This page will contain news stories about oktoberfest, as they become available.OktoberfestOktoberfest (lit. October Festival) is a two-week festival held each year in Munich (München), Bavaria, Germany, during late September and early October. It is one of the most famous events in the city and the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year. Other cities across the world also hold fairs, modeled after the Munich event, called Oktoberfest. DescriptionOlympia loop and carouselThe event takes place during the 16 days before the first Sunday in October (unless the 3rd of October "Tag der deutschen Einheit" - the German national day is a Monday or Tuesday) on an area named the "Theresienwiese", often called "d' Wiesn" ("the meadow" in Bavarian dialect) for short. Beer plays a central role in the fair, with every festival beginning with a keg of beer tapped by the Mayor of Munich who declares "O'zapft is!" (Bavarian for "It's tapped!"). A special Oktoberfest beer is brewed for the occasion (see also Märzen), which is slightly darker and stronger, in both taste and alcohol. It is served in a one-liter-tankard called Maß (IPA: [mass]). Only local Munich breweries are allowed to serve this beer in a Bierzelt (beer tent) which is large enough for thousands (see below). Only six Munich breweries are allowed to serve beer at Oktoberfest – Löwenbräu, Spaten, Augustiner, Hofbräu, Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr. Visitors also consume large quantities of food, most of it traditional hearty fare such as sausage, hendl (chicken), käsespätzle (cheese noodles), and sauerkraut, along with such Bavarian delicacies as roast ox tails. HistoryThe first Oktoberfest, held from October 12–October 17, 1810 in Munich, was to celebrate the occasion of the wedding of Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen, and was ended with a horse race. Because of its success, it was repeated annually, later also with an agricultural fair, dance, music and amusement rides. The celebration had to be cancelled 24 times due to war, disease or other problems. Horse races ended in 1960. Ironically, the modern Oktoberfest runs mostly during the month of September. The dates were changed to take advantage of better summer weather which made the fair even more popular. Largely due to coincidence, the festival now ends on or near October 3, which became the German national holiday in the early 1990s. On September 26, 1980, a bomb explosion near the entrance killed 13 visitors and injured 200 more. The bomb had been placed by a 21-year-old Neo-Nazi who died at the scene. It has been related to Gladio, NATO's secret paramilitary organizations. The TentsThere are currently 14 main tents at the Oktoberfest. The tents themselves are semi-permanent structures which are only occupied during the festival. The beer (or wine) served in each is in brackets after the tent name:
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StatisticsNumber of visitors: 6-7 million Beer: 5.7 million litres (1.5 million gallons) Roasted oxen: 88 Sausages: 219,443 pairs Roast chickens: 459,279 Price of a MaßOne of the biggest talking points among citizens of Munich in the lead up to the Oktoberfest each year is how much a litre of beer will cost. Last year (2005) the official range is between €6.80 and €7.25, as opposed to €6.65 and €7.10 the year before. In the past price hikes have been a very contentious issue. Theft of beer mugsIt is strictly forbidden to steal beer mugs, although they can be purchased in the tents as souvenirs. Visitors are warned to keep the receipt, because the police actively look for stolen mugs even away from the fest area. Often when police catch someone stealing a beer mug, they are fined 50 euros. Stealing mugs from the Oktoberfest is a popular pursuit for young Australian and New Zealand travelers. They are a valued trophy in Antipodean culture. People who purchase the souvenir mugs are considered to be "soft". Oktoberfest in other cities
Not called "Oktoberfest", but very similar in character, is the Cannstatter Wasen in Stuttgart which starts one week later and is the second largest fair in the world. Smaller beer festivals similar to the Oktoberfest are common in Germany and take place throughout the year in most bigger German cities. Some of them go on later into the night than the Oktoberfest. Many other places have beer festivals, but the name "Oktoberfest" is generally reserved for the Munich event. Inspired by a joke on The Simpsons, there is now a Scottish version called the Scotchtoberfest. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: OktoberfestThis page about oktoberfest includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about oktoberfest News stories about oktoberfest External links for oktoberfest Videos for oktoberfest Wikis about oktoberfest Discussion Groups about oktoberfest Blogs about oktoberfest Images of oktoberfest |
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Inspired by a joke on The Simpsons, there is now a Scottish version called the Scotchtoberfest. The bank may be most known for its sponsorip of the Tour de France as many will remember the corporate brand on the sides of the maillot jaune (yellow jersey) that Lance Armstrong and many other phenomenal cyclists have earned over the years. Many other places have beer festivals, but the name "Oktoberfest" is generally reserved for the Munich event. Calyon Houston specializes in providing key financing for the Energy sector. Some of them go on later into the night than the Oktoberfest. they are New York, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Houston. Smaller beer festivals similar to the Oktoberfest are common in Germany and take place throughout the year in most bigger German cities. Calyon Investment Bank maintains five offices in the U.S. Not called "Oktoberfest", but very similar in character, is the Cannstatter Wasen in Stuttgart which starts one week later and is the second largest fair in the world. In the United States, Crédit Lyonnais is now known as Calyon, whereas in France, Crédit Agricole and Crédit Lyonnais maintain their separate entitites somewhat. People who purchase the souvenir mugs are considered to be "soft". At the same time, the CDR had to pay back 135 millions Euros to Bernard Tapie (or rather to his creditors), the controversial former billionaire, after a scandal concerning the sale of Adidas. They are a valued trophy in Antipodean culture. In 2005, Crédit Lyonnais became LCL (for Le Crédit Lyonnais), probably in order to remove obvious references to its troubled recent history. Stealing mugs from the Oktoberfest is a popular pursuit for young Australian and New Zealand travelers. Crédit Lyonnais continues to exist as a nationwide retail consumer bank. Often when police catch someone stealing a beer mug, they are fined 50 euros. In 2003, the bank was bought by Crédit Agricole and its investment banking business was spun off to an existing subsidiary of Crédit Agricole, Crédit Agricole Indosuez, which was renamed Calyon. Visitors are warned to keep the receipt, because the police actively look for stolen mugs even away from the fest area. In 2001, Denis Robert and Ernest Backes book, Revelation, showed that Crédit Lyonnais was one of the many banks to detain unpublished accounts in Clearstream, a Luxembourg-based transaction clearing company, which has been accused by the authors of being a huge international money-laundering machine. It is strictly forbidden to steal beer mugs, although they can be purchased in the tents as souvenirs. The CDR is a highly controversial creation, as many do not believe that the French government should have bailed out the bank. In the past price hikes have been a very contentious issue. The CDR notably agreed to pay £525 million US to California's Department of Insurance in order head off a lawsuit concerning the Executive Life insurance scandal. Last year (2005) the official range is between €6.80 and €7.25, as opposed to €6.65 and €7.10 the year before. The bank's finances were saved from disaster by moving its debts and liabilities into a new state-owned company, Consortium de Réalisation (CDR). One of the biggest talking points among citizens of Munich in the lead up to the Oktoberfest each year is how much a litre of beer will cost. The fire burned for over 12 hours and two-thirds of the building was destroyed, along with crucial bank archives and computer data. Roast chickens: 459,279. The fire began in the main trading room of the bank and was one of the worst fires to damage a Paris building in 25 years. Sausages: 219,443 pairs. Much of Crédit Lyonnais' Paris headquarters was destroyed in a major fire on May 5, 1996. Roasted oxen: 88. Crédit Lyonnais notably owned the MGM movie studio for a few years, during which time Giancarlo Parretti was the chief of the studio. Beer: 5.7 million litres (1.5 million gallons). The bank's motto of the time was "Le pouvoir de dire oui", or "the ability to say 'yes'", and saying 'yes' was indeed something which the bank did rather too often. Number of visitors: 6-7 million. This was caused by directors exaggerating investments and by problems with the bank's subsidiary companies. The beer (or wine) served in each is in brackets after the tent name:. During the 1990s, the bank was the subject of numerous financial scandals, contributing to a huge debt of around 150 billion French francs (nearly 23 billion Euros). The tents themselves are semi-permanent structures which are only occupied during the festival. Founded in 1863 in Lyon by Henri Germain, Crédit Lyonnais was nationalised in 1945. There are currently 14 main tents at the Oktoberfest. It has been the subject of various financial scandals, which almost led to its bankruptcy in 1993. It has been related to Gladio, NATO's secret paramilitary organizations. It was, at one point, the largest French bank, and it was state-owned. The bomb had been placed by a 21-year-old Neo-Nazi who died at the scene. Crédit Lyonnais is a French bank. On September 26, 1980, a bomb explosion near the entrance killed 13 visitors and injured 200 more. Largely due to coincidence, the festival now ends on or near October 3, which became the German national holiday in the early 1990s. The dates were changed to take advantage of better summer weather which made the fair even more popular. Ironically, the modern Oktoberfest runs mostly during the month of September. Horse races ended in 1960. The celebration had to be cancelled 24 times due to war, disease or other problems. Because of its success, it was repeated annually, later also with an agricultural fair, dance, music and amusement rides. The first Oktoberfest, held from October 12–October 17, 1810 in Munich, was to celebrate the occasion of the wedding of Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen, and was ended with a horse race. Visitors also consume large quantities of food, most of it traditional hearty fare such as sausage, hendl (chicken), käsespätzle (cheese noodles), and sauerkraut, along with such Bavarian delicacies as roast ox tails. Only six Munich breweries are allowed to serve beer at Oktoberfest – Löwenbräu, Spaten, Augustiner, Hofbräu, Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr. Only local Munich breweries are allowed to serve this beer in a Bierzelt (beer tent) which is large enough for thousands (see below). It is served in a one-liter-tankard called Maß (IPA: [mass]). A special Oktoberfest beer is brewed for the occasion (see also Märzen), which is slightly darker and stronger, in both taste and alcohol. Beer plays a central role in the fair, with every festival beginning with a keg of beer tapped by the Mayor of Munich who declares "O'zapft is!" (Bavarian for "It's tapped!"). The event takes place during the 16 days before the first Sunday in October (unless the 3rd of October "Tag der deutschen Einheit" - the German national day is a Monday or Tuesday) on an area named the "Theresienwiese", often called "d' Wiesn" ("the meadow" in Bavarian dialect) for short. . Other cities across the world also hold fairs, modeled after the Munich event, called Oktoberfest. It is one of the most famous events in the city and the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year. October Festival) is a two-week festival held each year in Munich (München), Bavaria, Germany, during late September and early October. Oktoberfest (lit. Mainly supported across the local university populations, it has spilled over into local restaurants and pubs, looking to join in the festival. Brisbane, Australia has many small celebrations of Oktoberfest. The event is marked by concerts and parties usually sponsored by San Miguel Corporation and Asia Brewery, the top two beer companies in the Philippines. The Philippine Oktoberfest starts every first of October and ends thirty days later. In the Philippines, the Oktoberfest is celebrated all throughout the archipelago. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam has celebrated Oktoberfest since 1992 and it is held at the Hotel Equatorial. Many other clubs, hotels and restaurants have an Oktoberfest celebration evening or weekend. Hong Kong has celebrated the 3-week Oktoberfest since 1991 and it is organized by the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel (German Beerfest Hong Kong). In Trondheim, Norway, an Oktoberfest is held every second year during the student festival UKA. The largest ones are held in Puebla and Mexico City where the German community is very important and one can hear German music and be delighted by German food and folk dresses. In Mexico, in the cities of Puebla, Mexico City, Mazatlan and Tapachula Oktoberfest is celebrated by the descendants of German immigrants in these cities. In Argentina, a town called Villa General Belgrano in the Córdoba Province has an Oktoberfest that is well-known and the biggest in the country. A huge Oktoberfest is held in the Brazilian city of Blumenau (more than 600,000 visitors in 2004), and many other Brazilian cities founded by Germans have their own Oktoberfest, such as Santa Cruz do Sul (more than 500,000 visitors in 2004), Rolândia, São José do Cedro, Seara and Itapiranga. The city of New Braunfels, Texas also holds an Oktoberfest, as does San Francisco, California, Addison, Texas, Mount Angel, Oregon, La Crosse, Wisconsin, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Panama City, Florida, Lake Worth, Florida[1], Frankenmuth, Michigan, Hays, Kansas, Baltimore, Maryland, Tulsa, Oklahoma and the Bavarian-reproduction town of Helen, Georgia. The town of Wieze, Belgium. The Bremer Oktoberfest is known as Freimarkt. There is an Oktoberfest in Hannover, Germany, but the larger festival in that city is the Schützenfest Hannover, the largest Schützenfest in the world. The pseudo-Bavarian village of Leavenworth, WA holds Oktoberfest during the first two weeks in October yearly. Another large event is in Cincinnati, Ohio; over 500,000 people visited during the 2002 Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati. The largest Oktoberfest outside Germany is Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, held in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, around the time of Canadian Thanksgiving; the twin cities have a large ethnic German population. 2011: September 17 to October 3. 2010: September 18 to October 3. 2009: September 19 to October 4. 2008: September 20 to October 5. 2007: September 22 to October 7. 2006: September 16 to October 3. Seating capacity outside: 700. Seating capacity inside: 2,695. Fisch is the German word for fish and this tent carries a huge selection in its menu.
Ochsenbraterei (Spaten) - True to its name, this tent offers a great variety of ox dishes.
Seating capacity outside: 2,200. Seating capacity inside: 6,000. Bräurosl (Hacker-Pschorr) - Named after the daughter of the original brewery owner (Pschorr), this tent has the usual brass band and a yodeler.
Seating capacity inside: 5,700. This is overshadowed by another tower where another drinking lion sits.
Seating capacity inside: 1,300. Weinzelt (Nymphenburger Sekt, Paulaner Weißbier) - This tent offers a selection of more than 15 wines, as well as Weißbier.
In contrast to the other tents (which must close by 11pm), it is open until 0:30am, but it can be very difficult to get in.
Situated under the Bavaria statue, the current tent was newly built in 2004.
Winzerer Fähndl (Paulaner) - This tent is noted for its huge tower, with a Maß of Paulaner beer sitting atop it.
Only then can the other tents begin to serve beer. On the first Saturday of the event, no beer is allowed to be served until the mayor of Munich (currently Christian Ude) taps the first keg, at 12pm. Schottenhammel (Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu) - Reckoned to be the most important tent at the Oktoberfest, mainly because it is where it starts. Seating capacity outside: 0. Seating capacity inside: 9,300. This tent is also known as "Himmel der Bayern" (Heaven for Bavarians)
Seating capacity inside: 6,896. Hofbräu Festzelt (Hofbräu München) - The counterpart to the famous Hofbräuhaus, this tent is especially popular with Americans and Antipodeans.
Armbrustschützenzelt (Paulaner) - Translates as the "Crossbow Shooters Tent", a competition that has been a part of the Oktoberfest since 1895.
As well as serving normal Wiesn beer, it has a Sekt (sparkling wine) bar and Maß of Weißbier. Hippodrom (Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu) - One of the smaller tents, it's the first tent that many visitors see at the fest. |