Palatine Rotary to hold 10th annual Oktoberfest
The Rotary Club of Palatine will hold its 10th annual Oktoberfest Sept. 15-17 at the corner of Smith and Slade streets, south of the Metra station, in downtown Palatine. The goal of the festival is to raise funds for Rotary's support of local charities and community projects.
The free, tented event features authentic German music, food, beverages and activities for all ages. Festival hours are 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
"We kick off the festival on Friday at 5 p.m.," said Cindy Stoeckel, Oktoberfest chairwoman. "Mayor Jim Schwantz will officiate over the blessing and tapping of the keg ceremony, which will start our Oktoberfest celebration. Come party in your lederhosen and dirndl."
The beer
"Beer is a large component of any Oktoberfest celebration," Stoeckel said. "Beverages include Schofferhofer Grapefruit, which tastes like a grapefruit Hefeweizen; Radeberger, a German-style pilsner; Dab, which is a German dortmunder; and Estrella Daura, a marzen-style gluten-free beer.
"There will also be three locally brewed beers from the Wild Onion Brewing Company in Lake Barrington. 'Oktoberfest' is a German-style amber lager and 'Hefty-Weiss' is their interpretation of a traditional Bavarian Hefeweiss.
"This year Wild Onion will be adding a new beer, Kolsch, a crisp, clean German ale, to their offerings. Along with our beer selection, we will also be offering a variety of wine."
The food
The event will also feature authentic German food from vendors including Heybeck's Meat Market, Tre Amici Pizza, Morkes Chocolates, Partners for Our Community, Tap House Grill and Kooker's.
Heybeck's will be providing bratwurst, a leberkase sandwich and a pig platter, as well as more traditional burgers, barbecue and ribs.
Tre Amici will be serving cheese and sausage pizzas, as well as a specialty pizza and hot dogs. Kooker's will be serving pretzels, a chicken schnitzel sandwich, bratwurst and a variety of salads.
Tap House Grill will have pretzels with beer cheese and spicy mustard, seasoned chips with beer cheese, deep fried schnitzel pork bites and sauerbraten pot roast sliders.
Morkes will have a variety of caramel apples, spiced doughnuts and chocolate bars. Pop and water, as well as popcorn, will also be available for purchase from volunteers supporting Partners for Our Community.
The music
Musical entertainment will kick off Friday with Phenix from 6 p.m. to midnight. Saturday's entertainment includes Die Musikmeisters performing from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., followed by Phenix from 8 p.m. to midnight.
The musical lineup on Sunday features Die Musikmeisters on the stage from noon to 2:45 p.m., followed by Johnny Wagner performing from 3 to 6 p.m.
"Returning this year on Saturday night will be the Rheinischer Verein Mardi Gras Society Fanfaren Corps," said Stoeckel. "They will be marching throughout the site with their drums and horns."
For families
This year, Family Day will kick off with an Oktoberfest Family Bike Ride sponsored by the Bike Palatine Club on Saturday morning at the corner of Smith and Slade Streets. Registration is at 11 a.m. on the day of the event. The ride starts at 11:30 a.m. Visit www.bikepalatine.com for details.
The Bridge Youth & Family Services will also be hosting a Color Run at 10 a.m. Sunday. Go to www.bridgeyouth.org for details.
Games and activities for Family Day will continue from noon to 3:30 p.m. Saturday with face painting, police and fire department displays, children's raffle prizes and project building by Home Depot.
On stage will be musical performances starting at noon by Palatine High School and Plum Grove Junior High orchestras. Vest Dance Troupe and Bonnie Lindholm School of Dance will entertain with dance demonstrations, JP Wood Martial Arts will provide a martial arts demonstration, and RC Juggles will be making balloon characters.
At approximately 1 p.m., the winners of Scarecrows on Parade, a scarecrow decorating contest sponsored by the village of Palatine, will be announced.
"We will be selling raffle tickets for the chance to win one of 24 wine, liquor and merchant baskets, as well as flat screen televisions, each valued at over $500," Stoeckel added.
"We also have four wheelbarrows of beer and a Weber grill. Tickets are $5 each or $20 for 5 tickets, and the drawing will be on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. Winners do not have to be present."
View a complete schedule of events and learn more about the Rotary Club of Palatine at www.palatinerotary.com/Oktoberfest, on Facebook or email oktoberfest@palatinerotary.com. Money raised at Oktoberfest helps support charities and community projects.