The barrel has been tapped!

Oktoberfest began yesterday in Munich. It runs 16 days through 7 October. When the mayor of Munich taps the first keg, he announces: "O'zapft is!" - It's tapped!

The big party's official website, however, lists both the 7th and the 10th as the end date. Too many Maßkrüge, perhaps?

The Maryland Brewer's Oktoberfest occurs nearly 2 weeks later and 4200 miles or so from Munich: Saturday 20 October at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

Despite the misspelling, the festival features not just one but most of Maryland's breweries and brewpubs!