The Oktoberfest takes place every year, regardless of the weather, and it’s mostly outdoors, so if it seems rainy, people simply bring umbrellas. Food is one aspect of the celebration. People enjoy roasted Hühner and different types of Wurst. There are also Kartoffelsalat and Brezeln.
The Fest takes place on a large festival grounds called the Theresienwiese, which locals call simply the Wies’n. The fairgrounds were named after a princess whose wedding was celebrated by a horse race held there.
The wedding of Princess Therese and Crown Prince Ludwig took place in 1810. The horse race attracted over 40,000 spectators and turned into a big party. It was so successful that they decided to do it again the next year, and every year, and to name the fairgrounds after the princess.
At the beginning of the Oktoberfest, there’s a big parade, including a Trachtenfest: people wearing the old-fashioned traditional clothing of the region. The parade winds through the streets of downtown München and out of town to the Theresienwiese.
During the Fest, many people wear Trachten, the typical traditional clothing of the region. Because the Fest takes place in Bayern, many signs are written in local dialect, and people speak in a Bavarian accent.
The Fest is now sixteen days long, begins in September, and ends on the first Sonntag im Oktober. Millions of tourists from around the world attend, but lots of Germans are there, too.
There are games and rides, similar to a carnival atmosphere, and souvenirs of all types are sold. Naturally, there’s lots of Bier and Wein. Hundreds, even thousands, of picnic tables are set up in long rows, and people often start a conversation with someone they’ve never met before. It’s a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, called Gemütlichkeit.
The Fest has lots of Musik: sometimes Blasmusik from a wind ensemble, sometimes a Ziehharmonika (accordion), and sometimes modern music from a DJ. Naturally, there’s lots of Tanz as well!
The various tents, with food and drink, and the large groups of tables, are sponsored by various Brauereien, the major breweries of München. They see this as an opportunity to advertise their brand and get people to try it.
