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The seventh annual celebration of all things German — steinholding, polka, and Hofbrauhaus beer — are the highlight of this year’s Great Northwest Oktoberfest.

The event runs two weekends — Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 and Oct. 6 though 8 — under the Oktoberfest Big Top in Depot Park downtown.

The Whitefish Chamber of Commerce sponsors the event, which includes six full nights and two days of authentic Bavarian food, drink, music and dancing, and a wild array of audience participation contests.

Admission is $5 per day, and children younger than 12 accompanied by an adult are free. Locals Night is Thursday, Sept. 29 when Flathead Valley residents with photo ID get in for free. Bavarian Business Night is Oct. 6 when anyone with a business card from 5 to 7 p.m. gets in free. Senior Day is Oct. 8, when folks older than 60 get free admission until 5 p.m.

Each night at Oktoberfest, a variety of contests will ask event-goers to participate in the fun. Log-sawing, steinholding, keg-hurling, mountain climbing, Bratwurst-eating and waitress racing are all part of the hourly contests.

Back to defend his title this year will be the 2015 Whitefish steinholding champion Kevin Collom, who last week competed in the U.S. Masskrugstemmen Championships in New York City. This year’s champ will be determined on the last night of Oktoberfest — Saturday Oct. 8 — with the victor winning a trip to the national semifinals in Las Vegas next summer. The winner of that competition goes to the finals in New York in September, and the U.S. champ wins an all-expense paid trip for two to Munich, Germany.

Oktoberfest’s Hop Queen competition and crowing will be Oct. 6. Applications are available at Great Northern Brewing Co. or the chamber. Contestants have a chance to win cash prizes.

The Waitress Races will also be Oct. 6, beginning at 9 p.m. Amateur and professional three-member wait-staff teams can compete in the relay races for a $250 cash prize. To enter visit, www.whitefishoktoberfest.com.

Three great bands will provide non-stop oompah, polka, waltz, western swing and other great dance music throughout the festival. One of America’s top Oktoberfest bands — Europa — will entertain throughout the first weekend. One of the top dance bands in all of Canada — The Western Senators — play each night the second weekend, and on Saturday afternoons the Flathead’s own Bavarian brass band the Bavarian Echoes will entertain the crowd.

Oktoberfest wouldn’t be complete without the food and the beer.

Piggyback BBQ returns this year with a host of Bavarian style offerings. In addition to the German sausages, locally-sourced elk brats have been added to the menu. A German favorite Hofbrauhaus-style roasted chicken, along with favorite side dishes of sauerkraut, potato salad, sweet and sour cabbage and applesauce will also be served.

Great Northern Brewing Co. will be serving up beer, including the Oktoberfest lager, Wheatfish and Fred’s Schwarzbier both weeks of Oktoberfest. On the first weekend of the festival Jort’s Munich Lager will be on tap and for the second weekend Frog Hop Wet-Hopped Pale Ale will be on tap.

Four German beers, brewed by Hofbrau, and one Austrian beer by Stiegl, will also be served.

For non-beer drinkers, wine, soda and water will be available.

Oktoberfest hours are on Thursdays and Fridays, Sept. 29 and 30 and Oct. 6 and 7, the Big Top will be open from 5 to 11 p.m. On Saturdays, Oct. 1 and 8, the event will be open from noon to 11 p.m.

For more information and a schedule of events, call the Whitefish Chamber at 862-3501, or visit at www.whitefishoktoberfest.com.