Oktoberfest is an adventure celebrating one of the greatest things in the world, beer! The opening weekend of Oktoberfest holds a large ceremony including the tapping of the first keg by the Mayor of Munich, parades, and lots of merriment.
To do the day properly, you wake up at 6 am and start getting ready. You dawn your traditional Bavarian get-up, try and make yourself presentable, then walk over to the Teriesenwiese. The goal is to be in line by 7:30 at the latest, or you won’t be able to nab a table. Know which beer tent you want to be in ahead of time. My recommendation is Hofbrau Hause, as that is a party tent filled with people in their 20’s-30’s.
Once the gates open at 9, mayhem ensues.
Being a small girl I really had no say in what was happening, I was mostly just picked up and carried with the crowd. Once inside the tent, RUN! Grab a table, sit, and DON’T LEAVE! If you are lucky enough to grab a table, don’t let you’re whole group move until you’re ready to leave. People who were in line just 5 minutes behind us didn’t get a table, so be prepared to be sneaky.
On opening day the first keg isn’t opened until 12, so for 3 hours (it feels a lot shorter) you eat, play games, and meet new friends. The band then marches in, the keg is tapped, and the beer flows. If you are close enough to the stage they will hand down free beers from the ceremonial keg. 
After that, drink away, my friends! So much will happen in the hours you are at Oktoberfest. Chants, waves, and German drinking songs are all to be expected! People will start standing on tables and chugging full beers (guys and girls), and when they fail people will throw things at them. Pretzels, chicken wings, toilet paper, shoes, and umbrellas. Some people will drink more than they can handle and become violently ill. As the day continues the people, the atmosphere, and the music, progressively become more and more drunken.
Over all, opening weekend is a blast, as is every other day at Oktoberfest. Pace yourself, and have a good time! Prost!
