This Weekend: Oktoberfest at SteelStacks

It is the first weekend of October, which means it’s time to celebrate autumn’s arrival with great German fare, live music and plenty of fun and games at the third-annual Oktoberfest at SteelStacks.

The six-day festival, which runs from Friday through Sunday and resumes the following weekend from Oct. 11 to 13, have expanded the games, contests and attractions that have made the festival a hit in its first two years.

In addition to stein races and barrel rolling competitions, the festival has added two new games—“Das Boot” Beer Pour and Masskrugstemmen. Popular at Oktoberfests in Europe, Masskrugstemmen is a test of strength and endurance in which participants hold full mugs in each arm for as long as they can without spilling or bending their elbows.

The festival will also bring back its most popular feature—the Dachshund races, this time promising twice the Dachshund, with races planned at 3 p.m. Sunday and again on Oct. 13.

Registration is still open for anyone who wants to enter their dog in the race. Do it at www.active.com. Registration is $40 and includes two admission tickets to Oktoberfest that day.

Single day admission costs $10 for the public and $7 for ArtsQuest members. Event passes that give you admission for all six days are also available for $25 for the public and $20 for ArtsQuest members. Click here for more information.

Also happening in Bethlehem this weekend:

• Take a journey into the past and the paranormal onMoravian Book Shop’s original candle-lit walking tour! Learn the legends and lore of over a dozen locations in Bethlehem’s celebrated Historic District, from ghostly soldiers who cannot move on, to a spirited songstress who continues to entertain. You’ll hear tales of unrequited love, ladies seeking justice, and spooks who have saved the day! Tours run weekends throughout October. Adult Tickets- $13.00, Children (13 and under)- $10.00. For details and reservations call 610-866-5481.

• Bethlehem Food Co-Op is holding its First Annual Craft Fair at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley, 424 Center St. at 10 a.m. Saturday. More than 30 vendors are lined up, selling hand crafted wares! You can view the vendor list here. For more information about the craft fair or the Bethlehem Food Co-Op, visit www.bethlehemfood.coop

• The Historic Bethlehem Partnership’s monthly Hunt for History welcomes visitors back to the newly reopenedKemerer Museum. Explore the new exhibit Stitched Together. Learn about the connection of needlework artists from past to present - then practice several stitching techniques and create a beautiful embroidered fall leaf of your very own! Admission is $12 for adults and free for children (two children per adult), and includes the Pass Into History, allowing admittance to the Kemerer Museum, Moravian Museum, Goundie House, and Blacksmith throughout the weekend! Visit www.historicbethlehem.org for more information.

• Fans of the cult comedy/science fiction television showMystery Science Theater 3000 are going to want to spend Saturday night at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas in the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks to see the show’s creator and original host, Joel Hodgson, present his one man show—“Riffing Myself.” Featuring photos, videos, and notebook pages from Joel's personal collection, "Riffing Myself" will be packed with rich stories and hilarious surprises about Hodgson’s forays into the depths of B-movie madness, his search for the ultimate ventriloquist dummy (and how that dummy became the inspiration for beloved MST3K robots Tom Servo and Crow), and the legendary origin story of MST3K. A special meet-and-greet with Hodgson after the 7:30 show is available at $40 each. Tickets for the show alone are from $18 to $22.

• On Saturday, Godfrey Daniels presents an evening of music with singer-songwriter Kris Kehr. Kris has been in and around the Lehigh Valley music scene since the late 80’s, first learning his craft at Godfrey’s and various other open-mics and later as a member of Pavlov’s Dawgs, where he began as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was also the original folk DJ on the fledgling WDIY after years of college radio. Accompanying Kris this evening is his longtime pal and upright bassist Bill Stetz and Kris’s wife Julie, a stunning vocalist. Admission is $16.50 and reservations are recommended.

• Join the staff of the Fox Environmental Center and bird-watching expert Mark Boyd on a hawk watching trip to Scott's Mountain at Merrill Creek Reservoir on Sunday morning. Meet promptly at 9 a.m. at the K-Mart Shopping Center—Route 22 and 25th St.—for a short drive directly to the hawk viewing site; no walking needed. Dress warmly. Bring binoculars, snacks, a drink, and a chair if you'd like to sit. Trip will end by noon. This is a beautiful location with very close views of hawks, and resident Bald Eagles are almost always overhead.

• Two rock icons of the 1960s join forces Sunday night at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center. Brian Wilson, the leader of the Beach Boys, and famed British guitar slinger Jeff Beck hit the stage at 7:30. Tickets are from $59.50 to $89.50.