What is the name of the traditional parade on the first Sunday of Oktoberfest?

The traditional parade on the first Sunday of Oktoberfest is the Trachten- und Schützenzug, or Costume and Riflemen’s Parade.

The procession celebrates Bavarian dress, music, regional identity, and traditional associations. It travels roughly 7 kilometres to the Theresienwiese, the festival grounds, with about 8,000 participants. The parade is led by the Münchner Kindl and includes costume groups, rifle clubs, marching bands, flag-wavers, and decorated horse-drawn carriages.

Its roots reach back to 1835, when a costume parade marked the silver wedding anniversary of King Ludwig I and Princess Therese. A major version followed in 1895, and later parades were held for the 1910 Oktoberfest centenary. The modern annual event dates from the postwar period.

A common mix-up is the Einzug der Wiesnwirte, the separate opening procession of festival hosts and breweries. That parade takes place before the festival’s official opening, while the Trachten- und Schützenzug is the large traditional costume and marksmen procession held on the first Sunday.