When is Oktoberfest ?

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Oktoberfest, the world’s largest fair, is held each year in Munich, Germany during late September and running to early October (in 2012 from Sep. 22th to Oct. 7th). The festival, an important part of Bavarian culture, is held on an area named the Theresienwiese. The first Oktoberfest occurred in Munich, on October 18, 1810: for the commemoration of their marriage, Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen organized a great horse race. In 1887, the Entry of the Oktoberfest Staff and Breweries took place for the first time. This event showcases the splendidly decorated horse teams of the breweries and the bands that play in the festival tents. This event always takes place on the first Saturday of the Oktoberfest and symbolises the official prelude to the Oktoberfest celebration. By 1960, the Oktoberfest had turned into an enormous world-famous festival. After this foreigners began to picture Germans as wearing the Sennerhut, Lederhosen, and the girls in Dirndl. Horse races ended in 1960.