When John Dean taps the ceremonial keg to officially kick off Oktoberfest next month, he will be the first burgermeister to have had a hand in brewing the beer inside.

A co-founder of Cullman’s Goat Island Brewery, Dean was instrumental in transforming the recipe for Richter’s Pils, found scrawled in old German among the personal items of saloon owner William Frederick Richter, into the award-winning brew that captured the bronze medal at last year’s Alabama Craft Beer Championship.

The prized pilsner is the official beer of Cullman’s Oktoberfest, and Dean said he is honored to serve as the festival’s master of ceremonies and hopes to use the platform to spread the story and history behind the quintessentially Cullman beer.

“I’m very honored to be this year’s Burgermeister. Mayors, doctors, lawyers, politicians and others in the community have been in the past so it’s humbling to be chosen.”

Although opening ceremonies will kick off Wednesday, Oct. 4, other Oktoberfest-related activities will begin Sunday, Oct. 1. Organizers plan to unveil a commemorative plastic beer stein for the festival, plus they’ve booked rising country music star Riley Green, who performed at Rock the South, as headliner Friday, Oct. 6.

Dean said he’s already gotten some tips from former burgermeisters.

“I’m to ride to the coattails of Colonel Cullman (Larry Rowlette). Basically, I’ll be his right hand man,” he said.

And as for last year’s Burgermeister John Richter, pastor at St. John Evangelical Protestant Church?

“He said ‘I’ll be praying for you,’” Dean said.

As always, admission is free to the weeklong event, with children’s activities and games, German music and food and a beirgarten fully stocked with a wide variety of different brands and styles.

Here’s a rundown of the schedule:

Sunday, Oct. 1

• 3 p.m. — Sacred Heart’s Combined Choir Concert at the church.

Monday, Oct. 2

• 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Sunday — Nimble Thimble Quilt Guild during museum hours

• 9 a.m.-2 p.m. — School tours

• 10:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. — Freddie Day Catering, German food

• 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. — Wolfgang Moritz, German music

• 5-7 p.m. — St. John’s German Dinner at the church

Tuesday, Oct. 3

• 9 a.m.-2 p.m. — School tours

• 10:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. — Freddie Day Catering, German food

• 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. — Terri Pines Country Club German Lunch Buffet, reservation required

• 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. — Wolfgang Moritz, German music

Wednesday, Oct. 4

• 9 a.m.-2 p.m. — School tours

• 10:30 a.m.- until — Freddie Day Catering, German food

• 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. — Wolfgang Moritz, German music

• 5-10 p.m. — Carriage rides at Festhalle

• 5-7 p.m. — Sacred Heart German Dinner at the church

• 5-10 p.m. — Alabama Craft Bier Garten

• 6-7 p.m. — Opening Ceremonies; Burgermeister introduction; Miss Oktoberfest crowning; tapping of the kegs; Hanceville High School German Band.

• 6-10 p.m. — Children’s activities, parking lot

• 7 p.m. — Paper Airplane Contest

• 7-10 p.m. — Terry Cavanagh & Alpine Express, German music

• 8:30 p.m. — Stein Hoist Contest

Thursday, Oct. 5

• 7 a.m.-5 p.m. — Farmer’s market

• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. — Senior Day

• 10-11:30 a.m. — Terry Cavanagh & Alpine Express, German music

• 10:30 a.m.- until — Freddie Day Catering, German food

• 11:30 a.m.-noon — Senior Day lunch

• Noon-2 p.m. — Senior Day bingo

• 5:30-6:30 p.m. —Forgotten Alabama, presentation and discussion with author Glen Wills at the Cullman Public Library

• 5-10 p.m. — Alabama Craft Bier Garten

• 5-10 p.m. — Carriage rides at Festhalle

• 5:50-6:15 p.m. — Cullman Community Band with Gary Taylor

• 6-10 p.m. — Children’s activities, parking lot

• 6:30 p.m. — Pickle Eating Contest

• 7 p.m. — Paper Airplane Contest

• 8 p.m. — Candlelight Walking Tour from Weis Cottage corner of 4th ST SE and 1st Ave. SE

• 6:30-10 p.m. — Terry Cavanagh & Alpine Express, German music

• 8:30 p.m. — Stein Hoist Contest

Friday, Oct. 6

• 9 a.m.-2 p.m. — School tours

• 10:30 a.m.- until — Freddie Day Catering, German food

• 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. — Wolfgang Moritz, German music

• 3-6 pm — Terry Cavanagh & Alpine Express

• 3:30 p.m. -midnight — Alabama Craft Bier Garten

• 4 p.m. — Avenue G band.

• 4-10 p.m. — Children’s activities, parking lot

• 5-7 p.m. — Christ Lutheran Church German Dinner at the church

• 5 p.m.- until — Cullman Oktoberfest Classic Car Show, First Avenue Warehouse District downtown

• 6 p.m.— Ghost stories at the gazebo hosted by Cullman County Library

• 6:15-8 p.m. — The Beatlads (Beatle cover band)

• 6:30 p.m. — Pickle Eating Contest

• 7 p.m. — Paper Airplane Contest

• 8:15-10 p.m. — Overtones band

• 8:30 p.m. — Stein Hoist Contest

• 10:15 p.m.-midnight — Riley Green

Saturday, Oct. 7

• 7 a.m.-5 p.m. — Farmer’s market

• 8 a.m. — Oktoberfest 5K and 10K run (registration starts at 7 a.m.)

• 8 a.m.-5 p.m. — Arts & Crafts at Depot Park

• 8 a.m.-10 p.m. — Children’s activities, parking lot

• 9 a.m.-5 pm — Oktoberfest Junior Sidewalk Art Show in front of City Hall, prizes awarded

• 9 a.m.-1 p.m. — K-9 For A Cause, Cullman Kiwanis Club at Depot Park (registration at 8 a.m.)

• Carriage rides all day

• 9:30-10:30 a.m. — Cullman Middle and Cullman High School Choruses (tentative)

• 10 a.m.-midnight — Alabama Craft Bier Garten

• 10:30 a.m.- until — Freddie Day Catering, German food

• 10:45 a.m.-noon — WSCC Singers, WSCC Jazz Band (tentative)

• Noon — Lions Club Bed Race, Depot

• 12:30 p.m. — Bratwurst Eating Contest

• 1-2:45 p.m. — Ashley Rose Kent, singer

• 3-6 pm — Terry Cavanagh & Alpine Express, German music

• 3 p.m. — Paper Airplane Contest Finals

• 4-7 p.m. — St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Oktoberfest Dinner

• 4-7 p.m. — Corn Hole Tournament at Goat Island Brewery sponsored by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Register online or on-site.

• 6:15-7:55 p.m. — County Wyde band

• 8:15-9:45 p.m. — Round 2 band

• 9:45 p.m. — Stein Hoist Contest

• 10 p.m.-midnight — Fly By Radio, band

Sunday, Oct. 8

• 8 a.m.-5 p.m. — Arts & Crafts at Depot Park

• 8 a.m.-5 p.m. — Children’s activities, parking lot

• 9-11:45 a.m. — Wolfgang Moritz, German music

• 10:30 a.m.- until — Freddie Day Catering, German food

• Noon-1:30 p.m. — Bluewater Road, band

• 1:35-2:15 p.m. — Cottin’ Pickin’ Kids, band

• 2:25-3:25 p.m. — Roy Crawford and Cullman County Bluegrass, band

• 3:35-5 p.m. — Three On A String, band