Cannstatter Volksfest

It is sometimes also referred to by foreign visitors as the Stuttgart Beer Festival, although it is actually more of an autumnal fair.

The extensive Wasen area is in the Stuttgart city district of Bad Cannstatt, near the river Neckar.

The first Cannstatter Volksfest was conceived as a celebration of agriculture after a period of crop failures and famine as a result of the volcanic winter following the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia.

[2][3] The inaugural event was held in a meadow near the River Neckar on 28 September 1818, and featured displays of agricultural technology and a "Fruchtsäule" (Fruit Column) display covered with fruits, vegetables, and grains donated by King Wilhelm I.

In 1954 a record number of spectators attended the parade along the route from Stuttgart's central square to the Wasen site: 300,000.