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Octoberfest is the world's largest fair held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is
a 16-day festival running from late September to the first weekend in October with more
than 6 million people from around the world attending the event every year. The Oktoberfest
is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. Other cities
across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the original Munich event.
The festival is held in an area named the Theresienwiese, located near Munich's center.
Large quantities of Oktoberfest Beer are consumed, with almost 7 million litres served during
the 16 day festival in 2007. Visitors may also enjoy a wide variety of traditional food.
The first Oktoberfest took place on the 12 October 1810, to celebrate the marriage of
Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen. All citizens of
Munich were invited to a meadow situated in front of the city tower. In the early years
of the fair, horse races were held, then as the event grew, included agricultural conventions,
which still take place every fourth year.
In 1896, businessmen working with the breweries in Munich built the first giant beer tents
at Oktoberfest, and drinking has been the primary focus since. Each of the major breweries
presides over its own large tent filled with traditional musicians leading the crowd in
well-known drinking chants, incredibly strong barmaids hoisting ten or more huge Mas
(1 liter glass beer mugs that are heavy even when empty!), and a spate of drunken people
all trying to get into the bathroom at once. There are currently fourteen large tents and
twenty small tents at the Oktoberfest. The tents are non-permanent structures which are
constructed for and only used during the festival.