The Jacksonville Rotary Club’s Seventh Annual “Oktoberfest” will see the return of one of the ‘Fest’s most popular events: The Wienie Dog Races! The “Dachshund Dash”, as the event is known, will get underway on September 30th at 1:30pm in the “Wienie Arena” at the Morgan County Fairgrounds.

The Wiener Dog Races have proven to be a consistently huge draw. In order to handle the turnout, the Jacksonville Rotary Club continues to improve the special “Wienie Arena”. The arena features bleachers, a specially designed Wienie-specific starting gate and a “Wiener-Surround” PA System for race announcements. If crowds are as large as they’ve been in past years, the bleachers won’t seat everyone, but they do help more spectators see the event. Make sure to get there early since seating is “first come-first served”.

Race day registration for this year’s “Dachshund Dash” will start at noon with the first races getting underway at 1:30pm on Saturday, September 30th. Registration for the race is $10 per dog. A registration form and rules of the race can be found on the Jacksonville Rotary Club website at www.jacksonvillerotary.org. Each dog must be accompanied by at least two humans and all humans in a race team must have a ticket to the “Oktoberfest” event. Advance tickets for “Oktoberfest” are available now. They are $4 in advance and $5 at the gate (tickets are available at County Market, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce or from any Rotarian).

The “Dachshund Dash” is for Amateur Class racers only. No professional or circuit racers will be allowed to compete and there is no wagering at the event. Both miniature and standard class dachshunds are invited to compete and all dogs should be dachshunds…or mostly dachshunds. Dachshunds, and their race teams, are invited to come early, and then stay around after the race to enjoy the festivities.