Oktoberfest grew from the celebrations surrounding the 1810 marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. A horse race held outside Munich helped establish a recurring public occasion, and the grounds took the bride’s name: Theresienwiese, still shortened locally to the Wiesn. The festival’s origin explains why it remains a civic tradition as well as a famous drinking event.

Fairground entertainment appeared early, with a carousel and swings documented in 1818. Over time, small beer stalls developed into large halls, while the festival moved earlier into September to take advantage of milder weather. Its modern scale combines brewery tents and amusement rides with parades and older customs; the historical Oide Wiesn introduced for the bicentenary adds another way to explore that inheritance.