SHELBURNE FALLS — Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School will be home to the third annual Oktoberfest this weekend, offering an afternoon of family-friendly fall fun.
Oktoberfest is run by the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization, with money raised going toward sending the sixth grade class to Ocean Park, Maine, for a week of hands-on outdoor learning with Outdoor Classroom.
The event takes place on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. While the traditional Oktoberfest in Germany is typically kicked off in mid-to-late September, event organizer and PTO member Flannery Geier said the event seems to have lucked out with the weather for the October date. In the case of rain, Oktoberfest will be rescheduled to Oct. 17.
“We are thrilled to host our third Oktoberfest,” Buckland-Shelburne PTO President Meghan Wells said in a statement. “This event is becoming a cherished community tradition. We hope everyone can join us for a day of celebration, community spirit and support for our students.”
“We can expect it to be, as in years past, a vibrant, classic autumn festival that brings the community together,” Geier said of this year’s Oktoberfest. “It’s free to attend, definitely very family-friendly, with lots of great live music expected throughout the day.”
The bands that are slated to perform on Saturday are Patten, Fetch the Barnacles, Root Fiyah and 133 Skeele, the last of which features the school superintendent, Sheryl Stanton. In addition to live music, the back area of the school’s campus will feature a “massive kids zone” with a bounce house, face painting courtesy of Western Mass Face Painting and a crafting tent specifically for children, among other activities, according to Geier.
New to the event this year is a pumpkin carving and painting contest.
“People can bring their pre-carved or painted pumpkins, and [we’re] especially encouraging kids to participate,” Geier said. “We have prizes from … Mo’s Fudge Factor, so that’s a new thing for this year. We … do have cornhole set up in the beer garden again.”
For adults, in typical Oktoberfest tradition, a beer tent will be open, serving seasonal flavors from Floodwater Brewing Co. Two of the seasonal brews that will be available are the Festbier and its variety of pumpkin beer. Vendor booths will also populate the school’s campus, which include apple pies made by the Hawlemont, Agriculture and You (HAY) program, books from Blind Date with a Book, hand-spun wool from Walking Cloud Farm and wheel-thrown pottery made by Grace Thorne Pottery.
For food, patrons can head over to the Buckland-Shelburne PTO food booth for a classic selection of festival food, including bratwurst with sauerkraut, hot dogs, burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, warm pretzels and cotton candy. All money spent at the food booth will go toward funding the sixth grade class trip to Maine.
“Our biggest draw and the biggest way we fund the field trip is our BSE booth. We’ll have special treats made by our talented families, as well as all these raffles that we kind of ask the local community for as well, [such as] ski passes and hotel getaways, movie nights, things like that. There’s a lot of different ways that we are building in the fundraising through the event,” Geier explained, adding that Oktoberfest wouldn’t be possible without the score of parent volunteers and local business sponsorships.
The PTO hopes to replicate the success of last year’s event, which saw an estimated 500 people raise $20,000 for the field trip. With this fundraiser, the onus of the cost is shifted away from families who may want to send their children on this weeklong trip but are unable to afford the associated costs.
“For some of these kids, it’s their first time seeing the ocean, and for a lot of the kids, it’s their first time spending a week away from home, so it’s really a fun milestone that you look forward to throughout your years in school,” Geier said. “Oktoberfest was born from the fundraising pressure that the families and the teachers were feeling in years past, so this event really makes sure that every kid gets to see the ocean.
“This is an avenue to fund STEM learning, and so much of the community building and lifelong memories out there in nature,” Geier continued. “That’s the idea … we can get 100% student participation for the kids that want to go and are able to go without the finances being the barrier.”
For more information, visit bucklandshelburnepto.org/events-oktoberfest-2026.
