Downtown Gardner prepares for annual 'Party in the Street' with new games, entertainment

The streets of downtown Gardner will once again be closed to traffic for several hours as the city prepares for its annual fall celebration and busiest Saturday of the year.

Thousands of revelers are expected to attend three popular annual events – Oktoberfest, the Chair Luge, and the Fabulous Fall Festival – on Sept. 30.

Oktoberfest, which turns 18 this year, is literally an official holiday in Gardner. In 2021, officials proclaimed that the last Saturday in September would forever be recognized as Oktoberfest in the city.

This year also marks the first time that the event has been entirely overseen by the Gardner Festival Committee, which was formed by Gardner Ale House owner Rick Walton and the late Andrew Boucher in 2014.

“It’s not just Moon Hill Brewing and the Ale House anymore,” said Walton.

Oktoberfest will feature two new events this year – a cornhole tournament and a “dirndl and lederhosen” competition, Walton said.

More: City officially proclaims day to be known as Oktoberfest in Gardner

“We’ll have 10 different cornhole setups for the serious players in the parking lot across the street from the Ale House,” he explained. “There’ll be a couple of setups on the green for more casual players.”

Anyone wishing to register to play in either the social or advanced cornhole division can do so through the Scoreholio app.

Luckiest Dirndl and Luckiest Lederhosen contest

To encourage more attendees to join in the festive German spirit of the event, officials will recognize the “Luckiest Dirndl and Luckiest Lederhosen” winners at this year’s Oktoberfest.

“It’s not about who looks the best, it’s more like a raffle,” Walton explained. “You show up in your dirndl or lederhosen, register at the info booth, and at around 5 o’clock we’ll have a drawing and the winners will receive a gift basket.”

Walton said his goal for Oktoberfest has always been to put Gardner on the map as a destination for anyone seeking a fun day out. He said adding new attractions each year is a way to achieve that aim, and that last year saw one of the biggest turnouts in the event’s history.

“We just want to give people a party in the street, and the more stuff we can add for more people, the bigger the party will be, and Gardner will be recognized outside of Gardner,” Walton said, adding that he hopes to eventually attract the attention of one of the Boston networks and persuade them to cover the event. “We want to make regional news, and we’ve come pretty close a couple of times.”

The event will also feature live music, the tapping of the Oktoberfest keg, and a men’s and women’s stein-holding competition. Musical artists scheduled to perform this year are the traditional German folk band Hofbrahaus Bavarians, the Billy Price Band, Seth Rosenbloom, and Point the Finger.

Chair Luge

Meanwhile, racers are busy putting the finishing touches on their "chair-iots" for the 13th annual Chair Luge competition.

The popular gravity race event invites participants – or “lugers” – to design a two-person chair with wheels, brakes and a steering mechanism and race it downhill on Parker Street for about 200 yards from the Gardner Ale House to the finish line in front of Beauregard Liquors. The chairs are required to have at least three wheels and are not to exceed more than 8 feet in length.

The theme for this year’s chair luge event, which attracts thousands of spectators each fall, is "Star Wars," according to organizers.

To register for this year's Chair Luge, visit gardnerfestivals.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Luge-Form.pdf.

Fabulous Fall Festival

The annual Fabulous Fall Festival will see the downtown area transformed into a pedestrian shopping plaza and entertainment center.

“It is truly one of the most fun days in downtown Gardner,” said Patti Bergstrom, owner of the Velvet Goose and president of Gardner Square Two. “And it’s an important day for the businesses like the Velvet Goose because we will be previewing the fall and holiday merchandise, as well as offering discounting on seasonal goods.”

A new addition to this year’s event will be live music at Orpheum Park, Bergstrom said. Scheduled to perform are Cara & Val, Scott Alan Savoy, Route 2 Revolution, and BodegaDog.

Bergstrom said she is pleased that the festival, along with Oktoberfest and the Chair Luge, for the first time are being organized by the Gardner Festival Committee because it will lead to a beneficial synergy between the three events.

“Together, we are stronger; together, we are better,” she said.

Local shops, restaurants and businesses will be invited to display their merchandise on the streets during the event, which will also include costumed characters, an inflatable playpark, live music and food trucks.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Gardner readies for Oktoberfest, Chair Luge and Fabulous Fall Festival