Oktoberfest and biergartens

You might think that Oktoberfest celebrations would begin in October. You are being too literal. In Munich, where Oktoberfest originated more than two centuries ago, the festival begins in mid-September and runs to the first Sunday in October. That wasn’t always the case. The original party celebrated the marriage of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese of Saxony-Holdburghausen on Oct. 12, 1810. Copious beer-drinking wasn’t added for some years. Oktoberfest is still held on the same spot — Theresienwiese, or Therese’s Meadow — but has grown in duration (usually 16 days in Munich) and number (all over the world). Now, to commemorate Oktoberfest, CheapFlights.com has compiled its 10 favorite beer gardens — three in Munich, two in the U.S. (Milwaukee and Brooklyn), and the rest in Brazil, Tokyo, Austria, Sydney, and Vancouver. B.C. You can find the detailed list here.