German Beer Festival
When it comes to a beer festival, Germany has perfected the event. Of course, the top German beer festival is Oktoberfest.
German Beer Festival
Oktoberfest is the best known German beer festival. It is held in Munich during late September and early October. With roughly 6 million people attending, it is the largest beer festival in the world. With imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, it should be noted that many cities and towns hold their own Oktoberfest during the same period of time. Of course, nothing beats the original!
Oktoberfest takes place during the sixteen days before the first Sunday of October. The festival originated to celebrate the wedding of Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1810 and has been going ever since with the exception of periods of war. Until the late 1950s, Oktoberfest used to include a horse race as the final act of the festivities.
Oktoberfest has a unique aspect that many people don’t realize. While over a million gallons of beer are consumed and spilled, most don’t realize all the beer is supplied by only 6 breweries. The lucky six are Lowenbrau, Augustine, Hofbrau, Spaten, Paulaner and HackerPschorr with each brewing a special Oktoberfest concoction.
Oktoberfest takes place in a relatively small area of Munich. The area is crammed with amusement rides, vendors and huge carnival tents. In these tents, you’ll find row upon row of tables with happy revelers. Watching the beer waitresses carry 6 or 8 huge beer mugs at one time will blow you away.
To get Oktoberfest off and drinking, the Mayor of Munich opens the festival by tapping a keg and yelling, “Bavaria is tapped!” in German. At that point, the brew flows, artery clogging food is consumed and much singing is done. Aspirin sales skyrocket and a good time is had by all.
If you’re going to attend only one beer festival in your live, Oktoberfest is the one. Nothing else compares to this German beer festival.