Each fall, Utah’s Snowbird Resort hosts their rendition of Oktoberfest, taking after the festival that originated in Munich. Snowbird has held this event since 1972, one year after the resort opened. This event attracts thousands of visitors each year. One of these visitors is Patrick Jess, a senior at the University of Utah majoring in biomedical engineering.

A first time visitor to the event, Jess recounted his experience at the 2024 festival. “It was wonderful… It was awesome. Everybody was having a party.” Continuing on highlights of the event, he said, “The dancing was super cool. They had a band there and they were dancing… playing German music.”

Jess also commented on the food and beverages, saying, “I didn’t have any food, but it looked good.” When asked about the selection of drinks, Jess enthusiastically said, “I was happy with the drink options. I forgot what it was called but I got a pumpkin one with whipped cream.”

When asked about the quality and value of the drinks, Jess said, “It was probably too expensive. I would say it was way too expensive for me. They forced you to buy a cup, which I’m really angry about.” When asked what he wished they had done alternatively, he suggested that having disposable cups available would lower the overall price.

Jess commented on the costly nature of the roller coaster as well. “I went on the roller coaster there at Snowbird… It was also expensive for what you got… It was a short roller coaster.”

Jess compared Snowbird’s Oktoberfest to a few different festivals in the area. “I went to the Greek festival and the Italian festival. I feel like the Greek one had the best food for sure. I had wine at the Italian festival… but I liked the beer; so I liked Oktoberfest. That was my favorite.”

Overall, Jess enjoyed the festival, saying, “I enjoyed it. I liked the beer. If you like beer, you should go.”