Published: October 02, 2008 11:37 am         

Oktoberfest coming to downtown Goshen

An Oktoberfest celebration featuring food and live entertainment will take place in downtown Goshen Friday. This month’s “First Fridays” event runs from 5 to 9 p.m.

Also, downtown merchants have decorated for the fall harvest season and their decor will be judged for the “best of show.”

Outdoor Oktoberfest activities will take place on Washington Street between Fifth and Main. On the street, the local Republican and Democrat parties will sell food items. Age 21-and-older visitors can head to the beer garden at Boscos, 123 S. Fifth St. (Fifth and Washington streets).

Musical entertainment begins on the Washington Street Stage at 5:30 p.m. The band line-up includes:

• 5:30 p.m. — The Jake Miller Band

• 6:45 p.m. — The Pomegranates

• 7:45 p.m. — Shapiro

• 9 to 11 p.m. — Double Barrel Daryl

A horse-drawn hayride around downtown with the Bonneyville Carriage Co. will be offered. The Economic Improvement District of Downtown Goshen (EID) is sponsoring this event. The dollar per-rider donations will benefit future First Fridays events.

Other events

Other events set for this Friday include:

• Better World Books will host a book signing from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Environmental expert and author Luke Gascho will talk about his new book, “Creation Care: Keepers of the Earth.”

Later that evening, jazz musicians, the G&R Guitar Duo will perform inside the store.

• Downtown@808 is hosting a benefit event for 1-year-old Jackson Schrock from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Old Goshen Theater. This event will feature a coffee and dessert bar, live music and silent auction on items and activities including a shopping trip for four to Chicago, hand-crafted furniture or a year of piano lessons. For more information, visit the Web site www.jacksonschrockbenefit.com.

• “After Dark at the Library: A Halloween Alternative,” is planned at the Goshen Public Library from 7 to 9 p.m. The event features local paper maché sculptor Val Nepsha presenting “Prince Caspian.” This program is free and open to all ages.

• Eyedart studio gallery will be the site of an opening reception for “Artists Who Were at One Time Goshen College Soccer Players,” a group show celebrating 50 years of soccer at Goshen College.

• John Dye — a model, actor, athlete, Christian author, and evangelist — will be signing his book, “And This Is Love,” at the Joselena Fashions & Alterations, 125 E. Lincoln Ave., from 5 to 8 p.m.

Dye graduated from Elkhart Central High School in 1983 and was an athlete involved in numerous basketball and football successes in this area. His present modeling/acting has featured him in commercials, photo shoots, film, and television series. His latest credits are the Sept. 25 episode of “ER” and a film with Patrick Swayze.

• The bicycle “fashion” parade starts at 6:30 p.m. at Chain Reaction Bicycle Project, 113 W. Jefferson St. The parade will travel about 1 mile around downtown, led by a police escort. Riders are invited to dress up and decorate their bikes in fall, harvest or Oktoberfest themes, but any decorations are acceptable.

No registration required, though donations to CRBP are welcome. In case of rain, check the Chain Reaction Web site — http://crbp.org — for updates.