APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Changes are coming to many events this summer and fall – including the annual Octoberfest and License to Cruise events on College Avenue.
Octoberfest will not be packing the streets in downtown Appleton this year.
“Bringing 200,00-300,000 people to Downtown Appleton in late September, albeit four and a half months away, just does not seem to be the prudent thing to do at this time based on the information we have,” says Chairman Eric Stadler, “We did not want to cancel the event because our devotion is so strongly for the past 30 plus years to assist non-profit organizations…It also gives us an opportunity to showcase the downtown, the City of Appleton as a whole, the community as a whole, and bring people together with some camaraderie.”
But the seemingly way-too-early decision was made for a number of reasons. It allows Octoberfest organizers time to reconfigure the event to a potentially safer method – and it gives the non-profit organizations time to figure out what else they can do this year to make up for the money they aren’t going to get from the event.
“We might not be able to do it in person, we are committed to making sure that we stay true to our mission of focusing on non-profit organizations, helping showcase them still, and giving them an opportunity to maybe make some money,” Stadler tells WTAQ News, “Many of those non-profits have made thousands and thousands of dollars as a result of their participation in Octoberfest. And that impact is going to be minimized this year as a result of not having the in-person event.”
There are about 100 non-profit groups that are usually featured with food booths up and down College Avenue during Octoberfest.
While the exact details of the new Octoberfest plans haven’t been announced just yet, organizers are already planning to extend it past the usual weekend party.
“We are already committed to the idea that we more than likely expand the event from the last weekend in September – and maybe through various weeks in October,” Stadler says, “Our plans as we’re going through ideas and brainstorms and doing a lot of spitballing right now – is to determine what will make the best impact…We know that we’re not going to be able to have the same impact by just have a one or two day event.”
The restructuring of such a large event can be a lot of work – and can take time to put together. But organizers are ready to take on the challenge.
“A lot of things will be virtual of course and we’re planning on making some of those decisions here in the next week or two, and then formatting a communication plan on how we can release some of those things through our social media channels and whatnot,” Stadler says, “We’re excited about the fact that it makes us almost really pushed against a wall to make things fresh, come up with new ideas, be more innovative.”
To stay up-to-date and notified on everything going on with this year’s Octoberfest celebration, head to http://www.octoberfestonline.org.
