cool image: Oktoberfest

From: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Lifestyle/Story/STIStory_440893.html

PAULANER BRAUHAUS' 10TH ORIGINAL OKTOBERFEST

These two German bier girls will handle many glasses of beer during 10th Original Oktoberfest celebrations.
PHOTO: SIXTH SENSE COMMUNICATIONS

German band Scharivari Sextet from Munich will entertain you with rousing performances of traditional Bavarian tunes at Paulaner Brauhaus's 10th Original Oktoberfest celebrations. Also, admire the prowess of two German bier girls as they handle many glasses of beer.

PHOTO: http://www.naccnt.ca/media/images/oktoberfest2.jpg

Where: Paulaner Brauhaus, Beer Garden, Level 1, Time2@Millenia Walk, 01-01, 9 Raffles Boulevard MRT: City Hall
When: Till Tue, noon - 2.30pm, 6.30 - 10.30pm
Prices: Starters start from $14, soups frm $10, main courses from $36 and Oktoberfest sausage platters from $33 and desserts from $11
Tel: 6883-2572

PHOTO (Cause a drunk girl doesn't care if you stick it in her pooper): http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/view/222268/ - Octoberfest

PHOTO: http://sattlers.org/mickey/site/archive/2004/09/index.html
A waitress carries one liter beer mugs during the opening day of Oktoberfest, in Munich.

The 176th Oktoberfest lasts from 19 September until 4 October. Some six million beer drinkers from around the globe are expected to visit the Bavarian capital for the world's biggest and most famous beer festival. ( http://sattlers.org/mickey/site/archive/2004/09/index.html )

PHOTO: http://famouswonders.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/oktoberfest.jpg

Enormous tents, each capable of holding up to 10,000 people at a time, some 5.5 million liters (1.453 million U.S. gallons) of beer will be consumed during the event. (REUTERS/Alexandra Winkler)

PHOTO: http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/photos/2009/09/millions-visit-oktoberfest.html

Visitors crowd a beer tent at the "Theresienwiese" during the Oktoberfest beer festival on September 19, in Munich, southern Germany. AFP / Getty Images / Sascha Schuermann

PHOTO: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/00996/oktoberfest-10_996395i.jpg

PHOTO (Oktoberfest at the mountain): http://www.ridehunter.com/jessica/oktoberfest_photo.jpg

PHOTO (lake-schliersee (Schliersee on Apr 2007): http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g187293-w2-Bavaria.html#18328689

The History of Oktoberfest
From http://www.ofest.com/history.html

Picture: http://www.ofest.com/history.html

Oktoberfest - In September?

Oktoberfest traditionally starts in the third weekend in September and ends the first sunday of October.

PHOTO (Neushwanstein Sept 2007): http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g187293-w2-Bavaria.html#18328689

What is Oktoberfest?
It began with the Royal Wedding on 12 October 1810.

Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12 October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event.

PHOTO (Bamberg): http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g187293-w2-Bavaria.html#18328689

The fields were renamed Theresienwiese ("Theres'a Fields") to honor the Crown Princess, although the locals have since abbreviated the name simply to "Wiesn". Horse races in the presence of the royal family marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria.

PHOTO (view-from-cable-car (Wonderful hotel! on Aug 2008): http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g187293-w2-Bavaria.html#18328689

The decision to repeat the horse races in subsequent years gave rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest.

PHOTO (Bavaria - Neuschwanstein): http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g187293-w2-Bavaria.html#18328689

The Oktoberfest continues in 1811

PHOTO (The GN's Oktoberfest Buddies!): http://nostrapybus.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/oktoberfest.jpg

PHOTO (Oktoberfest-Girls): http://www.wordsaboutthings.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/oktoberfest-girls-1a1.jpg

In 1811, an added feature to the horse races was the first Agricultural Show, designed to boost Bavarian agriculture. The horse races, which were the oldest - and at one time - the most popular event of the festival are no longer held today. But the Agricultural Show is still held every three years during the Oktoberfest on the southern part of the festival grounds.

PHOTO; Walk-in-oberstaufen (Beautiful Spot on Mar 2007): http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g187293-w2-Bavaria.html#18328689

More and more things to see and do

PHOTO (Oktoberfest Costume of Beer Lady Waitress): http://cracklecdn.zoovy.lg1.simplecdn.net/img/bamtar/W979-H1305-Bffffff/products/oktoberfest/dirndl_oktoberfest_costume_fraulein_beer_wench.jpg

In the first few decades, the choices of amusements were sparse. In 1818, the first carousel and two swings were set up.

PHOTO: http://travelopen.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/oktoberfest.jpg

Vistitors were able to quench their thirst at small beer stands, which grew rapidly in number. In 1896 the beer stands were replaced by the first beer tents and halls set up by the enterprising landlords with the backing of the breweries.

PHOTO (oktoberfest-at-old-world-village): http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/oktoberfest-at-old-world-village.jpg

The remainder of the festival site was taken up by a fun-fair. The range of carousels offered was already increasing rapidly in the 1870's as the fairground trade continued to grow and developed in Germany.

PHOTO (Oktoberfest in Germany): http://www.oktoberfestpubcrawl.com/images/Oktoberfest-Germany-large.jpg

176th Oktoberfest in 2009 (19 September - 4 October 2009)

PHOTO (springtime-in-schwangau - Schwangau on May 2008): http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g187293-w2-Bavaria.html#18328689

Today, the Oktoberfest in Munich is the largest festival in the world, with an international flavor characteristic of the 20th century.

PHOTO (Muenchen): http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g187293-w2-Bavaria.html#18328689

PHOTO (up-the-hill): http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g187293-w2-Bavaria.html#18328689

At the foot of the Bavaria Statue, adjacent to the Huge Oktoberfest grounds there are also carousels, roller coasters and all the spectacular fun for the enjoyment and excitement of visitors of all ages.

PHOTO (Krystin Lakebrink, Miss Oktoberfest Picture 2008): http://www.soulardoktoberfest.com/dev/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=35

The festivities are accompanied by a program of events, including the Grand Entry of the Oktoberfest Landlords and Breweries, the Costume and Riflemen's Procession, and a concert involving all the brass bands represented at the "Wiesn".