By Dustin Shipman

dshipman@joplinglobe.com

A celebration of food, fun and games for the whole family will kick off this evening in Freistatt.

The Freistatt Lions Club will sponsor the 35th annual Ernte-Fest on Friday and Saturday. The event will feature music, entertainment and plenty of German food.

Bob Dieckoff, chairman for Ernte-Fest, said the festival, whose name means “harvest festival,” has evolved over the years. The spirit of the event is to let families enjoy and celebrate local German heritage, he said.

“Essentially Freistatt was founded by a group of Germans,” Dieckoff said. “We wanted to celebrate that, so the festival is designed to accent the community’s German heritage.”

Dieckoff said the food, which includes German potato salad, sauerkraut and plenty of bratwurst, is always a big draw for people. Traditional German favorites will be available as entire meals or as single items throughout the event.

“They usually estimate that we get around 10,000 people out here,” Dieckoff said. “We have all kinds of carnival type games and rides that we have put together, like a horse drawn merry-go-round.”

Dieckoff said Ernte-Fest is an event that should have something for everyone in the family, whether they would like to ride kiddie rides, play bingo, try some of the food or visit the Bier Garten and listen to live music.

“This is something for the whole family,” Dieckoff said. “The only thing that we restrict is the Bier Garten, which you have to be 21 or older for.

Tulsa-based band Music, Music, Music will play traditional polka on Friday night, Dieckoff said. Die Spitzbamn, from St. Louis, will also play.

There will be two stages of acts on both nights, as well. On Friday, Jackie Newton and the Queens will perform at 8 p.m.; on Saturday at 8 p.m., the local group Short Notice will take the stage.

The event will be held from 4:30 p.m. to midnight today and Saturday in Freistatt, which is located between Mount Vernon and Monett on state Route H. Admission to the event is free, parking costs $3 per vehicle.