CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Brats, beer and community: That's what Father Steven Bauer said visitors can expect at the 22nd annual St. Alphonsus Oktoberfest.
“It started as an event in the parking lot, and it's grown, and grown and grown,” Bauer said. “Now, it's a major street festival in the city of Chicago.”
Bauer called the festival a “natural fit” in the community and highlights both his and the parish’s German heritage.
The festival’s brats, specifically, have a deep connection to the church’s history.
"Our brats that we serve are a special recipe that has been imported from Germany, from families from decades ago, that we still have curated and made specifically for our fest,” he said. “This is the only place you can get these special-recipe, Oktoberfest brats.”
He said it’s a way for the church to share its “love for the community with everybody.”
This year, organizers are expanding the event's popular, family-friendly Kinderfest, which will take place Sunday.
“We have games, activities, and we also have a kinderfest train that runs through the festival grounds that is super popular,” he said.
Oktoberfest takes place in and around St. Alphonsus Church Friday through Sunday.
More information, including a link to craft beer tasting tickets, can be found online.
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