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Oktoberfest!

© Colleen Thomas Ryor

Oktoberfest, held in Munich, Germany, is the largest festival in the world. Approximately six million people attend each year, drinking five million liters of beer. This year is the 167th annual Oktoberfest. People feast on sausages, pretzels, and wine in addition to the ubiquitous beer. There are live traditional bands, rollercoasters, and other fair rides for the people to enjoy. Oktoberfest actually starts in mid to late September; this year's festival started September 16 and ends October 3.

The festival was begun in 1810, when on October 12 of that year, Crown Prince Ludwig, who later became King Ludwig I, married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hilburghausen. The grounds where the momentous occasion took place were called Theresenwiese, "Theresa's fields," thus spawning the term that Münchners call Oktoberfest to this day, Wies'n. The citizens of Munich were invited to the wedding, and horse races were held, which would remain a favorite for years to come at the Oktoberfest. The following year, 1811, saw the continuation of the festivities, with an agricultural show to boost the farming economy. The horse races are no longer held today, but the agricultural fair continues. Carousels were added in the late 1800s. Beer stands were later replaced with huge beer tents, each holding stands for musicians, and even some balconies.

Immigration to the new world assured that the great festival would stay alive. Today hundreds of cities and towns accross the United States and Canada continue the tradition with their own smaller versions of the event. Cincinnati, Ohio, has a large German-American population, and subsequently holds one of the largest Oktoberfests outside of Germany, with half a million people in attendance.

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