Beer-steeped festivities have begun in Munich, Germany. Dubbed as the world's largest (at times rowdiest) fair, Oktoberfest has got off to a great start despite the rains and tight security. The 18-day folk festival, running through October 3, is, for most part, dominated by alcohol, food, games and adventure rides.
While the beer-guzzling patrons are fun to look at, actors vibrantly dressed in Bavarian clothing parading through the streets of the metropolis is what makes for a really interesting photo-op. The fest, which is into its 183rd year, is not just another escape from the humdrum routine of everyday life, it has a royal history attached to it. Oktoberfest, commonly known as Wiesn in Munich, was first held in 1810, as part of a 5-day-long wedding celebrations of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, and repeated the year after, in the process kick-starting the widely-popular Oktoberfest.
