Munich's Oktoberfest is Good Fun, Good Food
Millions Flock to Theresienwiese to Celebrate Bavarian Royal Wedding
Sep 10, 2009
The festival opens annually on the third Saturday in September and runs until the first Sunday in October (September 19 to October 4). While the event is rooted in history, it is without question the fun, food, and beer drinking (some folks call it a "kegger") that draw 6 million visitors to Munich to consume an estimated 6 million liters of beer, 200,000 pairs of pork sausages, 90 or more spit-roasted steer, 450,000 roasted chickens and ducks, and more Brez'n (pizza-sized pretzels) than you can count.
Event Began to Mark Bavarian Royal Wedding
The festival started on October 12, 1810, in honor of the wedding of Bavaria's Crown Prince Ludwig to PRincess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the wedding festivities, which took place on the fields in front of the city gates. The fields were reamed "Theresienwiese" (Therese's Fields) to honor the Crown Princess, although locals have since abbreviated the name simply to "Wiesn."
The wedding festivities lasted for five days, with a horse race in the presence of the royal family marking its close. Actually, everyone in Bavaria celebrated the wedding, and the date became so popular that in subsequent years it was moved forward into September to guarantee warmer weather.
Beer Tents Turned into "Festival Halls"
In 1818, the first carousel and two swings were set up, and visitors were able to quench their thirst at small beer stands. By the turn of the century, beer tents set up by Munich breweries replaced the small stands.Today there are 14 large beer tents of "festival halls" that can accommodate from 3,000 guzzlers in the smaller ones to 9,000 in the largest. Munich breweries with familiar names like Lowenbrau and Paulaner operate six of them, and each one has its own distinctive character and decoration. The remainder of the festival site is a fun fair with carousels, roller coasters, and other rides and games.
Lord Mayor Opens Oktoberfest with Keg Tapping
Everyone enjoys the weekend opening ceremonies, but visitors will definitely want to grab a spot to watch the Grand Entry Parade of the Oktoberfest Landlords and Breweries on Saturday. At noon, the lord mayor Munich officially opens the festival at the Schottenhamel tent with his announcement, "O'zapft is," confirming that the tapping of the first keg of Oktoberfest beer was successful.
On Sunday, the Costume and Rifleman's Procession is a colorful display of local traditions that includes regional troops in historical uniforms, riflemen, trumpeters on horseback, flag throwers, and decorated drays of the Munich breweries. After this, it's eat, drink, and be merry for three full weeks in beautiful Bavaria.
The official website of Oktoberfest outlines all the festivities taking place there, and the City of Munich can help with accommodations. To read more about German food and drink at the festival and in Munich, check out the Guide to Bavarian Food.
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