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While many may dream of raising a stein in Germany, we thought 'why not bring the Bavarian festivities closer to home?'. Imagine donning your lederhosen, indulging in German cuisine, and listening to the Oompah band, all while sipping on a beer amidst the stunning wilderness of Dartmoor National Park. This is what set the scene for our fourth Club CamperKing meet-up.
Day 1: Arrival and Camp Setup
On Friday 6th October, Club members made their way to River Dart Country Park in Dartmoor National Park, Devon, to spend a weekend together enjoying the VW Oktoberfest-themed festival taking place. Members were able to relax, explore and chat about all things CamperKing life.
To get into the Bavarian spirit, attendees of the festival were encouraged to dress up in traditional Oktoberfest attire. Thousands of people in Lederhosen, dirndls, and alpine hats spread across the site, enjoying the live music, taking part in or watching Frankfurter eating competitions and drinking horns of beer, well into the night.
As the end of the first day came to an end, we made fire pits back at our Club CamperKing camping area and chatted away until we were ready to go to bed.
Day 2: Exploration, activities and Day of the Dead.
After a hearty breakfast, it was time to explore the natural wonders of Dartmoor. The group split off to do a variety of activities throughout the day, including a long dog walk, exploration of the park and surrounding areas, watching the rugby world cup, and enjoying the dog show and activities hosted by the festival.
The theme for day two was Dia De Los Muertos/Day of the Dead. Again, thousands of attendees got dressed up, this time adorned in flowers and skulls. Some members of CamperKing got dressed up, and they looked fantastic!
Team 'CamperKingers' took part in the festival quiz, which had multiple rounds including Day of the Dead questions, general knowledge, celebrity pictures and music. Although we did not win, our team put in a good effort. Maybe next year team!
In the evening, we returned to our vans to make dinner and relax before the rest of the evening's activities. The majority of us returned to the bar area to enjoy a few drinks, watch the rugby and enjoy the range of costumes and chaos that was taking place around us.
Again, we finished the night by gathering around the campfire back at our CamperKing area and shared tales of travels, top tips for your van and what is to come next.
Day 3: Verabschiedung (Goodbye)
The final day is always bittersweet. As we packed up our vans and gear, we spoke about what a great weekend we had had and how it was great to meet new faces, as well as spend time with familiar ones. We indulged in the traditions of Oktoberfest and Bavarian culture while immersing ourselves in the natural beauty of Dartmoor National Park, one of England's most iconic areas of natural beauty.
We were delighted to have spent time with the Club members over the weekend. Here’s some of the feedback they gave us…
"Our family really enjoyed the Oktoberfest weekend at River Dart Country Park with Club CamperKing. There was loads for us to do and a great vibe! The kids especially enjoyed the live music and dressing up for the day of the dead night! Being with the group enabled us to be more social and chat with like-minded campers! We will definitely be joining Club CamperKing on future events!" - Kate Jackson
"Oktoberfest 2023 was an organised event for Club CamperKing members as well as other clubs and like-minded people. It was lovely to be able to share our love of camping, our vans and the fun of the event with Club CamperKing members. It was a nice small group, so we were able to chat with everyone and enjoy the event together. Thank for the Erin, Tobi and everyone for all your amazing efforts." - Sonya Mclean
"This was a really lovely and relaxed event. Thank you, Erin and Tobi .... you provided the right balance between being part of a supportive and friendly group - while also being able to do our own thing as little or as much as we wanted." - Rachel Shimmin
"I have been really struggling with my mental health issues from my Military and Police service and the weekends with the CamperKing Crew and members of the amazing Club CamperKing, help me in so many ways." - Lee Mclean
"We loved Oktoberfest, plenty going on and a great atmosphere! It was made even better by being in the Club CamperKing area so we could spend much of the weekend with friends new and old. Looking forward to next year." - Cheryl Royall
Are you interested in becoming a member of Club CamperKing and attending future events? Click here to find out more, and stay up to date with all that the Club has to offer!
