Munich’s first "Oktoberfest" ever was held in 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding with horse races and culinary delights(婚宴饮料). The culinary delights, namely beer, were much more popular than the wedding ceremony and horse races.
Since then, the Munich beer festival has been repeated on an almost annual basis. Only major catastrophes like war or epidemic(瘟疫) outbreaks can stop Munich’s inhabitants from gathering at the green expanse, i.e. the festivals location.
Even though it is called "Oktoberfest", the festival actually takes place in September, as Bavarian autumn can be tricky and surprise with early cold and snow.
Today, the "Oktoberfest" is the largest festival worldwide attracting a multitude of visitors. Apart from beer tents the festival offers amusements as diverse as roller coasters, circus appearances, festive parades and live brass bands.
The ceremonial opening happens at noon. The mayor arrives in a festive coach followed by a decorated horse-drawn brewer’s cart(啤酒拖车). Guests, staff and the numerous brass bands are all wearing traditional costumes for the occasion.
It takes good nerves and a solid stomach to survive the festivals 16 days of intensive partying. However, the festival is a huge success: Apart from attracting a multitude of visitors, the festivals brand name "Oktoberfest" has been exported all over the world.
From the passage, we know that Oktoberfest has a history of ______ years till now.