Eins, zwei, g'suffa! Oktoberfest, Mobile Street Fest, other Hattiesburg events ready to roll
Hattiesburg will be full of activity this weekend as events like Oktoberfest and the Mobile Street Renaissance Festival get rolling.
Hattiesburg will be full of activity this weekend as events like Oktoberfest and the Mobile Street Renaissance Festival get rolling.
Lici Beveridge
Hattiesburg American
Hattiesburg will be full of activity this weekend as events like Oktoberfest and the Mobile Street Renaissance Festival get rolling.
St. John Lutheran Church's Oktoberfest at 42 is the oldest in the Hub City. Oktoberfest activities will be from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the church on Hardy Street. German foods, beer, live music, polka dance demonstration, children's activities and more are planned during the event.
Some of the food items for sale include bratwurst and hot dog plates, German potato salad, sauerkraut, breads, German pastries and German mustard. Plates are available for dine-in or carryout. Seating is limited.
Proceeds from the event fund the church's outreach and missions.
The Porter's Oktoberfest celebration began earlier in the week, but will culminate in a day of activities Saturday that includes a contest for the best German outfit, fun games, German foods on the menu and more. The contest comes with prizes for the best-dressed winners.
Other downtown businesses are partnering with The Porter to bring in the fall as part of the downtown area's monthly First Saturday event. Participating businesses include ALLEY CATS Axe Throwing Co., Southern Wangz, Sacks Outdoors, Southern Prohibition Brewing Co., Blu Jazz Cafe, Fairley's Wings & More, The Lucky Rabbit, Hattiesburg Pocket Museum and The Shop Downtown.
SoPro held its Oktobefest celebration in September, but is gearing up to celebrate again by hosting an Oktoberfest bar crawl Saturday evening, beginning at 5 p.m.
Other participating businesses include The Porter Pub, Hattiesburgers and Blues, and The Grill and Grocery.
Tickets are $25 per person, which comes with a plastic stein, walking pretzel and a drink ticket for each location. The crawl starts at the SoPro taproom, where tickets are available for purchase.
In addition, The Switch Yard next door to Southern Prohibition will offer beer specials and football on TV.
The annual Mobile Street Renaissance Festival returns for the 17th year. The event pays tribute to the neighborhood's once-thriving Black-owned businesses and the revival that is unfolding with the return of businesses and the establishment of Sixth Street Museum District, which features several museums that focus on Hattiesburg's rich Black heritage and civil rights legacies.
The festival kicks off Friday with music at Mac's Cafe from 5:30 p.m. to midnight; a book signing and performance by bluesman Bobby Rush at the St. James Wright VFW starting at 6 p.m.; and a silent block party on the 600 block of Mobile Street from 8 p.m. to midnight.Saturday's activities will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with plenty of food booths and vendors, a children's activities area, an art exhibit, live gospel, rhythm and blues and blues music at different locations on Mobile Street and plenty more.
Evening activities, which take place between 6 p.m. and midnight, include a children's event from 6-8 p.m. at the Eureka School Museum; a foam party from 8 p.m. to midnight on Mobile Street and a closeout party at Mac's Cafe from 6:30 p.m. to midnight.Among the museums on Sixth Street are the African American Military History Museum, located in the former Black-only USO building; the former Eureka School across the street; and the Oseola McCarty home, which was moved to Sixth Street to join the other museums.
Although not on Sixth Street, the Smith Drug Co. on Mobile Street is part of the city's museum district.
The city of Hattiesburg's Parks and Recreation Department is holding a community bike ride beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, which will take cyclists on a tour of events and retail opportunities in the downtown area, including the Mobile Street Renaissance Festival, The Lucky Rabbit, Downtown Hattiesburg’s First Saturday, Taste of the South Food Truck Festival, The Porter’s Oktoberfest and the Downtown Hattiesburg Farmers Market.
The bike ride is free. Those who do not have bikes may rent from the Longleaf Trace Gateway on West Fourth Street near the University of Southern Mississippi. However, rented bikes must be returned by 2:30 p.m.
The ride begins at the gateway and will follow the bike trail to the downtown area.
Community bike ride:Hosted by Hattiesburg Parks and Recreation
Worthy Stables Therapeutic Horsemanship ranch in the Sheeplo community of Petal is holding an Oktoberfest celebration and family fair.
The event will feature vendors, food trucks, equine seminars and demonstrations, a riding clinic to watch, games, raffles and more from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. There will also be pony rides, a bouncy castle and games for area children.
Admission is free, but donation buckets will be placed at each activity.
The day at the fair will precede a traditional Oktoberfest event with German food and beverages for sale, and plenty of music from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Mitchell Farms' 13th annual Mississippi Peanut Festival returns with a pumpkin patch, wagon rides, goat castle and other activities for children, farm tours, live entertainment, food and hundreds of vendors.
Items for sale will include arts and crafts, antiques, children's clothing, collectibles, jewelry, yard art and more.
The festival runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Mitchell Farms, on Leaf River Church Road, just outside Collins. Admission is $15 for anyone 2 and older. Tickets may be purchased at mitchellfamilyfarmsllc.ticketspice.com/pumpkinpatch-maze
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