LEWISTON — It’s October. Time for German food, German beer, German music, served Saturday night at at the Franco-American Heritage Center’s 2nd annual Oktoberfest.

“Guten abend. Wie werden sie?” (Good evening. How are you?) said center Executive Director Rita Dube as she greeted festival goers. For a Franco, her German was convincing.

On white-cloth covered tables were pitchers of beer, served by wait staff in costumes. The smell of sausage and potatoes teased. The food was on its way. After dinner there’d be dancing with music by the Downeast German Band.

“I came here last year, my heritage is German,” said Duke Holm of Lewiston, who came with his wife, Anna, a native of Poland. The Oktoberfest is a good reason to get together and have a meal, he said. The food is good, the music is fun, he said. “At the end of every song you cheer and have a drink.”

He liked the idea of German heritage being celebrated in a Franco-American center. “That’s great.”

“We’re a cultural center, so we like to celebrate different cultures,” Dube said. The center celebrates Madi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, “we do a mid-evil feast,” and of course the Franco-American festival and monthly French-only-speaking gatherings.

The man behind the meal was Swiss chef Edmond Gay, a native of Switzerland. Gay came to the United States after meeting a girl from Lewiston in Switzerland. He knows a thing or two about the real Oktoberfests.

“In the north country they have less wine and more beer, they have October festivals,” Gay said. “It’s a celebration of food, traditions, music and beer. Oktoberfest is really a German tradition.” It’s also celebrated in Belgium, Holland, some parts of Poland and Switzerland.

The meal he prepared was all German. The first course, red cabbage sauteed with bacon served with bratwurst, or pork sausage. The main course is leek seasoned in a sauce baked with cheese, served with a German potato dish, roasted with onions and olive oil, somewhat similar to hash browns. Served with that is a pork stew.

“It is a hearty dinner,” Gay said. “Usually Oktoberfest is outdoors.”

Dessert was Black Forest cake made by chef Mary Lizotte, a layered chocolate cake covered with a chocolate-raspberry sauce topped by fresh raspberries.

Among those attending of German descent were Mary (Kozicki) Lafontaine and Nancy (Giesecke) Greene, both of Auburn.

“My family came over in the 1850s, but the German heritage is very strong in my family,” Greene said. She studied in Germany when she was in college.

Lafontaine’s heritage is Polish-German. She still cooks like her mother did, potato pancakes “and the way you cook the meats. And of course the beer.” German beer is often stronger and darker. “It’s not a Bud Lite by any means.”

Lafontaine has taken two trips to Germany, and attended one Oktoberfest.

“I know one phrase, ‘zwei bier, bitte.’ It means, ‘Two beers please.’ When you get your beer you say ‘danke,’ thank you,'” she said.

There’s not a lot of German heritage in the Lewiston-Auburn area, Greene said, adding the Oktoberfest was fun.

“It’s nice to celebrate all the cultures.”

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