In a few weeks, Pella residents can celebrate Oktoberfest with a new celebration. An event will be held to cap off the Spirit of Pella’s Fab Foodie Fridays on October 10 from 5-10 p.m. in the community’s Klokkenspel Plaza on Franklin Street in downtown Pella. The celebration is hosted by Spirit of Pella in collaboration with The Cellar Peanut Pub, The Wijn House, and Clover Leaf on Franklin.

“We are thrilled to wrap up this year’s Fab Foodie Friday Free Live Music Series with a spectacular Oktoberfest event—a night of unforgettable live Polka music, fun and food for the entire family,” said Christi Vander Voort, Spirit of Pella Board President.

The free festival headlined by Chicago’s famous Alpine Thunder Polka band will feature traditional Oktoberfest street foods, Gezellig Brewing Company’s special Spirit of Pella Oktoberfest Festbier, and a 1919 Root Beer tent for the kids. The Cellar Peanut Pub will also offer specially selected Märzens, a German-style amber lager known for its malty, toasted bread and biscuit-like flavor profile, and other Oktoberfest-style beers on tap.

“We’ve partnered with a number of local restaurants and food trucks to provide authentic German festival foods,” said Spirit of Pella event chair Stuart Miller. “We’ll be offering Prime Country BBQ including a brand new German-style brisket and beer cheese sandwich on a pretzel bun, German-themed soups from The Bread Board, Tyrolean-style pretzels and popcorn from Central College Catering, an assortment of Bavarian-influenced side dishes and sweet treats from Clover Leaf on Franklin, a special handcrafted German chocolate ice cream cookie sammie from Sweet Henry’s, and more,” Miller said.

Family friendly festival competitions will include Masskrugstemmen, also known as “Steinholding,” a Bavarian strength contest where participants hold a full one-liter beer stein out in front of their body with a straight, parallel arm for as long as possible; Hammerschlagen, a traditional German drinking game played with a wooden stump and a cross-peen hammer, where players take turns hammering a nail into the log until one person drives it flush with the surface to win; and Bierfassrollen that challenges participants to knock down bowling pins by rolling a beer barrel at them.

For more information about this free festival, including a full schedule of events and vendors, visit spiritofpella.org.