--- title: How Oktoberfest Was Celebrated in the 1960s description: Revelers at the 1961 Oktoberfest were as full of raucous celebration as today's beer-loving attendees. canonical: https://time.com/4048471/oktoberfest-1960s/ author: Eliza Berman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-01T13:00:44.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:01:30.458Z og:title: How Oktoberfest Was Celebrated in the 1960s og:description: Revelers at the 1961 Oktoberfest were as full of raucous celebration as today's beer-loving attendees. og:url: https://time.com/4048471/oktoberfest-1960s/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt35168bc76b384223/6988653f524fc07df0df4ae7/150924-oktoberfest-03.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2322 og:image:height: 1306 og:image:alt: Oktoberfest in Germany, 1961. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Oktoberfest Was Celebrated in the 1960s twitter:description: Revelers at the 1961 Oktoberfest were as full of raucous celebration as today's beer-loving attendees. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt35168bc76b384223/6988653f524fc07df0df4ae7/150924-oktoberfest-03.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How Oktoberfest Was Celebrated in the 1960s  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Oct 1, 2015 1:00 PM UTC  Beer, cigarettes and song at Oktoberfest, 1961. Beer, cigarettes and song at Oktoberfest, 1961.Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Oct 1, 2015 1:00 PM UTC Oktoberfest, the annual Bavarian beer festival, is known for its Pilsener- and Hefeweizen-induced revelry. But the fête, which this year began on Sept. 19 and ends on Oct. 4, has been tamed in recent years by the rules enforcing quiet hours that aim to increase its appeal to families and curb a [spike](http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/munich-reports-rise-in-number-of-brawls-at-2012-oktoberfest-a-860089.html) in brawls. But back in 1961, when LIFE dispatched photographer Stan Wayman to document the drunken debauchery, the party atmosphere was unmistakably intact. His photos, which never ran in the magazine, depict a carefree camaraderie: merrymakers dancing on tables, raising giant beer steins high, shout-singing songs between sips. The only evidence of quiet is a photo of two men, one man’s hat covering his face, who appear to be rethinking the number of steins they’ve just consumed. _Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter_ [_@lizabethronk_](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk)_._  Oktoberfest in Germany, 1961. Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A happy reveler at Oktoberfest, Germany, 1961. Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Beer, cigarettes and song at Oktoberfest, 1961. Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Toasting the next drink, Oktoberfest, 1961. Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Women dance on tables, Oktoberfest, 1961. Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  A giant keg of beer looms above the crowd, Oktoberfest, 1961. Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Festival-goers go on rides, Oktoberfest, 1961. Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Dancing on tables, Oktoberfest, 1961. Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Men wear feathered caps at Oktoberfest, 1961. Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Women drink from large beer steins at Oktoberfest, 1961. Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Reaching to clink glasses, Oktoberfest, 1961. Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Scene from Oktoberfest in Germany, 1961. Stan Wayman—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Two tired revelers take a moment's rest, Oktoberfest, 1961. 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