ELBERTA, Ala. — St. Benedict School’s 39th German Festival will be starting with a bang April 16. Literally.

The festival will begin with the 14th annual 5K “Raven Run.” The raven is the school’s mascot. Runners will stream from the school down Illinois street in Elberta, turning onto Old Foley Road. The course turns the runners around back to the school before they encounter U.S. Highway 98. A 5K race walk will follow the same course. For those who can’t make that distance, there is a one-mile “Disciple Dash.” Pre-registration is $15 and day-of-race registration is $20.

Race participants will receive a T-shirt. For more information, call 251-978-3060 or go to the school’s website, www.saintbenedict.net.

Following the run, the school will host the festival on the school grounds, 12876 S. Illinois St., two blocks south of U.S. Highway 59, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The gym will be turned into a giant yard sale, where bargain seekers can find treasure. There will be games, events for youngsters, the music of “Top Hat & Janice” and in the words of PTO President Teresa Doar, “awesome” German food and home-baked goodies.

The festival celebrates the German heritage of the area. According to Wikipedia, the first European inhabitants of the area were “farmers who had immigrated from Germany to the Midwest of America.” Doar says there will be kieffels, a pecan-filled German pastry. If you missed them at Elberta’s Sausage Festival, you have another chance to take some home.

“It is all authentic,” said Doar. She added that there will be bingo, a beer tent for adults and other edibles for those who want more traditional fair food.

One of the event’s signature features is the car raffle.

“We will be selling 450 $100 tickets,” said Doar. “The first prize is a 2011 Jeep Wrangler or $20,000 in cash.” While the winner does not have to be present to get the grand prize, there will also be six $200 prizes drawn and the winners of those prizes must be present.

“We did Cadillacs for years and years,” recalled Rhonda Krehling, the school secretary.

“It’s just a great day,” said Doar. She added that there will be gift baskets made up by each class of the school and there would be a dunking booth. No word yet on the “dunkees,” but Doar indicated that festival-goers would be amused at who lines up to be dunked for a good cause.

In previous years, the festival has raised $20,000 to supplement the school’s budget. Last year, the PTO purchased whiteboards for classrooms.