West Lakeview exploded with German beers and bratwursts on the weekend of Sept. 26-28, drawing Germans and non-Germans alike to  the Oktoberfest celebration hosted by St. Alphonsus Church.

The Church hosted the street festival on the corner of Lincoln Avenue, Southport Avenue and Wellington Avenue. It featured a famed Oktoberfest beer and special bratwurst recipe only available for the festival. The event also featured two stages of live music, including local artists and polka bands.

Sgt. Sauerkraut’s Polka Band played Saturday afternoon, and has been performing Beatles cover music around the Chicago area for ten years. Danny Donuts played the pogo cello for the band for the fourth year in a row.

“Just like everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s day, everyone can be German for Oktoberfest.” Donuts said, highlighting how Oktoberfest draws the community together to appreciate German culture.

St. Alphonsus has been a cornerstone of the German community in Chicago since its construction in 1889. The parish was made for the German immigrants who came to help rebuild the city after the Great Chicago Fire. Pastor Steven Bauer has been with the church for six years now and says they continue to honor its heritage in many ways.

“One of our masses is bilingual German-English once a month,” Bauer said. This service also features German songs from the choir. Students studying German also attend as it provides a chance to further understand the language.

“Even our parishioners who don’t have any German heritage, they enjoy the culture, they enjoy that aspect of the parish,” Bauer said.

While the parish may have transitioned from generational German families to a new, younger crowd in Lakeview within recent years, the church keeps those connections alive through the annual festival.

The history of Oktoberfest stretches back to October 1810, beginning as a wedding celebration in Munich, Germany. The public was invited to the festivities, which honored the union of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. An annual tradition sprung up after the popular horse racing competition was repeated the following year.

After hundreds of years, more competitions and traditions have become staples of Oktoberfest, such as the famed beer. As Germans spread across the world, the festival followed, becoming a symbol for German culture in many cities who have adopted the celebration.

Despite all the traditions of Oktoberfest, there remain a few differences between the St. Alphonsus festival and the one in Munich. The celebration in Germany features a large opening and costume parade. While St. Alphonsus does not participate in this tradition, they pride themselves on the custom beer steins made in Germany for their festival.

For volunteer workers at St. Alphonsus, the festival allows for more than just traditions but a chance to interact with the community. DePaul College Prep student and Chicago native George Dunn returned to the festival for a second year to volunteer.

“A lot of my friends are with the church so I come and hang out with them,” Dunn said. “I’ll do kid activities and help them, it’s super fun.”

Outside of being popular for beer, Oktoberfest offers a great space for children to play. They even held a “Kinderfest” on Sunday, which featured games, face painting, and a train for the kids to enjoy.

Bauer used the German word “emütlichkeit” to describe the festival and its multiple activities: “the warm feelings that you get of happiness when you gather with family (and) friends over food, just enjoying each other’s company and music,” Bauer said.

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