| I want you to do me a favor. Close your eyes, and | | | | counter-intuitively-a festival named for October begins |
| think back: back to college, back to Mardi Gras, back | | | | the month before! |
| to Cancun. Imagine biggest party you've ever been to | | | | It's not all fun and games, though; even good times hit |
| in your life. For some, it's that once-in-a-lifetime trip to | | | | their bad times. In the past 197 years, Munich has called |
| New Orleans; for others, it's the frat fest at Halloween | | | | off Oktoberfest 24 times due to famine, disease, and |
| where there are more little party cups than there are | | | | two world wars. In 1980, a lone far-right nutcase struck |
| human beings. Whatever that uber-party is, picture it in | | | | another blow with a pipe bomb that killed thirteen |
| your mind. | | | | people and injured 200 more. Despite it all, however, |
| Now multiply it by, oh, at least a million. You | | | | Germany's most famous party always bounced back, |
| might-might-approach the jubilee that is Oktoberfest, | | | | and today an estimated 15% of its 6.5 million visitors |
| the largest public festival in the world. With an average | | | | come from overseas. |
| of six million annual visitors and only God knows how | | | | Every Oktoberfest begins the same way: a crowd of |
| many beers, the yearly festival in Munich dwarfs every | | | | people 8,000-strong marches through Munich, dressed |
| other celebration on earth-save, maybe, the millennium | | | | in traditional Bavarian clothes and led by the town |
| celebration. And unlike other parties that stop after, oh, | | | | "kindl"--a sort of 'town mascot,' usually a small child or |
| one or two days, Oktoberfest sees fit to keep on | | | | young woman, who represents the Munich coat of |
| truckin' for two weeks. That's a lot of beer, but | | | | arms. After the parade, the city mayor officially kicks |
| fortunately there are plenty of people to drink it. | | | | off the festivities by tapping a ceremonial keg and |
| Stretching from the last weekend of September to the | | | | declaring (to the joy of the crowd) "it's been tapped!" |
| first weekend of October, Oktoberfest attracts visitors | | | | From there, thirsty festival-goers (many who arrived at |
| from every corner of the globe-and has inspired a | | | | 9 AM for the evening event) finally get to taste the |
| plethora of tributes in just as many countries. Odds are, | | | | special Oktoberfest beer, a strong, dark brew only |
| if you're anywhere near some fairgrounds, there'll be | | | | made during the festival. It's drank by the gallons in |
| people in Bavarian dress clinking mugs and singing | | | | streets, bars, and especially in the 10,000-capacity |
| polka. | | | | festival tent! |
| But despite the legions of drunk youths (known as | | | | Of course, some (most) of us can't hop a plane to |
| "beer corpses" by the locals) stumbling through Munich | | | | Munich any time soon, so how do we celebrate on our |
| every year, Oktoberfest certainly isn't just about the | | | | side of the pond? Well-prepared brewmeisters can |
| bier. In fact, overconsumption of alcohol is looked down | | | | twist open a bottle of homemade beer, but the rest of |
| upon by nearly every Oktoberfest veteran as a sign | | | | us can find ways to participate, too. |
| of youthful inexperience. Oktoberfest is also about the | | | | Consider cooking one of these German and Bavarian |
| people, the food, and the music-all of them coming | | | | cuisine-inspired recipes: |
| together to celebrate a German cultural tradition dating | | | | Holly's German Spaetzle Dumplings |
| back to 1810. | | | | Shrimp and Fresh Herb Spaetzle with Creamy |
| The first Oktoberfest began on October 12, 1810 as a | | | | Tomato Sauce |
| massive horse race, all to celebrate the marriage of | | | | Grilled Bratwurst with German Potato Salad |
| Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese | | | | German Soft Pretzels |
| von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festival grounds | | | | Ritter's Inn Sauerbraten and Dumplings |
| were named Theresienwiese in honor of the princess; | | | | For the less culinary-inclined, many towns around the |
| even today, locals refer affectionately to them as "Die | | | | country throw Oktoberfest bashes-all you need to do |
| Weisen." Unsurprisingly, the revelry surrounding the | | | | is go, pay, and enjoy. We recommend doing this even |
| races was tremendously popular, and by 1813 the | | | | if you do cook for yourself; part of Oktoberfest's |
| festival was declared mandatory for every year. | | | | appeal is the crowd! |
| People loved it so much it soon stretched to two | | | | Whatever you end up doing, you'd better make sure |
| weeks in length; as the years went on, organizers | | | | to do it soon. There's only 11 days of Oktoberfest |
| pushed the starting point back into September to take | | | | left...and the clock is ticking! |
| advantage of the milder weather. So now-somewhat | | | | |