Get ready for the world’s biggest beer festival, Oktoberfest 2016. The festival will be held from September 17 to October 3, 2016, at Theresienwiese grounds in Munich, Germany.
To fans, Oktoberfest is more than 3 weeks of drinking, eating and making merry at the biggest fair in the world. The popularity of the festival can be judged by the fact that more than 6.5 million people attended the festival in 2013!
Oktoberfest Basics!
Oktoberfest is usually organised in September and is wrapped-up by the first Sunday in October. The festival is held for a period of at least 16 days. The official ceremonial inauguration of this year’s festival will be held on Saturday, 17th September, at noon when Munich’s prime mayor Dieter Reiter will tap the first barrel and cry ‘O’zapft is’ meaning ‘It’s Open’ at the Schottenhamel Tent.
Although not mandatory, getting dressed in the traditional Bavarian attire is part of the cultural experience at the festival. Many locals choose to wear the traditional dress Trachten, with men wearing the suspendered leather trouser lederhosen and woman wearing Bavarian Dirndl.
This year, the festival grounds will see around 524 businesses, of which 127 will food joints, 115 will be carnies and 249 will be market stands and vendors.
Drinks
Beer will take the centre stage at the festival, with 14 large tents and 22 small tents with different themes offering a variety of beer to visitors. However, some tents also have few wine and champagne options.
Food
The festival offers plenty of good food to visitors. The classic ‘Wiesn-Hendl’ (grilled chicken) with French Fries is definitely a must-try, so is the slow-roasted, butterbasted chicken. Many tents offer popular delicacies, including pretzels, sausages and desserts, to visitors. Traditional Bavarian specialties including roast chicken, horseradish, pork sausages and fish are very popular throughout the festival.
Other Activities
Oktoberfest is dedicated to drinking, eating and merry-making. However, there are plenty of other activities besides drinking that complete the ‘carnival’ experience. Every once in a while, visitors can go out of the tents and stroll through the vast fairgrounds. There is a plethora of rides and games for visitors and children of all ages. The festival also includes many special events that are of traditional importance to the locals.
Special Events
This year, a parade of the tent patrons will be held on the opening day prior to the ceremonial inauguration. A huge traditional costume parade across Munich will be held the following day. On September 22, a customary religious Oktoberfest mass will be held, while a traditional concert of the Oktoberfest brass-bands will be held on September 25. A time-honoured gun-salute will be witnessed on the steps of the Bavaria monument on October 2. The tickets’ price of all rides and performances will be lower on the two ‘family days’ in this year’s fest, which are September 20 and 27.
