Marco Lutheran Church Hosts Annual Oktoberfest Celebrating German Heritage

The Marco Lutheran Church celebrated its annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 17, offering a cultural experience rooted in the German heritage of many congregation members. The event featured traditional German music, including performances by a band with an accordion and guitars, and a slideshow that included German language words for guests to guess. The Great Room was filled with the sounds of celebration, accompanied by a variety of German foods such as sausages, potato pancakes, beer, and other delicacies prepared by parishioners.

Several attendees wore traditional German attire, including 88-year-old parishioner Wanda Schmelzer, who sewed her own outfit for the occasion. Schmelzer, who immigrated to America from Germany as a young person, said she had worn the same outfit to every Oktoberfest celebration at the church for the past twenty years. This year, she also prepared a full platter of potato pancakes to share with others.

Senior Pastor Jim Thelen addressed the crowd during the event, standing in traditional German-style lederhosen. He led the congregation in a prayer to bless the meal and honor the German heritage that holds significance for many present. “We thank you for all that is connected to them and for those that made their way over here to America,” Thelen said, “which is now a melting pot of so many. But we thank you, especially in October, for our German brothers and sisters. May our time together be a celebration of that heritage.”

The festivities also included a special birthday celebration for one of the parishioners, Sal, who turned 84. A cake decorated with an American and German flag crossed over each other was presented to honor the occasion. The event brought together the community in a spirit of cultural appreciation and shared tradition.

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