Oktoberfest

On October 12, 1810, four years after Bavaria had become a kingdom, crown prince Ludwig of Bavaria (who was to later become King Ludwig I) married princess Therese of Saxon-Hildburghausen. The official festivities lasted five days and included parades of riflemen, music, eating and drinking. The festivities ended with a horse race held on a green, which was situated in those days outside of the city limits and named “Theresienwiese” (Theresa’s green) in honor of the bride. Over the next years, the horse race was repeated and the Oktoberfest was born.

The Leonia Oktoberfest tradition started in 2000, when visiting Germans occasioned a spontaneous Bavarian-themed cookout. In the following years, the event grew, and in 2010 the Rotary Club of The Palisades adopted Oktoberfest as its own fundraising event to reach out to the community.