MUNICH (TheBlaze/AP) — Four taps on the keg and the beer started to flow.

Munich mayor Dieter Reiter opened the city's annual Oktoberfest with the traditional call of "Ozapft is" to the delight of thousands who had managed to get a place in the main beer tent Saturday.

Reiter's four blows don't match the two-strike record, often hit by his predecessor Christian Ude, but this year's tapping was still a far cry more successful than 1950's Oktoberfest when it took 17 whacks to tap the first keg, the Guardian noted.

#Oktoberfest2014 WAKE UP! It's Beer-O-Clock in Munich & Oktoberfest started without us! Diese bild mach mir durstig! pic.twitter.com/xUvBS4Gs6P

— Keith Howard (@KHoward8)

September 20, 2014

Some 6 million people are expected to visit what is billed as the world's biggest beer party that runs through Oct. 5.

—

Follow Zach Noble (@thezachnoble) on Twitter