The second edition of Oktoberfest starts on Thursday in Timisoara with traditional dishes from Bavaria and beer for everybody, as well as many surprises, promise the organisers. ‘ Dear ladies and gentlemen, you Banat people, you Timisoara inhabitants and you beer lovers, come to Oktoberfest’ is the announcement made to the public.

According to the hosts, the present edition will bring for the public Uncle Hans – the mascot, the parade of chariots with beer, the XXL sausage,spicy or with cheese, bands and German music, karaoke music, contests (Miss Heidi, the preparation of the dowry box, Miss Popularity and the King of Oktoberfest) and many other surprises, among the tables full of Bavarian dishes and beer.

‘During Oktoberfest or other celebrations from Bavaria there is much sociolisation. If you want to occupy a table, you will never find the whole table free, only one place here, one there, among unknown people and after ten minutes and one beer with have become friends with them. This is how I spoke to Italians, Americans, Japanese, Germans from the North, friendship was easy and this is what I liked about Oktoberfest (…).In Bavaria there is more than Oktoberfest, this is the best known celebration, but each city has its own celebration’ related on Wednesday for Agerpres Peter Hochmuth, the chairman of the German Economic Club from Banat, saying that he wanted the same Bavarian atmosphere in Timisoara.

Oktoberfest is the celebratrion of the harvest, and according to the Timisoara historian Ioan Hategan, and the Swabians from Banat had such a celebration, but for the last quarter of a century, whole villages in Banat were depopulated by the massive exodus of the Germans to Germany taking with them the beautiful customs – Kirchweih (church patrons), harvest days (called Oktoberfest) or Farsang ( carnival with masks at the beginning of the Lent).