SAFFORD — Get ready for another busy Fall weekend in the Gila Valley.
The events start Friday, with the third annual Oktoberfest, put on by the City of Safford employees, on the lawn in front of Safford City Hall from 4-11 p.m.
“Every year it’s growing. This year is going to be our biggest year, thanks to one of our sponsors,” said Matt Hoshal, assistant to the City Manager for the City of Safford. “Kempton Chevrolet was able to sponsor the cornhole tournament this year, and put up quite a bit of money for first, second and third places.”
First will earn $2,000, second $1,000 and third is $500. Plus there is a cornhole raffle of three throws for $5 and each holed throw earns a ticket in the raffle for $500.
There will also be stein carrying and stein holding contests, plus the Arizona Fan Fest Adult Costume Contest, with a $400 first prize and $100 for second.
The event will feature food trucks, the Bud Light beer garden and live music will be provided by Crown Syndicate, and Happy and the Ghosts.
All money raised will be donated by Safford employees to the United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties, which in turn distributes the money to nonprofit organizations, communities and educators via grants.
Sponsors include Kempton Chevrolet, Double R Communications, the Graham County Chamber of Commerce, Bud Light, Tombstone Brewing Company and Weihenstephan.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., also on the lawn in front of Safford City Hall, will be Safford’s 23rd Harvest Festival.
The Harvest Festival is for all ages, and features the Safford Downtown Association pumpkin carving contests for children and adults, as well as pumpkin rolling, gunney-sack races, vendors with free activities for children, the Arizona Fan Fest Costume Contest for children and teens, and something new this year.
“So we came up with the idea of having a haunted house of some type, but we couldn’t find the space,” said Mick Ruiz, administrative Events Liaison for the City of Safford. “So we decided to try something new (of) using the first floor of City Hall as a haunted hall, hosted by Bea Driver, our City Clerk.”
All activities and games are free except for the Haunted Hall, which requires donation of a non-perishable food item or new, unused toiletry item for donation to a local food bank or shelter.
Sponsors include the City of Safford, Freeport-McMoRan, Safford Downtown Association and Thriftee Supermarket.
At 5 p.m., the fun moves to Thatcher’s Herb Winsor Ballfields for the Family Fun Night Fund-raiser for Families Fighting Cancer Together.
“We’ll have activities, games, the Town of Thatcher is going to bring their ladder truck and we’ll hag the big ladder, (and) we’ve got entertainment,” said Families Fighting Cancer Together founder Luke Hatch.
There will also be bounce houses, food trucks, vendors and a silent auction.
The event runs from 5-11 p.m.
