BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Oktoberfest crowd counted down to three in German as a line of competitors raised their beer-filled steins in perfect unison.
For the next minute, no one dared to move — except for the inevitable tremble in their arms.
On Friday night, the test of strength was part of the steinholding contest at ArtsQuest's Oktoberfest — not to be confused with the Pennsylvania State Steinholding Championship — also held at the German-themed festival that wraps up this weekend on the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem.
“Oh, yeah — it’s heavy,” said Darren Stortz, of the beer stein after finishing second in the contest (the grand prize is two movie tickets to ArtsQuest's Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas).
“I don’t know exactly how much the glass weighs, but it’s substantial. Then you’ve got about a liter of beer in there too, so you really feel it after a minute or two.”
Stortz, who has been coming to Oktoberfest the past three years, said strength alone won’t win.
“The problem is, you have to stay completely locked in,” he said.
“They were bantering and giving critiques to the guy next to me, and I started laughing. The second I laughed, my focus was gone. Once your arm starts going down, there’s no coming back from it.”
By the end, Stortz’s arm was shaking, and he had to put the stein down.
“I love doing this,” he said. “I try to participate at least once every year. Anytime I’m here and they point at me like, ‘Hey, we need one more,’ I’m in.”
Stortz, who recently moved to the Lehigh Valley with his wife, said Oktoberfest has become one of his favorite local traditions.
Tribute to the Chicken Lady
Over in the Biergarten tent, the lively sounds of accordion, trumpet and tuba got the crowd moving as Robbie Lawrence and the Steelworkers Polka Band performed a set of traditional tunes and what he called his top three "least favorite polkas" of all time.
The first? A German tune whose name he translated with a joke.
“In German, it’s called 'In Himmel gibt’s kein Bier," Lawrence said.
"Does anybody know what that means? That’s right — ‘In Heaven There Is No Beer!’ So we'd better enjoy it while we can."
Between songs, Lawrence gave a shout-out to Pat Holetz, who wasn't in the crowd, and is affectionately known in Bethlehem as the "Chicken Lady."
Holetz, a longtime volunteer of Musikfest, created her own costume — complete with layers of feathers — and earned her avian-themed nickname when she performed the “Bird Dance" at the city's Halloween parade in 1984.
A few years later, she revised the role at Musifkest to pay homage to the polka tune now known as the "Chicken Dance," which is popular at weddings and other parties.
“Every year when we play Musikfest, Pat comes out to do the Chicken Dance with us,” Lawrence said before he flocked to the floor to dance with the crowd.
“We’re the only polka band she still dances with — I just want everyone to know that.”
Possible record attendance
By the time the sun set Friday, a large crowd gathered at the Oktoberfest Arena, as more than a dozen teams participated in the festival's first-ever Fliplehem: Flip Cup tournament.
The clatter of plastic cups and bursts of laughter filled the arena as team members tested their reflexes and coordination, and drinking speed (the game is normally played with beer or liquor, though ArtsQuest switched the spirits out for water).
The contest was casual with teams — some donned T-shirts with their catchy team names on the front — cheering one another on as cups flew, toppled, and occasionally bounced off the table.
“It’s honestly just about luck,” said Zach Godfrey, a contestant. “If everyone’s got the same amount in their cup, it’s fair game."
While the competition was new, the camaraderie fit right in with the Oktoberfest spirit — as festivalgoers dressed in lederhosen and dirndls looked on.
“The food’s delicious, the drink selection’s great, the weather’s perfect — and there are dogs everywhere, even in costumes. You really can’t beat it," Godfrey said.
While there are still two days left of Oktoberfest festivities, Kassie Hilgert, chief executive officer of ArtsQuest, said 2025's attendance may surpass the previous 14 years. Oktoberfest is held over two weekends, and last weekend's weather featured sunny skies and temperatures around the 80s.
"It was hot, but it was a record, and we're thrilled to see cooler weather coming in for Friday and the weekend," Hilgert said on Thursday.
While the temperature will be more seasonal, Accuweather.comreports rain headed to the region later Saturday and Sunday.
For a complete list of Oktoberfest activities and to stay updated on any weather updates, visit Oktoberfest's Facebook page.
