The Real History of Oktoberfest

The Wedding That Never Ended

On October 12, 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Rather than keeping the celebration behind palace walls, the royal family invited the citizens of Munich to party on the fields outside the city gates. The festival ran for five days and closed with a grand horse race in front of forty thousand cheering Bavarians.

The fields were named Theresienwiese — Therese's Meadow — in the bride's honor, and locals still simply call the festival "die Wiesn." The party was such a massive hit that Munich decided to run the horse races again the next year, sparking an annual tradition. Over the decades, agricultural fairs, bowling alleys, and beer stands sprouted on the lawn. Today, those original stands have evolved into colossal beer halls that seat up to ten thousand people under a single roof. Two centuries later, the wedding reception is still going. (The horse races themselves eventually faded away, revived only for the festival's grand anniversaries — but visitors to the nostalgic Oide Wiesn section can still step back in time among historic rides, traditional tents, and brass bands playing the way they did a century ago.)

Why "Oktoberfest" Happens in September

Here's the trivia that wins bar bets: most of Oktoberfest actually takes place in September. As the festival grew, organizers stretched the dates longer and shifted them earlier into September to catch the warmer, longer late-summer days. The festival now begins in mid-September and always wraps up on the first Sunday of October, keeping its original autumn name intact.

The festival officially begins at noon on the opening Saturday when Munich's mayor swings a heavy wooden mallet to tap the first keg, crying out "O'zapft is!" — Bavarian dialect for "It's tapped!" By unbreakable tradition, no beer can be served anywhere on the grounds until that first mug is drawn and handed directly to the Minister-President of Bavaria.

The Rules of the Wiesn

Oktoberfest beer is serious business, governed strictly by the Reinheitsgebot — the German Beer Purity Law of 1516. Only six historic Munich breweries (Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten) are permitted to pour on the fields. The beer itself has evolved over time; back in 1810, guests drank a dark, sweet Dunkel, which slowly transitioned into the copper-colored Märzen, and finally into today's modern Festbier — a golden lager that is a bit stronger, crisper, and maltier than everyday Helles.

This special brew is served exclusively in the Maßkrug, the heavy one-liter glass mug. A full Maß weighs over five pounds, and servers routinely carry ten at a time. Hauling over fifty pounds of sloshing glass through a roaring crowd means nobody is more quietly athletic than a Munich beer hall server. The culinary traditions are just as locked-in: Hendl (spit-roasted chicken), Schweinshaxe (crispy pork knuckle), giant pretzels, and Obatzda, the iconic, savory Bavarian beer-cheese spread.

Oktoberfest, Chesapeake Style

You don't need a flight to Munich to celebrate properly. Every fall, Old Stein Inn throws its own authentic Oktoberfest right here on Central Avenue. We bring the true spirit of die Wiesn to Maryland with live traditional German bands, our lush outdoor biergarten in full swing, hearty platters of Schweinshaxe and pretzels, and world-class German imports flowing from all ten taps. It's been a local tradition at the inn for decades.

Keep an eye on our events calendar for this year's Oktoberfest dates. The lederhosen are optional. The world-class beer and good times aren't.

Prost — and see you in the biergarten this fall!