*Oktoberfest- “Thousands storm gates as Munich beer festival opens”

Tens of thousands of people were on hand at the start of Munich’s Oktoberfest, the world’s largest beer festival. An hour ahead of the official opening, several tents had already closed their doors due to overcrowding.

Tens of thousands of people ran through the entrance of the Oktoberfest beer festival grounds on Saturday, racing to get a seat in one of the festival’s massive beer tents after organizers opened the gates in the Bavarian city of Munich.

An hour ahead of the official opening, several tents had already closed their doors due to overcrowding. Even those on the tents’ guest lists were not being admitted, organizers said.

Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter tapped the first keg on Saturday with two blows of a hammer and the cry of “O’zapft is” — “it’s tapped.” As tradition demands, he handed the first mug to the state’s premier, Markus Söder, and the pair drank to a peaceful festival.

O – O’zapft is!­