Festivals with a German accent

Oktoberfests in O’Fallon and Mascoutah and the St. James Schlachtfest in Millstadt offer German food, music, kids activities and more this weekend.

ST. CLARE OF ASSISI: The church presents its 15th annual Oktoberfest from 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the St. Clare Parish School grounds, Third and Cherry streets in O’Fallon.

A homemade German-style dinner with pork roast and trimmings will be served from 4 to 7 p.m. in the school gym. Throughout the evening, vendors will sell funnel cakes, spiral spuds, hamburgers, bratwursts and hot dogs. Imported German beer will be on tap in the Wein and Bier Gardten.

If you want to work up an appetite first, enter the 5K Rennen & Weg at 4 p.m. Registration is from 3 to 4 p.m. and online at www.stclarechurch.org/5krun. A Kids Fun Run will follow.

There will be raffles for 15 prizes, including a trip for two to the original Oktobefest in Munich, Germany, and a trip for four to New York City. Basket raffles, a silent auction and kids inflatables and games are part of the action.

The Li’l Sister Band will perform from 7 to 11 p.m. Bingo in the gym starts at 8:30 p.m.

TRINITY GARDENS: The volunteers of the Alpha Foundation will hold an Oktoberfest to celebrate the lives and talents of adults with developmental disabilities from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Gardens and Farmstead, 11858 Zimmermann Road in Mascoutah.

German food will be complemented by a wine tasting by Sax’s of Mascoutah and a craft beer tasting by Fritz’s Distributing.

The Danny Krause Band will provide the oom-pah for dancing. Also, there will be a silent auction and display of barn quilts and other works of art and folk crafts made by adults with autism and other disabilities.

SCHLACHTFEST: The St. James Parish Schlachtfest will be Sunday in the parish center, 419 W. Madison in Millstadt.

A homemade pork sausage dinner will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with carryouts available until 5 p.m. A quilt and cash bingo will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. in the parish center.

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Festivals with a German accent."