Get Your Oom-Pah On At Schatzi's Oktoberfest In Littleton

LITTLETON, CO – Squeeze yourself into your end-of-summer lederhosen and bring all your favorite Schatzis to a free German extravaganza this weekend, now in its 16th year. "Schatzi" means sweetheart in German, by the way.

The free family-friendly Schatzi's Oktoberfest featuring traditional German beer, food and culture takes place in Littleton's Bega Park for the first time this year.

The accordion-heavy event runs Friday through Sunday, Sept. 14-16 and features sights you might not see anywhere outside Germany such as: Dachshund races, mustache competitions and Schuhplattlers, performers of choreographed tapping and slapping dances originating in Bavaria and Tyrol.

Plus, there's lots and lots of beer – beer being hoisted in steins, by competitive men's and women's teams.

The organization has been running the Oktoberfest since 2002 and now partner with the Mile High Rodeo Assn.

The event is family friendly (like a state fair, the organizers say).

It's not just about beer - food is huge too, serving everything from authentic fish sticks (like, literally, an entire fish on a stick), to schnitzel sandwiches and candy apples. Forget wurst - in Germany - roast chicken is the most popular Oktoberfest food.

This year, there's a special drawing for a free trip to Germany.

You can even get started early by buying your first stein online at Eventbrite.

Find the whole schedule here.

And enjoy these German schuhplattlers to get in the mood.

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