The Munich Oktoberfest
20th September - 5th October 2003
The Munich Oktoberfest is the biggest public festival in the world and will be held in 2003 for the 170th time. Each year, the Oktoberfest is attended by around 6 million visitors, who drink around 5 million liters of beer and consume over 200,000 pairs of pork sausages - mostly in the "beer tents" put up by the traditional Munich breweries(酿酒厂).
At the foot of the Bavaria statue, the huge Oktoberfest grounds also provide carousels(喧闹的酒会), roller coasters(过山车) and all the spectacular fun of the fair for the enjoyment and excitement of visitors of all ages.
The festivities are accompanied by a program of events, including the Grand Entry of the Oktoberfest Landlords and Breweries and the Costume and Riflemen's Procession.
The History of the Oktoberfest dates back to the 19th century. Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12th October 1810. 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.
Horse races in the presence of the Royal Family marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest.
In 1811 an added feature to the horse races was the first Agricultural Show, designed to boost Bavarian agriculture
The horse races, which were the oldest and the most popular event of the festival are no longer held today. But the Agricultural Show is still held every three years during the Oktoberfest on the southern part of the festival grounds.
In the first few decades the choice of amusements was sparse. The first carousel and two swings were set up in 1818. Visitors were able to quench their thirst at small beer stands which grew rapidly in number. In 1896 the beer stands were replaced by the first beer tents and halls set up by enterprising landlords with the backing of the breweries.
The remainder of the festival site was taken up by a fun-fair(游乐场). The range of carousels etc. on offer was already increasing rapidly in the 1870s as the fairground(露天市场)trade continued to grow and develop in Germany.
Today, the Oktoberfest is the largest festival in the world, with an international flavor characteristic of the 21th century: some 6 million visitors from all around the world converge on the Oktoberfest each year.