🍻🥨 Oktoberfest @ St. Alphonsus — Beer, Brats, ABBA & Rock! 🎶🍂🇩🇪

🍻🥨 Oktoberfest @ St. Alphonsus — Beer, Brats, ABBA & Rock! 🎶🍂🇩🇪

We're heading to one of Chicago's favorite fall festivals for a night of beer, brats, pretzels, live music, and plenty of Oktoberfest fun — and yes, we're absolutely there for the music! 🎤💃🕺

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📅 Friday, September 25, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
📍 St. Alphonsus Oktoberfest — 1429 W Wellington Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
(Lincoln/Southport/Wellington area — Lakeview)
💰 $10 admission at the gate
🌐 stalsoktoberfest.com

if you cannot make it at 5 pm - join us later as we will be there awhile!

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🍂 ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Now in its 24th year, St. Alphonsus Oktoberfest transforms the Lincoln/Southport/Wellington corridor into a giant neighborhood celebration — with multiple stages, German food, beer gardens, live entertainment, stein-hoisting, family activities, and the legendary Ceremonial Keg Tapping & Official Blessing of Beer! 🍺🇩🇪

A little history: The original Oktoberfest dates to 1810 in Munich, when Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. There was a giant party, everyone had a great time, and Germany decided — "Yep, let's do this every year." 😂🍺

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🎶 FRIDAY NIGHT BAND SCHEDULE
🎺 5:00–6:00 PM — Four Star Brass Band
📍 Parking Lot Stage ⭐ Might check them out if we arrive early!
💃 6:00–7:30 PM — Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute
📍 Main Stage ⭐ WE WILL SEE THIS!
🎤 6:30–7:30 PM — The Divas
📍 Parking Lot Stage
🍺 7:50 PM — Ceremonial Keg Tapping & Official Blessing of Beer
📍 Main Stage
🎶 Ein Prosit! 🇩🇪
🎸 8:00–10:00 PM — Rod Tuffcurls & The Bench Press
📍 Main Stage ⭐ WE WILL SEE THIS TOO!
🎶 8:00–10:00 PM — The Birkenrocks
📍 Parking Lot Stage

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🌟 ABOUT THE BANDS WE'LL SEE:
💃 Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute (6:00–7:30 PM — Main Stage) ⭐
Established in 2004, Dancing Queen is the Midwest's long-running ABBA tribute band — over two decades of bringing ABBA's music, costumes, choreography, and high-energy performance style to Chicagoland and beyond. Expect Waterloo, Mamma Mia, S.O.S., Voulez-Vous, Dancing Queen and more — performed by an Agnetha/Frida vocal duo with a full live band. Translation: sparkles, dancing, singing, and a LOT of ABBA! 🪩
🌐 dancingqueenband.com

🎸 Rod Tuffcurls & The Bench Press (8:00–10:00 PM — Main Stage) ⭐
Get ready to switch gears from ABBA to one of Chicago's most seriously fun live bands! Rod Tuffcurls & The Bench Press are a Chicago-based powerhouse known for three-part harmonies, energetic musicianship, a massive and eclectic repertoire, and an over-the-top live show. Their music doesn't fit neatly into one genre — which is part of the fun. The band describes their shows as a full-on experience built around joy, entertainment, musicianship, and a top-tier light show. After two hours of ABBA, the party keeps going! 🎤🔥
🌐 rodtuffcurls.com

🎺 Four Star Brass Band (5:00–6:00 PM — Parking Lot Stage)
A Chicago-based New Orleans-style brass band bringing together brass instruments, jazz, blues, and heavy funk with that infectious second-line feel. A great way to kick off the evening! 🎺
🌐 fourstarbrassband.com

🎶 The Birkenrocks (8:00–10:00 PM — Parking Lot Stage)
A Chicago rock cover band known for a high-energy show and a broad mix of recognizable hits — and yes, they really do wear Birkenstocks on stage! 😂
🌐 untappedtalentchicago.com

🎤 The Divas (6:30–7:30 PM — Parking Lot Stage)
A Chicago-area cover band appearing at local festivals and events throughout the year.
🌐 thedivaschi.com

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🍺 OUR FRIDAY NIGHT PLAN
🎺 5:00 PM — Maybe catch Four Star Brass Band (toss up!)
💃 6:00–7:30 PM — Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute ⭐
🍺 7:50 PM — Ceremonial Keg Tapping & Blessing of Beer
🎸 8:00–10:00 PM — Rod Tuffcurls & The Bench Press ⭐
🥨 Eat, drink, wander, dance, and enjoy the Oktoberfest atmosphere in between!

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🍺 WHAT TO EXPECT
🍺 Beer gardens with local and imported brews
🥨 Giant pretzels & bratwurst
🎶 Two stages of live music all night
🍻 Ceremonial keg tapping & blessing of the beer
🏆 Stein-hoisting competition
🎉 Full Oktoberfest neighborhood party atmosphere
🛍️ Oktoberfest merchandise, hats & commemorative steins

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🚇 GETTING THERE
🚆 CTA Brown/Purple Line — Wellington stop (easy walk to the festival!)
🚌 Several CTA bus routes serve the area
🌐 transitchicago.com/planatrip
🚗 Street parking available in Lakeview — but festival weekend is busy!
⚠️ Watch for permit-only zones & posted signs
💡 My suggestion: Take the train! It's way easier than circling the neighborhood looking for parking while wishing you'd taken the train. 😂🚆

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⚠️ NO-SHOW POLICY
😬 3 no-shows without updating your RSVP = 3-month event freeze
⏰ RSVP cutoff = event start time — running late? Message the host directly
✅ Not checking in and not communicating = counts as a no-show
🚫 Continual no-shows = removal from the group

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🍻🥨 Come for the beer & brats — stay for the ABBA! We're kicking off with Dancing Queen, raising a stein for the official keg tapping, and turning it up with Rod Tuffcurls & The Bench Press. Add some pretzels, bratwurst, German beer, great company, and a little questionable dancing — what could possibly go wrong? 😂🍺🥨🎶