Running from mid- or late-September to around the first Sunday in October, Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, dating back to 1810. Although the main event takes place in Munich, Bavaria, each year — with more than 6 million international and national visitors in attendance — today, celebrations can be found all around the world.
In the United States, places that are notable for Oktoberfest festivities include Frankenmuth, Mich., dubbed Michigan’s Little Bavaria; Cincinnati, Ohio, where its Oktoberfest Zinzinnati event boasts the title of “America’s largest Oktoberfest”; and Helen, Ga., a town located at the base of the Appalachian Mountains that was literally built for Oktoberfest in 1969 in an effort to bolster the local economy.