Holy Family Catholic Community Oktoberfest

FOND DU LAC – Get ready to don your lederhosen and dance the polka! Holy Family Catholic
Community’s Oktoberfest will bring festive fun for the whole family when it returns on
Saturday, October 7—with many new additions in store!
Holy Family began its Oktoberfest event in 2021, taking note from the annual German festival
to create a celebration that both honored the parish—and the state’s—German roots, and
offered a great time for people throughout the area. People have filled the Holy Family
Prayer Garden ever since to enjoy live music, test their luck in raffles, and sample a variety
of food, like bratwursts, German potato salad, and traditional Latin cuisine cooked up by the
local Hispanic community.
Each year, Oktoberfest has grown, welcoming new guests and new attractions, like an
inflatable obstacle course and balloon twister in 2022. This year, those who attend will find
even more reasons to celebrate, including new giant yard games, a cotton candy machine,
trivia with a cash prize, and a Makers Market, where you can purchase unique items from
local artisans.
“Our goal at Oktoberfest is to offer a little something for everyone, and with our new
additions this year, there will be no shortage of entertainment,” Holy Family Catholic
Community Pastor, the Very Rev. Ryan Pruess, said. “Since Oktoberfest started two years ago,
it has become one of our parish’s favorite events and we hope to make it one of the greater
Fond du Lac community’s as well.”
Oktoberfest will kick off at 4:00 pm at Holy Family Church, 271 Fourth Street Way, with Mass
featuring Readings and music in both English and German. At around 5:00 pm, the festivities
will commence in the Prayer Garden, where people can explore the Cristo Rey Ranch petting
zoo, get balloon animals, play a giant game of Connect Four, take an up-close look at local
public safety vehicles, race through an inflatable obstacle course, taste free cotton candy,
and snap a photo with the Oktoberfest mascot, Fredrich the Oktoberfest Squirrel. A Makers
Market featuring local artisans selling their creations will run on the festival’s east side and
offer a great chance to purchase some unique items and gifts. The German folk band, Dorf
Kapelle, will bring their musical talent to Oktoberfest, as they perform folk music from
Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Switzerland, including waltzes, polkas, and

marches, as well as takes from “the Great American Songbook,”— all in authentic German
attire, according to its website.
In addition to the traditional Oktoberfest fare, attendees will have the chance to purchase
Hispanic food, homemade desserts, and soups from Mr. and Mrs. Catering. Beer in a variety of
brews—including Octoberfest drinks—will be on hand with soda and water. People will also
have the chance to take home beautiful gift baskets donated from local businesses and
residents in the crowd-favorite Oktoberfest Basket Raffle.
After Dorf Kapelle finishes their performance, the night will continue inside Holy Family Hall
as trivia begins at 8:15 pm. Trivia is free to play, and the winning team will receive a cash
prize!
“You can’t help but have a good time when you’re at Oktoberfest,” Very Rev. Ryan Pruess
said. “As much as it is a celebration of our community’s German heritage, it is also a
celebration of our community as a whole—an opportunity for us all to come together to enjoy
delicious food, awesome music, and great entertainment.”
Admission to Oktoberfest is free, with food and raffle tickets available for purchase. In the
event of rain, the festival will take place in Holy Family Hall. Parking will be available in the
church’s west lot, with disabled parking available on the north side as well.