Countdown to Oktoberfest! September 30 – October 2

Don your alpine hat and get ready for the 10th Annual Southlake Oktoberfest, presented by Texas Nissan of Grapevine September 30 through October 2 at Southlake Town Square. Free parking and admission throughout the three-day festival:

• Friday, September 30: 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
• Saturday, October 1: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 2: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Marking its 10^th anniversary, more than 50,000 people from throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex are expected to attend the German-inspired festival, which features outdoor games, entertainment, food, and family fun:

• Approximately 100 arts and crafts exhibitors selling handmade items.
• Southlake Oktoberfest Store will have commemorative items for sale including shirts, hats and wiener dog accessories.
• Restaurant Row, sponsored by Stir Fry Asian Grill, will have food vendors to please all appetites with stir fry, hamburgers, bratwurst, pizza, ice cream, funnel cakes, and more.
• Back by popular demand is Die Festalle (festival tent), sponsored by Sushi Zushi and Bag ‘n Baggae, serving a variety of beer and wine as well as food by Sushi Zushi, all in a relaxed environment with plenty of seating and big screen televisions.
• Newly created Sport Zone, sponsored by Allen Samuels Hyundai, features a 9×16 foot “jumbotron” television screen airing college and NFL games.
• Children’s area, sponsored by Children’s Medical Center, offers games, train rides, bounce houses and rock climbing wall.
• GameStop Game Station is a 10 x 30 foot area of gaming fun and competitions for children and adults.
• Vehicle displays by Texas Nissan, Allen Samuels Hyundai, Classic Chevrolet, Grubbs Infiniti, Huggins Honda, Bob Moore Subaru, DFW Audi, 1st Place Auto and Adam Smith’s Texas Harley.

With almost 200 contestants last year, the famous wiener dog races, sponsored by Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southlake and Spine Team Texas, will take place Saturday, October 1 at 10:00 a.m.; onsite registration begins at 8:30 a.m., but can also be done online. A wiener dog parade will kick-off the races at 9:45 a.m. with awards for best costumes.

New to the line-up this year is the Cornhole in the Square Tournament, hosted by the Texas Cornhole Association and sponsored by Urban Air Trampoline Park. Eight tournaments will be played Friday through Sunday with a $5,000 guaranteed payout for the weekend. This tournament will also be a King of Cornhole qualifier for  the World Championship King of Cornhole in January 2012.

Live entertainmentwill take place throughout the three-day event, including both local performers and headlining acts:

• Friday: Needfire, Back in Black  and LeFreak
• Saturday: Empty Pockets, Escape, Event Horizon and Professor D
• Sunday: RadioDisney, Hunter Sullivan and For Those About to Rock School

“We have left no stone unturned in the planning for the 10th Annual Oktoberfest and have no doubt this will be the best one yet,” says Dana Davis, president and CEO of the Southlake Chamber of Commerce. “Our goal is always to offer the community a family-oriented event that everyone can enjoy. In addition to bringing back traditional favorites, such as the wiener dog races, we like to add new attractions to keep things exciting and bring new visitors to Southlake.”

For additional information or to volunteer, contact the Southlake Chamber office at 817-481-8200 or go to www.OktoberfestSouthlake.com.