The Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks is hosting the Red Rocks Oktoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 4 to 9 p.m. at Posse Grounds Park. This traditional German celebration of the harvest season features a handful of local brewers showcasing the best Arizona beers.
Tickets to attend will cost $15 per person, or $10 in advance online and all proceeds will support the club’s mission of supporting local children’s charities. Visit the Red Rocks Oktoberfest website for additional information. Participating brewers will be brewing their own versions of these traditional beers and a few others and will be travelling from near and far for this charity fundraiser. These include Wanderlust Brewing of Flagstaff, Grand Canyon
Brewing of Williams, THAT Brewery of Cottonwood and Oak Creek Brewing of Sedona. This event would not be possible without the assistance from local sponsors whose generosity is unmatched and encourages the Rotary Club to help the local community as much as possible. The city of Sedona and Sedona Chamber of Commerce among some of the sponsors. Authentic German food and other delicious snacks will be served onsite from a variety of food trucks based in the Sedona/Flagstaff area. These include 3’s in the Trees, Farm a Go Go, Wil’s Grill, and Marcels Waffles. Oktoberfest entertainment from 4 to 5:30 p.m. will include yodeling and the
oopmah sounds of The Polka Katzen, straight from the Black Forest region of Flagstaff. The headline band is Sedona’s own Naughty Bits, playing from 6 to 8 p.m. Since it’s inception, Red Rocks Rotary has focused on serving the needs of young people in Sedona and the Verde Valley. Donations allow the group to continue funding countless projects and programs. These include:
- Outgoing and incoming foreign exchange students.
- Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, or RYLA. This three-day camp for high school sophomores builds self-esteem, leadership skills and teamwork. More than 50 students from Sedona have participated in this program.
- Sedona Teacher of the Year Program rewards the best teachers in Sedona and encourages them to continue to be great role models for youth.
- Red Rock High School graduating senior scholarships award $2,000 to two local teens to further their vocational aspirations. Oktoberfest celebrations started in the early 1800s before the advent of refrigeration.
Traditionally, Oktoberfestbiers were brewed in March, or Marz, and allowed to ferment and mature during the summer months. These lagers were typically higher in alcohol — 5.5 to 6 percent — to preserve them and were kept cool and stored underground. Oktoberfestbiers are full-bodied, thick, toasty and typically dark copper in color.
