German Club is preparing for Oktoberfest, its annual celebration of the German holiday. Oktoberfest will be held in the Commons on Oct. 22 from 6-8 p.m. All students are welcome to go; the cost is $2 for members of German Club, Spanish Club, French Club and International Global Awareness Club and $3 for all others. Club leaders are aiming for at least 50 people to attend.

“Everyone should come to Oktoberfest,” German Club Vice President Danielle Gallahan said. “It’s going to be a fun time and it’s something that not everyone in America gets to enjoy.”

Planning the event is ultimately down to German club members, who are led by five club officers. All club members help to brainstorm ideas at meetings, and then officers use the ideas to organize the event. The club plans to include active games that will get attendees moving around and meeting new people, including musical chairs and limbo. Pizza, dessert, sides and drinks are included in the cost. There will also be music.

“We feel very accomplished with what we’ve planned and it will be fun,” sophomore Kristen Warhover said.

German Club has been trying to promote the event as much as it can to get people to go. According to club sponsor Anne McPartland, attendance has been hit-or-miss in the past. Some years draw large crowds, especially years when German exchange students are hosted at FHN, while other years have seen smaller turnouts.

“I’m a little worried about trying to promote it after fall break,” McPartland said. “A lot of times teens don’t plan that far in advance. We should have a good turnout though.”

Oktoberfest began in 1810 as the wedding of Bavarian Prince Louis and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in the city of Munich. The decision to repeat the festival annually continues to this day, and the holiday is celebrated throughout the world. St. Charles has its own Oktoberfest, which was held in Frontier Park from Sept. 25-27.

“It’s kind of a big deal in Germany, so I think it’s important to show [FHN] what’s important in German culture,” Gallahan said.