Tourists, beer enthusiasts, and local Bavarian residents will all be converging in Munich, Germany this weekend for the annual Oktoberfest celebrations. The event officially kicks off once the city’s Mayor shouts “O’Zapft is,” which translates to “it is tapped” at noon local time. Leading up to the ceremonial tapping of the keg is a large parade through Munich featuring horses and traditional Bavarian regalia.
Oktoberfest dates back to 1810 when monarchy still dominated most of Germany. It all started as a celebration of the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, but has changed over the centuries to include an agriculture show, and in modern times, a celebration of beer and food.
According to estimates, six to seven million litres of beer will be consumed by approximately six million visitors to the region each year. Celebrations continue for two and a half weeks and will see people arrive from all over the world. In fact, 25 per cent of Oktoberfest participants come from other countries with the majority arriving from Great Britain, followed by the Netherlands and Switzerland.
While Oktoberfest is best known for its beer, food is also a major part of the celebrations. Last year alone, over 44 thousand kilograms of fish was eaten over the two and half weeks, nearly 550 thousand roast chicken dinners were served, over 140 thousand pork sausage pairs were eaten, along with other meats and vegetarian platters. What may surprise visitors most is that all the beer served comes from six local breweries. Only approved Oktoberfest beer can be served at the beer halls.
Oktoberfest in Munich will run from Saturday until October 5th while the largest Oktoberfest outside of Germany, in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, will run from September 26th to October 18th.
Those wishing to watch the festivities in Munich can watch their webcam by CLICKING HERE.
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