The ‘world city with heart,’ Munich is your destination for “beer festival.” Beer festivals are the festivals in which a variety of beers and often other alcoholic drinks are available for tasting and purchase. Beer festivals are organized in a number of countries. There are several big and small beer festivals celebrated in Germany all over the year, but the Munich beer festival is the oldest and the largest beer festival in the world.

The Munich beer festival, known as Oktoberfest, is a two-week festival held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany during late September and early October. Oktoberfest is one of the most celebrated events in Germany. It is largest fair in the world, with some six million people attending every year.

Traditionally, Oktoberfest takes place during the 16 days up to and including the first Sunday in October. The festival takes place on the area known as “Theresienwiese” (Field or meadow of Therese), often called “d’ Wiesn” or “d’Waasn” for short. Beer is the key note of the festival. The festival begins with a keg of beer tapped by the Mayor of Munich who declares in Bavarian tone “O’zapft is!” (It’s tapped!).

The first Munich beer festival took place on October 12, 1810 when “Oktoberfest” was organized to commemorate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, from whose name the name of the festival ground, “Theresienwiese” came. On the first “Oktoberfest,” a great horse race was organized.

People brew special Oktoberfest beer for the occasion; the beer is slightly darker and stronger, in both taste and alcohol. It is served in Maß, a one-liter-tankard. The first bulk of beer is served to the Bavarian Minister-President. Beer is served by only local Munich breweries that are allowed to serve this beer in a Bierzelt, a beer tent which is large enough for thousands. People also consume large quantities of food, most of it traditional hearty fare such as sausage, hendl (chicken), käsespätzle (cheese noodles), and sauerkraut, along with such Bavarian delicacies as roast ox tails.