Oktoberfest Attractions:
Planning a cultural visit to Munich in September to attend the Oktoberfest? You may find this post really helpful if you are a first timer to the event. Let’s begin with its origin. Since its origin in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese in Bavaria, the anniversary celebrations of Oktoberfest have been held annually that eventually became larger and more elaborate every year. Though the main events of the original Oktoberfest were horseracing and agricultural show, but the Oktoberfest has now changed substantially. The horse race ended much before whereas the agricultural show comes up once in every four years.
The other events still continue of which beer tents and live music performed by
Oompah bands need a special mention. Here are some of the highlights of the traditional Oktoberfest in Munich.
Parades: The opening ceremony of the carnival traditionally begins with a parade
just before noon and ends at the oldest private tent, the Schottenhammel tent where the mayor opens the first barrel of beer and the celebration begins. Attendees of spectacular parades include the mayor and other civic leaders and it features horse-drawn brewer’s carts, bands, and local people in vintage costumes, roaming on the streets in traditional style floats and carriages.
Oktoberfest Beer and the beer tents: Munich’s six major brewers of the Oktoberfest are Hacker-Pschorr, Lowenbrau, Spaten, Hofbrauhaus, Augustiner, and Paulaner. The old traditional Maerzen beer that was served at the Prince’s
wedding in 1810 may be found in the seven halls but today, Oktoberfest beer is found lighter in color and texture than the traditional Maerzen style and is brewed in March-April every year
There you will find a series of beer tents at the Oktoberfest, some run by different Wiesn-hosts for years and some tents by the local breweries. These huge tents are the boozing zones where thousands of people toast their beer mugs to each other during the celebration. To get a seat here, you have to reserve a table in advance.
Music: Believe it or not, Oktoberfest has much more to offer than just boozing! Oktoberfest is as popular for its traditional folk music as it is for its beer festival. Music is an integral part of the celebrations and outside the beer tents, you will find brass bands playing upbeat hit numbers along with oompah classics which made German music so popular around the world.
Food: To enjoy Oktoberfest to the fullest, one must not miss the amazing food with veal, or pork, slices of beef, pieces of chicken, sauerkraut, different types of salads
