CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Downtown Chillicothe will host its seventh annual Oktoberfest on East Second Street from 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, kicking off a run of fall events planned for the city’s business district over the coming weeks.
UPDATE (Sept. 18, 3 p.m.): This story has been updated with additional information from the City of Chillicothe.
East Second Street between North Paint Street and the alley by the Majestic Theater will be closed to traffic from 8 a.m. to midnight Saturday to accommodate the festival, the city said. Questions about the closure can be directed to the city’s service department at 740-773-2700 or [email protected].
The family-friendly festival will feature traditional German food and beer, live local music and children’s activities, according to a post from Downtown Chillicothe, the nonprofit organization that promotes the city’s downtown business district.
The Petland Wiener Dog Races, now in their fourth year, will return to the Majestic Courtyard with racing beginning at 4 p.m. The Kids Station will offer face painting, hair braiding and other activities for children throughout the afternoon and evening.
Adults can take part in beer-chugging, yodeling and stein-holding contests. Downtown Chillicothe said in its post that this year’s stein-holding competition will serve as an official state qualifying venue, meaning the top male and female competitors will advance to the Ohio State Championship.
Attendees are encouraged to wear a dirndl, lederhosen or other German attire for a Best Dressed contest. General admission is $5 per person, or $3 for those dressed in German attire. Proceeds from the festival support downtown flowers and Christmas lights, helping maintain the district’s appearance throughout the year, according to the organization.
Oktoberfest is the first of several events Downtown Chillicothe has planned for the back half of September. Chili-Fest is set for Sept. 26, followed by a Fall Open House in the downtown on Sept. 26 and 27.
More information on downtown events is available at downtownchillicothe.com.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Downtown Chillicothe and the City of Chillicothe.
