Before the winter weather comes to stay, Old Town Lansing is giving you your “Last Chance to Rock” in the streets.
Fourteen local bands, 15 vendors and a projected 15,000 to 20,000 people will invade Turner Street in Old Town Lansing this weekend for the seventh annual Old Town Octoberfest.
“The mission of our organization has been to help nurture the arts in our community,” said Terry Terry, president of the Old Town Business and Art Development Association. “It’s always been a great event.”
Those who attended the 1999 festival will notice some changes this year.
This year’s festival will feature only local acts, rather than the national bands of last year’s festival. The bands will perform on two stages in the parking lot area near the Grand River.
“We had a lot of problems last year with bringing in some of the acts,” said Tracey Maroney, program director of the Old Town Business and Art Development Association and coordinator of the event. “It was a problem with the different vehicles coming, the different personalities coming in.”
Some of the bands at last year’s festival were “less appropriate” for the outdoor setting, said Terry, CEO of The Message Makers, 1217 Turner St. in Lansing. He said the bands represent a more diverse array of music this year.
Organizers also limited the festival to two days instead of three because they were not sure how many local bands they could book. They also wanted to limit the time in case any problems arise.
“It was kind of a test pilot this year,” Maroney said.
Changes were made this year to manage the event better, Terry said. Judging from how the festival goes this year, it may be enhanced next year, he said. He said the event may be bigger and feature more regional and national acts.
There was a lot of interest in participating in the festival. About 45 bands sent press kits to be reviewed by a committee.
This year’s event will also feature beer tasting.
Vendors are excited about the festival, too.
Vendor Jose Velez has wanted to be a part of Octoberfest for a long time.
“I’ve been trying to get into Octoberfest for the past five years,” he said.
His Magic Kettle booth offers a variety of foods. He has taken it all over the state but is happy to be part of a festival close to home.
“It’s in my neighborhood, I live a few blocks from there,” he said.
The festival will offer all kinds of food, but one nationality is missing. Organizers were unable to find a German food vendor to participate, Maroney said.
Local galleries, including Bare Bones Studios, the Otherwise Gallery and the Creole Gallery will be open during the festival. The Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau will also be open.
“I think we’ll have another great one,” Terry said.
The performances run from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. today and from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.
