Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest (German, October festival), one of the largest public festivals in the world celebrated in Munich, Germany, from the end of September to the first week of October. Lasting 16 days, the Oktoberfest dates from the wedding celebrations of the Bavarian crown prince Louis I and his new wife, Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, in 1810—five days after the wedding itself, a horse race was held as a public festival for the Bavarian people, with accompanying carousels and beer stands. In October 1811 this event coincided with a triennial celebration of local agriculture. Although the tradition of horse racing has not survived, the beer stands and rides continue to be featured, and the agricultural festival is still held as part of the main Oktoberfest celebrations every three years.

Today the festival encompasses a wide range of activities: in addition to the numerous tents selling varieties of beer and regional dishes, visitors can enjoy rides, displays of traditional music and dance, and various parades. The popular Folklore procession dates from 1950, and features thousands of participants in traditional costumes. There is also an inaugural parade on the first morning, which includes all the tent proprietors and their families, the mayor (whose job it is to tap the first beer keg and start the celebrations), the governor of Bavaria, and all of the bands featured during the festivities. In the 2003 celebrations, the festival organizers estimated that there had been approximately 6.3 million visitors who had consumed around 6.1 million litres (nearly 11 million pints) of beer.