SAFFORD — Firemen’s Park, the lawn in front of Safford City Hall, was filled with Gila Valley residents ready to celebrate the holidays this past weekend.
The second annual Oktoberfest celebration was Friday, and the 22nd annual Harvest Festival followed Saturday.
Oktoberfest, which serves as a City of Safford employee fund-raiser for United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties, featured a traditional beer garden, courtesy of Bud Light, and a pair of Oktoberfest favorites — the stein holding contest and stein carrying contest.
Stein Holding — holding with one hand a glass stein filled with water straight out from the body — was won by Mike Canaday, who said his goal was just to outlast his wife.
“I could have gone another minute,” Canday said.
Meanwhile, there was a new record and a tie in the Stein Carrying contest. Both Evan Barber and Ryan Henneger successfully carried 17 water-filled steins from one table to another.
“That was heavier than it looks,” Barber said.
There were also events not usually associated with a true German Oktoberfest, including a cornhole tournament, and the Arizona Fan Fest Costume Contest for adults, with prizes supplied by DRG Technologies.
Kay Marchione won the second place prize of $100 for her scarecrow costume, while Leishae Bruckner won the $400 grand prize for her rolling spider costume.
Bruckner said it took her about a week to make.
“It’s literally nothing more than feathers that I got at the thrift store, fiber ties I got from old costumes and a lot of hot glue,” Bruckner said.
Music throughout the night was courtesy of Happy and the Ghosts, and the Lucky J’s Band.
Saturday’s Harvest Festival was filled with free activities for children, including the Stick Horse, Sack and Pumpkin Rolling races, Pumpkin Carving Contest courtesy of the Safford Downtown Association, and Hula Hooping courtesy of the GFWC Woman’s Club of Safford.
In the Arizona Fan Fest Costume Contest for children, 4-year-old Sebastien Linebarger was first for his Mr. Pumpkin costume, 5-year-old Avery Eckerson and her dog Jolly were second as Queen Elizabeth II and her royal guard, and 1-year-old Henry Rapier as Frankenstein’s monster was third in the 0-5 category.
In the 6-12 category, 7-year-old Emmett Jarosz was first as an Astronaut flying his space shuttle, 6-year-old Laken Jolly was second as Box Boy, and 10-year-old Ammely Baysinger as Candy Corn and 11-year-old Ava Garza as a Masquerade Dead Girl tied for third.
The big event Saturday was the inaugural Great Pumpkin Derby Race, sponsored by Essential Patient Care. Decorated pumpkins were placed on wheels and raced down a ramp constructed by Safford Facilities crew members.
Virtually all pumpkins crashed at the bottom of the ramp, but the after-crash roll is what enabled Mackenzie Millar’s pumpkin decorated as Gru from the “Despicable Me” movie to take the first title.
Millar said she spent about six hours working on her pumpkin the night before the race.
“When my mom signed up for her booth she told me about it, and I was like, OK,” Millar said.
Performers at Harvest Festival included Gila Valley Cheer, Pima High School Spirit Line, Extreme Martial Arts, Gila Valley Jazz Chorale, Safford Dance Academy, Danceries folk dancers, and a musical performance by Sharon Watson and Joe Goodman.
Sponsors for Oktoberfest included the City of Safford, the Graham County Chamber of Commerce, Bud Light, Double R Communications and Arizona Fan Fest. Sponsors for Harvest Festival were the Safford Downtown Association, City of Safford, Essential Patient Care, Grad Solutions and Arizona Fan Fest.
