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 Oktoberfest was first celebrated in Munich in 1810, and commemorates the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig. (Shutterstock) |
Prost! Cheers! Salud! It's Oktoberfest time. Yes, yes, we know the annual beer festival is traditionally a Bavarian event, most closely associated with Germany, but that hasn't stopped citizens -- German and otherwise -- in other countries from staging their own parties complete with kegs of beer, schnitzel, and a toast to health and good times in their own language.
Oktoberfest is celebrated in at least a dozen countries around the world including Mexico, China (Hong Kong) and Ireland. Germany has the world's two biggest Oktoberfests (in Munich and Hannover) with six million and one million annual visitors respectively. The biggest and best known in Canada takes place in Kitchener-Waterloo and attracts about 700,000 visitors, while in the U.S., no fewer than 32 cities (most in the states of Texas, Ohio, Wisconsin, and California) celebrate Oktoberfest.
Despite the name, some of these annual beer-drinking festivals begin in September. Cincinnati, Ohio's Oktoberfest, said to be the largest in the U.S., has already come and gone (Sept 19-20), while in Munich, Germany, the festival is in full swing, having started on Saturday.
Here's a sample of what's on now, or coming up soon:
MUNICH
Oktoberfest was first celebrated in this German city in 1810, and commemorates the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Strict regulations about brewing beer have been in place here since the 16th century, when Duke William IV in 1516 decreed that only water, hops and barley should be used to brew Bavarian beer.
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Today, Munich's Oktoberfest is the granddaddy of all beer festivals. Six million litres of beer will be drunk by the festival's end. The 176th annual event runs to Oct. 4 with free entry into the beer and food tents, and a litre of beer costing about $13.
Organizers advise arriving as early as possible, preferably before 2:30 p.m. weekdays, and in the mornings on weekends, otherwise you may encounter line-ups or not get into the tents at all.
Among the new attractions this year is The Tower, a big playground where you can see a "volcano" erupt or travel through space with 3D glasses, or get a great view of Oktoberfest and Munich from 28 metres above the ground. Or take a ride on the Silberturm and experience a "free fall" or "jumping effect."
For more, check oktoberfest.de. For details on Germany's second largest Oktoberfest celebration in Hannover, check oktoberfest-hannover.de.
KITCHENER-WATERLOO
"Canada's Greatest Bavarian Festival" as it's billed, is close to home, in Kitchener-Waterloo, just an hour from Toronto. This year's event runs from Oct. 9-17 with 15 Festhallen serving beer and Bavarian food such as Oktoberfest sausage on a bun, schnitzel, pretzels, and cabbage rolls.
Highlights include the opening ceremonies, when the official keg is tapped, and the Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade on Oct. 12 -- a nationally televised event, which attracts 15,000 spectators who line King St., to watch the colourful floats, marching bands and other performers.
Don't miss Canada's polka king Walter Ostanek, a three-time Grammy-Award winner, who will entertain crowds during the festival.
Many other events have been planned including a barrel race, treasure hunt, fashion show, a Miss Oktoberfest gala ball, a car show, and a chance to see Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Black Forest Band on Oct. 3. For more, check oktoberfest.ca.
HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
Oktoberfest in Asia? Who'd have guessed? The 17th-annual event takes place Oct. 6-11 at the Windsor Plaza Ballroom. Trendwalder, an authentic Bavarian group that puts an "unconventional twist" on traditional songs, is back this year and is sure to get crowds on the dance floor. Other activities include German games, draws and prizes and a buffet with German sausages, pork roast, pretzels, and imported Krombacher and Schneiderweisse wheat beer. Last year's event attracted more than 9,000 people who consumed 10,000 litres of beer. Check oktoberfestvietnam.com
BLUMENAU, BRAZIL
Several Brazilian cities, with populations of German descendants, celebrate Oktoberfest.
The festival in Blumenau, a city founded by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau in 1850, is said to be the biggest. The first Oktoberfest here was in 1984 but its popularity has grown and now attracts about a million people.
The event, from Oct. 1-18, includes music, dance, food, and, of course, plenty of beer or "liquid gold," available at the Bierwagen (beer wagon) located downtown in the evenings.
WRITER@INTERLOG.COM