With beer, brats and polka music Saturday night, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church’s annual Oktoberfest brought a little bit of Germany to Lawrence.

Roughly 2,000 people attended the eighth-annual installment of the event, which has evolved considerably from its humble origins.

“We started out with a card table, a grill with some brats, and a CD of German music,” said R.C. Pewtress Sr., one of the event’s organizers. Pewtress, who donned lederhosen with a matching hat, carried around a sizeable mug of dark beer and chewed on a cigar, called himself the “authenticity committee.”

Organizers said they prepared enough food and drink for 2,000 people for this year’s event. Hundreds of people crowded around long tables to feast on Wiener schnitzel, cabbage rolls and bratwurst. Some children had their faces painted while others bounced around a moonwalk. A bar offered three varieties of real German beer and German-style spiced wine.

Vikram Sadineni, a Kansas University doctoral student from India, was attending his third consecutive Oktoberfest at St. John’s.

“My supervisor at KU makes the wine,” he said. “So he always encourages us to come.”

Johnny Gariglietti, left, shares a laugh with fellow Lawrence resident Mary Rowden at the beer stand during the eighth annual Oktoberfest. The event Saturday was held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.

The Grisnik Orchestra, a polka band, played music throughout the evening. Several attendees danced to the accordion-heavy songs, including the age-barrier-breaking “Chicken Dance.”

“We love to put on an event where you see younger and older people out on the dance floor together,” said St. John’s parishioner Tim Keller, who crowned the King and Queen of Polka later in the evening. “Sometimes you get so tied up with your own age group, you forget how fun it can be.”