By Preston Knight -- Daily Staff Writer

STRASBURG — Upon moving to Front Royal last year with her husband, Andrea Pederson, a native of Saarbrucken, Germany, just had to give her mother a call.

"I told her, 'You know what, we have a Strasburg here, too,'" she said. "It was really funny."

On Saturday, Pederson was treated to more memories of home at the Strasburg Chamber of Commerce's Oktoberfest.

Although this version is much smaller and tamer than the celebration she grew up with in her town in western Germany, she found some similarities to smile about. What stood out most was the perfect pronunciation of German songs by Strasburg's Youth in Arts group during its performance, Pederson said.

"They were so wonderful," she said. "It brings back memories. I wish everyone had gotten up and moved to it like in Germany."

In time, maybe that will be the case. Oktoberfest in Strasburg, for the most part, is a tradition that is just getting started. Although it dates back in town to 2000, it has been on and off as different organizations served as sponsors, said Rich Orndorff, a co-chairman of the event.

Now that it is under the guidance of the chamber of commerce, Oktoberfest should have a permanent place on Strasburg's calendar, he said.

"We're committed to this being one of our main events," Orndorff said.

That makes sense given Strasburg's connection to Germany, said Jim Carter, who dressed in traditional German clothing for the event. His outfit featured lederhosen, German for leather pants.

For two reasons, it's a wise idea for Strasburg to celebrate Oktoberfest, Carter said: There is a Strasburg in Germany, too, and the Shenandoah Valley was settled primarily by Germans.

"It's a way to understand as Americans that we're a melting pot," he said.

Oktoberfest is a two-week celebration throughout Germany that is brought on with the introduction of a new beer, said Christine Epping, a Winchester resident who was born in Bavaria, Germany. She was in Strasburg with her husband, Otto.

Mrs. Epping said that the celebration in Germany features large tents, huge pretzels, chickens on spicks, plenty of beer, and nothing but Bavarian folk music. There are also a number of contests on such things as dress and yodeling.

While Strasburg's Oktoberfest doesn't have all of those things, it's still a worthy event, Mrs. Epping said.

"It's very nice to have it here," she said as she treated herself to bratwurst.

To have an Oktoberfest, Orndorff and co-chairwoman Mari-Ane Fowler said, bratwurst is one of the requirements, as is German potato salad, beer and sauerkraut. Local potter Ruth Dryer also provided a beer stein, a mug, that was raffled.

The 2007 event drew about 1,200 people. Organizers were expecting as many as 1,800 on Saturday.

John and Marianne Spangler were visiting from Winchester. Mrs. Spangler was born about 50 miles north of Frankfurt, Germany.

"It's a big beer party [there]," said Spangler, who was wearing a hat with pins representing Oktoberfest and different towns in Europe.

Mrs. Spangler said, "It's nice that Strasburg has something like this. You don't see that much."

Even though she's been in the United States for 41 years, she said she still misses some German food.

During Oktoberfest, however, Mrs. Spangler can, at least once a year, find some tastes from home. All vendors Saturday were local, and the event was free to the public. Those two things impress Orndorff.

"It's a wonderful thing for Strasburg," he said.

And it may just keep getting better, especially if Pederson makes some recruitment calls.

"The Germans," she said, "we just like to celebrate."

* Contact Preston Knight at pknight@nvdaily.com