Oktoberfest

This year I was the most fabulous and unofficial guest of the Oktoberfest Costume and Riflemen’s Parade. The beauty of an unofficial invitation lies in the disappearing act. Once you had enough you unofficially disappear. My next stop was a rooftop brunch party thrown by the people I have never met before in my life. Another unofficial invitation. There, I watched the parade standing on a tiny and overcrowded balcony, did some shoe mingling and free food floor hunting. The whole time I was wondering why is it called Oktoberfest when it actually takes place in September? I was able to find the answer on Oktoberfest.de:

The historical background: the first Oktoberfest was held in the year 1810 in honor of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festivities began on October 12, 1810 and ended on October 17th with a horse race. In the following years, the celebrations were repeated and, later, the festival was prolonged and moved forward into September. By moving the festivities up, it allowed for better weather conditions. Because the September nights were warmer, the visitors were able to enjoy the gardens outside the tents and the stroll over “die Wiesen” or the fields much longer without feeling chilly. Historically, the last Oktoberfest weekend was in October and this tradition continues into present times.