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46-521: Maifest, similar to Oktoberfest , has now become a popular celebration throughout the world. Several communities in the United States celebrate Maifest yearly. It has been celebrated in Cincinnati , Ohio , since 1873. Brenham, Texas , has celebrated Maifest since 1880. Over the years, the celebration has become a community-wide tradition, drawing spectators and participants from all parts of

92-557: A Steckerlfisch grilling, a chain swing and a cotton candy stand. Included in the price of admission, an animal tent and the racecourse could be visited next to the museum. The animal tent included, among other things, a petting zoo, and was managed by the Hellabrunn Zoo and the Bavarian Farmers Association. The Munich Stadtmuseum took over the design of the museum tent. The Oktoberfest anniversary

138-654: A social outcast who was killed in the explosion, was the sole perpetrator. However, both this account and the number of perpetrators are strongly disputed by various groups. To keep the Oktoberfest, especially the beer tents, amicable for the elderly and families, the concept of the "quiet Oktoberfest" was developed in 2005. Until 6:00 pm, the orchestras in the tents only play brass music (for example traditional folk music). Only after that may Schlager pop or electric music be played, which had led to excessively raucous behaviour in earlier years. The music played in

184-643: A 12-gun salute is followed by the tapping of the first keg of Oktoberfest beer by the Mayor of Munich with the proclamation " O'zapft is! " ("It's tapped!" in the Austro-Bavarian dialect ). The Mayor then gives the first litre of beer to the Minister-President of the State of Bavaria . The first mayor to tap a keg was Thomas Wimmer . Before the festival officially starts, parades are held with

230-478: A Greek delegation came. It inspired them for the Zappas Olympics , which became in 1896 the modern Olympic Games. Later, the Oktoberfest was lengthened, and the date pushed forward because days are longer and warmer at the end of September . The horse race continued until 1960, and the agricultural show still exists today and is held every four years in the southern part of the festival grounds. To honour

276-508: A football club. However, the group was welcomed by the owners and waiters who enjoyed having them, and so the meet-up became an annual event. Rosa Wiesn is now one of the major events in the LGBT calendar in Germany with Gay Sunday alone attracting over 8,000 LGBT festival-goers. It is now the second-biggest LGBT event to take place after Christopher Street Day . The story of the entry of

322-568: A special exclusively brewed dark beer, which was made after a historic recipe from the early 19th century. The beer mugs in the beer tents did not have the company logo of the breweries, but rather the inscription "Munich beer". Unlike the usual Oktoberfest, the Historic Wiesn closed at 8 pm. Instead of the 300,000 guests estimated by the city council, well over half a million visitors came. The festival site had to be temporarily closed several times due to overcrowding. According to

368-463: Is also a wide variety of traditional foods available. Oktoberfest originally took place in the 16-day period leading up to the first Sunday in October. In 1994, this longstanding schedule was modified in response to German reunification . As a result, if the first Sunday in October falls on the 1st or the 2nd, then the festival runs until 3 October ( German Unity Day which is a public holiday). Thus,

414-468: Is an important part of local culture, having been held since the year 1810 (with intermissions). Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations that are modeled after the original Munich event. During the event, large quantities of Oktoberfest Beer are consumed: in 2014, 7.7 million L (2.0 million US gal) were served. Visitors also enjoy numerous attractions, such as amusement rides, side stalls, and games. There

460-469: Is the world's largest Volksfest , featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival , and is held annually in Munich , Bavaria , from mid- or late-September to the first Sunday in October. The annual event attracts more than seven million international and national visitors at its peak. Locally, it is called d'Wiesn , after the colloquial name for the fairgrounds, Theresienwiese . Oktoberfest

506-552: The Münchner Kindl , followed by the incumbent mayor of Munich in the Schottenhammel family carriage since 1950. This is followed by the decorated horse carriages and floats of the breweries and the carriages of the other restaurateurs and showmen. The music bands from the beer tents accompany the parade. After the parade of the restaurateurs on carriages from downtown to the festival grounds, at exactly 12:00 clock

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552-545: The State Police on behalf of the National Prosecutor General as of 2022 which had been stalled for several decades in between. This is the second-deadliest terrorist attack in the history of Germany after the Munich massacre . Federal and state law enforcement authorities initiated numerous official inquiries, concluding that a right-wing extremist , Gundolf Köhler , from Donaueschingen ,

598-511: The statue of Bavaria has watched over the Oktoberfest. This worldly Bavarian patron was first sketched by Leo von Klenze in a classic style and Ludwig Michael Schwanthaler romanticised and Germanised the draft. The statue was constructed by Johann Baptist Stiglmaier and Ferdinand von Miller . In 1853, the Bavarian Ruhmeshalle was completed. In 1854, the festival was cancelled after 3,000 residents of Munich including

644-467: The 21st century always begin in the Bräurosl tent on the first Sunday. A pipe bomb was set off in a dustbin near the toilets at the main entrance on 26 September 1980 at 22:19. The bomb consisted of an empty fire extinguisher filled with 1.39 kilograms of TNT and mortar shells . Thirteen people were killed and over 225 were injured, 68 seriously. The case is still under criminal investigation by

690-624: The Central Agricultural Exhibition claims the location once more on the Theresienwiese in 2016. The Rosa Wiesn , also known as Gay Oktoberfest, refers to a number of annual LGBT events which take place throughout the Oktoberfest period in Munich . The main feature event is in the Bräurosl (Hacker-Pschorr) tent on the first Sunday and is sometimes called 'Gay Sunday'. Other events take place throughout

736-563: The Munich City Council Decision on 16 October 2012, the entry fee for the Historical Oktoberfest, now called Oide Wiesn ( Bavarian for "old fairground"), in 2013 was to be three euros again. For the first time a re-entry was possible with the tickets. The historic rides in 2013 required a 1 Euro fee. Other changes made at that Munich City Council meeting were that the musicians' tent increased

782-539: The Oktoberfest restaurateurs and breweries for the opening of the Oktoberfest began in 1887, when the then manager, Hans Steyrer, first marched from his meadow to the Tegernseer Landstraße with his staff, a brass band and a load of beer to the Theresienwiese . In its current form, the parade has taken place since 1935, where all the breweries first took part. Since then, the parade is led by

828-425: The Oktoberfest grew from year to year. The horse races were accompanied by tree climbing, bowling alleys, and swings and other attractions. In 1818, carnival booths appeared; the main prizes awarded were of silver, porcelain , and jewelry. The city fathers assumed responsibility for festival management in 1819, and it was decided that Oktoberfest become an annual event. In 1832, the date was moved some weeks later, as

874-455: The afternoon is limited to 85 decibels . With these rules, the organisers of the Oktoberfest were able to curb the tumultuous party mentality and preserve the traditional beer-tent atmosphere. In 2005 Germany's last traveling enterprise amusement ride, the Mondlift , returned to the Oktoberfest. Starting in 2008, a new Bavarian law was passed to ban smoking in all enclosed spaces open to

920-634: The community. The beginning of Maifest is treated as a town holiday, with Brenham ISD releasing students early on the Friday before. The town of Hermann, Missouri , also celebrates Maifest, on the third weekend of May. Maifest is also a month-long festival in the town of Leavenworth, Washington , a tourist town based on a bavarian village This German festival article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Oktoberfest Oktoberfest ( German pronunciation: [ɔkˈtoːbɐˌfɛst] ; Bavarian : Wiesn, Oktobafest )

966-408: The festival now runs for 17 days when the first Sunday is 2 October and 18 days when it is 1 October. In 2010, the festival lasted until the first Monday in October (4 October), to mark the event's bicentennial. Kronprinz Ludwig (1786–1868), later King Ludwig I (reign: 1825–1848), married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on 12 October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend

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1012-489: The festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the royal event. The fields were named " Theresienwiese " ("Theresa's Meadow") in honour of the Crown Princess, and have kept that name ever since, although the locals have abbreviated the name simply to Wiesn . Horse races, in the tradition of the 15th-century Scharlachrennen ("Scarlet Race at Karlstor"), were held on 18 October to honor

1058-533: The fire department and other municipal authorities in the service centre at the Behördenhof (authorities' court), a large building specially built for the Oktoberfest at the east side of the Theresienwiese , just behind the tents. There is also a station for lost and found children, a lost property office, a security point for women and other public services. Since the 1970s, local German gay organizations have organized "Gay Days" at Oktoberfest, which since

1104-425: The first beer was served in glass mugs in 1892. At the end of the 19th century, a re-organization took place. Until then, there were games of skittles , large dance floors, and trees for climbing in the beer booths. Organizers wanted more room for guests and musicians which resulted in the booths becoming beer halls which are still used today. In 1887, the parade of the Oktoberfest staff and breweries took place for

1150-412: The first time. This event showcases the splendidly decorated horse teams of the breweries and the bands that play in the festival tents. This event always takes place on the first Saturday of the Oktoberfest and serves as the official prelude to the Oktoberfest celebration. At the 100th anniversary of Oktoberfest in 1910, an estimated 120,000 litres of beer were consumed. Three years later, the Bräurosl

1196-459: The horse races, spectacle, and celebrations in 1811 launched what is now the annual Oktoberfest tradition. The fairground, once outside the city, was chosen due to its natural suitability, which it still holds today. The Sendlinger Hill (today Theresienhohe ) was used as a grandstand for 40,000 race spectators. The festival grounds remained undeveloped, except for the king's tent. The tastings of "Traiteurs" and other wine and beer took place above

1242-497: The marriage of Prince Ludwig and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen , a parade took place for the first time in 1810. Since 1850, the parade has become an annual event and an important component of the Oktoberfest. Eight thousand people—mostly from Bavaria—and dressed in traditional costumes walk from Maximilian Street through the centre of Munich to the Oktoberfest grounds. The march is led by the Münchner Kindl . Since 1850,

1288-523: The mayor of Munich Dieter Reiter announced the cancellation of the 2020 Oktoberfest due to the COVID-19 pandemic . On 3 May 2021, Söder and Reiter announced that the Oktoberfest hiatus would be extended, deferring the next one to 2022. Söder noted the unfeasibility of social distancing in the festival's beer tents, adding, "Imagine there was a new wave and it then became a super-spreader event. The brand would be damaged forever, and we don't want that." On

1334-473: The newlyweds. It is widely believed that Andreas Michael Dall'Armi, a major in the National Guard, proposed the idea. However, the origins of the horse races, and Oktoberfest itself, may have stemmed from proposals offered by Franz Baumgartner, a coachman and sergeant in the National Guard. The precise origins of the festival and horse races remain a matter of controversy. However, the decision to repeat

1380-509: The number of indoor seats from 1000 to 1,500. Outside tent seating increased from 800 to 1,000. They also supported the Showman Foundation with a contribution of €200,000, so it could run a museum tent, a velodrome, as well as a children's program. Also in 2013, the total festival area was enlarged and attractive entrances were added. Lastly, according to a City Council decision, there will be an Oide Wiesn again in 2015 before

1426-808: The occasion of the 200th anniversary in 2010 a so-called Historisches Oktoberfest (Historical Oktoberfest) was designed on the site of the Central Agricultural Festival at the south end of the Theresienwiese . It opened one day before the official Oktoberfest with the traditional keg tapping by the Lord Mayor. Due to the popularity of the Oide Wiesn , it was established as a permanent feature from 2011. The comprehensive five acres of fenced grounds presented historic rides, beer tents and other historical attractions such as

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1472-403: The public. Because of problems enforcing the anti-smoking law in the big tents, an exception was granted to the Oktoberfest in 2008, although the sale of tobacco was not allowed. After heavy losses in the 2008 local elections, with the smoking ban being a big issue in political debates, the state's ruling party implemented general exemptions to beer tents and small pubs. The change in regulations

1518-554: The queen consort died during a cholera epidemic. There was no Oktoberfest in 1866 because Bavaria was involved in the Austro-Prussian War . In 1870, the Franco-Prussian War again forced the cancellation of the festival. In 1873, the festival was cancelled due to yet another cholera epidemic. In 1880, electric light illuminated more than 400 booths and tents. In 1881, booths selling Bratwurst opened, and

1564-625: The regime's consolidation of power. In 1938, after Hitler had annexed Austria and won the Sudetenland via the Munich Agreement , Oktoberfest was renamed to Großdeutsches Volksfest (Greater German folk festival), and as a showing of strength, the Nazi regime transported people from Sudetenland to the Wiesn by the score. During World War II , from 1939 to 1945, no Oktoberfest

1610-493: The singing of a student choir. The first horse to cross the finish line belonged to Franz Baumgartner (one of the purported festival initiators). Horse racing champion and Minister of State Maximilian von Montgelas presented Baumgartner with his gold medal. In 1811, a show was added to promote Bavarian agriculture. In 1813, the festival was canceled due to the involvement of Bavaria in the Napoleonic Wars , after which

1656-410: The southern part of the festival grounds. A specially brewed beer (solely available at the tents of the historical Oktoberfest), horse races, and a museum tent gave visitors an impression of how the event felt two centuries ago. In 2013, 6.4 million people visited Oktoberfest, and visitors were served 6.7 million litres of beer. On 21 April 2020, Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder and

1702-501: The tents. The blanket smoking ban did not take effect until 2011, but all tents instituted the smoking ban in 2010 to do a "dry run" to identify any unforeseeable issues. The year 2010 marked the Oktoberfest Bicentennial. For the anniversary, a horse race in historical costumes was held on opening day. A so-called historische Wiesn (historical Oktoberfest) took place, starting one day earlier than usual on

1748-507: The traditional marksmen's clubs, beer-tent waitresses, and landlords participating. There are two different parades which both end at the Theresienwiese . They start around 9:45 a.m. to 10.50 am. During Oktoberfest, some locals wear Bavarian hats ( Tirolerhüte ), which contain a tuft of chamois hair ( Gamsbart ). Historically, in Bavaria chamois hair was highly valued and prized. The more tufts of chamois hair on one's hat,

1794-471: The visitors in the stands on the hill. Before the race started, a performance was held in homage to the bridegroom and of the royal family in the form of a train of 16 pairs of children dressed in Wittelsbach costumes, and costumes from the nine Bavarian townships and other regions. This was followed by the punishing race with 30 horses on a 3,400 metres (11,200 ft) long racetrack, and concluded with

1840-577: The wealthier one was considered to be. Due to modern technology, this tradition has declined with the appearance of chamois hair imitations on the market. For medical treatment of visitors, the Bavarian branch of the German Red Cross operates an aid facility and provides emergency medical care on the festival grounds, staffed with around 100 volunteer medics and doctors per day. They serve together with special detachments of Munich police ,

1886-480: The weeks of the festival with some requiring a pre-booking. These include meet and greets, Lion's night ( Löwennacht ), brunches and cultural programmes. The tradition of Rosa Wiesn traces its origins to the 1970s when friends of the Munich Lion's Club, MLC ( Münchner Löwen Club ), a leather and fetish society, first booked the balcony at the Bräurosl festival tent and were mistaken to have been

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1932-610: Was accompanied by an artistic and cultural program, in which for example the Biermösl Blosn (local entertainers) performed. The bands performing in the relatively small Herzkasperl Festzelt — offering 850 seats—had to do without electrical amplification. The fest-tent name derives from a famous stage character of the actor Jörg Hube , who died in 2009. The six main Munich breweries Augustiner , Hacker-Pschorr , Hofbräu , Löwenbräu , Paulaner and Spaten presented

1978-508: Was aimed in particular to benefit the large tents of the Oktoberfest: smoking in the tents is still legal, but the tents usually have non-smoking areas. The sale of tobacco in the tents is now legal, but is widely boycotted by mutual agreement. However, in early 2010, a referendum held in Bavaria as a result of a popular initiative re-instituted the original, strict, smoking ban of 2008; thus, no beer will be sold to people caught smoking in

2024-453: Was cancelled due to hyperinflation . During National Socialism , Oktoberfest was used as part of Nazi propaganda . In 1933, Jews were forbidden to work on the Wiesn . Two years later, Oktoberfest's 125th anniversary was celebrated with all the frills. The main event was a big parade. The slogan proud city—cheerful country was meant to show the alleged overcoming of differences between social classes, and can be seen as an example of

2070-401: Was celebrated. Following the war, from 1946 to 1948, Munich celebrated only the "Autumn Fest". The sale of proper Oktoberfest beer—2% stronger in gravity than normal beer—was not permitted; guests could only drink normal beer. Since its foundation, there have been 26 years in which it was canceled. Since 1950, the festival has always been opened with the same traditional procedure: At noon,

2116-404: Was founded, which at that time was the largest pavilion ever built, accommodating approximately 12,000 people. Due to World War I , Oktoberfest was temporarily suspended from 1914 to 1918. The two years after the war, in 1919 and 1920, Oktoberfest was replaced by the so-called kleineres Herbstfest (which can be translated as "smaller autumn celebration"), and in 1923 and 1924 the Oktoberfest

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