The first Oktoberfest, according to representatives of Oktoberfest Munchen, a 16-day festival held in Germany, celebrated the Oct. 12, 1810 marriage of King Joseph Maximilian of Bavaria and Princess Therese of the Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The celebration was held just outside the gates of the city and was commemorated by an original coin featuring a representation of the couple.
One year later, the first agricultural exhibition was hosted in conjunction with Oktoberfest, and today the Central Agricultural Festival is still held in Munchen every third year during the Oktoberfest.
Beer booths surfaced in 1818 and were replaced by huge beer halls and tents by 1896. In 1996, Oktoberfest Munchen lasted 16 days and drew 6 million visitors who consumed an estimated 5.3 million liters of beer, 663,000 chickens and 380,000 sausages at 14 beer halls.
Families can spice up their own Oktoberfest celebration with a holiday menu featuring brats, sauerkraut, German chocolate cake, and, of course, a refreshing stein of beer!
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What Happened the Year You Were Born?
Updated 28 August 1998
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