Oktoberfest, by the numbers; the dirndl squeezes into Germany’s limelight; top-tier wedding cakes in Tulsa; Puerto Rico’s pork trail; a big balloon blowout in Albuquerque; golf with Iron Chef Morimoto
Mounting Munich’s 178th annual Oktoberfest (something of a misnomer, as it runs from September 17 to October 3) is no small feat. Here’s a look at what it takes to throw one of the world’s biggest parties.

ILLUSTRATION BY JULIE TENINBAUM