Andrews – With multiple wineries and breweries as well as four main stage bands performing, this year’s Oktoberfest street festival looks to be the best yet.
Jan Olson, chair of the festival committee though the Andrews Chamber of Commerce, is excited about this year’s plans.
“We are expecting up to 3,000 visitors this year,” she said proudly.
She has good reasons to be proud. Aside from the main stage area, complete with room for dancing, the festival will host nearly 50 vendors, all selling original arts and crafts from their socially distanced booths.
Because the event is being held outdoors masks are not required, but Olson suggests visitors bring their own sanitizer and chairs if they want to sit and enjoy the music. Multiple food trucks will line Main Street, so there will be plenty of festival food options.
The festival opens at 11 a.m. Saturday with a live performance from the band Blue. Struck by Lightning will jam through the afternoon, when High Strangers take the stage. The music tent’s final act, Ol Dirty Bathtub, will play until the festival ends at 7 p.m.
There will be a 30-minute break between bands, which organizers have filled with what Olson calls “friendly adult competitions,” including a beard and mustache contest, corn hole games and a stamina contest called “Beer Stein Holding.” The winner must overcome the temptation to drink the beer in the stein, but rather hold it at arm’s length until the last stein remains standing. Aside from rousing cheers from onlookers, the winners will receive a $5 gift certificate to use at the festival.
There will be plenty of beer and wine served, but only to those who show proper identification at the entrance, where they will be given a wristband for a $5 charge. Each wristband comes with a plastic mug and the added fun of a raffle ticket, which will be drawn up to 10 times during the festival. The winners receive a $20 gift certificate but must be present to win.
While the festival draws in beer and wine drinkers, Oktoberfest is a family affair. Children are invited to this family friendly event and will have a dedicate play area called the Kid Zone in front of Cups & Cones, where parents can watch their children play hula hoops or strategize on a giant Jenga set. Leashed dogs are also welcome.
“The whole purpose of the festival is to bring people into town,” Olson said. When asked what she is most looking forward to, she laughed, “If I have the time, I would love to dance to the bands.”
However, she thinks her role as chairperson will keep her busy. “This event has been highly organized,” she said. As a result, Oktoberfest promises to be a safe and exciting town event. For details, call 321-1600 or email Jan@ferncrestwinery.com.