The Brazilian city that hosts an Oktoberfest created after a major flood is Blumenau.
Blumenau, in Santa Catarina, is one of Brazil’s strongest centers of German-Brazilian culture. Its festival was inspired by Munich’s Oktoberfest and began in 1984, after severe flooding along the Itajaí-Açu River. The event was intended to help revive local commerce and lift residents’ spirits during reconstruction.
The flood did not invent the idea from nothing: local officials and business leaders had discussed creating a German-themed festival earlier, and flooding delayed the planned 1983 launch. The first Blumenau Oktoberfest nevertheless became closely associated with the city’s post-flood recovery.
Its program combines beer with German-style food, folk costumes, music, dancing, singing and shooting-club traditions. The first edition drew about 102,000 visitors and established a festival that later became one of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations outside Germany.