It’s time to get out your dirndls and lederhosen in preparation for Oktoberfest which, despite its name, is held throughout the world in September.
In the U. S., for example, Oktoberfest takes place in Philadelphia, Tulsa, San Francisco and numerous other cities and towns. The largest Oktoberfest in North America occurs in Kitchener-Waterloo near Toronto, Canada with 17 festival halls, parades, sausage, pretzels, and, of course, beer. Other celebrations take place in southern Brazil, China, Namibia, Jamaica, and Australia. And at almost every Oktoberfest, brass bands play Ein Prosit Der Gemütlichkeit.
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit ~~ A Toast, a toast
Der Gemütlichkeit ~~ To Coziness & Good Cheer
Eins, Zwei, Drei G’suffa ~~ One, Two, Three, Drink!
This year the annual global festival dates are September 19 – October 4.
And, if you would like to attend the Oktoberfest sponsored by the Rotary Club of Hilo Bay on October 3, 2026, you can get your tickets here.
How Did the Festival Begin? Glad I Asked
Once Upon A Time in Munich
On October 12, 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese Charlotte Luise Friederick Amalie von Saxe-Hildburghausen. The wedding was in the Court Chapel, but everyone in Munich was invited to join the week-long celebrations that featured a prodigious amount of food: 32,065 buns, 3,992 pounds of Swiss cheese, 880 pounds of mutton, 8,120 sausages, and 13,300 pairs of smoked sausage, all served with over 6,000 gallons of beer and 104 gallons of Austrian white wine.
Entertainment included two free theaters, 150 musicians, a ball, a folk festival, and best of all, on October 17th the National Guard Cavalry organized a horserace. Thirty horses started the race in front of 40,000 spectators.
The weeklong celebration was a such spectacular success, people wanted to do it again for the couple’s anniversary. In 1811, there was another horse race and an agricultural show sponsored by Bavarian Agricultural Association. Five years later carnival booths began to appear, along with merry-go-rounds and wheelbarrow races.
In 1819, the city began organizing the annual event and permanently changed the starting date to September and the festival grew from one to two weeks.
Why September?
Since 1872, Oktoberfest officially starts the first September Saturday after the 15th and continues until the first Sunday in October. A September start means celebrants can enjoy mild late summer days instead of shivering in cold, rainy autumn weather.
And the most important reason to begin Oktoberfest in September? BEER
In 1820, Bavarians began brewing beer in the fall, and continued brewing until the late winter beers brewed in March. “Märzen” had a high alcohol content which made it easier to store in barrels in a dark cellar or cave over the summer. But the barrels had to be emptied in time for the grain harvest in October. What a perfect time for a beer festival! As long ago as the 15th century, there were beer festivals in September.
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Illustrations & A Few Sources
Traditional Slap Dance; Princess Therese Portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler 1825; Prince Ludwig Portrait 1807; First Horserace at Theresienwies by Wilhelm von Kobell 1811; Munich Beer Garden by Max Libermann 1844; Plakat-Muncher Kindl-Brau. “The First Oktoberfest in 1810.” “Why is Oktoberfest in September?” Culinary Institute of America.
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