Celebrations September 20, 2008 - October 5, 2008  Save as Bookmark  Send this Page to Friend. Oktoberfest Home   Oktoberfest Wallpapers   Celebrations   Facts   Greetings   History   Recipes   Today, the festival comes alive at noon on opening when, as the clock of St. Paul's Church in Munich strikes 12 noon, the Burgermeister enters one of the beer tents and taps the first cask and quaffs the first stein during a 12 canon salute. One of the highlights of the fest is the Trachtenfest parade, one in which thousands of participants from all over Germany dress in their native costume. Bands, floats and decorated beer wagons drawn by beautiful horses wind their way through the downtown streets and out to the Wies'n, short for festival grounds. Oktoberfest parties are actually quite simple to put together-all you need is a boisterous beirgarten (beer garden), a stockpile of German beer (and beer steins) and plenty of belly-pleasing German food. The Biergarten (Beer Garden) Munich's Oktoberfest celebrations take place outdoors in a gigantic field populated with carnival rides, games and beer tents. The tents are humungous and are able to seat hundreds and hundreds of people at once. The crowds pack into their favorite tent and dedicate the afternoon and early evening to drinking, eating and general merry-making. Many people go for cozy backyard garden party (biergarten) with their backyard as one of the bustling Munich tents and with food, drink & music the party gets carried along.     The Bier (Beer) There's a wide array of foamy and delicious beers. Basic types of German beers are Pilsner : Commonly called "Pils," this beer is bitter tasting and not extremely malty. Pilsners generate a lot of foam; so once you've poured a stein-full, allow the foam to turn into liquid before taking the first sip. Bock : A strong beer that is very filling, bock is said to be the creation of monks who had little money for food and so sought a brewing technique that could make beer their main source of sustenance. Depending on the brew, bock can be either light or dark colored. Stock up on bock if you intend to go easy on party fare. Weizenbier: This extremely light-tasting and light colored beer is made from wheat. But don't be fooled by the light color and taste, for this beer is heavy in alcoholic content. Oktoberfest: By far the most popular beer for Oktoberfest celebrations, this type of brew was originally created especially for the festival! The Feast : Bratwursts, grilled chicken, barbequed fish, and potato salad-these are the Oktoberfest food fundamentals. Traditional pretzels and mustard are served alongside authentic German grilled sausages, imported German beer such as Pils or Hefeweizen, and a selection of quality German cheeses.