Downtown Celina trades its usual Saturday for lederhosen and polka this afternoon.
Celina Oktoberfest runs from 3 to 7 p.m. today, Oct. 3, on the Downtown Square. Admission is free. The city has made the longtime community tradition one of its official signature events, and is encouraging visitors to come in German-style costume.
On the main stage
Three acts rotate through the afternoon:
- The Dogensteins, who play rock, country and classic hits as polka, open at 3 p.m. and return at 4:30.
- STV Almrausch performs Bavarian and Tirolean folk dancing and music at 4 and 5 p.m.
- The Royal Klobasneks close the day from 5:30 to 7 p.m. with polkas and waltzes drawn from Czech, German, Austrian and American traditions.
Contests
A separate activity stage hosts competitions anyone can enter. Registration is near that stage during the festival; some events charge an entry fee, others are free, and spots are limited.
- 4 p.m. Dachshund Dash: qualifying heats lead to a championship race that crowns a Grand Champion.
- 4:30 p.m. Keg Rolling: racers push a keg down a marked course and back.
- 5 p.m. Brat Eating Contest: entrants get two minutes to finish as many as six bratwursts.
- 5:30 p.m. Beer Stein Race: runners carry six steins filled with water and cannot let the level drop below a marked line.
- 6 p.m. Stein Hoisting: a one-handed endurance test in which the last person still holding a full one-liter stein at arm's length wins.
Vendors will be set up around the square selling German-inspired food, salted pretzels and festival merchandise.
Weather
The National Weather Service forecast for Celina calls for a 50% chance of showers today under mostly cloudy skies, with a high near 75 and light rain amounts expected. The chance of showers drops to 20% this evening. The city's announcement did not list a rain plan, so anyone heading out may want to check the city's channels before leaving.
Sources
celina-tx.gov
National Weather Service forecast data