Munich to host 1st Oktoberfest after 2-year pause due to COVID-19
Revelers toast with beer in the Paulaner tent on the first day of the 2019 Oktoberfest on September 21, 2019 in Munich, Germany.
BERLIN (AP) - The annual Oktoberfest festival is on again for this fall, the city of Munich said Friday, following a two-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Dieter Reiter, the mayor of the Bavarian capital, said the popular beer festival will be held without restrictions from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3 - Germany's national day.
The Oktoberfest, first held in 1810 in honor of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese, has been canceled dozens of times during its more than 200-year history due to wars and pandemics.
The announcement was welcomed by the Bavarian hotel and restaurant association.