Longtime volunteers and friends
The event carries the fingerprints of people who served faithfully, welcomed guests, and helped make the weekend feel personal.
October 9–11, 2026 • Alton, Illinois
St. Mary’s Oktoberfest
Food, beer, live music, games, raffles, Mass, and the Friday night 5K.
October 9–11 in Alton, Illinois. A parish festival supporting St. Mary’s parish, school, and community life.
Visitor basics
Plan your visit.
Find the dates, location, parking notes, and payment basics before you head to the grounds.
When
October 9–11, 2026.
The festival runs Friday through Sunday, with the 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run on Friday night.
See schedule
Where
St. Mary’s School grounds.
536 E 3rd St, Alton, IL 62002.
Get directions
Parking
Use surrounding streets and arrive early for the best spots. Avoid Langdon Street Friday from 1:00–8:00 PM because of the 5K and Fun Run. Do not park in the Honke lot; it is reserved for building tenants.
Parking notes
Cost and payment
General admission is free. Food, drinks, raffles, games, wristbands, and race registration are purchased separately. Beer stands are cash only. An ATM is available on site, and food stands accept cards.
Food, beer, and payment
Sponsor Oktoberfest
Support St. Mary’s parish, school, and community while placing your business in front of a loyal local audience.
View sponsorship
Volunteer for the Weekend
Help with food, games, tickets, setup, cleanup, 5K support, hospitality, and the many jobs that keep the weekend moving.
Find a volunteer path
Plan Your Visit
See the weekend schedule, food and beer, Mass times, games, music, raffles, and family-friendly activities.
View schedule
Run the 5K
Kick off the weekend with the Friday night 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run for runners from across the region, walkers, families, and stroller crews.
Register for the 5K
Mission
More than a fundraiser.
St. Mary’s Oktoberfest organizes, supports, and celebrates Catholic faith and education, raising essential funds to strengthen our parish, school, and community.
That mission shapes how the event is planned: every sponsor, booth, volunteer role, and weekend activity should support faith, education, family, service, and community connection.
Built by generations
More than a weekend. A parish tradition people keep carrying.
St. Mary’s Oktoberfest is built by parishioners, school families, volunteers, runners, sponsors, cooks, chair families, and friends who keep showing up year after year. Some help from the grill line. Some help with beer, trash, raffles, setup, teardown, or the 5K. Some helped shape the event years ago and are still part of why it feels like St. Mary’s.
The work behind the scenes
Trash, setup, teardown, cooking, hauling, and the quiet jobs matter because they make the public-facing parts possible.
Chair families and parish leadership
Each year builds on the people who organized before, handed off the work, and kept the tradition moving forward.
Parish friends across the years
The weekend is also a reunion, with familiar faces returning to support the parish, school, and broader community.
Families who keep coming back
Parents, children, alumni, school families, and friends all help keep Oktoberfest connected to more than one generation.
Built through generations of volunteers
Each year, Oktoberfest grows because people step in, share what they know, and help the next group carry the work forward. The weekend reflects years of leadership, service, and family connections across the community.
Scenes from Oktoberfest
A weekend built by parish volunteers, families, runners, cooks, sponsors, and guests who keep coming back.
Food, beer, music, race night, kids games, parish life, and volunteer work all show up across the weekend. These scenes give visitors a quick sense of the event without crowding the first impression.
Ready to help?
Sponsors and volunteers make the weekend work.
Oktoberfest depends on people stepping in early, filling the gaps, and keeping the event welcoming for guests, families, students, parishioners, and the broader community.