There are also many other options, from sparkling wine, champagne, cider, cocktails and, most importantly, Underberg. If you need a break from beer, you can take a stroll around the fairgrounds surrounding the beer tents, where seemingly endless attractions and carnival games are to partake in. However, if you’re visiting at the right time, you may coincide with some of the special events that take place. In addition to drinking beer, Oktoberfest also offers traditional German dishes such as sausages (würstl), pretzels and schnitzel.
If you want to get into the spirit of Oktoberfest, be sure to listen to some polka music. A good time, and copious amounts of beer, were apparently had during that first year. It was decided that the horse race would be held again in 1811, this time in combination with the state agricultural spectacle. Ludwig organized a horse race and invited all the people of Munich. The royal celebration attracted some 40,000 guests by ordinary standards, but only a small fraction of the 6.4 million people at Oktoberfest in 1997.
Weekdays are much less crowded compared to Saturday and weekend evenings. Usually two people can find their way in a tent and find a chair for a beer. Oktoberfest began as the wedding ceremony between Prince Louis and Princess Theresa on October 12, 1810. All city dwellers were invited to attend the festival, which took place in the fields outside the city gates. After the wedding, the fields were named Theresienwiese in honor of the princess, and the feast was so successful that the townspeople asked King Louis to continue the celebration the following year.
There are some common challenges that people have when it comes to celebrating Oktoberfest. First of all, some people don’t know how to properly hold the event. If you’re not familiar with traditions, it can be hard to know what to do.
In recent years, due to the rising popularity of plant-based diets, vegetables and vegans will be happy to know that there are now plenty of options for you too. Also, keep your eyes peeled for gluten-free and halal-free options. Munich is truly European in every sense of the word and is a mix of culture, art and history. Here you will find more museums than in any other German city.
In 1910, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Oktoberfest, 12,000 hectolitres of beer were poured into the Pschorr-Bräurosl, the huge festival tent where 12,000 people lived at the time. Every year, new and more exciting attractions appeared at Oktoberfest. In 1950, the mayor of Munich, Thomas Wimmer, touched the first barrel in the Schottenhamel store for the first time. Since then, it has been customary for the mayor to kick off Oktoberfest. The famous words ‘O’zapft is’ have gained cult status over time. On April 21, 2020, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder and Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter announced the official cancellation of Oktoberfest 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Reservations require groups of 4-10 people, must be paid in advance and guaranteed a seat at the table in the beer tent. This year we made three beers, because it’s been three years since Corinna and Frank were able to travel back home. In recognition of and to celebrate the end of the famine, King Wilhelm and his Russia-born wife Katharina sponsored a harvest festival in 1818 that encouraged the display of agricultural achievements. The famous “Stuttgart Fruit Column” still marks the entrance to the annual beer festival, to remind people of the history of the beer festival. We hope our guide will help you have a fantastic time at Oktoberfest.
A waitress with Hacker-Pschorr, one of the traditional beers that can be served at Oktoberfest. From 1950 to 2019 and resumption in 2022, this parade will be held annually and has become one of the highlights of Oktoberfest and Oktoberfest 2023 one of the world’s largest parades of its kind. On the first Sunday of the festival, 8,000 participants march in their historic festival costumes from the Maximilianeum over a seven-kilometer stretch to the festival site.
Imagine carnival games, shooting games, Ferris wheels, even small roller coasters. It is very nice during the day to win nice cuddly toys and other prizes. This provides a wealth of entertainment for non-beer drinkers and children. Every year it’s a long process for us to book reservations for beer stores and you don’t always get exactly what you want. Each store has its own reservation booking system, not to mention that each starts the process at different times of the year.
Everyone is very friendly, but with so much beer you will of course see some altercations. Security is very present in shops and Polizei outside shops. Security has also increased in recent years in the face of terrorist attacks around the world; the edges of the festival are now reinforced concrete barricades to keep vehicles out of the Wies’n.