Oktoberfest features all-you-can-eat traditional German buffet

Chef Frank Steinbauer is looking forward to serving the traditional German buffet filled with a variety of authentic cuisine during the Hart Pioneer Centre’s Oktoberfest German Buffet and Dance on Saturday, Oct. 5.

“This is our third year and the reason we started doing the Oktoberfest was because we acquired a German chef in the midst of the pandemic,” Debbie Bisson, one of the event organizers, said.

When the Civic Centre was forced to shut down its services during the pandemic, Chef Frank was out of a job.

“He was looking for work as we were looking for a chef to take on our Meals on Wheels program,” Bisson said. “He was hired during COVID and the first year that it was possible to gather again at the Hart Pioneer Centre we decided it would be fun for him to cook a German meal because he makes fabulous German food.”

On the Oktoberfest menu is pork schnitzel, spaetzle, bratwurst, sauerbraten, red cabbage, potatoes, salads and other lovely items while for desserts there will be black forest cake, bee sting cake and apple strudel.

“And there’s always fresh baked soft pretzels,” Bisson said.

“There’s also a nighttime snack where there will be buns, cold cuts and pickled herring – Chef Frank is very particular that it all be appropriate and not just German food – but Oktoberfest food. He’s even gone so far as to approving all the beer that we buy bringing in German beer and it can’t be German beer made in Canada, it has to be imported.”

The dance starts at 8 p.m. with DJ Tyecon Tunes playing.

“It will be some German Oktoberfest music and he will take requests for whatever else people would like to hear,” Bisson said.

The nighttime snack including desserts is usually put out at about 10 or 10:30 p.m.

“This event is open to the public, it’s not just for seniors and you can bring kids,” Bisson said. “Families are welcome to come.”

People are encouraged to wear traditional German attire including dirndl dresses and lederhosen but it is not a requirement.

Doors open at 5 p.m. and the cash bar is open at that time too. The food is served starting at 6 p.m. buffet style and it’s all you can eat.

At the end of the evening, people can purchase containers of leftovers so as not to waste the food as Chef Frank always makes more than what’s needed, Bisson added.     

Proceeds from the event goes to fund the Meals on Wheels program in the Hart.

Tickets are $50 each and available in advance at the Hart Pioneer Centre. For more information call 250-962-6712.