Dust off the Lederhosen and Dirndls

The ceremonial Tapping of the Golden Keg officially opens Oktoberfest USA in La Crosse, Wisconsin. (Courtesy of Oktoberfest USA)Beer, bratwurst, brass bands, and lederhosen may be the hallmarks of Oktoberfest today, but the celebration began with a wedding. In 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, and Munich marked the occasion with days of festivities culminating in a horse race on October 17. The celebration proved so popular that it returned, ev