The German city and capital of Bavaria that was home to the original Oktoberfest is Munich. The festival began there in 1810 as a public celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
The first celebration took place on 12 October 1810, outside Munich's city walls. Its centerpiece was a horse race, and the grounds were later named Theresienwiese, or “Therese's Meadow,” after the bride. Locals commonly call the festival the Wiesn, using a shortened form of that place-name.
Although its name suggests an October event, modern Oktoberfest mostly takes place in September. Organizers moved the start earlier to take advantage of warmer weather, leaving only the final days in October. It has grown into the world's largest Volksfest, combining beer halls, amusement rides, parades, music, and Bavarian food.
Munich is sometimes confused with Berlin, Germany's national capital, but Munich is the capital of Bavaria. The city's six traditional Oktoberfest breweries include Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten.