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The most famous beer festival in the world, Oktoberfest is now entering its 176th year. The popular 16-day drinking bonanza, dating back to 1810, is held in the German city of Munich each year from the end of September to early October and draws beer lovers from around the world.  Featuring sixteen days of fun, festivities and hangovers, you don’t have to go to Germany to enjoy Oktoberfest. For the world’s biggest beer fest has spawned copycat events all over the world.

Oktoberfest started its life in the form of a marriage celebration between the Bavarian crown prince Ludwig and Princess Therese from Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. This event was attended by a much smaller crowd, a far cry from today when the beerfest pulls thousands of fun-loving people from all cultures. If you live in the United Kingdom or the USA, one way you can join in the thrills of Oktoberfest is by joining one of the many tours on offer by operators. With accommodation and transportation all taken care of all, you can simply don your lederhosen, sit back and go with the flow!

If you want to stay closer to home, you can travel to Cincinnati, Ohio which boasts its own version of the revelry. Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is launched with the Gemuetlichkeit Games – this is a series of competitions with a German theme. And you can be guaranteed a barrel of laughs too. These games bizarrely called ‘The Running of the Wieners’, the ‘Beer Barrel Roll’ and the ‘Beer Stein Race’ are enough to intrigue any visitor to Cincinnati and once you arrive you’ll get swept up in the celebrations. Thought to be North America’s largest Oktoberfest copycat, Zinzinnati has been around since 1976.

The biggest of the Chinese Oktoberfest events takes place in Shanghai and at the centre of their celebrations is food. With revellers enjoying an infusion of Asian and German dishes, and a little Hungarian goulash thrown in for good measure, this has all the ingredients for a great vacation. And don’t forget the wide variety of delicious beers which are available.

Heading back to US soil, Oktoberfest party people can travel to Seattle’s Fremont neighbourhood, which boasts some very unique aspects including the Texas Chainsaw Pumpkin Carving Contest, a comedy show and Dog Day Afternoon. So roll up, get your lederhosen on, and join in the party.