- ArtsQuest's Oktober fest wrapped up its first weekend Sunday, with one more weekend to go
- The festival celebrates beer and German culture in the Lehigh Valley
- Many fest attendees said their favorite part is the wiener dog racing tournaments, held every day of the festival
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The first weekend of ArtsQuest's Oktoberfest brought beer, wiener dogs and German culture to SteelStacks in Bethlehem, along with no small quantity of lederhosen.
And attendees. Lots of them.
This year marks the free two-weekend festival’s 13th year. The annual festival is sponsored by Lehigh Valley International Airport.
The heart of Oktoberfest is a quartet of biergartens selling beer and featuring live music, each with a different theme, just west of the old Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces.
“It's a really fun time for the community to come and get together and have a good time, listening to music, playing games being together in each other's company. Our mission is to provide access to the arts for all, so that's something that we do within our festivals, within our concerts, within any of our special events.”
ArtsQuest spokeswoman Jennifer LoConte
Nearby, vendors offer food, crafts and other goods. Many, but not all, are traditionally German.
Though ArtsQuest didn't immediately have attendance figures, the SteelStacks was full on Sunday.
Aside from the beer, several attendees said, the festival’s best part is a wiener dog racing tournament, which celebrates the historically German Dachshund, but is open to any dog under 25 pounds.
There are many other unique events; for example, a stein-holding competition challenges attendees to hold a full mug of beer out in front of them as long as they can for a shot at the state championship.
PierogiPalooza, scheduled for both Saturdays of Oktoberfest, gives participants a “passport” to try six different savory pierogi.
The Brewers village, set for next Saturday, is similar, offering the chance to sample beers from the Lehigh Valley Brewers Guild.
“We come usually every year,” said Jim Schwab, who on Sunday attended Oktoberfest with his wife, Diane. The wiener dog races, beer and German food keep them coming back, they said.
“They always have a good turnout of people that come here, especially for the dog races. They're hysterical."
Oktoberfest attendee Diane Schwab
“They always have a good turnout of people that come here, especially for the dog races. They're hysterical,” Diane Schwab said.
“It's a really fun time for the community to come and get together and have a good time, listening to music, playing games being together in each other's company,” ArtsQuest spokeswoman Jennifer LoConte said.
“Our mission is to provide access to the arts for all, so that's something that we do within our festivals, within our concerts, within any of our special events.”
The second and final weekend of Oktoberfest, offering much of the same as the first weekend, is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 13 to Sunday, Oct. 15 at SteelStacks.