By John Tredrea, Special Writer
Beer, brats and live music are setting the stage for the second annual Oktoberfest on Oct. 4.
This year’s celebration — again a benefit for the Friends of Ely Park — will feature a wide array of craft beers and Oktoberfest-inspired light fare complete with live music.
The event will take place from 6:30-10:30 p.m. in the parking lot outside at Rago Arts and Auction Center, 333 S. Main St., Lambertville.
A benefit for the revitalization of Ely Park, this event will feature live music with Phase 3 and will showcase an array of craft beers from regional breweries featuring Goose Island India Pale Ale, Ace Hard Cider, Victory Fest Bier, Hacker Pschorr, Amstel Lite, Shipyard Pump, Rare Vos, and Stoudts German Style Pilsner.
Red and white wines also will be available along with non-alcoholic beverages.
This selection of beverages will be matched with a choice of German fare, thanks to the donations of the Inn of the Hawke, Bitter Bob’s, Homestead Farm Market and Anton’s at the Swan.
The menu will consist of German-style pulled pork sliders, kielbasa and sauerkraut, traditional style bratwurst, smoked bratwurst, pierogies, potato pancakes, braised red cabbage slaw, cucumber salad, German potato salad and Bavarian cheese spread and rye toast.
Oktoberfest 2014 will take place under an oversized tent, rain or shine. Attendees must be 21 or older. The attire is casual.
For additional information, visit: friendsofelypark.org.
Tickets are $45 and can be obtained at Homestead Farm Market, 262 N. Main St., and online at www.friendsofelypark.org.
THE FRIENDS OF ELY PARK (FEP) plan to improve the park’s existing features and plantings and add new ones in order to make the park greener, safer, more appealing and more user-friendly, a spokesman said recently.
The plan is to incorporate indigenous trees and other plantings and sufficient lighting to enable people to feel safe in the evenings. Crosswalks will be created to ease access and improve safety across heavily traveled Main Street. A wrought iron and brick fence, approximately 1,200 feet in length, will be constructed with bluestone caps containing integral sidewalk lighting features.
"Motivated by the strong and steady support from the community, the group continues to raise funds for the next stages of the project.
"The construction drawings for the area around the back and sides of the snack shack, as well as the baseball and softball dugouts, will be completed in the next few weeks and allow the FEP to actively seek out funding angels in the form of businesses and individuals who in exchange for naming opportunities can help jumpstart this phase of the renovation of Ely Park," said a spokesman.
Anyone interested in helping at his level is encouraged to contact Megan Ruf at 908-672-0355.
The next stage furthers the extension of the brick columns and fencing along Main Street past the right field line of the baseball field. The "Buy-A-Brick "program offers people an opportunity to give on a smaller level where they can purchase bricks engraved with personalized inscriptions to honor an individual, business or team. They can be ordered by contacting Marc Shablin at 215-651-0813.
The Friends of Ely Park is community-led initiative created by and for the residents of Lambertville, and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt organization.
The mission is to transform Ely Memorial Park in Lambertville into a new and inviting centerpiece of community life, a destination for recreation, and a symbol of the city’s distinctive character. The project also will increase the safety of the streetscape along Route 29, the main transportation corridor through the city.
The land occupied by the park was given to the city in the 19th century by Caroline Ely, a descendent of Lambertville’s first settler, John Holcombe.
For more information visit www.FriendsofElyPark.org.
