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This weekend has not only music, but German-themed fun with a little pumpkin carving on the side.
— Don’t be sidetracked by other area Oktoberfests, the real deal is in Roberts on Saturday, Oct. 17. Sponsored by the downtown Sidetrack Saloon and Grill, this 17th annual fest has authentic German fare, such as a log sawing contest, sauerkraut trot races, hammerschlagen and good ol’ German food and, of course, beer. All these activities happen right after a 3 p.m. Oktoberfest-themed parade down the main drag. There will be old tyme music by the Dave Sowada Concertina Band at 4 p.m., and more along the lines of what’s reported on this web site, the rock band Sunday’s Regret from 9 p.m. Saturday until, you guessed it, 1 a.m. Sunday.
— The kids can have their fun at Dick’s Bar and Grill on Saturday morning with a pumpkin carving activity (pumpkins provided), but there are things provided for the adults, too. While faces are being created on pumpkins, with the artwork being done from 9:30-11 a.m., the adults are invited to part-take in Bloody Mary’s and that infamous champagne-orange-juice blend that is so popular.

— The weather was so balmy for the semi-annual Frosted Nuts motorcycle rally that one wonders if there was anything frost-worthy at all, and that typically brings record-breaking attendance, of 5,000 or more riders. As for bikers and the balance of the riding season, this Saturday is expected to be much more chilly, especially in the morning when it might dip below freezing, than it was around this time a week ago, when the “Nuts” run was held.
— As you might expect from them, the staff led the way at the ’70s party thrown by the Green Mill to celebrate 40 years of their deep dish pizza. Jenn wore a relatively short dress with frills on the bottom that totally fit the bill, and Shavon had on a T-shirt that really had a theme like The Doors working. Meanwhile, one of the managers who wasn’t on duty recalled those days, when he was quite young, and said: “It’s like somebody tore up a couch and made it into a jacket.”

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