Sleeping Giant Brewery found the perfect way to give back to the community.
The local company and the Port Arthur Rotary Club have teamed up to bring Thunder Bay its first Oktoberfest. Rotary clubs across North America have been holding similar events and spokesman Johnny de Bakker said it's about time Thunder Bay started rolling out the barrels.
"It's basically a celebration of German culture," he said.
Handmade pretzels, authentic bratwurst and even live polka will be on tap Friday, Oct. 11 at the CLE Colesium.
But no Oktoberfest would be complete without beer and Sleeping Giant has a special brew in the making, a first-time lager. Typically smaller breweries don't tend to make lagers because of the extra time it takes to make. But the brewery's Kerry Berlinquette said it was time they gave it a shot.
"We've been watching this one ferment for the past few weeks so we're really excited to see how it turns out," she said.
The event is hoping to see around 1,000 people . Money raised will go to local charities, which have yet to be named. Any organization wishing to apply for the funding can visit www.parotary.com
