the swarm of drunks to manageable chunks. The free rides to the venue from various places aides in reducing congestion. Bravo. Reduces people driving immediately after consumption. Gives people a chance at walking to their nights accommodations. The event itself is better with each visit. The folks that work the venue are old hands that have guided hundreds of visitors. (They know what you want and are good at communicating to the new visitors) Breaking up the event into multiple weekends allows for people to have elbow room. One year I visited it was tough to stand and tougher to find a place to sit and eat. This year was very enjoyable (2019) We went on family day and brought some friends from out of country. ... they bought wine to drink... Beer is a little expensive, BUT your beer isn't just paying for the booze, that's imported, from Germany.. No, it is paying for the staff, the Austrian bands, singers, hosts, entertainers, security, toilets, soap, logs, steins and prizes! It might not be "your thing" but for people that it is, it is a well organized machine. read more

Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest - 2 different German beers and a wine for the visitor. - Festivals Near Me - Big Bear Lake, California

Went there for the first time not knowing what to expect. I was nervous at first to be honest. Everyone was friendly and the entertainment made me more comfortable. The food was great, especially when you wash it down with a nice German Pils ( Beer. ) read more

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We've gone every year for the last ten years (except when they were closed for COVID), and I think this may be the last year, at least for awhile. The event has just gotten way too crowded and expensive. $30 per person for admission, which includes nothing. Food, drinks, and activities will all cost you extra. Beer was a whopping $20 for ONE drink. There used to be several neat vendors, but now there are just a few sad booths selling nothing interesting. Line to get in was insanely long and moved slowly. The staff at least was very nice, especially one security lady who went out of her way to get our kids wristbands, when she heard one of them envying the adult wristbands. She's the main reason I'm giving this 3 stars instead of 2. We walked, because parking is a nightmare. We arrived about 45 minutes after opening, and the lot was already full. They are woefully unprepared for rain, especially for an event that takes place through October. All the activities outside had to be shut down, and the outside band had to stop the second it started raining. Almost no covering at all outside. We were prepared with umbrellas, and would've happily stayed outside in our patio spot, but the area was not equipped to drain, and within 5 minutes of the rain starting, the spot was flooded with 3 inches of water. As a result, everyone rushed indoors, where it was so cramped that it was impossible to move. Just wall-to-wall people, from one end to the other. They've gotten rid of the drink ticket system; you just pay when you get your drink, which results in a slower-moving line. There were way less drink spots than in previous years too, which meant even longer lines at the remaining spots. Also be warned, we didn't stay long this year since we didn't want to stand around in the people swamp, but in previous years, the port-a-potties get absolutely disgusting at night, and they run out of toilet paper early in the evening. read more