Oktoberfest might conjure up images of beer and party-goers to many, but Columbia’s Oktoberfest shows that the story of the festival goes beyond its stereotypical reputation. Incarnation Lutheran Church is looking forward to hosting its ninth Oktoberfest Columbia this weekend from Oct. 11 to 13.
“The atmosphere that we provide, which is very family-friendly, is probably what makes us unique. It’s a beer festival, but a family-friendly one,” said Sarah Sawicki, co-director of Oktoberfest.
Rev. Jane Mitcham at Incarnation said Oktoberfest being held at a church separates the festivals from many others.
“The purpose is to lift up that German heritage that we have and to provide music and fun and games and food and beer, in a responsible way, for the community,” Mitcham said.
The idea for Oktoberfest Columbia was conceived by members of the church who wished to create a celebration of their Lutheran heritage, which hails from Martin Luther's German roots. The festival has a character actor who hosts the event dressed as Martin Luther and wanders around the festival in traditional robes while ringing a bell.
Last year it was estimated that four to six thousand people attended Oktoberfest. Members of the church hope the event will continue to attract people from outside the Columbia community.
Families with kids, young adults, middle-aged and older people alike will come together to experience the festival. Given Fort Jackson’s proximity, there are a fair number of retirees, many of whom served in Germany either in the Army or Air Force.
Those in attendance can expect an abundance of homemade food, all made by the hands of the church.
Oktoberfest Columbia offers both schnitzel and jagerschnitzel. Schnitzel is a thin-sliced, fried pork cutlet and jagerschnitzel is topped with gravy. Other popular items include bratwurst, weisswurst (a mild, veal sausage), spaetzle (traditional German noodles) and bratkartoffeln (potatoes fried on the griddle with onions and bacon).
Each year, nearly 10,000 cookies are baked during the summer by the ladies of the church and are stored in the freezer until October.
“When we first started, we got a German cookbook from the library and we started using those recipes,” Sawicki said.
Of course, beer plays an important role in any Oktoberfest celebration. Columbia’s festival features two different beer tents. The main tent offers a selection of craft and German beer. There is also a smaller tent called “Little Beer,” which carries all Paulaner brand beer.
“Paulaner is one of the seven beers that are allowed at the Munich Oktoberfest. So, it’s a real official beer,” Sawicki said.
Oktoberfest Columbia also offers authentic entertainment, including oompah bands. The festival features three different live bands, two of which have singers. One of the bands, Euro Express, is from Chicago. The third is a purely instrumental local band called "Die Lustigen Musikanten," which translates to “The Happy Musicians.”
Oktoberfest Columbia provides a family-friendly atmosphere by offering an array of children activities, like carnival games.
On Sunday a group called “Beer and Hymns,” which is comprised of many Lutheran pastors, youth pastors and music directors, will play acoustic hymns. Their repertoire features both traditional and contemporary songs.
Mayor Steve Benjamin, Rep. Joe Wilson and the church's minister and bishop will partake in the Bavarian traditional opening to the festival by tapping the keg and saying “o’zapft is,” which means “it’s tapped.” The festival will open at 5 p.m. Friday and go through Sunday.