Oktoberfest kicks off Friday at the German American Social Club in Cape Coral, offering two weekends of German food, beer, music and family-friendly activities.

Kyle SchmidtCAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Oktoberfest begins Friday at 4 p.m. at the German American Social Club on Pine Island Road in Cape Coral, with organizers expecting about 35,000 attendees over the next two weekends.

“Every year it gets bigger and better,” said Holly King, publicity chair for the German American Social Club.

The festival will feature live bands playing traditional German music, German beers, vendors, crafts and a carnival for kids.

“We have to beat 768 kegs, like that’s the next goal, so come help us,” King said, encouraging attendees to come thirsty.

King also recommended heading straight to the big tent to enjoy the bands flown in from Germany specifically for the event.

“The first thing I recommend doing is heading straight for that big tent and checking out our bands that we fly in from Germany just for this event,” she said.

VIP tickets are available for those seeking extra perks, including special seating, a dedicated bar, dedicated beer taps and specialty cocktails.

“Special seating, dedicated bar, dedicated beer taps, specialty cocktails that you can’t find anywhere else on the grounds,” King said.

Tickets cost $8 in advance or $10 at the gate. For those who prefer local music, the beer garden will host live performances by Southwest Florida bands.

“You can go into the beer garden, and we have local live bands for local favorites here in Southwest Florida,” King said.

Last year, the event poured 768 kegs, equating to nearly 12,000 gallons of beer. Organizers hope to surpass that number this year.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.