Joliet's Best Octoberfest Party In Ages? Cemenos Pizza Hosting 2-Day Outdoor Festival, Music, Stein Contests

JOLIET, IL — Just a few months after Cemeno's Pizza hosted an outdoor tent party that attracted more than 1,000 people to celebrate its 50th anniversary in the community, the Cemeno family is bringing the community together again by hosting a two-day-long Octoberfest this coming Friday and Saturday at 1630 Essington Road in Joliet.

The official name of the event is "Octoberfest at Cemeno's" and the two-day extravaganza includes a food court, live music, beer gardens, a bags tournament and a beer stein hoist competition on both days. A dedicated Kids Corner will offer activities for younger guests, making the weekend a celebration for friends, families and the entire community.

On Wednesday, Joliet Patch interviewed Nick Cemeno, the son of Michael Cemeno, and third generation of the Cemeno family. He said the Cemeno's Pizza Octoberfest will take place Friday from 4 p.m. to close and Saturday from 11 a.m. to close.

The Cemeno's liquor license allows them to stay open until 2 a.m.

The outdoors festival will have large inflatable tents set up and the main headlining music acts will be Cadillac Groove at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Scramble at 6 p.m. Saturday.

It's Great For Families As Well: Nick Cemeno Explains

Nick Cemeno explained that Milano Bakery, a Joliet icon and the food court sponsor, will be providing all the buns, bread and a large assortment of sweets and treats for the Octoberfest.

The Kids Corner will feature pumpkin painting and face painting by Cemeno's own Alissa, an art instructor who also works at Cup of Joe by Cemeno's. A bounce house from JJ Inflatables and Party Rentals will add to the family fun.

"It's great for families as well," Cemeno said of the weekend's atmosphere. "And there is no cover charge on any of this. We wanted to make this very affordable on both the food and the drinks. We are really hoping to turn this into an annual tradition for the community."

As for the Octoberfest food court, Cemeno's will be offering pretzels, pretzel bun pub burgers, specialty pizzas and bakery goods. The beer garden will be presented by Joliet's long-time local distributor, Kozol Brothers/KBI.

The draft beers will be Miller Lite, Yuengling, Sam Adams Octoberfest and Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest. As for the bottles, Cemeno's will have Busch Light, Michelob Ultra and Modelo. Shots of Apple pie and Jägermeister shots will be offered. The seltzers will include Sun Cruiser pink lemonade, lemonade and iced tea flavors.

The food court will offer $5 slices of pizza including Bianca, pepperoni, sausage or cheese. Hot dogs will be $3, bratwurst with grilled onions will be $4, hamburgers for $4, cheeseburgers at $5 and the pretzel bun pub burgers for $6.

Cemeno's Pizza Will Remain Open During Octoberfest

Nick Cemeno wanted everyone to know that the main indoor restaurant as well as the popular Joe's Dugout bar area will still be open all weekend long, just like normal. Guests can enjoy indoor dining in The Sepper Club and Joe's Dugout, with drinks available at both bars throughout the weekend.

"We will have great food and great drink specials all weekend long for regular dine-in customers as well," he said.

Cemeno said that the October Madness bags tournament begins at noon Saturday and costs $40 per team and. Advance registration is available at the Joe's Dugout bar through a manager, and walk-ups will be accepted. There's a grand prize of a cash prize pool totaling at least $300 that grows with the number of participating teams, and all registrants will receive a commemorative T-shirt.

The bags tournament is sponsored by Mark Meers of Spring Realty. Teams must use the provided bags; no outside bags are
permitted.

The winners of the stein hoist competitions will receive Cemeno's Pizza gift cards and merchandise. Octoberfest LIVE!, featuring Cadillac Groove and Scramble, is presented by D'Arcy Buick GMC.

"What started with one family restaurant in Joliet in 1976 has grown into the Cemeno’s Restaurant Group - a collection of concepts built around great food, family traditions, genuine hospitality, and a commitment to the community that has supported us for 50 years. Today, the Cemeno’s family includes our original Cemeno’s Pizza, Cemeno’s At The Park, and Cup of Joe by Cemeno’s - each with its own personality and experience, but all rooted in the traditions that started it all," the Cemeno's Pizza website explains. "As we celebrate 50 years of serving smiles, we’re proud of where we’ve been - and even more excited about what’s still to come."