SALEM — Add bratwurst and beer to the list of choices awaiting Haunted Happenings visitors next month.
For the first time in about 20 years, the downtown will play host to an Octoberfest celebration, complete with German sausages, live oom-pah bands and a beer garden featuring drafts from Ipswich Ale.
The old-fashioned Octoberfest starts Friday, Oct. 24, from 7 to 10 p.m., then runs Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Front Street parking lot.
For $20, patrons will get admission to the event, an Ipswich Ale cup and a free beer ticket with the option of buying additional ones.
Besides the German music, the festival will also feature a family-friendly vaudeville group from New York. And there will be a New England twist — lobster rolls and other New England classics will also be sold.
Organizer Diane Manahan, who also owns Pamplemousse on the pedestrian mall, said she felt there was a need to add something different to Salem's annual October attractions, which draw an estimated 200,000 people to the city.
"People come to Salem each year, and if they don't have something new to check out, there's always a fear that people might not want to come back every year," Manahan said. "So we want to maintain visitation in October."
Proceeds from the event — which could potentially reach $30,000, Manahan said — will go to Destination Salem, which markets the city as a tourist destination.
The money will be an extra revenue source for the city and more than make up for lost revenue from the city's metered Front Street parking lot, which will be closed off for the weekend, Manahan said.
The festival should be able to accommodate about 500 people at a time, she said.
Octoberfest marks the first event organized by Moon Haven Productions, which Manahan recently started with Jerrie Hildebrand. The pair hopes to bring other popular events to the downtown in the future.
"I think it's a good addition," said Kate Fox, executive director of Destination Salem. "We need another event in October to give people another choice. I hope it's very successful."
