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Tapping of the Firkin
Tap that Firkin!
Starts at approximately 8:20pm Friday in front of the Festhalle Stage.
Oktoberfest began on October 12, 1810, celebrating the royal wedding of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese. The celebration was so popular it became an annual tradition held each October.
The keg-tapping tradition began in the 1950s with Munich’s Mayor Thomas Wimmer, who struck the first keg and shouted “O’zapft is!” — meaning “It’s tapped!”
And so began the beloved tradition of kicking off the festivities by tapping the first keg. Prost!
