In the News: Celebrate Oktoberfest

The largest of all beer festivals, Munich's two-week extravaganza draws about seven million thirsty travelers to the Bavarian capital. It is said that Munich has five seasons; Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall and Oktoberfest. From September 20 to October 5, 14 beer halls, some seating 10,000, others smaller, will serve beer from six Munich breweries with roast pork, chicken and potato pancakes, while bands continuously play German oompah and other music genre. The beer halls are themed: one displays rural Bavarian scenes, one is horse-themed, one is family-friendly, another lures celebrities and some specialize, serving only duck, venison, seafood or cheese.

Oktoberfest began on October 12, 1810 with the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig, who later became King Ludwig I. His marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen was celebrated in Bavaria. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. The fields have been named Theresienwiese ("Theresa's fields") in honor of the Crown Princess ever since, although the locals have since abbreviated the name simply to the "Wies'n".

This celebration of beer, bratwurst and Bavarian culture is enthusiastically embraced by

many without a drop of German blood. There are Oktoberfest celebration all across the United States. Below are a few of the more interesting ones.

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati in Cincinnati
The nation's biggest Oktoberfest and second largest in the world. The celebration draws over 500,000 people each year. The free festival on September 19-21 offers seven stages of live German music, 1,300 barrels of beer and 30 food vendors selling schnitzels, strudels and other specialties. It kicks off with the Running of the Wieners, where dachshunds in hot dog bun costumes race to their owners. Other races include humans running carrying full steins of beer in each fist and rolling beer barrels. First held in 1976, it honors the German immigrants who founded the city's meat-packing, brewing, machine and building trade industries in the 19th century.

Wurstfest in New Braunfels, Texas
This small Texas Hill Country city, settled by Germans in 1845, lures over 100,000 people to its annual 10 day celebration of German sausages, music, beer, crafts and costumes, to be held November 7-16. It's a far cry from its humble origin in 1961 as a one-day Sausage Festival that drew 2,000. Special events during the festival range from tours of a village of 18 restored 19th-century structures once used by Germans and an exhibit about Grimm fairy tales at the Sophienburg Museum to a sailing regatta and a polka-dance contest.

Oktoberfest in Helen, Georgia
The banks of the Chattahoochee River come to life in Helen, Georgia in fall with ompah music and Bavarian bier. Every year since 1970 Georgia's most famous Oktoberfest transforms tranquil Helen into the ultimate north Georgia party town. Polka with dancers in native costume, eat Bavarian food and enjoy the festival into the wee hours of the morning. Helen, Georgia became known as a tourist capital shortly after changing its appearance to look like a town in the Bavarian Alps. Helen expanded the party to six weeks, including the popular leaf-change season.

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