Afton’s Main Street Alliance is hosting the second annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 4 with vendors offering goods and activities from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Food, goods, a beer garden, entertainment and live music are on the schedule throughout the event.

In partnership with the Wyoming Business Council, Afton’s Alliance brings the nationwide Main Street America program, which supports small towns as they work to strengthen their communities, to Star Valley.

Afton’s chapter is focusing its efforts on raising funds for the restoration and maintenance of Afton’s world-famous Elkhorn Arch, which looks to be a “huge project in the future…and will cost a lot of money. That’s our one structure in Afton that generates tourism. People come here to see it. How are we going to maintain it so that they will continue coming?”

The Oktoberfest is intended to invite donations and inspire a spirit of community, strengthening the Afton business community and efforts to restore the Arch. This event will help fund those efforts and pave the way for other events to fund the arch renovation.  Guests to Saturday’s festivities can make donations by Venmo and Square.

Saturday’s tentative schedule includes pumpkin painting, a cornhole tournament, a costume contest, line dancing, photo booths and four live bands. Local vendors and food trucks will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

According to Amber Hyde, who serves on the Alliance board, the organization is also looking to create plaques to post on the Elkhorn Arch with QR codes and links to invite donations from visitors to the arch.

“The main street alliance is here for the citizens of Afton and the Valley,” said Hyde. “We do not have enough things that bring us together in a good way – for our mental and social health. We are doing it for that, honestly. We just want everybody to come out and meet their neighbors and enjoy the music and just come have a good time and visit the shops on main street and in town. This is to provide another good business day for all the businesses throughout Afton.”

With 1.000 people having attended this event last year, the Alliance expects even more this year. With that growth, they hope to see motels filled and restaurants and shops busy with many customers and clients.

The Star Valley Arts Council will be there with its new Shared Art Gallery, and the Salt River Arts Community Theater will be there with performances from “Damn Yankees” that is being produced at the Ford Theatre in November.

Guests to the Oktoberfest are strongly encouraged to RSVP with the QR code included on this page.  This assists the Alliance in tracking attendance, which is valuable as they seek funding from sponsors and grant organizations.

Volunteers, including youth groups, are invited to join Afton’s Main Street Alliance.  For information about the non-profit, visit their booth at the event or go to aftonwyoming.gov and find the Afton Main Street Alliance dropdown menu.