Greg Schwendeman cooks bratwurst on a grill at the community booth during the annual Lowell Octoberfest Sunday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

LOWELL — People enjoyed the sun, music and food during the last day of the annual Lowell Octoberfest Sunday on Buell Island.

The event opened Saturday with a parade at 10 a.m. and gave attendees ample opportunities to listen to music, shop at a multitude of vendors and eat good food.

Sunday was the last day of the Octoberfest and a crowd was gathered to enjoy it.

Audrey Schwendeman was at the Octoberfest Sunday with her family, including her mother-in-law, Mildred Schwendeman, who she said is one of the original organizers of the event.

Audrey Schwendeman said Octoberfest was started in 1976 “because there was a large bunch of German people that settled here” and it was held to be “a fun thing.”

Mildred Schwendeman, left, one of the original organizers of the Lowell Octoberfest, sits and enjoys food with her great-granddaughter, Norah Palmer, 5, center, and her daughter Diane Palmer, right, Sunday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

The menu at Octoberfest has changed over the years, according to her, but some staples have remained, mainly the chicken cooked on a spit over a fire and the German potato salad.

She said these foods “are what everybody (comes) for.”

Schwendeman said she and other volunteers cut up 800 pounds of potatoes last week to make the German potato salad and it is Mildred Schwendeman’s original recipe.

The community booth is where this potato salad was sold over the weekend for Octoberfest, according to Schwendeman, and other foods available at the booth were kielbasa, bratwurst, mashed potatoes, reuben sandwiches, green beans and sauerkraut.

Octoberfest attendees also had the chance to enjoy ice cream, fried dough and other treats.

Aubrie McMahon, 9, right, rides a horse during the Lowell Octoberfest Sunday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

Schwendman loves more than just the food at the Octoberfest. She said her favorite part is that she gets to visit with people.

“A lot of people come home from away … It’s kind of like a homecoming,” Schwendeman said.

One of Mildred Schwendeman’s great-granddauthers was also at the Octoberfest, Norah Palmer, 5.

While a lot of people come to the Octoberfest for the food, Palmer said her favorite part is “the pony rides.”

Her brother Grant Palmer, 13, agreed with the majority of the attendees about the food being the best part. He said he likes “the reubens.”

Brixtin Wasmer, 4, points out the pumpkin she wants at the Lowell Octoberfest Sunday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

For $5 children could ride a pony or a horse at the Octoberfest.

Aubrie McMahon, 9, was one of the children taking advantage of this. She enjoyed a ride on a black horse Sunday afternoon.

The horses are her favorite part, she said, and she thinks riding them is “fun.”

Attendees also had the chance to look at several tents set up by vendors selling pumpkins, clothing, jewelry, candy decorations and many other items.

Maddy Wasmer and Britton Wasmer brought their daughter Brixtin Wasmer, 4, to the Octoberfest, where she had fun looking at the pumpkins Sunday afternoon.

People walk and look at vendors and their crafts during the Lowell Octoberfest Sunday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

She picked out a little orange one for her parents to buy here.

She said her favorite pumpkins are “the little ones.”

Maddy Wasmer said they come to the Octoberfest every year.

There was music both days of the Octoberfest from DJ Jason Chichester, and performers Harmony Jane and Steven and Bev Pottermeyer.

More information about the Octoberfest can be found on the event’s Facebook page.

The Lowell Octoberfest offered attendees the opportunity to eat food, listen to music and see multiple vendors and their items. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

Michelle Dillon can be reached at mdillon@newandsentinel.com