There wasn’t a drop of beer on offer, but thousands attended an Oktoberfest event at Brisbane showgrounds today. It’s part of German Week and gives a younger generation a taste of European life.

Josh Stengert reports.

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Teen Oktoberfest is Australia’s largest school language festival, bringing German culture to life at the RNA Showgrounds for more than 2,000 young people.

Ruth, Student: “It’s a great time, I went here last year, it’s my favourite time of the year, I marked it off in my calendar nearly every single year.”

Students from 54 schools across South-East Queensland attended the event for the chance to enjoy all things German outside the classroom.

Michael Rosemann, German Honorary Consul: “It became clear that understanding German culture and German language accelerates career opportunities with some of those multinational companies.”

Students dressed in traditional German clothing to join in the merriment there was even a yodeller and a Bavarian Oompah Band.

German is one of the most popular languages taught in Queensland schools.

Teen Oktoberfest brings students together in a celebration of language, food and culture.

Paula Hay, Queensland German Teacher: “All students have to have the opportunity to be global students and any language learning is a huge positive to their future and I’m just bias with learning German it’s nice and easy.”

The German festivities continue this weekend to round out Brisbane German Week.

Josh Stengert, QUT News.