Weekend Outlook: Let's get saucy and sudsy

This weekend is all about celebrating fall -- with chili and craft beer.

Uptown Jackson's annual Oktoberfest is back, but it's the first year for the city's two-day celebration, complete with bands, food and plenty of craft beer to go around. We also have the second annual Chili Cook-off hosted by the Kiwanis of Cape Girardeau on Saturday at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau, with more than 120 gallons of chili from nearly 15 teams.

You might as well go to both events, so bring some cash -- and the rest of the family.

Gimme all your chili

Kiwanis Club of Cape Girardeau is hosting its second annual Chili Cook-off on Saturday at the Osage Centre with all proceeds benefitting Cape Girardeau Central High School's Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.

Stop by; grab some tokens and vote for your favorite chili. The top team wins $500 cash.

According to Kiwanis Club board member Eric Marquart, each patron will be given tokens to use at their discretion to decide the first-, second- and third-place winners of the cook-off.

"We open the gates at 11 a.m.," he said. "So if you don't have your chili ready, you're not going to get a vote for the best."

Admission for teams is $50. Admission for patrons is $10, which includes two beverages and chili samples

Let's party

Uptown Jackson is brewing up its family-friendly Oktoberfest event today and Saturday, offering authentic German cuisine, craft beer from local vendors and live music on the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse lawn.

This is the first year for a pre-party today, event chairman Tyler Wolfsberger said.

"It'll be a smaller beer garden," he said. "We'll have live music on the north stage and one of our bars will be open, and we'll have a few food vendors."

At least 10 food vendors are part of the two-day event, Wolfsberger said, and new ones are being accepted up to the day of the event.

Here's the entertainment breakdown:

Pre-Party | today

UCBC Stage (Courthouse Lawn)

• 6 p.m. -- Evening toast (UCBC Stage)
• 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. -- Head 1st
• Samplings offered from beer distributors

Main Event

Saturday

UCBC Stage (Courthouse Lawn)

• 11 a.m. -- Opening Ceremonies
• 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. -- Gemutlichkeit German Band
• 5 to 6 p.m. -- Stein Hoisting Championship at the Kohlfeld Stage (at the South end of High Street)
• 3 to 5 p.m. -- Jefferson Fox
• 6 to 10 p.m. -- Bittersweet Fusion Band

Activities

• Cornhole Tournament -- noon to 6 p.m. on the north side of the courthouse lawn
• Sam Adams Stein Hoisting -- registration begins at noon in the gazebo located on the southwest quadrant of the courthouse lawn
• Pet Parade -- 2 p.m. starting from the Mississippi Mutts/Canine Clipz booth (on the southeast quadrant of the courthouse lawn)

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632