FILE - In this Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 file photo, visitors lift glasses of beer during the opening of the 186th 'Oktoberfest' beer festival in Munich, Germany. The city of Munich said Friday that the annual Oktoberfest will take place again this fall, after a two-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, file)

Cheers! Munich to stage 1st Oktoberfest after 2-year hiatus

The annual Oktoberfest festival is on again for this fall, the city of Munich said Friday, following a two-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dieter Reiter, the mayor of the Bavarian capital, said the popular beer festival will be held without restrictions from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3 – Germany’s national day.

The Oktoberfest, first held in 1810 in honor of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese, has been canceled dozens of times during its more than 200-year history due to wars and pandemics.

The announcement was welcomed by the Bavarian hotel and restaurant association.

—The Associated Press

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