Oktoberfest is the world’s largest example of a German Volksfest, or people’s festival.
A Volksfest is a large public celebration that commonly combines a beer festival with a traveling fairground. Its attractions may include amusement rides, games, food stalls, merchandise vendors, beer tents and live music. Oktoberfest is therefore broader than a beer tasting: its identity includes both Bavarian hospitality and the spectacle of a major funfair.
Munich’s festival takes place on the Theresienwiese, a large open space named after Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The event attracts millions of visitors and features traditional Bavarian food, music, parades and specially brewed festival beer. The German term is often translated as “folk festival,” but Volksfest is the standard German category name.
The alternatives describe different kinds of celebrations. A Weihnachtsmarkt is a Christmas market, a Schützenfest centers on shooting or marksmen’s traditions, and Karneval refers to carnival celebrations. They may share music or food, but none is the canonical classification for Oktoberfest.