Autobahn, World's Longest Street Party

Boy, do those Germans know how to throw a party... The famous German Autobahn  was closed to auto traffic on a 60 kilometer (37 miles) portion on Sunday, as Germans were gearing up for what became the world's longest street party, complete with the world's longest... table.

According to various media reports, anywhere in between 2 and 3 million people joined the Autobahn party, blocking traffic in both directions on the A40/B1 motorway. According to reports, one million of them came to the party on bikes, for a unique chance to experience the Autobahn tarmac on two wheels and with no engine.

In all, some 20,000 tables and 40,000 benches were used to create the world's longest table, assembled by 140 forklifts. 50,000 helpers stormed the Autobahn to set up the party, while 100 cooling trucks served drinks.

Now, having this huge crowd gather 'round a table did mean some of those attending were left without a seat. Those who set up the event thought to develop a system, so the seats to the table were eventually assigned based on a lottery system.

Yet, even those who didn't make it to the world's longest table got into the atmosphere. The cities of Duisburg, Oberhausen, Mulheim an der Ruhr, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Bochum and Dortmund set up their own events, in conjunction with the Autobahn mayhem.

The event, titled Still-Leben Ruhrschnellweg, is part of the celebrations caused by the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010. The motto for the gargantuan party, "The table is your stage," was the perfect reason for organizers to summon to the scene people of different cultures, generations and nations.