NEWBERRY — Newberry Oktoberfest is this Saturday, and one of the key features of this German Heritage Festival is of course the food.
Mary Alex Kopp, Tourism and Events manager at City of Newberry said there will be 17 main food vendors in the food court, which will be the area surrounding Community Hall. Chick-fil-A will also be at Oktoberfest, sponsoring the volunteer lunch, they’ll be in Memorial Park.
“For the most part, we’ve got a lot of returning food vendors, and we’ve got some new people that are new to Oktoberfest, but not necessarily new to Newberry events,” said Kopp.
For those 17 food vendors they must follow the rule of having one German inspired dish on their menu during the festival. According to Kopp, in the Newberry Oktoberfest rules, it says food vendors must sell at least one German inspired dish among their menu items to be considered.
“We say German inspired, we want people to have the opportunity to get creative if they have a business that doesn’t fit the traditional mold of German foods,” she said.
Food Vendors
• Bill and Fran’s Restaurant (returning vendor)
According to Kopp, they have more fair style foods, one festival favorite will be apple pie on a stick with caramel sauce, something she says no one else is doing.
• The Blended Bakery (new to Oktoberfest)
Kopp said their menu is really different, with a lot of different items many Oktoberfest goers may not know of. One thing they will have is Stollen bread, a style of bread found in Germany that many eat during the holidays. They will also have Zwiebelkuchen, which Kopp compared to a quiche. They will also have other baked goods, and breakfast items.
• Carolina Cookin’ (has been to Taste of Newberry and Newberry EclipseFest)
They will have brats and sauerkraut as their German dish. Kopp said they will also have soft shell crab cake sandwiches, which are also pretty popular.
• Crossroads BBQ (has been to Pork in the Park)
Their German inspired dish will be a German beer braised brisket. They will also have traditional barbecue plates.
• Grille on Main (returning)
Their German dish will be brats and sauerkraut.
• The Haute Dog Lady
They will have different types of hot dogs and brats, along with multiple sauerkraut varities.
• Icy Treats
They will have pretzels as their German dish. They will have other treats, like frozen cheesecake on a stick.
• Jamaican Flavor (new vendor)
Their German dish will be German potato salad. This brand new food vendor will have unique items during Oktoberfest, including jerk chicken, curry chicken, curry goat and oxtail.
• Bavarian Roasted Nuts (returning)
They will have every kind of roasted nut you can think of. Kopp said he does a roasted style of what’s typical of what you can get at a German Street stand.
• O’Shields Concessions (new)
Their German dish will be traditional schnitzel. He will also have Philly cheesesteaks, corn dogs and other items.
• The Palms, which will include their Meat and Seafood Market (returning)
They will do the exact same thing as they do every year, which includes brats and sauerkraut. They will be doing the Liver Nips, which is a specific to Newberry German style dish.
• Papa Brats (returning)
They will have bratwurst, currywurst, German Cabbage, among other German items.
• Rubbin Butts BBQ Team (has been to Pork in the Park)
Kopp said this team has partnered with an individual from Germany, who will be making Jagerschnitzel, and other very traditional German dishes.
• St Mark’s Catholic Church (returning)
Kopp said they will have a lot of German dishes, like German Apple Cake. They will also be doing tamales and Mexican street corn.
• TKO Concessions (have been to Pork in the Park)
Many will remember this vendor for their funnel cakes. He will also have a cabbage, sausage, potato dish.
• Wurst Wagen (returning)
They will basically have every type of wurst you can imagine. Kopp said their slogan is something along the lines of, our wurst is the best.
“We have a unique flavor this year, people are coming out of the woodwork that haven’t done it before. They want to bring their dishes to a place they will be appreciated. The people who are coming to the festival want that German experience,” Kopp said.
Biergarten
Like last year, there will be two Biergartens. The official Biergarten, located in front of Community Hall will once again be run by Robert Summer, Kopp said he has done it many times and it has been very successful. He will have the following beer options, Bitburger Pilsner, Hacker Pshorr Oktoberfest, Paulaner Oktoberfest, Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest, Spaten Premium Lager, Spaten Oktoberfest, Warsteiner, Warsteiner Oktoberfest.
This year the Charity Biergarten will be managed by the Newberry Jaycees, all money raised at this Biergarten, which will be located in Memorial Park, will go to their local children’s fund, specifically going to their Christmas Shopping Spree. They will have Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Schofferhofer Grapefruit and Beck’s Oktoberfest.
Various downtown restaurants have also partnered with the event to offer beer and wine to-go during the festival. These restaurants will also have over 21 wristbands for those who wish to take their drinks to-go.
In order to get an alcoholic beverage you must have an ID, no exceptions. You also must be wearing an over 21 wristband that will be given out by the participating vendors and restaurants. No bottles or cans containing alcohol will be allowed on the streets and liquor is not permitted outdoors.