Don't miss Island Oktoberfest – returning October 24-25, 2008. Hosted by First Evangelical Lutheran Church and co-sponsored by Del Papa Distributing Company, the 27th annual event will kick-off Friday evening, October 24th with great music, food, and libations from 7:00-11.00pm.  On Saturday, the festival will be held from 11:00am-7:00pm. All activities for this popular fun family event will be held on the grounds of - and streets adjacent to - First Lutheran Church at 24th and Winnie - near Galveston’s historic downtown district.

Along with good music, there will be great food and drink including smoked sausage, bratwurst, and knockwurst.  Beverages will include a variety of German-style beer and wines.  

On Saturday, festival goers can again look forward to superb entertainment.  In addition to enjoying great German music throughout the day, there will be more great food – including First Lutheran’s famous German Dinner, the opportunity to shop from the quality arts and crafts vendors located in The Old Church and Lyceum Hall, fun games and activities for both children and adults, a fabulous auction, and that’s just the beginning!

Favorite cuisines to be prepared at this year’s Island Oktoberfest will include pork loin, sauerkraut, red cabbage, and German potato salad. Back by popular demand again this year, will be the expanded Wurstfest booth area featuring delicious bratwurst, knackwurst, and smoked sausages served with sauerkraut and all the trimmings. For a sweet finale, homemade Helmut’s strudel (freshly baked on site), will again be offered in addition to a variety of tempting home-made desserts (created from recipes passed down from generation to generation) prepared by congregation members.  A variety of popular German-style beer and wine, soft drinks, hand-made pretzels and freshly-popped popcorn will also be sold at the festival.

Again this year, vendors will display their quality gifts, crafts, and arts inside the 1868 Original Church located adjacent to the present sanctuary. Showcasing stunning floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows, this original church, until recently, had not been opened to the public in decades.  In addition to getting to see the Original Church prior to its restoration (scheduled to begin after this year’s event), festival goers should find this to be a great opportunity to get a head start on their holiday shopping, as many of the participating vendors will feature Christmas gift items.

For the children, exciting activities will include a pony carrousel, moon walk, rock climbing wall, petting zoo, water balloon toss, face painting, and more.  Adults can look forward to raffles, games, and competitions.

Admission is free, with donations to the New Century Capital Campaign appreciated. Attendees are encouraged to dress in authentic German costume for both Friday evening and Saturday’s festivities. For more information, contact First Lutheran Church at 409.762.8477 or visit the web site www.1st.lutheran.com/oktoberfest.

Schedule of Events...

About First Evangelical Lutheran Church...

The mission of First Luthern Church of Galveston is to worship and praise God, to serve Him and all people, and to share Christ's message of love, joy, and salvation.