What is Oktoberfest?

Bayer Built Woodworks comes from a community and area strong in German heritage and as such Oktoberfest is a well-known celebration around our campus. However, do we all really know what Oktoberfest is?

Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival running from late September to the first weekend in October which started in Munich, Germany. The festival was initially started at a celebration for the marriage of the Bavarian prince. However, the popularity of the festival helped to spawn the annual event that is now known as Oktoberfest. While the official celebration takes places each year in Munich, German communities across the globe has also adopted their own variances of Oktoberfest, almost always featuring traditional German dishes, beers, desserts, games, and more.

Oktoberfest Fun Facts

Here are some fun facts about Oktoberfest from the city of Munich’s official website…

Oktoberfest was started in 1810 by Crown Prince Ludwig to celebrate his marriage to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.

The field where the Munich Oktoberfest celebration is held is named Theresienwiese (Theresa’s field) in honor of Princes Therese. It spans 42 acres.

Today, the Oktoberfest is the largest festival in the world; some 6 million visitors from all around the world converge on the Oktoberfest each year.

In 2012, Oktoberfest will host over 270 vendors, 130 carneys, and 120 caterers. The largest caterer’s booth can seat over 10,000 while the smallest will seat at least 60.

In 2011, Oktoberfest welcomed 6.9 million visitors who ate a total of 522,821 roasted chickens, 124,520 pork sausages, 69,903 pork knuckles, 118 oxen, and 92 veal. A record 7.1 million visitors celebrate the festival for its 175th anniversary in 1985.