OKTOBERFEST

Oktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival, is held annually in Munich, Germany. The
16-day party attracts over 6 million people every year who consume 1.5 million gallons of
beer, 200,000 pairs of pork sausage, and 480,000 spit-roasted chickens during the two-week
extravaganza.
While the event reinforces stereotypical images of beer-loving, meat-loving Germans
dressed in dirndls and lederhosen, visitors to the annual event come from all over the world.
Oktoberfest is in fact one of Munich's largest and most profitable tourist attractions. It
brings over 450 million euros to the city's coffers each year.
History of Oktoberfest
The Oktoberfest tradition started in 1810 to celebrate the October 12th marriage of
Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese. The
citizens of Munich were invited to join in the festivities which were held over five days on
the fields in front of the city gates. The main event of the original Oktoberfest was a horse
race.
Anniversary celebrations were held annually thereafter that eventually became larger and
more elaborate. An agricultural show was added during the second year. In 1818, a carousel
and two swings were set up for the revelers. Such amusements were few in the first decades
of the festival, but party-goers were amply entertained by the tree climbing competitions,
wheel barrow and sack races, mush eating contests, barrel rolling races, and goose chases.
By 1870s, mechanical rides were an expanding feature of the festival and in 1908, the
festival boasted Germany's first roller coaster. When the city began allowing beer on the
fairgrounds, makeshift beer stands began cropping up, and their number increased steadily
until they were eventually replaced by beer halls in 1896. The beer halls, like the beer tents
of today, were sponsored by the local breweries.
INICIO DEL OKTOBERFEST
The mayor of Munich opens the festivities at noon on the first day of the fair when he drives the
wooden tap into a barrel of beer and proclaims: O'zapft is! ("It's tapped!").

OKTOBERFEST BEER
Oktoberfest beer is of a variety called Mrzen. Darker and stronger than traditional
beer, Mrzen contains up to 6% alcohol, is bottom-fermented, and is lagered for at least 30
days. Before the advent of modern refrigeration techniques, this type of beer was brewed in
March (as its name suggests) and allowed to age through the summer, so that it was ready
to drink by late summer or early fall. Like all German beer, the Oktoberfest beer is brewed
according to strict German standards (called the Reinheitsgebot and in effect since 1516)
that precisely define the four ingredients allowed in the brewing of beer: barley, hops, malt,
and yeast.

OKTOBERFEST FOOD
Visitors consume large quantities of food, most of which consists of traditional hearty fare.
Readily available all over the fairgrounds are Hendl, whole chickens grilled on a spit and
typically sold in halves. Variations are the spit-roasted duck or goose. Roasted meats,
especially pork, and potato dumplings are served up with the traditional red cabbage and
apple dish (Blaukohl). Local specialties such as roasted ox tails, grilled pork knuckles, or
Bavarian Weiwrste(steamed white veal sausages served with sweet mustard), sauerkraut,
and a pretzel or bread roll are found on just about every menu. Visitors hankering for some
seafood might try the charcoal-fired fish-on-a-stick (Steckerlfisch).

OKTOBERFAKTS

In 1997, Oktoberfesters consumed more than 5 million liters of beer, about

45,000 liters of wine, and almost 165,000 liters of nonalcoholic beer.

The local name for Oktoberfest, "Wies'n," is derived from Theresienwiese, the name

of the field on which the festival is held.

The festival halls in Munich can seat 94,000 people.
The beers that the Munich breweries produce specially for Oktoberfest contain 4.5

percent alcohol.
Cincinnati, Ohio, which claims to hold the "largest authentic Oktoberfest" in the
U.S., draws about 500,000 people to its celebration.

6 DAYS, SIX MILLION PEOPLE, AND SOME GREAT BIG TENTS

The modern celebration has replaced the small tents with giant brewery-sponsored beer
halls that can hold up to 5,000 people apiece. The party has also grown in length, to become
a 16-day extravaganza ending the first Sunday in October.
The Oktoberfest in Munich has been cancelled at times in the past due to war and cholera.
The festival opens with a grand parade of the Oktoberfest "landlords" and breweries, and
features traditional dancers and costumed performers, the Riflemen's Procession,
music...and, most definitely, beer!