Uptown Jackson Oktoberfest will be held this weekend, marking the 10th year for the annual event. The festival includes authentic German food and beer, live music and more. The event will be held on Friday night from 6-10 p.m. and all day Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“Uptown Jackson Oktoberfest is a family-friendly event for everyone,” UJRO Executive Director Janna Clifton said. “From the pet parade to stein hoisting to the German cuisine competition, there really is something for everyone in the family.”
Clifton added that the event pays homage to the German heritage in the Jackson area.
The annual pet parade will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Pets are encouraged to be dressed up for the parade down High Street.
Each pet receives a participation prize and will be entered into a grand prize drawing. Registration for the pet parade will be held at 10 a.m. at the Montgomery Bank tent on Barton Street. Animals from Southeast Missouri Pets will also be in attendance and will be available for adoption.
New for this year will be a brat eating contest, where ten participants will be able to see who can eat brats in the fastest amount of time. The contest will be held at noon on Saturday at the Saint Francis Pink Up Stage.
The Samuel Adams Stein Hoisting competition will be held on Saturday, with qualifying rounds being held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the courthouse gazebo. The best male and female contestants will then compete in the finals from 4-5:15 p.m. at the Midwest Sterilization Stage.
A German cuisine completion will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, where three judges will assess the German food from vendors at the event. The cornhole competition will not be held this year due to the renovations in the historic Cape Girardeau County Courthouse.
Nashville-based country singer Connor Sweeny will be the headline performer on Friday night, and Old Cape Road will return as the headliner on Saturday night. Both musical performances will begin at 6 p.m. on their respective nights.
“This year, we boast new live music and old favorites,” Clifton said.
On Saturday, the German band Die Fluss Katzen will perform from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the Midwest Sterilization Stage, and Pfunk Dat will perform from 3-5 p.m. on the Saint Francis Pink Up Stage.
More information about the event can be found on the Uptown Jackson Oktoberfest Facebook page.
