Scenes from Oktoberfest 2012

Bayern Munich’s Daniel van Buyten and his wife Celine poses at the Oktoberfest in Munich. Germany’s famous beer festival wrapped up over the weekend.

Bayern Munich soccer players from left: Luiz Gustavo , Rafinha and Dante enjoyed their visit to the Munich Oktoberfest.

Broken beer mugs on the ground in a beer tent on the final evening.

Waitresses danced on tables.

A waitress cleaned tables on the final evening.

Young women tried to cover from heavy rain at the last day.

A waitress reacted during the closing ceremony.

Vera, a young woman wearing traditional Bavarian dress “Dirndl”, enjoyed a beer under a tent during the Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, Germany.

A woman drank a beer on Sept. 28.

Revellers toasted with beer.

A woman wore a necklace in form of a heart and reading “Princess” as she sat under a tent.

The Mariendom (Cathedral of Mary), left, and the St. Severi’s Church, right, reflected in a puddle.

A windmill installation rotated in front of the Mariendom.

Women wearing traditional Bavarian dresses posed with beer mugs.

A man wearing traditional Bavarian trousers “Lederhosen” enjoyed a beer.

A Polish woman, dressed in traditional costume enjoyed drinking beer after participating in the opening parade during the second day of the Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, Germany.This year’s edition of the world’s biggest beer festival will run until Oct. 7.

A young woman took a sip at the Theresienwiese Oktoberfest fair grounds on Monday.

A woman serves “Hendl” (chicken) at the Theresienwiese Oktoberfest fair grounds on Monday.

Polish women enjoyed beer during the second day of Oktoberfest.

Ice-cream maker Matthias Muenz scooped white sausage flavoured ice-cream on a pretzel in his shop “The crazy icecream maker” (Der verrueckte Eismacher) in Munich During Oktoberfest time, Muenz creates ice-cream with six different beer flavours, each with 2.5 percent volume of alcohol, traditional Bavarian white sausage and grilled chicken flavour. The white sausage ice-cream is served in a pretzel with mustard.

Munich’s Mayor Christian Ude tapped the first barrel of beer with the traditional “O´zapft is!” (It’s tapped!) to open Oktoberfest.

A young woman took a picture with her iPad.

A visitor took a rest on the lawn while a couple shared a moment.

A waitress carried beer mugs during opening day of Oktoberfest.

A waitress counted money behind a beer tent.

Revellers, dressed in traditional Bavarian clothes celebrated at Schottenhamel beer tent.

Visitors of the Oktoberfest beer festival rested on the grass at the Theresienwiese fair grounds.

Participants of the Oktoberfest folklore parade rested in a beer tent. Oktoberfest will see some million visitors.

A waitress carried beer at Schottenhamel beer tent.

A woman from Lower Bavaria, dressed with traditional ceremonial Bavarian costume enjoyed drinking beer after participating in the opening parade.

Revellerds, dressed with traditional Bavarian clothes celebrated at Schottenhamel beer tent.

Women wearing traditional Bavarian clothes rode a fairground ride at the Theresienwiese Oktoberfest fair grounds.

A woman named Vera rode a fairground carousel at the Theresienwiese Oktoberfest fair grounds.

An overview picture of an Oktoberfest festival tent at the Theresienwiese festival grounds.

Just resting….

Two participants of the costumes and riflemen parade kissed at the Theresienwiese fair grounds.

Visitors wearing traditional Bavarian clothes took part in the costumes and riflemen parade.

An overview shot of the Theresienwiese fair grounds.

Visitors sat in a tent after the traditional Oktoberfest parade in Munich.

Members of a brass band took part in the costumes and riflemen parade.

Waitresses of the Spaten brewery waved with beer mugs.

Visitors raised their beers in a festival tent at the start of the beer festival.

People in traditional Bavarian clothes took a break after the Oktoberfest parade.

Visitors rode a roller coaster.

A young girl participated in the riflemen’s parade.

A general view over the Oktoberfest beer festival, seen from the giant ferris wheel in the dusk during the festival’s first day on Sept. 22.

People were attracted by a luminous merry-go-round.

Two young women took a break from the action to have a discussion.

An elderly women collected deposit bottles.

Visitors lined up to enter a festival tent in the rain.

A waitress carried beer after the opening of the 179th Oktoberfest.

Visitors received the first beers in a festival tent at the start of the festival.

Revellers sat under umbrellas with their traditional one-litre “Masskrug” beer mugs at a beer garden table during heavy rain.

Revellers toasted after getting the first beer in the traditional one-litre “Masskrug” beer mugs.

A traditional one-litre “Masskrug” beer mug was left behind on a beer garden table.

A waitress made a phone call behind a beer tent prior to the opening ceremony.

A waiter carried beer to guests.

A waitress showed of her delivery skills at one of the tents during the first day.

As did another….

…and another.

A thirsty woman.

Revellers toasted after getting the first beer of the day.

A visitor walked with his dogs.

People awaited the opening of the festival in the rain.

Two young women prepare the hair ahead the start of the Oktoberfest beer festival at the Theresienwiese in Munich, southern Germany, on September 22, 2012. This year’s edition of the world’s biggest beer festival Oktoberfest will run until October 7, 2012. AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOF STACHECHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/GettyImages

Women in traditional Bavarian Dirndl dresses ran inside the Schottenhammel tent to get a spot to watch the opening of the 179th Oktoberfest.

A reveller used a plastic bag to cover herself from heavy rain.

David Hansberger, of Alton, digs into a piece of BBQ corn Saturday October 6, 2012 during the 2012 Oktoberfest at St. Mary’s Church in Alton, Ill. Hundreds turned out for the three-day event to partake in the great food and beer. (AP Photo/The Telegraph, Margie M. Barnes) THE NEWS-DEMOCRAT AND THE POST-DISPATCH OUT