Shirley Goodfellow, right, holds her granddaughter Jocelyn Ice, 3, left, as she smiles at the sights and sounds of German Fest Saturday at the First Lutheran Church in Parkersburg. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

PARKERSBURG — Residents gathered together to celebrate German heritage Saturday in Parkersburg at the First Lutheran Church German Fest.

The church has held German Fest for 10 years, according to church member Linda Dally. It used to be held just for the church.

“In the past 10 years we’ve included the community because there are a few other German fests in the area and we decided let’s open it up,” Dally said. “We have a nice lawn. We can eat outside. We can cook outside. It’s just a nice community event. People enjoy it.”

About 100 people attended the event in the first hour on Saturday and most were residents of the community, not members of the church, Dally said.

She said many people come to the German Fest every year.

Greg Goodfellow ladles cooked peppers and onions Saturday in the First Lutheran Church’s fellowship hall during German Fest. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

German Fest celebrates First Lutheran’s German heritage. The event was held from 11-2 p.m. Saturday.

Attendees enjoy a traditional German meal with grilled bratwurst, green peppers and onions, warm German potato salad, sauerkraut, spaetzle and gravy, dessert and a drink for $15.

Those at the fest could enjoy their meals inside in the church fellowship hall or outside on the church lawn under tents.

For those who wanted another option, a hot dog with homemade sauce, chips, dessert and a drink was $5.

Desserts included apple strudel, pecan pie and German chocolate cupcakes, among other sweets, according to Dally. Members of the church provided the desserts “and they’re all homemade,” she said.

Bratwurst sits waiting to be eaten at German Fest at First Lutheran Church in Parkersburg Saturday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

The German Band performed and the church gave a sanctuary tour at 1 p.m.

First Lutheran was founded in 1892. The current building was built in 1927.

Dally said the event is great.

“It’s fun for us (volunteers) … it’s great fellowship with the community,’ she said.

Shirely Goodfellow brought her granddaughter, Jocelyn Ice, 3, to the fest. Her family are members of the church and her husband helped served food, her daughter played in The German Band and her son-in-law helped cook, she said.

Jocelyn Ice, 3, peeks through a cutout of a child in German clothing at the First Lutheran Church’s German Fest Saturday in Parkersburg. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

“(Jocelyn Ice) comes every year,” Goodfellow said.

Goodfellow, Ice and Goodfellow’s daughter and husband wore German attire to the fest.

“This is the first year we’ve dressed up,” she said.

Goodfellow recently discovered she has German in her heritage, just like the church.

“I just found out that my family came on a boat in 1883 from the area of Alsace,” she said.

The German Band plays during the First Lutheran Church of Parkersburg’s annual German Fest Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

She said that is an area in France near where it meets Switzerland and Germany and her ancestors from the region spoke German.

Last year there was no band at the German fest, so she is happy that the music was back this year, she said.

Goodfellow’s favorite part of German Fest is the food.

“Of course,” she said.

Learn more about the German Fest at https://tinyurl.com/2f8d8pk6.

A crowd enjoys German food and music on the lawn of the First Lutheran Church in Parkersburg on Saturday during German Fest. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

Michelle Dillon can be reached at mdillon@newsandsentinel.com