In October of 1810, Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildurghausen  tied the knot and invited local breweries to develop a new beer commemorating the wedding celebration. Through the years, their happy occasion evolved into Oktoberfest, the largest festival in the world with over 6 million visitors. While we may not get to Germany to oom-pah-pah with those happy folks, we can lift our mugs not too far from here. Oktoberfest at Sugar Mountain, Banner Elk, October 9th and 10th, boasts beer and music, hay rides and hikes and all those beautiful mountain views. A weekend wow! Who needs the airfare?