Annual Sprankle's Octoberfest festival moving to permanent, rural location
A German-themed festival is moving to new permanent digs in southeastern Butler County.
The annual Sprankle’s Octoberfest, in its sixth year, has grown from a fledgling festival to a full-scale three-day event filled with beer, fellowship, food, music, family fun and entertainment.
“We’ve been looking for land, and the Sprankle family has a rich history of agriculture,” said co-owner and festival co-organizer Doug Sprankle. “We saw an opportunity to host our event under more favorable conditions.”
Sprankle had requested that Saxonburg not enact any new ordinances or regulations for 10 years that could negatively impact the festival. When that request was denied, he set his sights on locating a permanent venue that offered more room and a nature-filled setting.
Sprankle found what he called a dream location on a former 40-acre farm that sits along Reimer Road in Winfield, Buffalo, Jefferson and Clinton townships.
Officially called Sprankle Woods Farm, the family has nicknamed it Sprankle Woods.
Inspired by the original German Oktoberfest held in Munich, Germany, Randy, Doug and Ryan Sprankle work most of the year to bring a bit of Bavarian Germany to the Alle-Kiski Valley.
They each own a Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market store: Doug in Saxonburg, Randy in Leechburg and Ryan in Kittanning.
The first Sprankle’s Octoberfest took place in Gilpin, then moved to Sprankle’s Markets in Saxonburg and, most recently, was hosted on the grounds of the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Department.
The inaugural Octoberfest welcomed nearly 1,000 people. The speed at which the festival has evolved has the Sprankle family determined to make it bigger, better and more Bavarian each year.
Ryan Sprankle serves as head of operations.
“We’re especially pumped to continue to promote and grow Octoberfest, and it’s crazy we’ve gone from 800 to 32,000 guests” since its inception, said Ryan Sprankle, who plans to live at Sprankle Woods.
Event coordinator Brittany Lambermont has been planning the festival the past three years.
“The firemen’s grounds was about 5 acres, and now we’re going to be using about 20 acres,” she said. “We’re excited that we can include the forest area with a German-forest vibe.”
Lambermont said the festival hopes to attract about 50 more vendors for a total of 200 this year.
“We do this event because we want to provide our local vendors, nonprofits and small businesses a chance to get their wares and crafts out to thousands that might not otherwise know who they are,” Lambermont. “It’s nice to have control over the environment that we’re in, without having borough oversight.”
Doug Sprankle stressed there was no conflict between festival organizers and the fire company.
“The Saxonburg Fire Company was great to work with. They were awesome,” Sprankle said of their use of the fire company’s grounds.
The Sprankles bought the land in October from America’s First Enterprises for $650,000.
The new location is about a five-minute drive from Saxonburg and close to Lernerville Speedway, which will serve as an overflow parking area. Guests will be able to shuttle to the venue from the racetrack.
Sprankle said the new venue will offer an authentic, organic experience for Octoberfest.
“When you go to most festivals, it can be a big concrete jungle,” Sprankle said. “The new Octoberfest will have vendors in the woods and people will have a chance to enjoy nature.”
With the acquisition of acreage, Sprankle is booking amusement rides this season.
The home on the property is the original homestead, and the land is part of the Reimer family land that dates back to the early 1900s. It is believed to have been a section of the Roebling deed of 1,500 acres that became what is now Saxonburg.
Crews worked Monday clearing debris, vegetation and dead, fallen trees.
Sprankle Woods is available to other nonprofits looking to host events, and three festivals already are booked for this spring and summer.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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