2025 Oktoberfest in Pella!
We’re topping off this year’s Fab Foodie Friday live music series with a spectacular Oktoberfest celebration.
October 10, 2025
5-10 pm
Klokkenspel Plaza
(on Franklin Street in downtown Pella)
Bring your family and friends and enjoy traditional Oktoberfest street foods, refreshing specialty beers, and root beers.
– QUICK LINKS –
Can’t oompah with the best of us?
Tune in to the Pella Fiber’s Oktoberfest Facebook livestream. Experience the festivities from the comfort of your own home!
Polka to traditional German oompah tunes provided by Chicago’s famous Alpine Thunder.
Spinning on the dance floor, not your thing? Tap your toes and try playing the mighty Swiss alphorns made famous by Ricola cough drop commercials!
OKTOBERBEST GAMES
No Bavarian Dirndl or Lederhosen in your closet? No problem!
You can flex your inner Bavarian or Tyrolean by competing in traditional Oktoberfest contests, including:
Masskrugstemmen
(who can hold a full beer stein with an outstretched arm longest?)
Hammerschlagen
(who can pound a nail into a stump with the fewest hammer swings?)
Fassrollen
(beer barrel bowling – yes, it’s a thing!)
All for some serious bragging rights and “Winner, Winner, Schnitzel Dinner” awards.
View all the game details below – including rules, equipment, and prizes!
Hammerschlagen
Hammerschlagen (“Hammer Striking”) is a lively twist on the traditional Nailspielen (“Nail game”). In the U.S., a similar game is called Stump.
EQUIPMENT:
Soft log that is set waist high
Cross-peen or blacksmith hammer
12/16d nail driven a half inch into the stump
Safety glasses
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE:
Men and Women, 16 and over.
RULES:
- The player’s nail will be hammered into the log about half an inch into the wood before starting.
- On your turn: set the wedge-end of the hammer next to your nail and take one swing.
- Typically, Männer (men) hammer one-handed and Frauen (women) may use both hands. Choose what fits you best!
- The swing must be a smooth, vertical motion.
- Play proceeds to the right until a nail is flush with or beneath the wood.
- If your nail bends awkwardly, you may use your next turn to take a side swing to straighten it.
- Move around the log as needed for a better angle—flexibility is the German way!
PRIZE:
Bragging rights with the bonus of an intact set of digits.
Masskrugstemmen
Masskrugstemmen, or Steinholding, is a legendary Bavarian strength contest where competitors grip a full 1-liter beer stein with a straight arm, chest-high, and hold on as long as they can. Originating in Bavaria, this fierce game has become a favorite at Oktoberfest and beyond.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE:
Boys and girls under 16 battle together—smaller steins, big pride. Ages 16 to 21, all in one mighty group, lift the classic 1-liter stein— Root beer spills verboten!
Adults 21+, it’s men versus women—traditional steins, no excuses.
EQUIPMENT:
One-liter, dimpled glass beer stein – typically weighing up to five pounds when filled with beer. Note for kids, we’ll be using smaller steins filled with root beer.
RULES:
- Always grip by the handle. Thumb must rest along the fingers, not atop the handle.
- Pinkie may rest outside the handle and touch it, but never the body of the stein.
- Hold the stein with its front facing directly away from you, parallel to your extended arm.
- Slight back arch okay, but minimal leaning.
- Elbow cannot pass behind your ankle; armpit cannot cross forward beyond hips or toes.
- No leaning left or right—shoulder line remains mostly parallel with the ground.
- Stein must stay directly out front, never to the side. Shoulders should be perpendicular to the holding arm.
- Arm with the stein stays parallel to the ground, straight with no elbow bend, and perpendicular to the torso when viewed from the side.
- No resting arm on chest or torso.
- The off hand must stay at your side—never help with the stein or support your body.
- Do not touch other people, objects, or structures during competition.
- Remain in your personal zone; only minor movement to adjust form is allowed.
- Any spillage—auf Wiedersehen! Disqualification is immediate.
- An infraction of any rule will result in a strike being issued by the competition judge. After two strikes, the third strike results in the immediate disqualification of the competitor.
PRIZE:
Champions in the adult men’s and women’s divisions will hoist a stein in victory, score a commemorative t-shirt, and grab vendor gift cards. The top kid will strut away with a Tyrolean hat and vendor gift cards.
For the adults, If you’re knocked out early, your consolation is the precious beer left in your stein—best enjoyed, perhaps, with help from The Cellar Peanut Pub and a more manageable glass.
Untrained gentlemen typically last 3-5 minutes, ladies 1-3. Think you can beat the U.S. women’s record (6:10) or the men’s (21:17)?
For photo-worthy form and rules: https://www.ussteinholding.com/info/official-steinholding-rules.
Fassrollen
Experience the thrill of a German barrel rolling race! Roll kegs to topple pins in a lively game of keg bowling—a fun, authentic twist on traditional bowling that captures the spirit of German festivities.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE:
Everyone, including the kids
EQUIPMENT:
A mostly-empty beer key, a pony keg for the kids
10 bowling pins
RULES:
During this event, participants will roll a keg down a “lane” to strike down as many pins as possible.
PRIZE:
Bragging rights at a ‘Ten-Pin Terrorizer’! or ein Schreien, I feel a ‘Turducken’ coming on!
OKTOBERBEST BEVERAGES
Raise your stein of Gezellig Brewing Company’s Spirit of Pella Oktoberfest Festbier on draft!
This classic Bavarian style pours a shimmering golden amber with a creamy white head. Smooth malt sweetness meets a gentle toastiness, balanced by just the right touch of floral hops. Crisp, clean, and endlessly drinkable, it’s perfect for clinking glasses, swapping stories, and celebrating the season. Whether you’re in lederhosen, a hoodie, or both, this beer says Prost! with every sip.
Festbier – 5.2% ABV
The Cellar Peanut Pub will also offer specially selected Marazens, a German-style amber lager known for its malty, toasted bread and biscuit-like flavor profile with a clean finish and a medium body, and other Oktoberfest-style beers on tap.
Ready to shake up what’s in your stein? Enjoy 1919 Classic American Draft Root Beer.
The name 1919 signifies the year when hundreds of breweries faced the prospect of closure due to Prohibition (1919-1933). To keep their breweries open, several resourceful Brewmasters chose to make near beers, elixirs, and sodas! 1919 Root Beer is brewed in small batches with only the finest ingredients: real sugar and real vanilla, making it the creamiest, full-bodied draft root beer available. 1919 is alcohol-free and contains no caffeine.
OKTOBERBEST FOOD
Gutes Essen! or Good Food!
Will be your catch phrase after tasting the German-themed eats and treats.
We’ve rounded up local restaurants and food trucks to provide authentic German festival foods.
- Prime Country BBQ will be bringing a bold new German-style brisket and beer cheese sandwich, served on a pretzel bun.
- Warm up with hearty German Potato Soup and crusty Bread from the Bread Board.
- Tear into Tyrolean pretzels and popcorn from Central College Catering.
- Dive into flavorful Bratwurst, tangy Sauerkraut, and classic German Potato Salad from Clover Leaf on Franklin.
- A new food truck is rolling into town – Kartoffelsack – with a different take on German eats. Get ready for Döner Kebab, Schnitzel Sandwiches, Currywurst, Potato Noodles with Sauerkraut, and Schnitzel with Fries.
- Then top it all off with a special handcrafted German chocolate ice cream cookie sammie from Sweet Henry’s.
We’ve rounded up local restaurants and food trucks to provide authentic German festival foods.
- Prime Country BBQ will be bringing a bold new German-style brisket and beer cheese sandwich, served on a pretzel bun.
- Warm up with German soups from The Bread Board.
- Tear into Tyrolean pretzels and popcorn from Central College Catering.
- Dig into Bavarian-inspired sides and sweets from Clover Leaf on Franklin.
- Then top it all off with a special handcrafted German chocolate ice cream cookie sammie from Sweet Henry’s.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
5:00 PM – Alpine Thunder kicks off the festivities—get ready – it’s about to get loud!
6:15 PM – Ready, set, roll! All ages welcome for the epic Fassrollen (barrel rolling) showdown.
6:45 PM – Alpine Thunder storms the stage again, and it’s time to test your brawn at the legendary Masskrugstemmen (stein holding) contest—everyone’s invited!
8:00 PM – Load up on schnitzel and get your second wind! It’s time to swing for glory in the Hammerschlagen (nail-driving) contest—open to the brave 16 and up.
8:45 PM – Time to polka your socks off! Alpine Thunder’s back!
10:00 PM – Das party ist kaputt, until next year!
Every beer, root beer, brat, schnitzel, and pretzel sold will help Spirit of Pella create more magic for our community.
10% of everything you spend on food and drink at Oktoberfest will help us turn the ordinary into the extraordinary by funding more vibrant downtown art, dazzling holiday lights, and unforgettable experiences like Fab Foodie Fridays, Oktoberfest, and adding an ice rink chiller in the Caldwell Park that will make ice skating available to Pella residents up to four months every year!
Can’t oompah with the best of us? Tune in to the Pella Fiber’s Oktoberfest Facebook livestream. Experience the festivities from the comfort of your own home!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who can attend?
All ages are welcome! There will be a dedicated 21+ tent for those who want to enjoy a beer (please bring your ID), and another for the kiddos and those who prefer a tasty root beer.
Do I need to purchase a ticket?
This is a FREE event! Our partners will be dishing out delicious traditional German fare. Every sip and bite helps Spirit of Pella sprinkle some magic around town.
Weather? No problem!
We’re “festing” no matter the weather. The past three years have seen an average high of 67 and an average low of 46 degrees on the first weekend of October in Pella.
What to bring?
Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome. For everyone’s comfort, please leave your furry friends at home (service animals allowed).
Parking
Plenty of spots downtown! Please be kind to our Franklin Street businesses and neighbors – don’t block any driveways.