Schnitz and knep.<\/p>\n
Pork and sauerkraut.<\/p>\n
Oktoberfest and the Liederkranz.<\/p>\n
Some things just go together naturally.<\/p>\n
But Oktoberfest and the Reading Liederkranz weren\u2019t always a perfect pairing.<\/p>\n
Although the Liederkranz was founded in 1885 as a German singing society, the English translation of \u201cLiederkranz,\u201d it wasn\u2019t until 40 years ago that an Oktoberfest tradition began.<\/p>\n
The first Oktoberfests were held at Owls Field in West Lawn, said Mike Borst, general manager of the social club at 143 Spook Lane, Lower Alsace Township.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the merger in 1990 with the Eagle Mountain Home it made Oktoberfest a lot easier, a lot better for us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Oktoberfest is always the first weekend of October but will start on Sept. 30 and run through Oct. 4,\u00a0 Borst said.<\/p>\n
![\"Lloyd](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/REG-L-Oktoberfest_at_the_Liederkranz_20222080.jpg\")
Lloyd “Rolfe” Hoganmuller of Quakertown is ready to dig into Oktoberfest at the Liederkranz in Lower Alsace Township on Oct. 1, 2022. He was attending with longtime friend Billie “Gretchen” Stern, also of Quakertown. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
The Liederkranz started out with eight German men who got together to sing in Bowman\u2019s Hall on North 10th Street before growing to over 40 members in the first year, necessitating the purchase of a separate property in 1902 in the 800 block of Chestnut Street, Borst said.<\/p>\n
The club remained there until the merger in 1990 with the Eagle Mountain Home, where the Oktoberfest tradition flourished.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had our own property and had our own facility to use,\u201d Borst said.\u00a0 \u201cIt wasn\u2019t always as big as it is now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nor as famous.<\/p>\n
The Liederkranz Oktoberfest has consistently ranked in the top 10 American Oktoberfests by USA Today, bringing in No. 1 in 2015 and 2017. Last year it ranked No. 2 in the nation.<\/p>\n
As befitting a singing society, music is at the core of the Liederkranz Oktoberfest.<\/p>\n
The highlight will be Friday night\u2019s show with Alex Meixner and his band, Borst said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMeixner is a world-famous accordionist,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s very high energy and will fuse German music with popular music and rock and roll.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/REG-L-Oktoberfest_at_the_Liederkranz_20222079.jpg\")
Kate Campbell of Reading dances a polka with her son Clayton, 5, at Oktoberfest at the Liederkranz in Lower Alsace Township on Oct. 1, 2022. (BILL UHRICH\/READING EAGLE)<\/p>\n
The Reading Liederkranz singers will also be performing throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n
It also wouldn\u2019t be an Oktoberfest without a good helping of food.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t go wrong with the pork schnitzel dinner,\u201d Borst said. \u201cGoulash over noodles is a staple up here. Our roast pork platter is very good. It\u2019s roasted and thin cut and served either on a platter or a sandwich.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also been a change in the bratwurst.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur bratwursts are better this year than they were last year,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re sourcing them from a farm out in Lebanon County, and they\u2019re head and shoulders above and give you what a brat should be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lastly, what\u2019s an Oktoberfest without some good German beer?<\/p>\n
And lots of it?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe beer is all good,\u201d Borst said, \u201canywhere from your traditional Oktoberfest beers to lagers to even some craft beers.\u201d<\/p>\n
The main bar outside will have 14 taps along with as many as seven beer trucks underneath the big tent out in the Oktoberfest field, he said.<\/p>\n