Oktoberfest and Italian Fest highlight the month, but September is filled with lots of fun

Here’s a preview of some of the festivals and events that will appear in the Belleville News-Democrat’s What’s Happening calendar during the month of September.

Do you have a non-profit event coming up that isn’t listed? Send it to lifestyle@bnd.com. It will appear in the What’s Happening calendar on the Thursday before the event date.

▪  Sept. 4 — Immaculate Conception Labor Day Picnic. 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday. Immaculate Conception School, 321 S. Metter, Columbia. Fried chicken dinners with homemade pie, hand-stitched quilt/cash bingo, attendance prizes, games, used book sale, crafts, plants, live music and dancing. Chicken dinners are $12. Fellowship for all. 618-281-5105 or www.icc-columbia-il.us.

▪  Sept. 8 — Troy Family Summer of Fun Event. Entertainment begins 6 p.m. Movie at 8:15 p.m. Tri-Township Park northeastern corner across from the gazebo. Free food and snacks. Showing: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. 618-667-8769 or troymaryvillecoc.com/tfsof.

▪  Sept. 8-9 — St. Joseph Parish Picnic, Freeburg. Friday: fish fry, 4-7 p.m. Saturday: Mass 4 p.m., chicken dinner, 4-7 p.m., quilt bingo, 6 p.m., kids activities, booths, food stands.

▪  Sept 8-9 —Shiloh Homecoming Picnic. 5-Midnight Friday and 4-Midnight Saturday. At Shiloh Community Park.

▪  Sept. 9 —Troy Truck Convoy to benefit local Special Olympics athletes. Registration 5:30 p.m. Saturday. CIT Trucks, 2120 Liebler Drive, Troy. Convoy will travel approximately 25 miles along I-55 and I-270. Special Olympics athletes and families, the community, companies and law enforcement agencies will welcome the truckers as they return for dinner and a celebration. Last year, 150 trucks participated and raised $60,000 for the Special Olympics athletes of Illinois. For information or to register a truck, visit www.soill.org/truck-convoy or call Lourin Sprenger, 618-960-9159.

▪  Sept. 9 — Music Festival. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, One Lewis and Clark Trail, Hartford. Performers, some in period clothing, will play traditional music throughout the site. campdubois.com/html/special_events1.html.

▪  Sept. 9 — ‘Donate a Teddy’ vendor event. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Swansea Improvement Association, 216 Service St., Swansea.

▪  Sept. 9-10 — Fort de Chartres Muzzle Loading Black Powder Artillery Safety School. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to noon Sunday. Fort de Chartres State Historic Site near Prairie du Rocher. Artillery re-enactors participate in yearly safety training and demonstrate live cannon firing. Training on Saturday and live firing demonstrations on Sunday. Hosted by the French Colonial Artillery from the Holy Family Militia. 618-284-7230.

▪  Sept. 9-10 — Craft and Vendor Show. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Belle-Clair Exposition Building, 200 South Belt East, Belleville. Admission $3. Door prizes.

▪  Sept. 9-10 — Grafton’s 11th Annual ‘Art in the Park’. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Grove Memorial Park, Grafton. Free event featuring regional artists with live music and food vendors. Activities for children are provided by the Grafton United Methodist Church. www.enjoygrafton.com.

▪  Sept. 10 — Benefit: ‘Help Laney Kolb Beat PKAN’. Noon-6 p.m., Millstadt Municipal Park. Activities for children and adults with proceeds to benefit Laney Kolb, who has a rare brain disease.

▪  Sept. 10 — 31st Annual Biddleborn Schlachtfest and Wurstmarkt. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Trinity United Church of Christ, 5698 Biddleborn Road, Marissa. A buffet featuring grilled pork sausage will be served in the pavilion. Tickets cost: adults $12, children $6, ages 5 and under are free. Carry outs will be available. At the country store, there will be items for purchase, quilt raffles, games and meat sales. Live music will be provided by The Ainad Brass Band from noon-1:30 p.m. and The Venedy Band from 2-3:30 p.m. A free kid’s corner with a face painting artist will also be at this event.

▪  Sept. 10 — 6th Annual September 11 Memorial Walkway 5k Run/Walk. 9:11 a.m. Sunday. Hough Park, 417 N. 3rd St., Belleville. Proceeds benefit the construction and maintenance of the September 11 Memorial Walkway. For more information or to register: www.wtcmemorial.us.

▪  Sept. 10 — 2017 Downtown Concert Series. 3:30-7 p.m. Sunday. Monroe County Bandstand, Waterloo. Featuring: “OOPA and the Sofa Kings.” Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Free summer concerts presented by the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

▪  Sept. 10 — St. James Fall Quilt/Cash Bingo. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Stephen Freund Parish Center, 419 W. Madison, Millstadt. Bingo begins at 1 p.m. Chicken dinner and refreshments. Basket boutique, raffles, bake sale, attendance prizes.

▪  Sept. 10 — Apple Festival. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Pere Marquette Lodge and Conference Center, 13653 Lodge Blvd, Grafton. This event features apple wine tasting, kid’s activities like balloon twisting and face painting, an apple pie walk at 12:30 p.m., live music from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a pumpkin roll at 2 p.m. Proceeds from the apple pie walk will be donated to the Friends of Pere Marquette Foundation. www.pmlodge.net or 618-786-2331.

▪  Sept. 12 — NAMI basics education class. 6-8 p.m. Tuesday. Anderson Hospital, Maryville. This free class will meet for six consecutive weekly sessions on Tuesday. It is designed for parents and caregivers of youths living with a mental health condition. The course will offer information regarding medication, diagnosis, communication and coping skills and more. Contact the NAMI office at 618-798-9788 or email info@namiswi.org for more information.

▪  Sept. 15-16 — 37th Annual Belleville Oktoberfest. A traditional German festival, this event features live entertainment, German food, children’s area and a cornhole tournament on Saturday morning. Wiener dog race and costume contest at 2 p.m. Saturday. Belleville Oktoberfest Store will be selling festival themed merchandise.

▪  Sept. 15-16 — Holy Trinity Parish Picnic. Friday and Saturday, Holy Trinity Church grounds, 505 Fountains Parkway, Fairview Heights. On Friday: fish fry, 4-8 p.m. On Saturday: Polka Mass, 4 p.m.; chicken dinner and bingo. Both nights: games, inflatables, music, food, raffles, silent auction, booths, adult games of chance, beer garden. 618-628-8825.

▪  Sept. 15-16 —Collinsville Italian Fest. Friday-Saturday. Live music, fun runs, parade, grape stomp, Little Miss and Mister Pageant, bocce ball tournament, Italian films and exhibits. www.italianfest.net.

▪  Sept. 15-17 — Okawville Fair and Wheat Festival. Friday-Sunday, Okawville. Carnival rides, free entertainment, food. On Friday: concessions open, 5 p.m.; Queen pageant and Little Miss Contest in high school, 7 p.m.. On Saturday: Concession stands open at 11 a.m.; washer tournament, 1 p.m.; young farmers activities, 1 p.m.; antique tractor pull and local talent show, 2 p.m.; bingo, 5-10 p.m.. On Sunday, concessions open at 11 a.m.; large float parade, 2 p.m.; Okawville High School band concert 4 p.m.; bingo, 4-9 p.m.

▪  Sept. 16 — The St. Vincent de Paul ‘Friends of the Poor’ Walk. 8 a.m. Saturday. National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, Belleville. Walkers of all ages are invited to raise money to “stomp out hunger.” All funds raised go to the needy in the community. Register: 618-394-0126 or pat.hogrebe@gmail.com. Walkers can also register the day of the event at 8 a.m.

▪  Sept. 16 — Wamac Fest. 3-11:45 p.m. Saturday. Wamac City Park, 100 S. Wabash Ave., Centralia. Live entertainment, food, games, sport competitions, kids games and beer garden. seecentralia.com/event-calendar.

▪  Sept. 16 — Lewis and Clark Frontier Dog Walk. 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, One Lewis and Clark Trail, Hartford. Walk your dogs on a two-mile course to the Confluence Tower. Dogs may be walked around Camp River Dubois. campdubois.com/html/special_events1.html.

▪  Sept. 16-17 — Caseyville Frontier Days. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Caseyville Park, 40 W. Reynolds St., Caseyville. Free admission. Re-enactor encampment, demonstrations of skills of the past, kids area and tomahawk throw. Food and re-enactor goods available for purchase.

▪  Sept. 16-17 — ‘Peoria Superfest’ 8 a.m. Saturday through 2 p.m. Sunday. Exposition Gardens Fairgrounds, Peoria. Ham radio and electronics enthusiasts are invited to Illinois’ largest “Hamfest.” A flea market with new and used amateur radios, accessories, computer equipment and electronic components will run from 6 a.m. Saturday through Sunday. Forums to learn about kit building and working with micro-controllers and MESH networks will run from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Ameren-Cilco Building. Examinations for FCC ham licenses will be at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Ameren-Cilco Building. A Go-Kit competition, for amateur radio operators who have built portable radio stations, will be at 9 a.m. in the youth building. A high-altitude balloon will be launched from Exposition Gardens at 11 a.m. Sunday. All events are open to the public. Tickets at gate are $10. www.w9uvi.org.

▪  Sept. 22 — Bereda Candlelight 5k Run/Walk. 6-8 p.m. Friday. Rock Springs Park, 1428 E. 3rd St., O’Fallon. No registration required for this free 5k. This event celebrates the lives of Brennen and Finley Bereda. After the 5k, there will be a lighting of luminaries, prayers led by a St. Clare church deacon, local country pop star Coy Taylor, food and fellowship. Questions: Heather Braundmeier, 618-660-5382.

▪  Sept. 22-23 — Black and White and Art All Over: Healing Hearts Through Healing Arts. 4-8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Art on the Square Building, 30 Public Square, Belleville. Racial Harmony, Art on the Square and Lindenwood University present an event featuring an exhibit of works of art from local artists and a silent auction. The art on display will re-enforce the sponsors’ philosophy of community wellness and inclusiveness. Some of the art will be for sale. A civil rights demonstration associated with the St. Louis History museum will be 1 p.m. Saturday. Information: 618-558-4464.

▪  Sept. 22-23 — Balloons over Marine. 4-midnight Friday, 7 a.m. to midnight Saturday. Village of Marine Park, Marine. This event features food booths and vendors, live music, a balloon launch at 5:30 p.m. both days, kid’s movie from 7-9 p.m. both days, balloon glow from 7-8 p.m. both days. There is an additional balloon launch at 8 a.m. Saturday, a 5k benefiting the Marine police department at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, bags tournament from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., kid’s activity area open at 10 a.m. Saturday. For information about the bags tournament: 618-401-1359.

▪  Sept. 22-23 — Maeystown Apple Butter Making. Maeystown. Apple peeling from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. Applebutter stirring from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Presented by members of the Maeystown Preservation Society in preparation for Oktoberfest. maeystown.com/event/apple-butter-making.

▪  Sept. 22-24 — Golden Eagle Intertrival Powwow. Noon-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Lake Lou Yaeger Picnic Area 4, 4 Marina Lane, Litchfield. Dancing at 1 p.m. daily. A gathering of many Tribal Nations. Features: storytelling, dances, treats, vendors, food, auctions, raffles. Public is invited to learn about Native American cultures. 217-851-2206 or their Facebook page.

▪  Sept. 23 — St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish Picnic. 4 p.m. to midnight. 1910 W. Belle St., Belleville. Mass at 4:30 p.m. All-you-can-eat chicken dinner from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Quilt and cash bingo at 7 p.m. Live music, rides, games, food and beverage stands.

▪  Sept. 23 — Lincoln Place Heritage Festival. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Lincoln Place Community Center, 822 Niedringhaus Ave., Granite City. Celebrates the cultures of immigrant groups that settled in the historic Lincoln Place Neighborhood. Ethnic foods for sale. Free entertainment including folk dancers, musicians playing ethnic folk music, vocalists singing ethnic songs. Crafters, vendors, historical displays. Strong man demonstration and competition, magic show, free face painting, balloon sculpting, juggler, childrens area. Apple pie baking contest. No alcohol, pets, glass containers or tobacco allowed.

▪  Sept. 30 — ‘Puttin’ on the Hometown Ritz’. 7-11 p.m. Shenanigan’s, 6401 W. Main St., Belleville. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets available at the door for $35 per person or $55 per couple. This fundraiser benefits the Hospitality House of St. Clair County for area homeless. The event features music, dancing, refreshments, silent auction, baskets, photo opportunities and raffles. Formal attire is encouraged. Information: puttinonthehometownritz@gmail.com.

▪  Sept. 30 — Abundant Living for All Foundation (ALFA) Oktoberfest. 5-9 p.m. Trinity Gardens and Farmstead, 11858 Zimmermann Road, Mascoutah. Authentic German beer, wine, food and music. Music provided by the “Polka Connection.” Send in your reservation by Sept. 23. Tickets cost $45 each, $85 per couple or $340 for table of 8. 618-566-4200.

▪  Sept. 30 — Faye Fest Music and Food Festival. 11 a.m., Saturday. Fayetteville Community Park, 2516 Main Ave., Fayetteville. “Jamestown Revival,” country-soul artist Sam Lewis, “Old Salt Union,” “The Steepwater Band,” and “Well Hungarians” are among the groups performing at the festival. Entrance to the festival is free but VIP tickets are available. This event is presented by Deli Star Corporation. www.fayefest.com.

▪  Sept. 30-Oct. 1 — Grantfork Centennial. Saturday and Sunday. Grantfork Firemen’s Park, 109 Park Road, Highland. Opening ceremony at 2 p.m. on Saturday. George Portz and Friends of Bluegrass Band will play from 2:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday. Barb Kay will portray the Unsinkable Molly Brown at 3 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday: Community Church Service at 9 a.m., raising of the flag by the Scott Air Force Base Color Guard at 10 a.m., The Red Haired Boys Bluegrass Band will perform from 11-3 p.m., vintage baseball games from noon-3 p.m., a beard growing contest and pie baking contest judging will be at 1 p.m., pie and quilt auction at 3 p.m. Trolley ride historical tours, horse-drawn carriage rides, vintage truck, tractor and small engine shows and ice carving will take place on both days. Bring your own seating.

This story was originally published August 31, 2017 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Oktoberfest and Italian Fest highlight the month, but September is filled with lots of fun."