Lilburn Lutherans bring out the Wurst!

   Have a taste for a real Oktoberfest, but not the time (or money) to travel? Look no further than Trinity Lutheran Church on Killian Hill Road in Lilburn next Saturday, October 7.

   “Everybody talks about the Oktoberfest in Helen, but why go way up there in all the traffic when you can experience a real Oktoberfest at our church?” said TLC member Evelyn Schneider.

   This will be TLC’s fourth Oktoberfest and it promises to be even bigger and better than ever.

   “We have 1100 visitors last year,” said Oktoberfest chairman, Jack Crouse, “and this year we expect at least 1300.”

   All food will be authentic German cuisine, provided by Schumacher’s of Norcross. Visitors can “expect the wurst” meaning bratwurst, knockwurst and weisswurst, with sauerkraut, German potato salad, red cabbage, pretzels and strudel.

   And for those who prefer American fare, menu items include hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and cookies and even Charles Fisher’s good old Southern boiled peanuts.

   But the best part of the menu is the authentic German beer. “We will serve Spaten Oktoberfest, Franziskaner Hefeweiss and Dinkel Acker Dark along with an assortment of authentic German wines including Karl Erbes Riesling Kabinett,” said Jim Elsenbeck.

   Music will range from the ThriveAlive Band, Dynamic Range, which plays Appalachian ballads and blue grass music, a wandering fiddler, the Atlanta Polka Band which has been entertaining crowds since 1984, and the Euro-Volk dancers, which perform ethnic polkas and waltzes. And if you happen to run into TLC member Neal Rhodes, he’ll be glad to teach you some quick steps so you can dance along.

   The craft fair runs the gamut from authentic German artwork to Marion Wingfield’s blown glass, Edward Pizzati’s wooden toys, Edna Fisher’s aprons and birdhouses, and assorted candles, jewelry and homemade chocolates. Pencil renderings, plates and note cards by local artist Chris McLaughlin will also be available. Visitors can pose for pictures behind costumed cut-outs or next to a life size figure of Martin Luther himself.

   Children’s games will include a lollipop grab, balloon blast, duck pond and pink pig race. A dog fashion show by As Groomed as it Gets will entertain kids of all ages and for the intellectuals, Allison Kuester, a high school student under the guidance of her German teacher, will be organizing other German students to walk among the crowd speaking German and enlightening visitors about German history and customs.

   Admission is $3 and for the children’s games, a can of food will buy two tickets for any event.

   “This is not a fundraiser,” said Crouse. “This is a mission for witnessing to the community. However, any money we make on the Oktoberfest will go to the Lilburn Coop to help those in need.” 

   I think Martin Luther would drink to that!

   For information call 770-972-4418 or visit www.mnopltd.com/tlc/okt/

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