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OKTOBERFEST PRESENTED BY YUENGLING KICKS OFF WITH KEG TAP AND PROCESSION

DATE: Sept 27, 2011
CONTACT: Mark Demko, ArtsQuest, 610-332-1300, ext. 342, or mdemko@artsquest.org

Festival, Set for Sept. 29-Oct. 2 and Oct. 6-9 at SteelStacks, will also Feature Beer Tasting Events with Jennifer Yuengling of D.G. Yuengling & Sons

BETHLEHEM, PA--An authentic Oktoberfest keg tapping ceremony and a procession through the SteelStacks arts and cultural campus highlight the opening weekend's activities at the new Oktoberfest presented by Yuengling, Sept. 29-Oct. 2 and Oct. 6-9 at the SteelStacks. Single-day tickets for the festival are $8 in advance and $10 at the gate, while weekend festival passes are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate. Advance tickets and passes are on sale now at www.artsquest.org and 610-332-3378.

On opening night, Sept. 29, at 8:30 p.m., Oktoberfest attendees are invited to join D.G. Yuengling & Sons Inc. President Dick Yuengling in the Yuengling Festhalle for the Ceremonial Oktoberfest Keg Tap. Yuengling, along with ArtsQuest President Jeff Parks, will officially kick off the festival by making a ceremonial toast and smashing a wooden keg of Yuengling Oktoberfest beer, brewed especially for the festival, signifying the launch of the eight-day celebration.

On Saturday, Oct. 1, 12:30 p.m., the community is invited to line Founders Way and First Street on the SteelStacks campus for the first Oktoberfest Shaustellung. The procession, which will begin at Second Street and Founders Way, will travel north on Founders Way and west on First Street before entering the Oktoberfest grounds at Spielplatz, where the crowd will gather for an Oktoberfest toast and remarks by Dick Yuengling, Parks and a special guest. Leading the procession will be Dick Yuengling riding in a horse-drawn wooden Yuengling wagon. The wagon, whose chassis and wheels date back to the late 1800s, is being lent to the procession courtesy of Raynor and Joan Leiby of Tamaqua. Also in the Shaustellung will be the 40,000-pound Yuengling Beer Truck that will be used in the Oktoberfest Truck Pull Competition Oct. 8; Minis by Mini of Allentown, the Bethlehem Police Department color guard and the Liberty High School Grenadier Marching Band.

BEER TASTING EVENTS WITH JENNIFER YUENGLING OCT. 2 & 9 AT OKTOBERFEST

On Sundays, Oct. 2 and 9, the first 125 people age 21 and older who pass through the Oktoberfest presented by Yuengling gates will be given a special wristband to attend a free Beer Tasting Event featuring D.G. Yuengling & Sons Inc.'s Jennifer Yuengling. During the event, set for 12:30-1:30 p.m., Yuengling will talk about Yuengling's various beers, including the new Oktoberfest brew, as well as answer guests' questions related to beers and the brewing process. Beers that will be available to sample include all of Yuengling's products, as well Hofbrau from Germany and Saranac Pumpkin Ale.

About Oktoberfest Presented by Yuengling

An authentic Oktoberfest with a Pennsylvania flair, Oktoberfest presented by Yuengling is an eight-day celebration showcasing 40 live performances on three stages by polka, rock, dance and party bands, as well as German food, an artists' market, children's arts and craft activities, and glassblowing demonstrations. The event, set for Sept. 29-Oct. 2 and Oct. 6-9 at SteelStacks, will also feature a variety of entertaining games and attractions include barrel rolling competitions, dachshund racing, beer stein races, a quoits tournament, mini burger eating contest and more.

Oktoberfest presented by Yuengling hours are 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursdays, noon-1 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays and noon-9 p.m. Sundays. For more information on the festival, please visit www.artsquest.org/oktoberfest.

ABOUT ARTSQUEST

ArtsQuest™ is a Bethlehem, PA-based nonprofit dedicated to presenting music, arts, festivals, cultural experiences and educational and outreach programs that aid in economic development, urban revitalization and community enrichment. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest®; the Banana Factory® cultural arts and education center; and the ArtsQuest Center and SteelStacks™ arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest's programming reaches more than 1.5 million people annually.

For more information on ArtsQuest, visit www.artsquest.org or call 610-332-1300.