On this day, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The general public was invited to celebrate on fields outside the city walls, a site later named Theresienwiese (Therese’s Meadow). The occasion gave rise to the Munich Oktoberfest, an event that combines a beer festival with a funfair that is held annually from mid-September to the first Sunday in October. The first festival featured a horse race modelled on the medieval Scharlachrennen once run at the Karlstor. The race was repeated in 1811, forming the core of the Oktoberfest tradition. Today, the Munich Oktoberfest draws around seven million visitors each year and sees the consumption of approximately 7.4 million litres of beer. The festival features amusement rides, games, food stalls, and traditional Bavarian dishes.
