Hoist your steins, don your lederhosen or dirndls, and ready yourselves for a good time — the Sandpoint Oktoberfest is returning for its third year from noon-6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Granary Arts District (513 Oak St.).
This year, Sandpoint Oktoberfest is partnering with Litehouse YMCA to raise funds for affordable access to local health and wellness programs.
The festive day offers live music, Bavarian food, local brews, games and even a best-dressed contest. Litehouse YMCA will offer a variety of family-friendly kids’ activities.
The biergarten will feature beers from Matchwood Brewing Co., MickDuff’s Brewing Co., Utara Brewing, Timbertown Brewing and Vantage Point Brewing. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own steins.
glass of beer on dark background
Traditional German sweets will be available from Blackforest Bakery. Matchwood will also offer bratwursts, sauerkraut, schnitzel and beer pretzels, while Bluebird Bakery will feature fresh brotchen (that is, “bread”).
Games will include a stein race, stein-holding contest, best dressed, cornhole, hammerschlagen and more. There will be a bounce house, face-painting and a flower crown-making station for kids.
Live music will kick off with Waterhouse at 2 p.m., featuring multi-instrumentalist Chris Paradis playing a mix of jazz, folk and world music. The main act, Thrown-Out Bones, will start at 4 p.m. on the Silo Stage outside, featuring a San Carlos, Calif.-based trio playing swanky rock and a mixture of blues and jazz with a surreal, flirty edge that has gained them a following across the West.
A raffle will benefit Litehouse YMCA, which will also give away a few free annual memberships during Oktoberfest to encourage increased community participation and awareness.
“We’re honored to be part of this year’s Sandpoint Oktoberfest,” stated Heidi Bohall, branch executive with Litehouse YMCA. “The funds raised will help ensure more kids, families and seniors in our community can access life-changing health and wellness programs, regardless of ability to pay. When we come together for events like this, we’re not just celebrating — we’re investing in a healthier, stronger Sandpoint.”
“Rain or shine, we’ll fill your stein,” added Andrea Marcoccio, co-owner of Matchwood Brewing Co. “Here is to another exciting Sandpoint Oktoberfest. Prost!”
Want to support independent local journalism?
The Sandpoint Reader is our town's local, independent weekly newspaper. "Independent" means that the Reader is locally owned, in a partnership between Publisher Ben Olson and Keokee Co. Publishing, the media company owned by Chris Bessler that also publishes Sandpoint Magazine and Sandpoint Online. Sandpoint Reader LLC is a completely independent business unit; no big newspaper group or corporate conglomerate or billionaire owner dictates our editorial policy. And we want the news, opinion and lifestyle stories we report to be freely available to all interested readers - so unlike many other newspapers and media websites, we have NO PAYWALL on our website. The Reader relies wholly on the support of our valued advertisers, as well as readers who voluntarily contribute. Want to ensure that local, independent journalism survives in our town? You can help support the Reader for as little as $1.
Coming up this week! Don't miss the SARS Ski Swap, a Food Summit & Harvest Festival, Thanksgiving Bingo, and so much more! See the full list of events in the Community Calendars:
Filmmaker Jimmy Matlosz of the Idaho Film Company has made a series of mini documentaries about influential Sandpoint locals, including the late Dann Hall and Erik Daarstad as well as icons Diane Michaels and Dan Shook. He is currently working on a series of interviews connected to the history of the Panida Theater. Jimmy is a 30-year veteran filmmaker who's work can be seen at dpmatlosz.com.
Meet the Reader
Ever wonder who makes the Reader happen? Here's a behind-the-scenes look pieced together by summer 2017 intern McCalee Cain in which Ben, Cameron and Lyndsie explain what exactly about the Reader keeps them coming back to their shabby (but well-loved) office each week.
