Oktoberfest revelers enjoy beer, bee sting cake at St. Alphonsus celebration
The overcast sky and scattered showers were not enough to stop Chicagoans from attending the second day of Oktoberfest at St. Alphonsus church on Saturday.
What’s there to complain about when you have beer, bratwurst and bee sting cake?
The latter, a German dessert known as bienenstich, is a two-layer cake with custard filling and a crunchy, caramelized almond topping. The dish, along with leberkase (pork and veal loaf) sliders, were new additions for the fest, now in its 22nd year.
It’s those traditional touches, coupled with a strong sense of community, that make the Lake View street festival stand out. Also featuring music, a craft beer tasting, vendors, kids' activities and a stein-hoisting competition, the event continues Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. The $10 admission goes toward the church’s education and community outreach initiatives.
“It’s always fun to celebrate who we are and invite the whole city to come and share in our German heritage and culture,” said the Rev. Steven Bauer, pastor of St. Alphonsus, which has many German immigrants among its congregants. “And secondly, it’s something that really supports the church. Ultimately, we’re a community of faith, and therefore family and community are very important to us.”
Inspired by the annual Oktoberfest in Munich, the St. Alphonsus event draws thousands to the area to help usher in the fall season.
“People come here because it’s like that last-ditch effort of summer to come out and enjoy themselves and the last remaining warm days,” said John Meindl, a lifelong church member and the fest’s bratwurst co-captain.
Festival attendee Ben Johnson also cited the appeal of the late-September weather.
“It’s just a nice reason to get out in the middle of fall while the leaves are changing and everything,” said Johnson, 22, of southwest suburban Channahon, who said he has some German ancestry.
He grew up celebrating Oktoberfest at his house, eating spätzle (egg noodles) and sausage with family and neighbors.
He praised the bratwurst at the St. Alphonsus fest.
“It was a little bit spicier, which I appreciated," he said.
The taste is so special because the dish is unique to the church. Following World War II, a German family brought the recipe with them, and it has been passed down ever since, according to Bauer, whose father immigrated from Germany.
That isn't the only fun bit of history at the fest. One of the beer gardens, located at Southport and Oakdale, is the site of a former German restaurant, Zum Deutschen Eck. It was there that Bauer's parents first met.
“It’s kind of a neat little connection that my parents met at a German restaurant that’s now a beer garden for Oktoberfest, and I’m the pastor of it," Bauer said.
Bauer wasn't the only one on Saturday wearing lederhosen and a Tyrolean hat. Several men were spotted in the traditional breeches and head coverings. And some women, including Heather Schultz and Mary Mapes, of Old Town, wore a dirndl, a traditional German dress with a tight-fitting bodice, low neckline and full skirt.
“It’s just fun and festive and our whole friend group has all of these, whether they’re German or not," said Schultz. "We just convince people to buy them so it’s just part of our fall experience.”
Schultz and Mapes said they attend a lot of local Oktoberfests.
“I think more people dress up for this one," Mapes said of the St. Alphonsus event. "More people get into the spirit of it.”
The soundtrack of the festival is both traditional, nostalgic and contemporary, with acts like the Polkaholics, Sgt. Saukerkraut’s Polka Band, '80s-focused 16 Candles and a Taylor Swift tribute group, Fearless, on this year's lineup.
Bauer said his favorite part of the weekend was the ceremonial keg-tapping on Friday, which is preceded by an Oktoberfest prayer and blessing of the beer.
The main theme of Bauer's message was a fitting summary for the festival.
"May this be a time of celebration of friendship, family, faith and community," he said.