Oktoberfest is here! On Saturday, September 22nd, Oktoberfest 2012 kicks off with two great events:
At 10:45 a.m., you can watch the landlords of all Oktoberfest beer halls and breweries make their festive entry to Oktoberfest. The colorful parade displays historic horse-drawn carriages, traditionally decorated floats, and all Oktoberfest bands. Start is at Sonnenstraße/ Schwanthalerstraße, and the parade marches all the way to Theresienwiese, the traditional venue of the festival.
Tomorrow at noon, the official opening ceremony of Oktoberfest takes place in the beer tent Schottenhamel: At 12 p.m. sharp, the mayor of Munich taps the first keg of Oktoberfest beer with the traditional cry "O`zapft is!" ("It is tapped!"), followed by a 12 gun salute.
After that, all Oktoberfest beer halls are allowed to tap their beer kegs, and the festival gets into full swing.
Oktoberfest Resources:
(Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images)