Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival held every year in Munich during late September and early October. The festival, which stretches from September 19 to October 4 this year, features parades, food, live music and a boatload of beer. More than 6 million revelers attend the festival each year. Together they consume a whopping 7 million liters of beer.
Oktoberfest has its roots in the wedding of King Ludwig and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810 when the citizens of Munich were invited to attend the ceremony at the city gates. In the following years, more formal activities were added to the festivities, such as tree climbing and bowling.