WEBVTT

00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:05.200
[MUSIC] Held in Munich, Germany,

00:00:05.280 --> 00:00:07.120
the Oktoberfest is the world's biggest

00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:09.480
beer festival, an orgy of drinking,

00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:10.600
eating, and singing.

00:00:11.360 --> 00:00:13.280
It all began on a joyous October day

00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:14.760
in the year 1810,

00:00:15.120 --> 00:00:16.640
hence my YouTube username,

00:00:16.880 --> 00:00:20.280
oktoberfest1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig,

00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:21.727
later King Ludwig I,

00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:23.440
the fairytale king's grandfather,

00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:24.680
married his bride,

00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:27.200
Princess Therese von Hildburghausen.

00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:29.967
The wedding reception was such a big hit

00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:31.760
that it materialized into a week-long

00:00:31.840 --> 00:00:33.560
party and an annual celebration,

00:00:33.800 --> 00:00:35.440
which now attracts some six million

00:00:35.480 --> 00:00:37.000
visitors from all over the world.

00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:39.127
Today, the fest could really be called

00:00:39.160 --> 00:00:40.887
the Septemberfest because it's been moved

00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:42.087
up a month to take advantage

00:00:42.120 --> 00:00:42.960
of the better weather.

00:00:42.993 --> 00:00:45.880
To figure out the formula

00:00:45.960 --> 00:00:48.000
for future Oktoberfest dates is easy.

00:00:48.360 --> 00:00:50.080
The fest always finishes on the first

00:00:50.120 --> 00:00:52.047
Sunday in October, unless, that is,

00:00:52.080 --> 00:00:53.160
a holiday follows on the

00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:54.767
succeeding Monday or Tuesday.

00:00:54.800 --> 00:00:56.280
Then it wraps up on either day.

00:00:56.560 --> 00:00:58.687
It begins two weeks prior on the Saturday.

00:00:58.720 --> 00:01:01.807
This year's Oktoberfest,

00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:03.880
for example, begins on Saturday...

00:01:07.600 --> 00:01:09.120
It takes two months for construction

00:01:09.160 --> 00:01:11.047
workers to transform the fairgrounds

00:01:11.080 --> 00:01:12.967
from its massive asphalt expanse

00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:14.887
to a pulsating city of beer tents

00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:15.960
and roller coasters,

00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:17.800
and one month to disassemble it.

00:01:19.080 --> 00:01:20.167
Now, Oktoberfest is held

00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:21.360
in the Theresienwiese,

00:01:21.600 --> 00:01:22.960
or Theresa's Meadow,

00:01:23.240 --> 00:01:24.800
locally referred to as the Wiesn,

00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:26.280
fairgrounds named in honor

00:01:26.320 --> 00:01:28.600
of Princess Therese, located half a mile

00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:30.800
southwest of Munich's main train station.

00:01:31.960 --> 00:01:33.800
Collectively, the six million people

00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:35.240
who visit the fairgrounds during

00:01:35.273 --> 00:01:37.400
the two-week event will consume some six

00:01:37.600 --> 00:01:40.480
million liters of beer as well as 400,000

00:01:40.600 --> 00:01:42.567
roasted chickens and 200,000

00:01:42.600 --> 00:01:43.840
pairs of sausages.

00:01:51.440 --> 00:01:52.367
A full stein weighs

00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:53.880
an average of five pounds.

00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:55.400
This gal here is carrying

00:01:55.440 --> 00:01:57.520
eight steins, about 40 pounds.

00:01:58.880 --> 00:02:00.200
Within the city limits of Munich,

00:02:00.240 --> 00:02:02.280
there are six breweries, Augustiner,

00:02:02.600 --> 00:02:05.160
Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Spaten,

00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:07.200
Paulaner, and Hacker-Pschorr.

00:02:07.600 --> 00:02:09.607
Primarily, each brewery is represented

00:02:09.640 --> 00:02:11.440
on the fairgrounds by two tents.

00:02:11.800 --> 00:02:13.040
The word tent, however,

00:02:13.200 --> 00:02:15.360
is wildly misleading since these massive

00:02:15.440 --> 00:02:17.320
structures are actually well-constructed

00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:18.600
beer drinking halls that hold

00:02:18.640 --> 00:02:20.200
upwards of 5,000 people.

00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:21.847
The largest of these is

00:02:21.880 --> 00:02:23.680
the Schottenhamel Tent belonging

00:02:23.713 --> 00:02:26.600
to Spaten, which holds some 10,000 people.

00:02:27.640 --> 00:02:28.807
Leading up to the official start

00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:30.440
of the Oktoberfest is the traditional

00:02:30.520 --> 00:02:32.767
opening day parade known as the Festival

00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:34.767
of Innkeepers, which begins in the city

00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:36.647
at 10:45 and finishes in front

00:02:36.680 --> 00:02:38.520
of the beer tents at 11:45.

00:02:40.040 --> 00:02:41.680
The parade is an hour-long procession

00:02:41.713 --> 00:02:43.847
of horse-drawn brewer wagons transporting

00:02:43.880 --> 00:02:45.240
the ceremonial first beer

00:02:45.320 --> 00:02:46.520
kegs to the fairgrounds.

00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:48.720
Riding on these wagons are the brewery

00:02:48.760 --> 00:02:50.887
owners along with their friends, family,

00:02:50.920 --> 00:02:53.240
and staff, many of whom are full-bosomed

00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:55.280
frauleins donning provocative dirndls.

00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:56.640
Additionally,

00:02:56.720 --> 00:02:58.367
you'll see the Burgermeister, or mayor

00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:00.360
of Munich, who will tap the first keg.

00:03:00.600 --> 00:03:02.560
Once the wagons arrive at the fairgrounds,

00:03:02.720 --> 00:03:04.320
the climax is not far off.

00:03:04.520 --> 00:03:05.880
At the stroke of 12 noon,

00:03:06.040 --> 00:03:07.240
in the Schottenhamel Tent,

00:03:07.400 --> 00:03:09.280
the Burgermeister clobbers the very first

00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:11.280
keg of Oktoberfest beer with a wooden

00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:13.567
mallet and proclaims, "O'zapft is!"

00:03:13.600 --> 00:03:15.475
Meaning, "It's tapped!"

00:03:15.675 --> 00:03:16.647
At that moment,

00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:18.560
a cannon rings out across the Wiesn,

00:03:18.880 --> 00:03:20.200
you can hear it in this clip,

00:03:20.480 --> 00:03:21.807
officially signaling the start

00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:23.480
of Oktoberfest and that beer can be

00:03:23.600 --> 00:03:25.920
served, precisely when determined bar

00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:27.920
maids begin the mad dash of carrying

00:03:28.040 --> 00:03:30.247
fistfuls of frothy mugs to dry-mouthed

00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:32.400
patrons crying out for beer like nesting

00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:34.560
chicks begging their mother for food.

00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:48.100
[FIREWORKS EXPLODING]

00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:49.327
The prelude to the second day

00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:51.080
of the Oktoberfest is another traditional

00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:52.960
parade, but this one happens to be

00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:54.640
the largest and most beautiful

00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:55.967
and historically rich folk

00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:57.520
costume parade in the world.

00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:00.280
Comprised of some 6,500 participants

00:04:00.320 --> 00:04:01.880
marching in a four-and-a-half-mile-long

00:04:01.920 --> 00:04:03.040
spectacle through the city

00:04:03.080 --> 00:04:04.040
to the fairgrounds.

00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:07.240
The participants are members of folk clubs

00:04:07.273 --> 00:04:09.280
from all parts of Germany and Europe,

00:04:09.440 --> 00:04:11.280
proudly displaying their regional colors.

00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:12.680
This is truly a spectacle

00:04:12.720 --> 00:04:13.720
not to be missed.

00:04:14.040 --> 00:04:15.080
Don't forget your camera.

00:04:15.720 --> 00:04:24.000
[MARCHING BAND MUSIC]

00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:30.280
Although, there are more than 100,000

00:04:30.320 --> 00:04:31.080
visitors every day

00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:32.440
to Munich's Oktoberfest,

00:04:32.680 --> 00:04:34.527
a trip here is an enjoyable must-do

00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:36.120
experience for young and old,

00:04:36.200 --> 00:04:37.280
families and friends.

00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:40.280
I'll now wrap up the narration and leave

00:04:40.320 --> 00:04:41.607
you with a few minutes of the sights

00:04:41.640 --> 00:04:43.640
and sounds of the world's greatest party.

00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:44.680
Enjoy!

00:04:44.960 --> 00:04:46.120
And hey, who knows?

00:04:46.320 --> 00:04:47.820
Maybe I'll see you there.

00:04:52.560 --> 00:05:05.087
[CROWD CHEERING] [CROWD

00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:11.560
SINGING] [LIVE AND BRIGHT].

00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:15.487
Here's one of the entrances

00:05:15.520 --> 00:05:16.440
to the beer tents.

00:05:16.640 --> 00:05:18.540
Let's go in and see what's going on.

00:05:26.640 --> 00:06:15.647
[CROWD CHEERING] [CROWD

00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:32.280
SINGING] [CROWD CHEERING]

00:07:05.520 --> 00:07:06.520
Ciao, ciao.

00:07:10.320 --> 00:07:50.927
[LAUGHTER] [CROWD CHEERING]

00:07:50.960 --> 00:07:52.440
[MUSIC]