The 2-week Bavarian festival known for drinking beer and general merrymaking runs though to October 6—it’s Oktoberfest!
Oktoberfest started over 200 years ago in 1810. It began as part of wedding festivals of Bavarian King Ludwig I and his bride Theresie with the main activity in those days being horse racing. The races proved so popular that it became an annual event. Over time, rides replaced horses, beer-drinking became the dominant activity, and the festival slowly grew from one day to a full two weeks.
Beer has always been popular in Munich, Germany—the heart of the official festival—because the quality of the drinking water is so poor. Since germs are killed in the brewing process, beer came to be seen as safer than water. At Oktoberfest time, the beer may kill even more germs since it contains 1 percent more alcohol than regular beer.
Because the Bavarian winter can set in early, even snowing by mid-October, Oktoberfest starts toward the end of September lasting to the beginning of October. This 2013 dates are Sept. 21 - Oct. 6.
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