Grow Greater Greenfield’s (G3) eighth annual Oktoberfest will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 4-9 p.m. and will feature new events, Merleen Van Dyke, chairman of the G3 board and a member of the Oktoberfest planning committee, told The Times-Gazette.
Oktoberfest will take place on South Washington Street between Jefferson Street and South Street, Van Dyke said. There will be beer available for purchase in the area between Jefferson Street and Mirabeau Street. Entertainment will include events and music from deejay Doug Karnes and the No Name Band.
Vendors will include the Greenfield Lion’s Club, Jerry’s Pizza and Modern Movement Dance Company. Between them, Van Dyke said there will be brats, smoked sausage, German potato salad, Reuben pizza, gourmet caramel apples, and other desserts available for purchase.
Returning again is the Doxie Derby, also known as the Wiener Dog Race, which Van Dyke called a community favorite. Entry forms can be picked up at Roman Family Healthcare in Greenfield.
Among the new events is an obstacle course sponsored by Small Town Fitness, during which participants will have to navigate the course with a beer mug in their hands.
“We’re going to use apple juice, not beer,” Van Dyke said. “Don’t want to waste any beer.”
The winner of the obstacle event, which is called STOOCH or the Small Town Oktoberfest Obstacle Course Herausforderung (“challenge” in German), Van Dyke said, will receive a $400 prize package, which includes a year membership to Small Town Fitness.
Another new event at this year’s Oktoberfest is the Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Contest. Van Dyke said this year’s contestants come from Greenfield Exempted Village Schools and include Superintendent Quincey Gray, school board member Charley Roman, board candidate Eric Wise, Rainsboro Elementary Principal Maggie Lyons, Greenfield kindergarten teacher Tia Barham and Assistant Band Director David Weaks.
There will also be free games and activities for kids like a bouncy house, pumpkin decorating, pumpkin bowling and a rubber chicken toss. Children’s activities will be held on South Washington Street. between Mirabeau Street. and South Street.
G3’s Oktoberfest is a fundraiser, and money raised will go toward G3’s efforts to improve Greenfield with a focus on the downtown area.
Oktoberfest 2019 schedule of events:
4 p.m. — Opening ceremony, which will include a presentation of colors by the Greenfield McClain Cadets
4:30 p.m. — STOOCH, the obstacle course sponsored by Small Town Fitness
5 p.m. — No Name Band begins playing
6 p.m. — Doxie Derby, also known as the Wiener Dog Race, sponsored by Roman Family Healthcare
7 p.m. — Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Contest
Reach McKenzie Caldwell at 937-402-2570.
