When the Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks put this year’s Oktoberfest event on its calendar nearly six months ago, little did members know what the weather was going to be like.

Boy were they surprised.

“If it’s that nice moving forward, this event will always be a success,” Rotarian and biermeister Rick Wesselhoff said. “We could not have asked for better weather.”

The event, which was held on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Posse Grounds Park, drew an estimated 950 people — hundreds of whom came from outside Sedona. This passed last-year’s mark of nearly 800. It was the fourth year the Rotarians hosted this event and the second at Posse Grounds, after moving it from Los Abrigados.

“Overall, everything went really well and unlike last year, we weren’t competing with the Oktoberfest in Flagstaff,” he said. “The beer was great and the bands were outstanding. The only complaint we got was that people wished the music would have lasted past 8 p.m. Other than that, everyone left with a smile on their face.”

Those attending were greeted by the traditional oompah sounds of Polka Katzen from Flagstaff.

Then, Sedona’s own Naughty Bits stepped things up a bit with classic rock songs while opening with Prince’s “Purple Rain.” The Sedona band included the return of two members who have moved away but returned just for the show.

“This is a really great event between the beer, food and music,” said Carol Tanner of Cottonwood. “I came last year and wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised, which is why we came back again. Plus, it’s all for a good cause.”

Since its inception, Red Rocks Rotary has focused on serving the needs of young people in Sedona and the Verde Valley. Donations and proceeds from Oktoberfest allow the group to continue funding several other programs including West Sedona School Summer reading, Sedona Teacher of the Year, Christmas Giving, Give Kids a Smile, ongoing support for Rainbow Acres residents and Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.

In addition to raising funds for these causes, there was also a silent auction to raise funds for the Verde Valley Coalition Against Human Trafficking.
Wesselhoff said this year they drew the largest number of breweries they have ever had, Participants included:

• Oak Creek Brewing, Sedona
• THAT Brewery, Cottonwood
• Lumberyard Brewing, Flagstaff
• Mother Road Brewing, Flagstaff
• Grand Canyon Brewing, Williams
• Four Peaks Brewing, Tempe
• Wren House Brewing, Phoenix
• Mother Bunch Brewing, Phoenix
• College Street Brewery, Lake Havasu
• Mudshark Brewery, Lake Havasu
• Hangar 24, Redlands, Calif.
• Sedona Golf Resort provided all the local wine for the event.

In addition to the music and beer, there were a variety of games and contests that kept people entertained throughout