BETHLEHEM, Pa. — ArtsQuest’s Oktoberfest returns to SteelStacks for its 16th year next week, opening Friday, Oct. 2, with a lineup that adds a ticketed bourbon tasting to returning events such as the Pennsylvania State Steinholding Championships and wiener dog races.

The free festival runs two weekends: Oct. 2-4 and Oct. 9-11. Lehigh Valley International Airport presents the festival, and organizers plan four biergartens, German food, polka bands, and a slate of competitions for adults, kids, and dogs, according to ArtsQuest’s announcement.

Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays, noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays at PNC Plaza, 711 E. First St.

“Oktoberfest remains a must-see event at SteelStacks, bringing our communities together to celebrate the traditions, flavors, and entertainment that make it such a special part of fall in the Lehigh Valley,” Thomas R. Stoudt, executive director of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, which operates the airport, said in a news release.

New bourbon tasting

The festival’s newest event is a bourbon tasting led by certified bourbon steward Matthew Peters in partnership with Levy Restaurants. It will feature eight bourbons, focusing on cask-strength selections, paired with food from Levy Restaurants Executive Chef Julie Marble.

The tasting is Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. and is open to those 21 and older. Tickets are required.

Steinholding and other competitions

ArtsQuest is again partnering with the U.S. Steinholding Association to host the Pennsylvania State Steinholding Championships, presented by Samuel Adams, at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10.

Competitors hold a full beer stein at arm’s length for as long as possible. Men and women compete separately, and the state champions will be invited to the association’s national championship in Cincinnati, according to the U.S. Steinholding Association.

The festival’s free qualifying round is Saturday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m., with check-in at 5:30 p.m. Top finishers advance to the finals, and competitors must register ahead of time. Winners of qualifying rounds at breweries and festivals across Pennsylvania also earn spots in the finals, the association said.

Both the qualifier and the championship are open to those 21 and older.

Other contests include:

Flip cup tournament: The second annual Fliplehem tournament, presented by D.G. Yuengling & Son, runs Oct. 2 and Oct. 9. Players must be 21 or older, and each member of the winning team receives a $50 ArtsQuest gift card.

Bratwurst eating contest: The Karl Ehmer Bratwurst Eating Competition is Sunday, Oct. 11, at 5 p.m. in the Yuengling Tent. Contestants 18 and older race to finish 10 bratwursts, without buns, and must keep them down for two minutes. The winner receives $250.

Yuengling Oktoberfest 5K: The race, held with Run Lehigh Valley, marks its 12th year Sunday, Oct. 4, at 10:30 a.m. Finishers receive a 22-ounce mug of Yuengling Oktoberfest or root beer. Preregistration is required.

Wiener dog races and pup parades

The wiener dog races return to the Oktoberfest Arena both weekends, at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with an additional race at 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Purebred dachshunds, dachshund mixes, and similar dogs under 25 pounds are eligible, and owners must register in advance.

A pup parade, open to dogs of any breed, is held every Saturday and Sunday. Participation is free, and owners can sign up at the Oktoberfest Arena starting at noon on parade days.

Food, beer and entertainment

The festival’s four biergartens will pour Hofbräu, Samuel Adams, Dogfish Head, Spaten and Yuengling beers, among others. Visitors can bring a Musikfest mug or buy an Oktoberfest mug.

A four-course Yuengling beer dinner is set for Saturday, Oct. 3, at 5 p.m. in the Fowler Blast Furnace Room at the ArtsQuest Center. Each course is paired with a Yuengling beer, and a Yuengling brewer will discuss the brewing process. The ticketed dinner is open to those 21 and older.

Food vendors include Karl Ehmer, Bacon on a Stick, Grumpy’s BBQ, Heaven on a Bun, and Island Expressions/Heidi’s Strudel. Humpty’s Dumplings will be on site Oct. 3-4 only, and Slide On By will be there Oct. 10-11 only.

Scheduled musical acts include Fritz’s Polka Band, Polkadelphia, South Penn Dixie Trio, Zaire, Sam Houseal Band, Bavarian Kings and Schützengiggles Oompah Band. Schuhplattler dance groups GTV Almrausch, GTEV D’Lustigen Isartaler and Almrausch Altoona will perform traditional Bavarian folk dances.

Dragtoberfest, a free drag show for those 18 and older, runs 8:30 to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 3 and Oct. 10. Former Miss Gay Pennsylvania Elektra Fearce St. James hosts it.

Karaoke with Notorious S.Y.D. runs 8 to 10 p.m. Fridays, Oct. 2 and Oct. 9.

Activities for children

The Oktoberfest Hot Glass Experience lets participants ages 6 and older work one-on-one with an instructor to make a glass pumpkin or cat. Sessions last 20 minutes and begin at 5 p.m. on Fridays and at noon on Saturdays and Sundays.

Finished pieces need 48 hours to cool, so participants must return to the festival to pick them up or pay to have them shipped.