Annual festival in Munich , Germany, lasting two weeks and ending on the first Sunday of October.
It began in 1810 as a horse race celebrating the wedding of the crown prince of Bavaria, later King Louis I (17861868). The race was soon combined with the state agricultural fair, and food and drink were offered. In the late 20th century the Munich breweries celebrated Oktoberfest by setting up large temporary beer halls, each seating 3,0005,000 people, and hiring bands to entertain the crowds as they ate and drank. Total beer consumption during the festival exceeds a million gallons.