MARIETTA - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Marietta is gearing up for its first annual, community-wide Oktoberfest on Saturday.

There will be vendors, live polka music, games and fun activities for children, a horseshoe tournament and bingo. A movie will also be shown about the Lutheran Church's patriarch, Martin Luther, and mini organ concerts.

The festival will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The craft fair opens at 10 a.m. Food service begins at 11:30 a.m., with beer and wine at noon. A live Polka band will play tunes from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Admission is $2 for adults. Children under 12 are free. The public is invited and the event goes on rain or shine.

Proceeds will go to the church's Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Scholarship for women and MUST Ministries. Admission is free for those who bring four cans of food for MUST.

This year is also the 20th anniversary of German reunification and the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.

October is when the first Oktoberfest started in 1812 as a wedding celebration for King Ludwig and Therese of Bavaria, said Mimi Jones, Oktoberfest chairwoman.

"Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation on Oct. 31, 1517, when he nailed his 95 Thesis, or questions, to the door of his local church, protesting things he disagreed with," Jones said. "He liked to enjoy life with food, fellowship and music. Oct. 31 is Reformation Day, and Oct. 3 is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall."

Jones, a church member for five years, said no function at a Lutheran church happens without food and fellowship. However, since it's the church's first Oktoberfest, Jones said organizers received advice on to put together such an event, from other churches, such as Marietta's Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, which conducts the annual Marietta Greek Festival in May.

Founded in 1952, Holy Trinity has about 1,300 members. Many of them are of German heritage or married to someone with German heritage.

The Oktoberfest menu includes bratwurst, German potato salad, sauerkraut, hot dogs, chips, German chocolate cake, German pretzels, popcorn, snow cones and ice cream. German beer, wine, sodas and bottled water will also be available.

Holy Trinity's pastor Ron Grunke will open the church's Oktoberfest when he taps a Spaten beer keg at noon Saturday.

Grunke said the Lutheran church was born in Germany where Martin Luther was from. "Luther's statement, 'salvation by grace alone,' is what we believe," he said. "Come and join us in this Oktoberfest celebration from our German roots, as we eat, drink and dance together."