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It may be called "Oktoberfest," but the big event starts in September. It all began with a wedding—in October 1810. On the 12th day of October that year, Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I of Bavaria) wed Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen and held a big party near Munich (München). It was so popular, that the party (complete with horse racing) took place again the following year, prompting the start of a traditional German celebration that has become world famous. Other than for interruptions caused by war or disease, Oktoberfest has been celebrated every year since 1811. The massive Bavarian Volksfest begins each year on a Saturday in September and ends 16-18 days later (usually) on the first Sunday in October. (For 2006 the dates are September 16 to October 3 — 18 days. 2007: Sept. 22 - Oct. 7 — 16 days.) Because October 3 is a national holiday in Germany, Oktoberfest is extended if Unity Day falls after the first Sunday in October, making Oktoberfest vary from 16 to 18 days in length.

Oktoberfest will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2010. Although the horse racing (Pferderennen) didn't become a lasting part of Oktoberfest, just about everything else did! Today, the world's most famous beer festival (das Bierfest) is held on a large 31-hectare field in Munich known as die Theresienwiese (named for Princess Therese) or just die Wiesn if you're a local. With the exception of the obvious emphasis on beer, Oktoberfest is more like a huge American state fair, complete with fun rides, merry-go-rounds, carnival booths, food, entertainment and, of course, those 14 famous beer halls sponsored by Bavarian brewers such as Paulaner, Löwenbräu or Spaten. In fact, in its early years, Oktoberfest was an agricultural fair. Nowadays, however, the Zentrallandwirtschaftsfest (ZLF) segment only takes place every four years (2004, 2008, 2012).

Oktoberfest's carnival aspect didn't begin until 1818 and then it only consisted of a single carousel and a few modest rides. The large beer tents (actually large halls) didn't appear until 1896. Back in the 1800s Munich was a smaller town than it is today, so Oktoberfest participants had to journey out to the Theresienwiese that now lies within the city.

The festivities get off to an official start when Munich's Oberbürgermeister (lord mayor) taps the first beer keg and yells the traditional O'zapft is! ("It's tapped!") at 12 noon on the Saturday that starts the event (am Wiesn-Samstag). This Oktoberfest tradition is relatively recent—it only began in 1950, when the then mayor, Thomas Wimmer, tapped the first keg.

To encourage family attendance, each of the two Tuesday afternoons of the Oktoberfest are designated Familiennachmittagen (from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m.) with special prices for public transportation and entry. Just as in Munich's everyday beer gardens, beer is no reason to keep the kids away from Oktoberfest. (Remember, this is a country where even McDonald's has beer on its drink menu!) But security measures during the two weeks, including video cameras in some areas, are designed to keep everyone safe.

Because it is held in Bavaria's capital city of Munich, home to the Hofbräuhaus, the language of Oktoberfest is Bairisch, the Bavarian dialect. Even non-Bavarian Germans have difficulty understanding die bairische Sprache, whether or not they have been indulging in Bavarian beer. Below you'll find a brief glossary with some of the words related to Oktoberfest, plus links to Oktoberfest on the Web.

Oktoberfest-Lexikon (Bairisch)

arschlings (adj.)
rückwärts, backwards - as in: "Do hots mi arschlings hi'ghaud" ("It knocked me on my a**.")

die Bavaria (n.)
die Bavaria-Statue, the large statue of the female Bavaria figure that stands on the "Wiesn"

Deandl (n.)
Dirndl/Mädchen, either a girl or her distinctive Bavarian/Austrian dress (Dirndlkleid)

ozapfa (v.)
ein Bierfass anstechen, to tap a beer keg - Related to the Oktoberfest cry of "O'zapft is!" ("Es ist angezapft!")

Radi (n.)
Rettich, radish - A popular snack with beer

Ripperl (n.)
Kassler, pork ribs

Steckerlfisch (n.)
Fisch am Stiel, (grilled) fish on a stick

die Wiesn (n.)
die Theresenwiese, the "Theresa meadow" - the Oktoberfest fair grounds

Zwetschgendatschi (n.)
flacher Hefeteig-Blechkuchen, dick mit Zwetschgen belegt, a pancake covered with plums - In Bavarian, a Datschi is a type of pancake.

Oktoberfest in Amerika

Next to the Christmas tree, Oktoberfest is the most popular German custom that Germany has ever exported to the rest of the world. The German (actually Bavarian) celebration of beer and good times has gradually caught on in many parts of the world. Today there are Oktoberfests (Oktoberfeste) from Japan to America.

It's not surprising that in the USA and Canada, with their high percentages of people of German heritage, there are hundreds of local Oktoberfest celebrations. There are far too many to list here, but we will talk a little about the North American Oktoberfests—plus when and where you can find them, literally from Maine to California.

First of all, few of the American Oktoberfests follow the schedule of the original. You can attend a US Oktoberfest at various times and in various places from June to November! Dover, New Jersey holds its Oktoberfest twice a year (in June and September). Most other US Oktoberfests take place in September and October, often sponsored by a local German society or restaurant. The bigger US Oktoberfests run for days or weeks, like the original. Cincinnati, Ohio even has two! The Donauschwaben Oktoberfest is a three-day affair in October, while the other, Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati attracts 500,000 visitors in September. The new Las Vegas Hofbräuhaus sponsors a two-week Oktoberfest during October. (More below.)

Das Hofbräuhaus: Cincinnati and Las Vegas

Launched in December 2003, the Hofbräuhaus in Las Vegas, Nevada is an authentic replica of the original HB in Munich, under license from the Bavarian Staatliches Hofbräuhaus. Even before the Las Vegas HB building was completed, the owners sponsored an Oktoberfest in a nearby parking lot from October 10 to 26, 2003. In 2004 the Oktoberfest at the HB Las Vegas ran from September 18 to October 31, but the slogan for HB Las Vegas is "Every Day's Oktoberfest!"

Excerpts from the Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas Web site: “In 2000 Stefan Gastager, upon a visit to Las Vegas, had a vision. To introduce high quality Bavarian Food, Premium Beer brewed in Bavaria and Bavarian coziness 'Gemütlichkeit' to the United States at a location that would both appeal to tourists and locals alike...

Las Vegas, the leading entertainment capital of the world, was chosen as the ideal location for the Hofbräuhaus because of both the highest number of tourists in the world and a local multicultural population of over 1.4 million residents.

Stefan and his partners were able to secure the license from the Bavarian Government Brewery Hofbräu and a perfect partner for the necessary investment of almost $12 million...”

Have a favorite Oktoberfest Story to share, please e-mail us and we will share it on this page.