APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Appleton’s big two-day fall festival starts Friday.
“We are a community that loves to have an event like this and we want to keep it,”Meghan Cash of the Appleton Police Department says.
Octoberfest has arrived, kicking off on Friday with License to Cruise.
Chad Doran, spokesperson for the city of Appleton says it is a time when they see a huge increase in people and dollars in the city.
“It brings about 150 to 200 thousand people to town for a day and that is not even counting License To Cruise.”
It is also a time that keeps Law Enforcement busy.
Officer Cash says smart decision making will make the weekend enjoyable for everyone.
“We want people to have fun, but be smart about how much they are consuming when it comes to alcohol.”
She says that starts with thinking before you come.
“Plan your visit down there. Plan where you are going to park and where there is going to be a meetup spot for your family.”
She says past years have always had very few problems.
To make the weekend enjoyable takes a lot of planning from groups in the city.
“We try to keep the city as nice as can be and welcoming for anyone that comes here,” Doran says. “The impact goes beyond downtown Appleton. That is where people are on Saturday, but they are staying at hotels and traveling around here.”
He says what makes Octoberfest unique is how compact it is.
“It is about a mile from one of the festival grounds to the other so you can easily walk that in a short time working through the crowds.”
A complete list of events can be found here.
