|
Katelyn Bol, dressed as a scarecrow, can't seem to figure out why the crow on her hat won't fly away. Katelyn received the first place prize for her outfit, which was perfect attire for the Oktoberfest.
Beecher's first Oktoberfest held  Share
Oktoberfest in Beecher started on a rainy day early last Saturday. The Lion's Club cooked up a delicious pancake breakfast, which was supposed to be held outdoors but was moved inside the Amvets' Hall. According to Bill Voss, of Beecher Lion's Club and Chamber of Commerce, ''It was a great turnout!'' with sales at $435. Voss also was excited about the 14 vendors who set up booths along Gould Street. Crafts, jewelry, beauty supplies, Pampered Chef, and other wares were available for the shopper. McColly Real Estate distributed bags of free popcorn to all who stopped at its booth. In addition, McColly held a drawing for a basketful of prizes. Windmill Acres' booth sold corn, bails of hay and pumpkins to help Beecherites decorate their homes for fall. Food was available from the Gould Street restaurants - Teapots Cafe, Halo Pizza, and the Beecher Cafe. Beecher Community Church also greeted festival attendees along Gould Street. Children could be found in the free Bouncy House or riding on the Lion's Freedom Train. But at 11 a.m., the sun broke through the clouds, and many of the preschoolers lined up for the Halloween Parade. Darth Vader, Buzz Lightyear, a clown, scarecrow and unicorn were seen walking with their parents from Halo Pizza to Teapots,' where a small stage was set up. Once the marching kids found a seat, the puppet show began. The Amazing Aubrey worked with the audience while the puppet, Dirty Potty, stepped in as a magician, since Harry Potter wasn't able to make it that day. For the first show, Aubrey handed many of the kids some of her groceries, which were later collected and placed in a magic pot. Dirty Potty tried to create candy from the ingredients but instead produced a pig, a hare, a cow, and finally, a bucket of candy. Aubrey shared the suckers with the crowd of children. After another short skit, the costume winners were announced. All children who walked in the parade were awarded a small pumpkin and prizes from local businesses, including Silver Screen Video gift certificates and a free portrait sitting at Spomar Productions. All children were then invited to come to the stage and collect a goody bag. Later in the day, a magic show was seen on the same stage, in front of Teapots Cafe.
On the other end of Gould Street, from 10 to 1, the smell of chili rose through the air. Three chefs entered the 2009 Chili Cook-off. All received prizes for their efforts. Steve Schall, who recently moved to Beecher, worked with his daughter, Emily, to prepare his chili, which was cooked over an open fire. Nina Ready-Boerst created her special recipe and offered it to taste testers over noodles. Jim Brown's spicy chili was the overall winner at the end of the contest. His check was $125 for first prize. All food was prepared on site and was given away at the conclusion of this Beecher Chamber of Commerce-sponsored competition. Throughout the day, a disc jockey played music and continued into the evening for dancing. Tarot card readings were held in the vacated bank and visitors toured a haunted house which featured the Paranormal Research Society. The Beecher Historic Downtown Business Association, sponsor of this first annual Oktoberfest, produced a great time for Beecher residents and their guests. Dawn Wolf is a reporter for Russell Publications.
|
This Week's Front Page »
Related Stories »
|
