Cars were moving in and out of the parking lot of the Lutheran Church of the Messiah on Cain Ridge Road late Saturday afternoon.

Inside the church’s Trinity Hall, several people listened to German music as they sat at tables enjoying the company of friends and a menu of bratwurst fixed to their taste, calico beans, German potato salad and tempting desserts.

Those who didn’t want brats enjoyed hot dogs with the other fixings

The doors to church’s 28th Germanfest opened at 4 p.m. and got off to quick start this year, church member Ruth Osburn said.

“We had a big rush at 4 p.m.,” she said. “A lot of people wanted to get their brats and take them home in time for a football game.

“Things have certainly changed,” she said as she scanned the few people sitting in the dining area. “More people want to take their meals home.”

But that didn’t slow down the activity in the kitchen, which was working to serve 10 waiting customers.

“It’s still early, but we’ve already cooked 70 brats, based on the empty cases,” cook B.B. Lingle said about 5:30 p.m., midway through the event, which ran from 4 to 7 p.m.

“I’m sure we’ll be cooking more.”

Germanfest began in 1988 as a fundraiser for the church, serving brats shipped down from Usinger of Milwaukee, Wisc.

Osburn said the final totals for the money raised and the total number of brats sold won’t be available until sometime this week, but anticipated the church will serve between 100 to 125 brats during the event.

“As far as anything else,” she said.

“That will wait for next week. When we leave here, we’ll too tird to want to do anything else.”