The world's biggest festival and the best known party is without a doubt the Munich Oktoberfest. It's origin is the wedding of Crownprince Ludwig, later King LudwigI., to Princess Therese von Sachsen -Hilburghausen on October 12./1810. The festivities, to which all of Munich's citizens were invited, were held on a meadow outside the city gates. The conclusion of the festival was a horserace, with the Royal family in attendance. With the decision, to repeat the horserace the following year, the origin of the Oktoberfest was born. In 1811, in addition to the horserace an Agricultural Exhibition was added. (The race is no longer held, but the Agro Exhibition is--every 3rd year during the Fest.) The first decade had not much to offer in pleasures! In 1818 a merry-go-round and two swings were erected and visitors were able to purchase beer on some little stands. These stands were followed by the first large beer tents in 1896, erected by entrepreneurial innkeepers in collaboration with the breweries. Today's beer tents have seating capacities for over 6 000 guests and the festival, which lasts 16 days, held every year in September, attracts over 6 Mill. visitors from around the globe. (Although the Fest takes place in September to avoid the inclement weather in October, the name "Oktoberfest" was retained because of it's origin.) The opening of the festivities is preceeded by a huge parade of colorfully decorated horse-drawn beerwagons of all of Munich breweries as well as groups of representations of the different traditional Bavarian costumes with brass bands attending from all over Bavaria. The high point at the end of the parade is when the major of Munich hammers the spout into the first Oktoberfest-beer keg with a bronze mallet, over the jubilation of thousands. The Oktoberfest is then officialy open! The fun and gaiety at the fest is undescribable! In the packed beer tents brass bands perform on raised stages in the middle of the tent, people intertwine their arms with their neighbors, sway to the tunes of the old songs or dance on the tables. Millions of steins of beer are consumed and once a spout on a keg has been opened, it is usually never closed-the steins are filled like on an assembly line! Hefty waitresses carry up to 14 steins to the tables--not on trays--by the handles!!! Preparations for the erection of the different beer tents,which are dismantled at the end of the festival, take months. The slide show gives a small impression of the athmosphere and pictures of the elaborate tents on the, what Munich's citizens affectionately call "Die Wiesn" (The Meadow). Sing along to the old song: In Muenchen steht ein Hofbräuhaus eins, zwei, g'suffa. Da fliesst so manches Fasserl aus eins, zwei g'suffa. Da hat so mancher brave Mann eins, zwei, g'suffa, gezeigt, was er so vertragen kann, schon frueh am Morgen fing er an und spaet am Abend hoert' er auf. So schoen ist's im Hofbräuhaus! Translation: In Munich stands a Hofbräuhaus one, two, drink up! Many a barrel were emptied there one, two, drink up! Many a brave man proved, what he can take, one, two, drink up! He starts in the morning early and finishes nights, late! That's how nice it is, in the Hofbräuhaus!