GERMAN FOOD, MUSIC, WORKING CRAFTSMEN HIGHLIGHT SECOND BLACK FOREST OKTOBERFEST

The smells, tastes and sounds of Oktoberfest are returning to the Black Forest for the second straight year.

The festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 10 and 11 at the Black Forest, the 1,100-acre refuge where the late Burton J. Gerhardt built the villages of Hanover and Arnsberg as a tribute to the area's German heritage.

The villages consist of 32 buildings, including a saloon, two general stores, a blacksmith shop, a sawmill, a railroad depot, a firehouse and a working foundry. One of only five covered bridges in the state is located on the property.

Octoberfest will feature German food, music and working crafts, including basket-weaving, blacksmithing and apple butter-making.

The Black Forest is four miles north of Cape Girardeau on County Road 638. From Highway 61, follow Route W to the stop sign, turn right and go across the bridge. Then turn left and watch for signs.

For more information, phone Greg Macke at 335-0899.