Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – All Saints Lutheran Church hosted the sixth annual Jonesboro Oktoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 17, drawing crowds to the church grounds at the corner of Rains Street and Highland Drive.
The evening celebrated German culture with live music, traditional food, and games, serving as a primary annual fundraiser for All Saints Classical Lutheran School.
“Our event has been steadily growing every year, and the turnout this year was no exception,” said Father Jerome Leckband, Headmaster of All Saints Classical Lutheran School. “We had over 600 people attend this year, a 30% increase from last year.”
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General admission was free for attendees under 21, while adults paid a $15 entry fee at the gate to access the Biergarten and entertainment areas.
Local businesses, including Brick Oven, Soul & Spirits Brewery, Lebowski’s Brewing Co., and Native Brew Works, provided food and beer for the event. The church congregation also worked together to prepare traditional German dishes.
Oompah-Calypse, a polka band from Alabama, provided live entertainment. The group played a mix of traditional German music and popular songs with a folk twist.
The festival featured several traditional activities and contests, encouraging attendees to participate in a “Best Dressed” contest by wearing traditional Bavarian attire like dirndls and lederhosen. Games included Hammerschlagen, where players attempt to drive a nail into a wooden barrel using as few hammer swings as possible, and the Brat Toss, which challenged teams to catch a tossed bratwurst in a stein, stepping back with each successful catch.
The event also featured the highly anticipated Masskrugstemmen, a stein-holding competition where participants held a full beer stein straight out at arm’s length for as long as possible to claim bragging rights for the year. Younger attendees enjoyed inflatable bounce houses, dancing, and non-alcoholic beverages.
To help attendees navigate the expanded event this year, organizers even rolled out a dedicated mobile app featuring the schedule, menu options, a venue map, and details on the featured beers and sponsors.
Proceeds from the Oktoberfest event will directly benefit the students and ongoing programs at the school.
“While our church members provide most of the support for the school, enrollment is open to anyone in the community,” Leckband added. “Not only does our school benefit from the financial support, but it gives the scholars an opportunity to serve at the event and to write thank-you notes in appreciation for those who helped sponsor our event.”
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