The Jacksonville Rotary Club has announced details for the Seventh Annual Jacksonville “Oktoberfest” for 2017. The “Oktoberfest” celebration is a club fundraiser and annual fall area event. Past “Fests” have proven to be some of the largest fundraisers in the history of the Jacksonville Rotary Club. The event is also one the largest fundraisers held in the Rotary 6460 District. This year’s event, set for September 30th at the Morgan County Fairgrounds,
promises to be another outstanding experience for everyone who attends.

This year’s event will kick off at noon on Saturday, September 30th. Advance tickets for the event are on sale now. They are $4 in advance and $5 at the gate (advance tickets are available at County Market, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce or from any Rotarian). Food sales, beer wagon and registration for the Bags Tournaments all get underway at noon. This year’s menu will be a departure from past years. This year, the Oktoberfest Planning Committee has partnered with Twyford’s Bar-b-que to create a special German-themed menu. Such items as brats on a pretzel bun with brown mustard and sauerkraut; potato pancakes with apple sauce; and a traditional German cabbage soup (known as “Kohlsuppe”) will be featured.

The official “Wilkommen” ceremony and Tapping of the Kegs is set to take place at 1pm on the Jacksonville Savings Bank Main Stage. Since the 207 year-old Oktoberfest in Munich specifically highlights and supports brewers in their area, beer is a major part of any Oktoberfest celebration. Golden Eagle Distributing Co. will again supply the kegs for Jacksonville’s version of Oktoberfest with Rotarians set to put in some very busy hours as servers. Attendees with commemorative steins from past years are invited to bring their steins with them to the event for a special price on refills throughout the day. If you don’t have a stein, you can get one at the event while supplies last.

Entertainment this year will run the gamut from traditional German music to rock-n-roll. The “Heidelberg” German Band from the Quincy Area returns this year with their blend of high energy German “oom-pah” music and hilarious commentary. “Heidelberg” will take the Jacksonville Savings Bank Main Stage at 1pm. Fans and guests are invited to gather under the Westown Ford Tent to enjoy the music. At 5:30p the “Unhandsome Devils” will take the stage until 8:30p. Deejayed popular dance music and classic rock will fill-in between bands.

During the day, goofy and entertaining games will take place on the main stage and throughout the grounds. Look for, or compete in, the “Keg Toss”, “Stein Endurance” (where competitors hold a full beer stein straight out in front of their body with one hand), and, back by popular demand, “Human Foosball”. This year, the Human Foosball court has been upgraded to a professional inflatable. If you want to compete as a Human Foosballer, walk-up matches start at noon and run until 6p. Bring a team, or join a group that might need another player.

The Wienie Dog Races, or the “Dachshund Dash” as it’s known at Oktoberfest, are back! Races get underway at 1:30pm in the “Wienie Arena”. Registration is $10 and open to all area Dachshunds (or mostly Dachshunds). Registrations can be made in advance. They will also be taken the day of the event as time allows.

Both the very popular International Beer Tasting and the International Wine Tasting return this year. For a one-time admission to the “Beer Tasting” or “Wine Tasting” Tent, participants will be given generous samplings of some amazing beers and/or wines. Information about the brewing process and brewery locations for each beer are included along with vineyard and winery backgrounds for the various wines.

Both tasting tents will get underway at 1pm immediately following the “Wilkommen Ceremony.” The Jacksonville Rotary Club Oktoberfest was designed to be a major annual fundraiser for the Club and it has proven to be a huge success. A special Jacksonville Rotary Oktoberfest Facebook page has been launched and you can follow the event on Twitter by searching @OKFinJax. Get your tickets for Oktoberfest now and we’ll see you at the Morgan County Fairgrounds on September 30th.