ST. LOUIS — It could cost upwards of $5,000 for an American to attend—and fully enjoy—all that is Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.
But, you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to partake in the epic German festival, especially if you live in St. Louis.
Financial website WalletHub ranked St. Louis as the No. 17 best place in the country for Oktoberfest celebrations.
WalletHub compared 100 cities across three main categories: Oktoberfest traditions, costs and safety and accessibility. St. Louis ranked especially high (No. 11) in bringing a traditional, authentic flair to the beer festival. That’ll come as no surprise to native St. Louisans, who know this city has strong German roots and a big love of beer.
Top 10 Oktoberfest cities in the U.S.:
1. New York
2. Denver
3. Portland, Oregon
4. Philadelphia
5. Cincinnati
6. Las Vegas
7. Seattle
8. Chicago
9. Milwaukee
10. Orlando, Florida
Cincinnati—which ranked No. 5 on the list—actually is home to the most popular Oktoberfest celebration in America. It’s called Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. Last year, about 650,000 people attended the festival.
Click here to see the full ranking from WalletHub.
Fun facts about Oktoberfest in Munich:
- 1.98 million: Gallons of beer consumed during the festival
- $12.66: Price of 1 liter of beer
- 6.3 million: 2018 attendance in Munich
- 7.1 million: Record attendance in Munich in 1985
- 38: Number of beer tents at Oktoberfest
- 510,000+: Number of whole roast chickens eaten, plus 60,000 sausages and 59,000 pork knuckles
- $1.43 billion: Oktoberfest’s annual economic impact on Munich
- 14%: Of foreign visitors to Oktoberfest come from the U.S.
- 16-18: The number of days of the official Oktoberfest, which runs through the first weekend in October
- Oct. 12, 1810: Date of the first Oktoberfest, held in Munich to celebrate a royal wedding
- 24: Number of times it’s been canceled due to cholera outbreaks and war
- 717: Cases of alcohol poisoning at Oktoberfest in 2018
*Facts compiled by WalletHub
