The
OktoberfestOktoberfest is a 18-day festival held each year in Munich, Germany, running from late September to early October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year, and is an important part of Bavarian culture...
is a two-week festival held each year in
MunichMunich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
during late September and early October. It is attended by six million people each year and has inspired numerous similar events using the name
Oktoberfest in Germany and around the world, many of which were founded by German immigrants or their descendants.
Oktoberfest around the world
The largest Oktoberfest outside of Germany is the
Kitchener-Waterloo OktoberfestKitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest is an annual nine-day festival in the twin cities of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Based on the original German Oktoberfest, it is billed as Canada's Greatest Bavarian Festival...
in the twin cities of
KitchenerThe City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
and
WaterlooWaterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the larger city of Kitchener....
,
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(700,000+ visitors ). Other cities claiming to be the largest Oktoberfests outside of Germany include
BlumenauBlumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants...
,
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
(700,000+ visitors. and
CincinnatiCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. The municipality is located north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border. The population within city limits was estimated to be 333,336 in 2008, making it the state's third largest city...
,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(500,000+ visitors, ). Currently Oktoberfest is spreading to new geographical locations, starting in September 2007,
MontrealMontreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
began hosting its own Oktoberfest.
Brazil
In
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
, several southern cities, populated by German people in the 19th and 20th centuries, have their own Oktoberfest, with the biggest Oktobesfest outside Germany in
BlumenauBlumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants...
, celebrated annually in since 1984. There are 18 days of music, dance and food, commemorating Brazilian ancestors that came from Germany. In 10 days in 1984, 102,000 people (more than 30% of
BlumenauBlumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. It was founded on September 2, 1850 by Dr. Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau along with 17 German immigrants...
's population) attended and in 1992 more than 1,000,000. The average beer consumption was about one liter per person. The festival has since grown, with festivals also being held in,
Santa Catarinais a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in the country. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighboring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean,...
,
Santa Cruz do SulSanta Cruz do Sul is a city in central Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The city has approximately 130,000 inhabitants and sits about 150 km from the capital city of the state, Porto Alegre...
and
IgrejinhaIgrejinha is a town located in the Serra Gaúcha of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The city has approximately 31,000 inhabitants and sits about 82 km from the capital city of the state, Porto Alegre.-Oktoberfest:...
,
Rio Grande do SulRio Grande do Sul is the southernmost State of Brazil, and the State with the fourth highest Human Development Index in the country. In Rio Grande do Sul we can find the most southern city of the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay...
and Rolândia,
ParanáParaná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
Canada
In Canada there is an annual nine day celebration spread over 16 Festhallen in
Kitchener-WaterlooKitchener-Waterloo is an unofficial but ubiquitous name for the area in Southern Ontario, Canada, consisting of the twin cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, approximately 100 kilometres west of Toronto. The two cities grew into each other decades ago and their boundary cuts through streets,...
,
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
. Attracts over 700,000 visitors annually. While its best-known draws are the
beerBeer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereal grains—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize , and rice are widely...
-based celebrations, other cultural and entertainment attractions also fill the week. The most well-known is the
paradeA parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
held on Thanksgiving Day; as the only major parade on Canadian Thanksgiving, it is
televisedTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
nationally.
The twin cities and surrounding area have a long history of German roots; Kitchener was
formerly named BerlinThrough the latter half of the 19th century and into the first decade of the 20th, the City of Berlin, Ontario was a bustling industrial centre celebrating its German heritage...
. A large portion of the population identify themselves as being of German heritage, and many still speak
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
well. A common phrase at the celebrations is
GemütlichkeitGemütlichkeit is a German abstract noun that has been adopted into English. Its closest equivalent is the word "coziness"; however, rather than merely describing a place that is compact, well-heated and nicely furnished , Gemütlichkeit connotes the notion of belonging, social acceptance,...
, German for congeniality, or warm friendliness. This word is even programmed into the bus route displays, so during Oktoberfest it will show the route and Gemütlichkeit, or Willkommen.
United States
German-Americans are the single largest ethnicity in the United States, followed by those with Irish and English ancestry. Correspondingly, there are hundreds of large and small Oktoberfest celebrations right across the country, with the largest in Cincinnati,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
. There are major celebrations at Sertoma Field in Walhalla, South Carolina, the Delaware Saengerbund in
Newark, DelawareNewark is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, USA, 12 miles west-southwest of Wilmington. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 30,060...
; The Phoenix Club in
Anaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of January 1, 2009, the city population was about 348,467, making it the 10th most-populated city in California and ranked 54th in the United States. The city anticipates that the population will surpass 400,000 by 2014 due to rapid development...
;
Tempe Town LakeTempe Town Lake is a reservoir that occupies a portion of the often dry riverbed of the Salt River as it passes through the city of Tempe, Arizona just north of Tempe Butte.-History:...
in
Tempe, ArizonaTempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with a 2007 population of 174,091. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale on the north,...
;
Big Bear City, CaliforniaBig Bear City is an unincorporated, census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California immediately east of Big Bear Lake. The population was 5,779 at the 2000 census. Big Bear encompasses Census Tracts 113 and 114...
;
Campbell, CaliforniaCampbell is a city in Santa Clara County, California, a suburb of San Jose part of Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. As of 2007 population estimates, Campbell's population is 39,200...
;
San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 12th most populous city in the United States, with a 2008 estimated population of 808,976. It is the eighth most densely populated city in the U.S. and is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the larger San...
; Alpine Village in
Torrance, CaliforniaTorrance is a city located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance's 1.5 miles of attractive beach coastline is less well-known than those of its immediate neighbors to the North, Redondo Beach, or to the South, Palos Verdes Estates...
;
Denver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the state of Colorado, in the United States. Denver is a consolidated city-county located in the South Platte River Valley on the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
;
Melbourne, FloridaWickham Park is a public county park located at 2500 Parkway Drive, Melbourne, Florida. It contains diverse recreational facilities and amenities, including campgrounds, disc golf course, equestrian facilities, archery range, off-leash dog park, bicycle/jogging roadway, nature trails, exercise...
,
Helen, GeorgiaHelen is a city located on the Chattahoochee River in White County in the north of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the city's population was 420....
;
Cullman, AlabamaCullman is a city in Cullman County, Alabama, United States. It is located along Interstate 65, north of Birmingham, Alabama and south of Huntsville, Alabama...
;
Frankenmuth, MichiganFrankenmuth is a city in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,838 at the 2000 census. The 2008 census estimate places the population at 4,652. The city is located within Frankenmuth Township, but is politically independent. Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, which bills...
(The first Oktoberfest outside of Munich to be sanctioned by the Parliament and the City of Munich);
Hermann, MissouriHermann is a city designated in 1842 as the county seat of Gasconade County, Missouri, United States. It is near the center of the Missouri Rhineland and south of the Missouri River. The population was 2,674 at the 2000 census....
;
Germania ParkGermania Park or the "Deutscher Schul- und Gesangverein ", the German School and Singing Society, is a German-American cultural club that was established in 1895...
in
Rockaway Township, New JerseyRockaway Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 22,930.Rockaway Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1844, from portions of Hanover Township and Pequannock...
;
Irondequoit, New YorkIrondequoit is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the coterminus town-CDP had a total population of 52,354...
;
Hickory, North CarolinaHickory is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina. Hickory has the 162nd largest urban area in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a Metropolitan Statistical Area population of 341,851, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. The city's population was...
;
Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 45th-largest in the United States. With an estimated population of 385,635 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 916,079 residents projected to reach one million between 2010...
; Amana, Iowa; Mt. Angel, Oregon;
East Allegheny, Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaEast Allegheny, also known as Deutschtown, is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is part of the North Side region. It has a ZIP Code of 15212, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 1...
;
Newport, Rhode IslandNewport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States...
;
Addison, TexasAddison is a city in Dallas County, Texas . The population was 14,166 at the 2000 census. Addison is a northern suburb of Dallas. The city calls itself the Town of Addison but it is incorporated as a city.-Geography:...
;
Boerne, TexasBoerne is a city in the Hill Country of Texas in the United States. It is the county seat of Kendall County. Boerne was named in honor of Ludwig Börne, a German author and publicist, and its population was 6,178 at the 2000 census. The city is noted for the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case City...
;
Fredericksburg, TexasFredericksburg is a city in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,911 at the 2000 census, and 10,432 in the 2005 census estimate. It is the county seat of Gillespie County...
;
Galveston, TexasGalveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, the city had a total population of 57,466 within an area of...
;
Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. The United States Census estimated the city's population, excluding the included towns, at 798,382 in 2008...
;
Jasper, IndianaJasper is a city in Dubois County, Indiana, United States. The population was 12,100 at the 2000 census. The city has been the county seat of Dubois County, since 1830, succeeding Portersville. In 1970 the school system of Ireland, a hamlet west of Jasper along State Route 56, was consolidated into...
;
Seymour, IndianaSeymour is a city in Jackson County, Indiana, United States. The population was 18,101 at the 2000 census. Seymour is called the "Crossroads of America" because the North/South and East/West railroads cross in downtown....
;
Muenster, TexasMuenster is a city in Cooke County, Texas, United States, along U.S. Route 82. The population was 1,556 at the 2000 census.-History:In 1887 the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad constructed a line from Gainesville to Henrietta that passed through the site that would become Muenster...
(their version is called "Germanfest" and is held in April);
New Braunfels, TexasNew Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 36,494 as of the 2000 census, and...
(called Wurstfest) and
Shiner, TexasShiner is a city in Lavaca County, Texas, United States. The town was named after Henry B. Shiner who donated for railroad right of way. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 2,070....
as well as at least 11 Texas towns beyond those mentioned. Also
the Fremont neighborhood in Seattle, WAFremont is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. Originally a separate city, it was annexed to Seattle in 1891. Named after Fremont, Nebraska, the hometown of two of its founders, L. H. Griffith and E...
, also
Leavenworth, WashingtonLeavenworth is a city in Chelan County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,074 at the 2000 census.-History:...
;
Appleton, WisconsinAppleton is a city in Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, on the Fox River, 100 miles north of Milwaukee. The population was 70,087 at the 2000 census...
;
La Crosse, WisconsinLa Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The population of La Crosse was 51,818 at the 2000 census. Its 2008 final population estimate was 51,840...
and
Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and 23rd largest in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. Its estimated 2008 population was 604,477. Milwaukee is the main cultural and economic center of the...
, among many others.
Minster, OhioMinster is a village in Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,794 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area...
Berea, OhioBerea is a city in Cuyahoga County in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is a suburb of Cleveland. The population was 18,970 at the 2000 census. Berea is home to Baldwin-Wallace College and the training facility for the Cleveland Browns....
, and
Wilmington, OhioWilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,922 at the 2000 census, though recent population estimates from the Census Bureau place the number at 12,499. Residents are referred to as Wilmingtonians, and some refer to the town by the...
also have Oktoberfests.There is an annual Oktoberfest that takes place at
Snowbird, UtahSnowbird is an unincorporated area based in Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States...
, a resort in the mountains above Salt Lake City.
Argentina
In
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
, the local edition of the Oktoberfest takes place in
Villa General BelgranoVilla General Belgrano, a small mountain village of 6,260 inhabitants is named after the creator of the Argentine flag and located in a lush green valley of Calamuchita in the hills in the Province of Córdoba in central Argentina.-History:...
in the
Province of CórdobaCórdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Its capital, Córdoba, is the second largest city in the country.Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca.Together with Santa Fe and Entre Ríos, the...
called
National Beer FestivalThe National Beer Festival is Argentina's version of the German Oktoberfest. It has taken place every October since 1963. This festival attracts thousands of tourists for two consecutive weekends...
and is the largest after the Brazilian celebration.
Mexico
In
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, there are several cities celebrating this event, which has grown in popularity over the 19th and 20th centuries. The best known Oktoberfest takes place in the southern part of
Mexico CityMexico City is the capital city of Mexico. It is the economic, industrial, and cultural center in the country, and the most populous city, with about 8,836,045 inhabitants in 2008...
, at the Club Alemán in the borough of
XochimilcoXochimilco is one of the sixteen delegaciones or boroughs within Mexican Federal District. It is located within Mexico City, south of the city center. To the north it has borders with Coyoacán, Tlalpan and Iztapalapa; to the west with Tláhuac; and to the southeast with Milpa Alta...
. The German and German-Mexican community is a regular, however the event is also attended by residents of many backgrounds. The celebration is in most traditional German fashion, with the Mexican
fiestaFiesta may refer to:*Festival*Holiday*Party*Fiesta , the line of Homer Laughlin China Co. dinnerware*Fiesta , a novel by Ernest Hemingway*Fiesta , an album by Miranda*"Fiesta" Fiesta may refer to:*Festival*Holiday*Party*Fiesta (dinnerware), the line of Homer Laughlin China Co. dinnerware*Fiesta...
kick. Typical
German foodGerman cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of Germany. It has evolved as a national cuisine through centuries of social and political change with variations from region to region. The southern regions of Germany, Bavaria and Swabia share many dishes. Ingredients and dishes vary...
and keg beer are available. A hand craft market and amusement rides are also set up.
Colombia
In
ColombiaColombia , officially the Republic of Colombia , is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean...
it is sponsored by
Bavaria BreweryBavaria is a Dutch brewery founded in 1719 by Laurentius Moorees in Lieshout, North Brabant, and currently owned by the Swinkels family. The brewery produces a range of standard and low alcohol pale lagers under a variety of brand names including Bavaria and Hollandia. In fact, a number of European...
. A series of concerts and events are held along different cities, with special emphasis in those with German background like
BucaramangaBucaramanga is a municipality and the capital city of the department of Santander, Colombia. Bucaramanga has the sixth largest city economy and population in Colombia, with 1,212,657 people in its metropolitan area. Bucaramanga has made good progress in all areas...
.
Chile
In
ChileChile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
bierfests are celebrated both in Valdivia and Llanquihue.
Hong Kong
The
OktoberfestOktoberfest is a 18-day festival held each year in Munich, Germany, running from late September to early October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year, and is an important part of Bavarian culture...
was started in
Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
in 1992. It is celebrated in late October and early November (dry season in Hong Kong) and is hosted by the
Marco PoloMarco Polo was a merchant from the Venetian Republic who wrote Il Milione, which introduced Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, voyaged through Asia and met Kublai Khan. In 1269, they returned to Venice to meet Marco for...
Hong Kong Hotel in
Tsim Sha TsuiTsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanised area in the Yau Tsim Mong District in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay east of Tsim Sha Tsui...
,
Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
, just next to the
Star FerryThe "Star" Ferry Company Ltd. is a passenger ferry service operator in Hong Kong. Its principal routes carry passengers across Victoria Harbour, between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon...
pier.
For the festival, the Marco Polo Hotel sets up a traditional tent with long wooden tables and benches with capacity for approximately 1,500 persons to create an Oktoberfest atmosphere. The German Band
Die Notenhobler from
UlmUlm is a city in the German Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and traditions...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
entertains the approximately 85% Chinese audience. Their program starts at 19:30 every night and comprise of three parts: traditional German music, games and competitions, party music.
The hotels caters traditional Southern German foods, such as pork knuckle, sausages with
sauerkrautSauerkraut is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria, including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. It has a long shelf-life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid that forms when the bacteria ferment the sugars in...
and apple strudel together with beer (past beer sponsors were 1991-1999
LöwenbräuLöwenbräu is a brewery in Munich that produces a traditional Munich-style beer. Like other premium German beers, it is brewed according to the German "Reinheitsgebot" dating back to 1516. Löwenbräu means "lion's brew". In Britain it is , and in the US . In centuries past, the name "Löwenbräu"...
; 2000-2002
VeltinsBrauerei C & A Veltins is a brewery in the west German city of Meschede-Grevenstein.The small guesthouse brewery of Franz Kramer opened its simple wooden gates in 1824. Clemens Veltins took over the brewery in 1852. The new name, Brauerei C & A Veltins, came from the twins Carl and Anton Veltins...
; 2003
JeverJever is a German beer brand, named after the town of Jever where it is brewed. It has been brewed by the "Friesisches Brauhaus zu Jever" since 1848.-History:...
; 2004-2005
LöwenbräuLöwenbräu is a brewery in Munich that produces a traditional Munich-style beer. Like other premium German beers, it is brewed according to the German "Reinheitsgebot" dating back to 1516. Löwenbräu means "lion's brew". In Britain it is , and in the US . In centuries past, the name "Löwenbräu"...
).
In 2005, the festival was held from October 14 - November 3 with some additional dates for private functions, which is popular for staff parties of large corporations.
Ireland
Downes Pub in
WaterfordWaterford is the primary city of the South East region of Ireland. Founded in 914 AD by the Vikings, it is country's oldest city and its fifth largest. The city is situated at the head of Waterford Harbour...
have been celebrating the Oktoberfest annually since 2002 and their celebration culminates in an evening in October that features German beer-drinking music from the City of Waterford Brass as well as a wide selection of imported German beer.
Oktoberfest is celebrated in University College Dublin each year with a Bavarian-themed festival taking place in the Pit next to the Forum bar on campus.
Australia
In
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, the
universities are notorious in their celebrations of Oktoberfest every year, and as students graduate and move on, this has rolled over into pubs and restaurants in the university areas.
The Harmonie German Club, Canberra, holds an Oktoberfest over a three day period every year in October. The festival is currently in its 45th year, and attracts a large number of visitors from Canberra and surrounding regions.
Hannover
The Oktoberfest Hannover is a fair which takes place every year at the end of September/beginning of October in
HanoverHanover or Hannover , on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, in their dignities as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg Hanover or Hannover , on the river Leine, is...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
. It usually lasts 16 days and features 160 rides and inns, two large beer tents seating more than a thousand people each, and numerous stands offering refreshments. With more than one million visitors each year, it is the second-largest Oktoberfest in the world.
Vietnam
An Oktoberfest celebration has been held in Ho Chi Minh City since 1992. The event is organized by the German Business Association of Vietnam and the Windsor Plaza Hotel, with sponsorship from the local business community, including many German companies. The 2008 event ran from October 8-12, attracting more than 10,000 guests who consumed more than a metric ton of sausages and 10,000 liters of German beer.
Palestinian Territories
An Oktoberfest celebration is held in the
West BankThe West Bank is a landlocked territory and is the eastern part of the Palestinian territories; on the west bank of the River Jordan in the Middle East. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel, which maintains the security of this area. To the east,...
town of
TaybehTaybeh is a Palestinian village in the West Bank, located 35 kilometers North of the city of Jerusalem and 12 kilometers Northeast of Ramallah in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the village had a population of 1,452 inhabitants in...
, home to the only Palestinian brewery (
Taybeh Brewerythumb|right|Taybeh Beer logoTaybeh Brewery is a Palestinian brewery founded in 1994 by Nadim Khoury. The brewery is situated 20 miles from Jerusalem in the West Bank village of Taybeh, and produced the first beer in 1995.-History:...
). The first Taybeh Oktoberfest was held in 2005..
Fictional celebrations
- There is an annual event named "Brewfest" hosted in World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
, which runs from early to mid-October.
- In the European version of Maplestory
MapleStory is a free-of-charge, 2D, side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by the South Korean company Wizet. Several versions of the game are available for specific countries or regions, and each is published by various companies such as Wizet and Nexon...
every year there is an event celebrating Oktoberfest during September and October.
External links