Soulard Oktoberfest

For those among us who own traditional lederhosen, it must be challenging to find appropriate times to wear them. Sure, there's Halloween and an occasional casual Friday, but undoubtedly you want to wear your German beer-drinking gear more often than that! Enter Soulard Oktoberfest (1798 South Seventh Street; www.soulardoktoberfest.com). At this weekend-long festival, those who don the lederhosen not only earn the admiration of all who get a look-see at those fancy short pants, but they also get free general admission — danke schön! The rest of us will pay $5 to get in, or $45 to $75 per day for VIP tickets, which include parking, beer and more. The party runs from 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday (October 9 through 11), and in addition to seeing traditional Bavarian dress, there will be plenty of polka music (and other types), stein-carrying and brat-eating contests, and so very many liters of beer.