Prost! Your Guide to Savoring the Authentic German Oktoberfest Experience

Whether you have German heritage or not, you’re likely to get caught up in the fall celebrations of Germany’s Oktoberfest. A little of its history and current German practices – To Know Before You Go – will help you to get the most out of your celebration.

The Beginnings of Oktoberfest

According to The German Way , the original Das Oktoberfest celebrated the marriage between Princess Teresa (Therese) of Bavaria (1792-1854) and Prince Ludwig I (later king of Bavaria) on October 12, 1810. Throughout the following week, townspeople enjoyed grand banquets, concerts, parties, balls, and a horse race. Due to its success, the Bavarian royal family held another race the following year, which became an annual Oktoberfest tradition. The royal family passed the management of the event to the Munich city fathers to create a widespread community celebration whose delights spread to neighboring country sides and expanded to two weeks or more.

The Fest continued with great popularity through the years, including the featured horse race as part of the activities through 1960. Only wars – Napoleonic and World Wars – and disease – cholera, Spanish flu, and COVID-19 – have stopped the people from celebrating fall, harvest, family, food, and … beer!

Oktoberfest Today

The 188^th event is taking place on the Theresienwiese in Munich from 16 September to 3 October. Held on 85 acres, Das Oktoberfest is the largest folk festival in the world, set to attract nearly 5 million people this year. Make no mistake, while this is a celebration, it is also a business: nearly 900 companies have applied to be part of Oktoberfest 2023. 474 businesses were approved this year, including 140 from the catering trade, 138 fairground businesses, 196 market traders and several service businesses. There will be 39 businesses at the Oidn Wiesn, 14 of which are gastronomic, 23 showmen's shops and two market traders. Last year, 5.6 million liters of beer was served, all figures according to the official Oktoberfest website. This year, a liter of beer will cost between €12.60 and €14.90, resulting in an estimated €77M in sales.

As the home page describes,, each Oktoberfest “begins with a parade led by the Munich mayor and the ‘Münchner Kindl’ (Munich child, the city’s mascot, usually portrayed by a girl). Then comes the ceremonial tapping of the first beer keg at 12 noon. That honor goes to the mayor, who shouts out the traditional cry of ‘O’zapft is!’ (‘It is tapped!’) Only then can the start flowing and the festivities begin.”

The Oktoberfest grounds, which resemble a state fair, are enclosed by a fence and offer security through Die Polizei (police). Dozens of rides and attractions fill the grounds. Admission to the area is free; rides, table reservations, food and beverages are available for purchase. AAA Translation has helped many Americans who are planning to visit the Oktoberfest to fill out their applications to reserve a table at one of the many beer tents, as those are only provided in German.

Visitors can easily spend multiple days at Das Oktoberfest with unique happenings every day. Organizers continue to balance tradition and enhancing the festival with new and interesting attractions. For example, this year, Paulaner Beer opted to serve all-organic hens at its Paulaner Festzelt, said msn.com. Roasted chicken has been among the most popular festival foods, but the organic hen cost 20.50 euros ($22), about 50% more than the nonorganic hen.

Additional food and drink abound at various Festzelte or Beer Festival Tents, which are more like buildings. Visitors may buy ox roasted on a revolving spit, famous “fish on a stick” or Steckerlfisch , pork Bratwurst , Knödel (Bavarian dumplings), or cake and pastries. Two popular beer tents are Hofbräu-Festzelt , run by the famous Hofbräuhaus and Löwenbräu-Festzelt , the “lion’s brew” tent, displaying a large lion above the entrance to welcome all – specifically soccer fans.

Three other tents of note are:

• Wiesn-Festzelt is the largest and oldest tent. Rich with history, it features hearty brass music and dance floors for polka-ing and beer from stone mugs.
• Hacker-Festzelt is warm and welcoming, featuring many familiar scenes from Munich daily living in the city.
• Marstall Festzelt honors the equestrian roots of the Oktoberfest, following in the “gallop-prints” of the Hippodrome. The Marstall, a court riding-school built by Leo von Klenze, gathered aristocratic equestrians 200 years ago.

Oktoberfest Throughout Germany and Beyond

For those who would like to experience a true German Oktoberfest outside Munich, try:

• The Cannstatter Volksfest (Cannstatter Wasen) in Stuttgart is the second largest beer festival and fair in Germany, with about 4.5 million annual visitors. It starts a week later than Oktoberfest.
• Also consider the Cranger Kirmes in Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia; the Rheinkirmes in Düsseldorf, and the Freimarkt in Bremen in northern Germany.

An estimated 100 Oktoberfest events happen around the world, happening in areas as far-reaching as Yokohama , Japan ; Windhoek, Namibia ; Melbourne , Australia ; Cordoba, Argentina ; and Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, says Nice News. Wherever you travel, k eep in mind AAA Translation for culture and localization questions to best enjoy your cultural interactions.