Sixth Annual Oktoberfest Is Brewing

The Sixth Annual Oktoberfest is set for this Saturday, Oct. 3, from noon to 5:30 p.m.
Last year, about 500 people showed up to enjoy over craft beers, homemade brews, music, food and games. This year, the event will take place rain or shine and will feature over 75 craft beers, in addition to beer brewed by locals.

The event is sponsored by the Wolves, Rotary, and Lions Clubs. Pete’s Uptown Beer and Beverage distributor is the official beer sponsor. The event will be hosted at the Wolves Club shelter in Ewing Park.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of. Tickets are available at Pete’s Uptown Beer on 1022 Lawrence Ave. Ticket price includes food and beer samples in 3-ounce glasses.

This year’s new event is a keg bowling and keg toss competition. Contestants will knock over kegs with a keg and compete to toss a keg the farthest. Winners in male and female divisions will receive a plaque. There will also be a corn hole tournament at 1 p.m.

Food will include fish and chips, bratwurst and sauerkraut, hot dogs, meatball sandwiches, sausage sandwiches, haluski and French fries. Entertainment will be provided by two Ellwood bands, Nickel Plated Revolver and RMS Trio.

Bryan Downs, owner of Pete’s, said represented breweries will include Sam Adams, Breckenridge Brewery, and Great Lakes Brewing, offering beers ranging from stouts and porters to wheat beers and IPAs.

“If you can think of it, it’ll be there to try,” Downs said, adding that IPAs have been especially popular at the distributor this year.

This year’s chair committee is composed of three Wolves Club members: Matt Walley, Mike DeOtto and Raymond Santillo. At September’s council meeting, the Ellwood Borough Council repealed the prohibition on alcoholic beverages in Ewing Park for participants in Oktoberfest. The committee stresses that Oktoberfest is a sampling, not a drinking, event.