The first weekend of Oktoberfest is over, but do not put your mug down yet — it is coming back Friday.

Cape Coral found its way down northwest Pine Island Road to the German-American Social Club for the yearly festival kickoff this weekend, where beers were drank, food was eaten, polka was played and camaraderie was celebrated.

“Saturday was a blowout,” said Gerhard Veith, president of the German-American Social Club. “It was really great.”

Veith said Sunday afternoon that they did not know how many tickets had been sold for the first weekend yet.

“We’re still counting all of that stuff,” he said.

But the regular and overflow parking lots were filled, Veith said.

“It was a really good turnout,” Veith said.

The event will probably reach the early estimate of 30,000 attendees over the two-weekend celebration, Veith said.

Cape Coral residents and visitors from areas such as Naples, Punta Gorda and Sarasota enjoyed the festivities of weekend one of Oktoberfest.

“We get a favorable reaction,” Veith said of event-goers. “We have great bands, a lot to do for the children and of course great food not only from us but from our vendors.”

As for food, Oktoberfest offers the best of traditional German cuisine, including schweinshaxen dinner, sausage, German potato pancakes, bratwurst, knockwurst and wienerwurst.

Local and out-of-state musicians keep Cape Coral dancing. Bands such as Peter & Edith, Barefoot Becky and the Ivanhoe Dutchmen; Manni, Jason and Co.; and the German-native Maselheimer Musikauten play polka music.

German and domestic beers are served including Warsteiner, Koenig Ludwig Weiss, Budweiser and Amber Bock.

This year’s Ms. Oktoberfest, Barbara Gennity, welcomes guests throughout the event.

There is a drawing each day for a trip to Munich or Dusseldorf in Germany, and Sunday a drawing will determine the winner of a Volkswagen car.

Money from ticket sales will go toward donations to Hope Hospice and the Mayoral Scholarship Fund, among others.

Oktoberfest will resume this weekend at 4 p.m. on Friday and will end at 11 p.m. on Sunday at the German-American Social Club, located at 2101 S.W. Pine Island Road.

Tickets are $6 at the door.