Oktoberfest Is Around the Corner!

Fall Family Fun is Less Than a Month away

Yes, from Oct. 2-4, Oktober Fest is actually in October this year! How fun is that! And we will be providing so many of our fan favorites in addition to some new offering!

As always, admission remains free as is the parking! So you can enjoy this fall event under a HUGE tent on the corner of 93rd Avenue and US Route 41 in St. John.

Oktoberfest has something for everyone with live German bands, adult beverages, football coverage, delicious foods, and so much more. There will be a couple new drinks and food items added to the festive offerings.

Make sure to dress up if you have the outfits – lederhosen or dirndls, if you’d like, or at least a Bavarian cap! The bands will be joining in with traditional attire, so join the party!

Why not fit the look as Oktoberfest is one of SJE’s great opportunities to open our doors beyond our parish walls and welcome the wider community. Held at the Day Chapel Parking Lot, 11301 W. 93rd Ave., St John, the three-day celebration brings together parish partners, families, friends, and people from throughout Northwest Indiana for good food, live music, football, fellowship and plenty of German fun.

And while there is certainly a Bier Garden for the 21+ crowd, Oktoberfest is a family event, too. Kids can enjoy pumpkin decorating, face painting, games, Big Wheels, Giant Lite N Brite and more. Live music will fill the weekend  and two huge TVs will keep football fans in the game.

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Exceptionally  unique to our Oktoberfest, there will be a time for prayer and Eucharistic Adoration at the Encounter on Saturday at the Day Chapel. And if you or someone you know is interested in becoming Catholic, there will be a table featuring our OCIA. OCIA stands for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is the official process used by the Catholic Church to welcome new adult members. At SJE, it is a journey of learning and discernment as people deepen or begin their relationship with Jesus. It is a tool and Order used to bring people into the fullness of the Church whether they come from a different tradition or no faith at all. We implement prayer, scripture, and church teachings to equip people with the tools necessary to be disciples who make disciples!

The most important part of Oktoberfest isn't what happens on the stage or in the Bier Garden, It’s what happens between people.

“It’s an opportunity for us to be SJE outside of the church building,” says Sydney Vega, who is coordinating this year’s celebration. “When people come to Oktoberfest, they should experience the same welcome, joy, and sense of community that we want them to experience at SJE.”

That takes people. Lots of people. You can still sign up in the Narthex to volunteer, or at sjeevents.org

This year, we are making the German food experience even more of a parish family effort. In addition to several of our favorite restaurant booths, some of the food will be catered and prepared by SJE volunteer Mark DeJarlais, which means we need plenty of hands on deck. And yes, there is probably a German word for that—but for now, we'll just call it many hands making light work!

There is also a changing of the guard in der Kaffee haus, as Pat Millerick “retires” from her long-time role and the Smutinak family steps in to lead the Kaffeehaus tradition.

So, whether you have volunteered for years or have never volunteered at Oktoberfest before, this is your invitation.

You can still sign up in the Narthex to volunteer.  Or at sjeevents.org

Your Service Can Be an Invitation to Christ

When you volunteer, you aren't simply filling a shift. You are welcoming. You are serving and you are representing SJE. And you may be the first friendly face someone encounters from our parish. That matters.

Our mission calls us to make disciples and discipleship begins with relationship. A conversation over a plate of German food, helping a child decorate a pumpkin, welcoming a new family, or laughing together over music can become an unexpected doorway to community—and ultimately to Christ.

So come to the Oktoberfest. Bring your family. Invite your neighbors. And sign up to serve.

Oktoberfest 2026:

• Friday, October 2: 5–11 p.m.

• Saturday, October 3: 1–11 p.m.

• Sunday, October 4: Noon–8 p.m.

Volunteer today by signing up in the Narthex, or visit sjeevents.org.

For questions or to get involved, contact Sydney Vega at the parish office: 219-356-6789.

Your help goes further than you think. You aren't just helping make Oktoberfest happen. You are helping make SJE a place where people are welcomed, relationships are built, families are strengthened, and the love of Christ can be encountered.

Hurra! We’ll see you at Oktoberfest!