Unter Uns prepares Oktoberfest festivities

"Willkommen!"

The German greeting will be spoken often at the Unter Uns Musical & Entertainment Society this weekend.

The Unter Uns, located at 1401 Van Buren Ave., will host its Oktoberfest on Friday and Saturday with a variety of events and traditional German foods. The club will be open to the public both days. Admission will be $5 each day.

"It's as close to a traditional Oktoberfest as you will find outside of Munich," said Joe Oberneder, Unter Uns' president.

The kitchen will be open both days, featuring a special event menu.

The club, in its 97th year, was established to promote German heritage through music and song. Its members will focus on music and entertainment throughout Oktoberfest.

The club was founded by six German men who decided to use music to help bring the German community together, and to help people foster the spirit of gemutlichkeit, or geniality and friendliness.

The two-day festival will begin at 5 p.m. Friday. This Albatross will perform from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday outside under the pavilion, which seats at least 300.

"We have a fantastic selection of beer and the best German food to accompany those beers," Treasurer Erik Mentzer said. The menu will include hot dogs, sauerkraut, bratwurst sandwiches.

The club will open at noon Saturday.

On Saturday, "Zigeuner braten" will be served at 5:30 p.m. The gypsy-style pork chops will be cooked all day over an open fire near the pavilion, Mentzer said. Tickets for the pork chop dinner are $12 and are available at the bar.

The outside kitchen will be open Saturday.

Among the favorites offered Saturday will be giant pretzels, according to Mary Oberneder, the club's financial secretary. "They will feed a family of five," she said with a laugh.

The day's entertainment will begin with the Logan Valley Volkfest, a Volkswagen Car Cruise that will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at the Unter Uns parking lot. Entrants come from as far away as Virginia.

From 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Elvis tribute artist Kelly Hylton will perform.

From 6 to 9 p.m., Autobahn featuring Karl Lukitsch will play outside.

As a special treat, the Almrausch Schuhplattlers will perform during the band breaks. The traditional Bavarian dancers of Altoona have members of all ages and have performed all over the United States. The Schuhplattlers were formed in 1937.

Also taking place during a break in Autobahn's performance will be the Masskrugstemmen, a stein-holding contest. Men and women will compete to see who can hold a filled liter-sized beer stein the longest.

The night's entertainment will end with Shallow 9 -- described by Mentzer as a party rock band. Shallow 9 will take the stage indoors from 9 to midnight.

"For $10 for two days of entertainment … it's unbelieveable," Mentzer said.