Why is 2008 so special for Munich and especially for the Oktoberfest?
Munich celebrates its 850th birthday and 175th Oktoberfest in 2008. Many festivals, parties and concerts will be held throughout the entire summer. When will Oktoberfest take place this year and are there any additional celebrations planned given that this would be the 175th Oktoberfest? Oktoberfest will begin on September 20 and end on October 5. There is a rule about the Oktoberfest which makes it easy to “calculate” when it takes place – the last day of the Oktoberfest is always the first Sunday in October. The original “Oktoberfest” took place on October 12, 1810 beginning with a horse race in commemoration of the wedding of Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Since its beginnings, the Oktoberfest has been cancelled 24 times due to war, disease and other emergencies. Accordingly this will be the 175th Oktoberfest. The city of Munich will be organizing a horse race to honour the origins of this event. There will also be a variety of different p
