Home cooks are laying in liver and suet, city workers are preparing the tents and a strolling musician tuning up his accordion—it’s time for Oktoberfest.

City estimates put the crowd for last year’s event at 15,000, and city promotions coordinator Ted Smith is expecting even more this Saturday. The planned entertainments waiting for festival-goers in downtown Newberry are correspondingly large.

From Holman Street to Nance, Main Street will be blocked off, and starting at 4 a.m. Saturday, city workers will be filling that stretch of road with tents and equipment to support the fun that begins at 10.

Visitors that enter Main Street on its upper end will be greeted with the sounds rolling from the immense Southern Rose Band mechanized piano in front of the antique mall. Also in this area will be the first of the Kids’ Zones with inflatables in the front parking lot of Crème de la Crème and Fabulous Finds. There will also be a free train ride running around the Southern Rose Band on a course that takes it behind Livingston’s service station.

All kids’ activities are free at Oktoberfest. That should be very good news for parents and children that keep on walking down the street to The Ritz Theatre. At the Ritz, the Newberry Community Players will present the Columbia Marionette Theater show Rockin’ Through the Ages" at three performances—10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Lowe’s will host a kids’ craft activity in the nearby parking lot of the Bowers and Floyd building.

The first of the food vendors also appear in this area with three vendors stationed by The Flying Pie. Twelve more food vendors are setting up sales on the other end of Main Street around the Square. Lining Main Street between those anchoring food vendors are 40 booths featuring vendors of arts and crafts.

Festival-goers will find the second Kids’ Zone in the center of Main Street at Astwood Park, complete with more inflatables and a petting zoo. Behind Astwood Park in the Courthouse parking lot the tents will continue. For the first time, booths will spill over off Main Street into the lot where everything from blood pressure checks to church bake sales will be available.

As visitors stroll the street, so will the entertainers. Booboo the clown; Bob Willis, a strolling accordion player; and a balloon artist will be wowing the crowds.

And visitors certainly will want to stroll, as the lower end of Main will be hosting acts on the Main Stage (located on Memorial Park) and that most singular of Newberry events, the Liver Nips Cook-off. The Liver Nips contest begins at 11:30 a.m., with winners being announced around noon on the Square. The Chamber of Commerce, which runs the contest, is still taking applications for contestants.

The Main Stage starts hopping at 11 a.m. with duo Lorelei and Schatzi taking the stage. Smith says the pair is the "female counterpart of the Smothers Brothers" and is sure to keep listeners rolling. Carolina rock and pop band Retro Vertigo has returned this year and takes the stage at 1 p.m. Lorelei and Schatzi return to close out the entertainment there at 1:30 p.m.

Although there will be no cars driving down Main Street, there will still be plenty of automobiles to oo and ahh over as the Newberry Car Buffs put on a classic car show by Memorial Park. That same area will be cordoned off for those that purchase beer and wine in the area.

While Oktoberfest in Newberry officially lasts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, those that want to get in the festive spirit downtown can start their toes tapping early with a couple of Friday events. JezeBelles will be hosting its traditional oompah band led by Newberry College Band Director Bill Long and the Blackwood Quartet will be sending out tunes at the Opera House.