Busy Weekend with Breezy and Cool Oktoberfest

The windy and cooler weather during Lamar’s Oktoberfest Saturday, October 3^rd, reflected the approaching autumn and may have held back the attendance for the Lamar Chamber’s beer garden that evening. The turnout was good during the day, with a record number of entrants for the 4^th Annual Beers and Brats for Boobies 5K race to raise awareness for breast cancer in the community. Proceeds for the event benefitted the Lamar Area Hospice as contestants of all ages donned pink tutus and opted to run or walk the course, eating a brat and drinking either beer or root beer, depending on their ages. Pink was the color of the day as a swarm of colored helium balloons was released into the stiff breeze at the starting point on East Beech Street seconds before the race got underway. At the end of the course, racers were directed to the beer tent for a brew or to the Madonna of the Plains statue for a sip of soda.

Megan Grett, sister of Jillian Sweet Tinnes who succumbed to cancer this past year, thanked the crowd for their participation, adding, “This balloon release is in honor of my sister, and for all your loved ones who have lost their battle to any type of cancer. I hope you appreciate this memorial and we hope you have a great time at this race. Thank you for coming and we’ll see you at the finish line.” Ashley Brookshire, one of the organizers, said there were a record number of racers and it would take several days before the proceeds from the entrants could be tallied for the donation to Lamar Area Hospice.

While kids were bouncing on the inflatables, food vendors were kept busy offering all kinds of outdoor eats, from the roast corn served by SDS, to brats and hot dogs, shaved potato curly fries, fried dough and powdered sugar, simple nachos with cheese, or super loaded nachos with pulled pork and jalapeno toppings. Because of the windy chill, most orders were for hotter foods while the flavored ices of summer took a backseat. Various vendors displayed their merchandise at the chamber parking lot, while other businesses held a sidewalk sale around the corner on Main Street. A number of service organizations were set up to paint faces or have youngsters throw darts to win a prize and gain information about their operations. Toys for Tots used the day to begin their official holiday campaign with their booth along East Beech Street and a mini hot rod and car show displayed some customized machinery before and after the traditional rod run to benefit the Toys for Tots operation.

This past Saturday was anything but a slow day as the Lamar Community College Rodeo Antelope Stampede was in full swing at the Prowers County Fairgrounds, the Friends of the Library began their semi-annual booksale at the Cultural Events Center, a high school reunion was underway and the LCC Historical Encampment was open for the full day at the college campus.

By Russ Baldwin