Saturday, September 20th marks the first day of this year’s Oktoberfest celebrations in Munich, Germany, and beer-lovers from all over will stumble through the streets of the Bavarian capital in celebration of suds and brats until October 5th.
Lost your lederhosen and unable to attend? Never fear, gentle reader, as we’ve rounded up the most impressive Oktoberfest stats. Bottom’s up!
Getting started
Kick-off occurs at 12 noon, when the Mayor of Munich taps the first keg. Per tradition, he’ll shout “O’zapft is!” to announce “It’s tapped!” and offer the glass to the Minister-President of the State of Bavaria, and only then will the 181st Oktoberfest be officially underway.
Historically drinking
The first Oktoberfest took place in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. They invited the whole town to the party, and for the next 200-odd years Theresienwiese (a square in downtown Munich, named for the princess) has been the place to be for dirndl’d drinking, brat boofing and stein mining. In the last 204 years, the party’s been cancelled a total of 24 times … due to wars and stuff. In times of peace and pleasantness, the holiday allows for more than just massive consumption — Oktoberfest is a chance for Bavarians to show off their local music and moves, and parades, concerts and costume parties are organized throughout the two-week-and-a-touch run.
By the numbers
Theresienwiese’s been transformed into a fairground of sorts, with 14 large beer tents, and 20 smaller tents. They’ve got seating for 100,000 (the largest tent can hold 10,000 people alone), but with 7.2 million attendees expected this year, you’d better show before 11am to grab a spot.
What’s the crowd eating? Brats, and lots of ’em; last year 550,000 spit-roasted chickens were served, as well as 300,000 pork sausages. But more importantly, how much are they drinking? Over 1.8 million gallons of beer — that’s the equivalent of three Olympic-sized swimming pools full of suds.
Where’s all that food and booze end up? In more than half a mile of urinals (as well as 980 sit-down toilets), and as 1,000 tons of trash. And don’t even think of indulging in a pee-behind-a-tree; the fine for public urination is $130, and the next two weeks of ticketing are expected to yield the city of Munich more than a hundred grand.
On the ground
Beer’s served from 9am or 10am to 11:30pm or midnight, depending on the day, and entrance to beer tents is free (though seating comes with the expectation each person purchases at least two liters of beer and one roast chicken). All that frothy goodness is sure to please both you and the locals — last year’s Oktoberfest yielded $1.4 billion in revenue.
In your stein
Only beer brewed within the city limits of Munich’s allowed to be served, so expect golden goodness from one of six breweries on tap. And don’t even think about trying to swipe your stein — last year 110,000 folks were foiled as they made an attempt at a sweet souvenir.
On your plate
Sides like soft pretzels, kraut and warm potato salad will leave you salivating, but Munich’s main attraction is artery-clogging meaty goodness. Traditional bratwurst, made from pork, will be on offer both fresh and smoked, but they aren’t the only sausage sizzling; check out the blutwurst if you’re game to try one made with blood and tongue, knockwurst if you’re a garlic lover, bockwurst for a variety of white pork with chives and green onions, and frankfurters for a more American taste (albeit in a natural sheep casing not often seen stateside).
