Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer festival annually held in Munich, Germany. The 16-day festival attracts over 6 million people from all around the globe who consume around 1.5 million gallons of beer, 480,000 spit-roasted chickens and 200,000 sausages (Würstl).
Other German dishes include Schweinebraten (roast pork), Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), Schweinshaxe (grilled ham hock), Brezeln (pretzel), Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes) and Bavarian delicacies like Weisswurst (white sausage).
Large tents are plotted on Theresienwiese (“the field of Therese”) which serve beer from German’s well-known breweries where people can enjoy live music played by German bands and eat native food all the while celebrating old-fashioned German and Bavarian heritage and culture.
The tradition began in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Bavarian Crown Price Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese where people were invited to join in with the festivities. Subsequently, anniversaries were celebrated in the following years and the festival gradually got larger and expanded to the point where it is now one of the most renowned festivals in the world.
Elements of the original festival have changed over time; horse races are no longer held and the agricultural show is held every four years. The main features of Oktoberfest now are beer, food and merriment.
On the first Sunday of the festival the Costume and Riflemen’s Processions takes place where thousands of performers dressed in traditional costumes parade through the streets of Munich. The second Sunday consists of an open-air big band concert. Visitors can also enjoy the fairground rides, roam around the haunted house and check out the flea circus amongst many other things.
The festival will run between 22 September to 7 October. It is one of Munich’s largest and most profitable tourist attractions. For more information please visit http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/
