While most have come to know the Oktoberfest holiday as another excuse to binge drink, in actuality, this festival started as a wedding celebration of sack races and goose chases. It originated as a horse race honoring the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese in 1810.

A five-day celebration of sober fun with tree races and mush-eating contests, the Oktoberfest started as a small festival that originally prided itself for having the first mechanical roller coaster. It wasn’t until 1896, when the city started to allow beer on fairgrounds, that beer halls became the main feature of the Oktoberfest celebration. Today, Oktoberfest, which ends on the first Sunday of October, has transformed into a beer-fueled romp through amusement parks — in other words, an adult day at Disneyland.

The Oktoberfest continues to take place on fairgrounds dubbed “Theresienwiese,” or Theresa’s meadow, after the bride. Two weeks before the first Sunday of October, these fairgrounds transform into beer tents, amusement rides and performance venues.

The festival kicks off at noon with the mayor of Munich, who drives the wooden tap into a barrel of beer and proclaims an all too familiar phrase, “O’zapft,” or “It’s tapped.” The festival proceeds with The Costume and Riflemen’s Procession, in which around 7,000 performers parade through the streets of Munich in traditional costumes and historical uniforms.

While the Oktoberfest offers various traditional performances, numerous amusement rides and a glance into German customs and culture, the Oktoberfest will live on as first and foremost a celebration of beer. The Oktoberfest beer is a source of pride for being stronger and darker than traditional beer. Named Märzen after the month of March in which the brewing begins, this German beer is held to strict German standards; Reinheitsgebot mandate the sole ingredients of German beer can be barley, molt, hops and yeast. This beer reaches a whole new level of perfection as it is served in a Maß, a one-liter mug which costs around 8 Euros.

If you are brave enough to celebrate Oktoberfest with something better than the traditional Georgetown beer, Natty Light, Washington, D.C., offers a number of locations that celebrate Oktoberfest, serving famous German beer. The Capitol City Brewing Company, located at 1100 New York Ave., will be celebrating the holiday this Saturday, Oct. 3. Capitol City Brewery invites you to buy a wristband for only $25 in order to enjoy both local and German beers, as 30 plus breweries will be giving out four-ounce samples from noon to 4 p.m.

In addition, this Saturday, October 3, the annual Germantown Oktoberfest will be celebrating its 27th anniversary. This event provides entertainment, music and, of course, beer! The event will kick off with an opening ceremony starring WJLA News Channel 8’s Julie Parker and event chair Marilyn Balcombe. The festivities will proceed straight until dark. From the musical performance of the Navy Cruisers to the 2 p.m. Hans and Heidi costume contest, the Germantown Oktoberfest offers entertainment for everyone and will wind down with a grand finale of fireworks around 8 p.m. There will also be a number of vendors selling food, beer and crafts all in the spirit of Oktoberfest and best of all, admission is free.

Even The Tombs is getting in the spirit of the German festival as it is now offering Sam Adams Octoberfest as its seasonal beer. From Adams Morgan to U Street, Washington, D.C., has a number of restaurants and bars that offer a variety of seasonal beers to be enjoyed by anyone who feels compelled to bring the German festivities to the District. While unfortunately we cannot all be in Munich to celebrate the customs of the real Oktoberfest, as students at Georgetown, we are presented with a number of opportunities to join in the traditions of this holiday that has grown into a festival of drinking, making it an important celebration for college students everywhere.