The smell of freshly-cooked brats and apple strudel taunted churchgoers at Saint Mary this past Saturday as they waited to come downstairs for the parish’s fourth annual Oktoberfest celebration.
More than 600 people attended the German-themed event, held in a giant tent in the church parking lot. In addition to the beloved brats, which were pre-soaked in beer (YUM!), attendees enjoyed sauerkraut, stroganoff and the greatest spätzle you’ve ever tasted. Not to mention the German beer on tap.
Great food is never complete without even better music, and Die Musikmeisters German Band delivered, playing hits you could raise your steins to, like Edelweiss and Ein Prosit. Singing and dancing was in no short supply, and we certainly got to see a lot of interesting polka moves.
Attendees could also enter a raffle with prizes ranging from gift cards, to whiskey, to handmade paintings by our pastor, Father Dindo. Of course, none of this was possible without the army of Saint Mary volunteers manning the food and drink stations and making sure everyone was having an awesome night!
The icing on the cake was the beautiful weather. Although a bit crisp outside, it was nothing that hearty German food and great company couldn’t warm up in a matter of minutes. Thank you to all who came out!
The Mokena Marian 