Photo Gallery Munich's Oktoberfest Opens

This weekend Munich's mayor, Christian Ude, opened the 176th Oktoberfest with the words "O'zapft is!" ("It's tapped!" in the Bavarian dialect). Organizers are expecting 6 million visitors over the course of the 16-day festival but want to show the world a tamer celebration than in previous years.
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Ferris wheel and lederhosen: The world's largest folk festival opened Saturday, Sept. 19, in Munich.

Foto: A3542 Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/ dpa
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Munich's mayor, Christian Ude, began the 176th Oktoberfest with the words "O'zapft is!" ("It's tapped!" in the Bavarian dialect). He is referring to the tapping of the first barrel of beer. Before long, the beer was flowing inside massive tents that seat around 6,000 people each.

Foto: Johannes Simon/ Getty Images
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Almost as important as the beer is finding the right costume. For ladies, the dirndl; for gentlemen, lederhosen. Picture here are members of the German pop band No Angels.

Foto: A3795 Felix Hörhager/ dpa
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Festivalgoers descended on Munich's Theresienwiese fairgrounds as early as 7:30 a.m. on the first day.

Foto: A2585 Frank Leonhardt/ dpa
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In this election year, political figures were out in force. Here, the Green party's national leader, Claudia Roth, sports a color-appropriate dirndl.

Foto: A3261 Volker Dornberger/ dpa
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Bavarian Premier Horst Seehofer and his wife Karin celebrate the festival's opening. Bavaria's first lady, clad in a blue dirndl, learned from the faux pas of her predecessor, Marga Beckstein, who caused some grumbling when she eschewed traditional dress in favor of a floral-print blazer last year.

Foto: A3261 Volker Dornberger/ dpa
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Beer barrels arrive at the Schottenhamel beer tent. About six million people are expected to attend the 16-day Oktoberfest, known as Wiesn in the local dialect.

Foto: Miguel Villagran/ Getty Images
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A little grit is necessary: The fairgrounds get messy, even on the first day.

Foto: A3542 Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/ dpa
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A path of debris is left behind by visitors waiting to enter the Hacker festival tent.

Foto: A3542 Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/ dpa
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Actor Joachim Fuchsberger und his wife, Gundel, arrive at the festival in a carriage.

Foto: A2748 Ursula Düren/ dpa
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First they teased, then they clinked: Munich's mayor Christian Ude (left) and Bavaria's premier Horst Seehofer represent rival parties -- respectively, the Social Democrats and the Christian Democratic Union -- but good cheer trumps partisanship at the Wiesn.

Foto: PAWEL KOPCZYNSKI/ REUTERS
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A woman carries a heart made out of lebkuchen, a traditional German gingerbread. The phrase written in icing reads: "I lost my heart to you."

Foto: MICHAELA REHLE/ REUTERS
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"Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit!" is a popular toast. "Gemütlichkeit" is a word that has no English equivalent but connotes warmth and conviviality.

Foto: ddp
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Police lead away a young man in handcuffs. Authorities are keeping a close watch on revelers to ensure the celebration doesn't get out of hand.

Foto: A3817 Tobias Hase/ dpa
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A visitor gives new meaning to the term "beer goggles."

Foto: Miguel Villagran/ Getty Images
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Women in traditional Bavarian dress enjoy a couple of the roughly 6.9 million liters (1.8 million gallons) of beer expected to be served at this year's festival.

Foto: MICHAELA REHLE/ REUTERS
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A not-uncommon sight: A festival goer, who has clearly tired of the festivities, takes a little nap. Munich's tourism board asked photographers to avoid taking pictures of drunks or women who lifted up their tops. This caused complaints about censorship from the Bavarian Journalist's Association (BJV).

Foto: Johannes Simon/ Getty Images
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Ever mindful of the byproducts of beer consumption, organizers recently upgraded and expanded toilet facilities. There are now 964 stalls, 878 meters (2,880 feet) of urinals and 17 handicapped toilets. A pictogram instructs festivalgoers on proper use of the facilities.

Foto: ddp
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There's more to Oktoberfest than the beer: With its rides and activities, the half-mile-long main corridor of the Theresienwiese resembles the midway of a county fair.

Foto: JOE KLAMAR/ AFP