PEORIA — Between the noise of twisting carnival rides and wheezing accordions, the steady jingling of little bells wandered around the riverfront for Peoria's 23rd Oktoberfest, carried by the masked figures known as the Narren of New Ulm. The troupe of jesters joined Peoria's celebration for the first time this year, roaming between the lederhosen- and dirndl-clad crowds in handmade, hand-painted wooden masks. "Our folks went up to (New Ulm, Minn.) last year for Oktoberfest and they fell in love with them," said Jeff Pulfer, a representative of the German American Central Society...
