What’s the difference between Oktoberfest and Frühlingsfest?
Well, honestly, not a whole lot. Both are festivals based out of Munich. Both are full of beer, food and music. The main differences between the two are the shear size of the festival, Oktoberfest being hands down the larger, and when they occur during the year.
Oktoberfest is a 16- to 18-day folk festival, running from mid- to late-September to around the first Sunday of October, although it can last to the end of October. Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. In that year, Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese on October 12. All the citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities. It has now turned into one of the largest beer festivals in the world.
Frühlingsfest, or Springfest, has been held in Munich since 1965 and has become a “cute little springtime beer festival”. It is commonly referred to as “Oktoberfest’s little sister”. It is held from mid- to late-April to approximately mid-May.
As a side note: The Steubenville Tootlers have been playing Oktoberfests in the SC/NC/GA region for over 25 years now. We are, to our knowledge, the only area German band to play for local Frühlingsfests, too.