26 Jul, 2020
OktOBERfest returns to its Gatlinburg-style roots with 38 days of merrymaking as the resort commemorates the 210th anniversary of the popular festival held in Munich, Germany. The Bavarian Fun Makers Band, in authentic costumes, will perform traditional Bavarian folk dances, schuhplattling, oompah music, sing-a-longs, yodels and more with daily shows and multiple performances every day during Oktoberfest. Special Oktoberfest Biers will be served along with traditional German wurst, schnitzel, sauerkraut, strudel, pretzels and more. Oktoberfest was a popular event when the Heidelberg Castle operated its restaurant at Ober Gatlinburg in the 1980s. The first Oktoberfest was not really a festival at all, but the public celebration of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig I and Princess Therese of Bavaria on October 17, 1810. Held on a large meadow named the Theresienwiese in Munich, the party featured a horse race, beer, food, music and dancing. Anniversary celebrations continue each year, usually starting in late September and ending in the first week of October, with some six million people attending annually. For more information on OktOBERfest call 865-436-5423 or visit www.obergatlinburg.com