20 Sep 2016 Fairfield Bay to host two festivals in one
Fairfield Bay will kick off the fall season with two festivals — OktoberFest and StoryFest — held Friday, Oct. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 15.
“People from all over have told us how much they love bringing in the fall season by celebrating the traditional OktoberFest,” said Fairfield Bay Mayor Paul Wellenberger. “And the family fun really takes an authentic twist with one of the Bay’s most unique events, StoryFest. Expect plenty of hearty food, lively music and a great big community celebration — exactly what we want to share here in Fairfield Bay.”
Visitors to OktoberFest will find a traditional German OktoberFest celebration full of authentic German fare and Biergarten, a traditional Volksmarch, as well as music, arts, crafts, KidFest and more.
OktoberFest
Free and open to the public, OktoberFest begins at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 14, with a Volksmarch, a traditional German walk. Participants will begin the march at the OktoberFest grounds, wandering to Ed Leamon Park and back, with each “marcher” getting a walk memento.
Local arts and crafts will be displayed for show and sale until 6 p.m.
German food, food trucks and music will go on all day, with a “Roll Out the Barrel” Grand March at 6 p.m. to begin the evening’s celebration and dance.
The family festival opens at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, with a pancake breakfast at the Lions Club Den.
Arts and crafts will be on sale beginning at 9 a.m.
New this year is the KidFest, complete with clowns, bounce houses and face painting. The festival concludes at 6 p.m. after a full day of German fare and activities.
At the center of a traditional OktoberFest is a truly authentic German Biergarten and mouth-watering German fare, such as brats, German potato salad and more. New this year are the many food trucks, offering a wide variety of fare. Open throughout the festival, the authentic German Biergarten boasts plenty of seating and room to dance. The Biergarten and food sales open at 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday and go well into the nighttime festivities.
StoryFest
Along with OktoberFest, Fairfield Bay will host the Seventh Annual StoryFest. A unique and truly memorable family experience, Fairfield Bay invites some of the best national storytellers to share their talents and bring a smile and laugh.
Storyteller sessions this year will feature Stas’ Ziolkowski and Anne Rutherford. Activities for StoryFest are suitable for any age and will captivate all. Morning storyteller sessions begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, with the afternoon sessions at 1:30 p.m. All performances will be at the Fairfield Bay Conference and Visitor Center.
Stas’ Ziolkowski started StoryFest in Fairfield Bay in 2010. In 2011, Stas’ was recognized by the National Storytelling Network and received the ORACLE Award for Service and Leadership. He will be performing “Heroes & Scoundrels, a Journey with Stas,” as he shares his wit through stories of the lessons of life. (For more on Ziolkowski, visit storynet.org/teller/directory.php?ID=358.)
Anne Rutherford grew up an odd and lively child in a small Pennsylvania town, and read stories to find her place in the world. She’s gone on to develop and perform a repertoire of stories, poems and songs for audiences of all ages. Anne is also three-time first place winner in the NW Folklore Festival Liar’s Contest — so don’t believe everything she tells you! For more information, visit annerutherford.com.
Tickets
OktoberFest and StoryFest are held at the Fairfield Bay Conference and Visitor Center, located at 110 Lost Creek Parkway in Fairfield Bay.
Tickets for StoryFest are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, and are good for entrance to both the morning and afternoon performances. To purchase tickets, call 501.884.4202.
For a complete list of events and times, as well as other information, visit VisitFairfieldBay.com/Oktoberfest or FairfieldBayConferenceCenter.com.
Sponsors for the events are Landry Insurance, Nestlehut Insurance & Financial Services, Noacon, Ozark Resort Homes, Goodwin & Herman Real Estate, Brown & Brown Insurance, Regions Bank, Red River Boating Center and Petit Jean Electric.
