Prost!: Frankfort Lions Club Wurstfest Returns Thursday

FRANKFORT, IL — Even though it's not October (or Oktober) yet, people hanging around in downtown Frankfort Thursday night might hear the sound of the clanking of glasses and shouts of "Prost!" That's because the Frankfort Lions Club will be hosting its annual Wurstfest from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday at The Garden in downtown Frankfort at Kansas Street and Oak Street.

The evening will be a night of celebrating Frankfort's German heritage, said Frankfort Lions Club Wurstfest Committee Chair Bill Jennrich. Plenty of German-style food will be available from vendors and, of course, the German Beer will be flowing. Pizza slices will also be available for those who want to be different.

"The Lions Club Wursfest is just an absolute great time to come and enjoy yourself and have some German food, have some German beer, listen to some great German entertainment, and to help the Frankfort Lions Club help our community," Jennrich said.

Highlighting the evening's entertainment will be Peter Hoffmann, who people may recognize from Chef Klaus' Bier Stube in Frankfort.

Tickets at the gate will be $25 for two adults. Only 2,000 of those tickets will be sold, and purchase of those tickets are used to enter a raffle with a $10,000 grand prize. Once the 2,000 raffle tickets are gone, admission will be $10 per person without an entry into the $10,000 raffle.

But those who miss out on the $10,000 raffle will still have plenty of opportunities to win other prizes, including a 50/50 raffle, a raffle for a Blackstone outdoor grill and other items, Jennrich said.

The $10,000 raffle winners will be announced at about 9 p.m., Jennrich said. Winners need not be present to claim their prizes.

All funds raised during Wurstfest go toward the Frankfort Lions Club and its mission to serve the Frankfort and Frankfort Square communities, Jennrich said.