On Saturday, Oct. 1, Clarkdale’s historic downtown hosted the town’s eighth annual Clarktoberfest, an all-ages community celebration with food, music, activities and more.
As the Clarktoberfest website states, the event is “not really like an Oktoberfest although there is beer involved.”
Beyond the numerous beer offerings, the event’s sponsors, the Clarkdale Downtown Business Alliance and the Clarkdale Foundation, say the event is intended to be a celebration of fall, where community members can get together and have fun.
“I love the people most of all, the food and the music,” said Jen Kress, a Clarkdale resident and veterinarian.
Kress was accompanied by “Gooey,” a cockatoo, who bobbed her head back and forth as the band Room Zero churned out classic rock covers a half-block away.
“This is her second or third Clarktoberfest,” Kress said. “She loves the music.”
Farther down, across from Clarkdale Park, competitors of various ages vied for cash winnings at the AZ Bros Cornhole tournament.
AZ Bros’ owner Austin Bowers said he enjoys working with communities at fundraisers and other events throughout Northern Arizona.
“I’m trying to do more small stuff, more fundraising and stuff to help the community itself and it’s worked out very well,” he said. “I don’t charge to set up or anything, I just take 20% no matter what, whoever I’m benefitting for, they pay a certain percentage, or if we create prizes or anything, that will go to the first and second place winners and the money will help out the organization.
“I mostly do Camp Verde because that’s where I’m at. I hosted at Corn Fest and I’ll be hosting at Low Places [in Camp Verde] next weekend, and at Fort Verde Days on Sunday,” Bowers said.
Past the cornhole tournament, families and children enjoyed the cooler weather and overcast skies as they laid out blankets on the park’s lawn.
On Main Street, the intermingling scents from various food vendors filled the air.
Some of the event’s revelers nibbled on kettle corn as they wandered around, while others sat on benches, enjoying more hearty foods like pulled pork or sausage-filled waffles.
Chelsea Honey, co-owner of a business on Main Street, said the event definitely brings more people out and into the area, versus a normal Saturday.
“The businesses thrive,” she said.
Honey noted that this year’s attendance seemed lower than in previous years.
“Last year was insane; we ran out of everything, literally to the point where we couldn’t even open for business the next day,” she said. “People have been traveling for the last year, they’ve been excited to get out of the house, now they’re just kind of out of steam, I guess?”
While business may have been a little less booming this year, the town’s streets were still lined with parked cars and filled with hundreds of revelers.
As the sun began to set over downtown, the first day of October in Clarkdale felt festive and optimistic.
