The spirit of Germany’s Oktoberfest came to Nocatee last weekend, as the master-planned community hosted NOCtoberfest – an outdoor festival featuring beer, bratwursts and a two-day lineup featuring a dozen bands.
Held Oct. 26-27 at the Nocatee event field, NOCtoberfest attracted thousands of attendees, who had an opportunity to sip and savor dozens of domestic and international beers. Guests received a NOCtoberfest passport which they could get stamped at beer tents bearing the names of German cities such as Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt and Kiel. Attendees who got their passports stamped at all four tents received a t-shirt.
“The grapefruit beer at the Berlin tent was the best,” observed Willowcove’s Patty Maccio. “People keep asking us where we got it and we tell them, ‘Go to Berlin!’”
Complementing the various Bavarian beverages were numerous food trucks, a kids’ activity zone, a Ferris wheel and a crafters’ area.
“We’re looking forward to the Ferris wheel,” said Lakeside resident Bobby Panfili, with children Everly and Brody in tow.
“You’re looking forward to the beer,” his wife, Nicki, corrected.
For Nicki Panfili, the big attraction of NOCtoberfest was the music – especially headliner Sister Hazel. Numerous event attendees, in fact, cited the Gainesville-based band as their reason for attending – including Gina Richter and Jesse Valeri, who traveled all the way from Wisconsin to see the popular band known for hits such as “All for You,” “Change Your Mind” and “I Won’t Be Your Winter.”
Having a nationally known band perform was central to the event’s design, Nocatee Community Manager David Ray acknowledged.
“That was an important element we wanted in planning the event,” Ray said. “We wanted to reach beyond Nocatee to the wider community. The greater the ticket sales, the bigger of a headline act we could attract.”
Ray noted that Nocatee presented NOCtoberfest in partnership with Woolsey Concert Group and credited Josh Woolsey with bringing the idea for the event to the community for consideration. Until recently, Woolsey – also a partner in the law firm of Woolsey/Morcom – was himself a resident of Nocatee, which is home to one of his law firm’s offices.
“The funny thing is, I still feel like I’m party of the community,” he said, noting that his law firm colleague Travis Klare helped organized NOCtoberfest. “I wanted to bring a national act here for my friends and neighbors to enjoy.”
In addition to Sister Hazel – whose Saturday night concert held attendees enthralled – the NOCtoberfest lineup included bands such as Barnes & The Heat, the Aaron Mansfield Band, The Band Be Easy and local band Austin Park. The modern country rock band named after one of Nocatee’s neighborhoods drew an enthusiastic crowd of local supporters, who cheered for songs such as “A Girl Walks In” and “Home Run,” which is now getting airplay on country stations across the nation.
Woolsey is already looking ahead to next year’s NOCtoberfest, expanding on the success of this year’s festival.
“It’s a great community event that’s helping local charities, too,” he said, noting that the beer tents were staffed by volunteers from local nonprofits. “We think that as it grows, we can add a second national act on Sunday, too.”
In addition to Woolsey/Morcom and Nocatee, sponsors of this year’s NOCtoberfest included Flagler Health, Palm Leaf Dental, Ponte Vedra Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, AVL Productions and RTEAM. Nonprofit partners included Investing in Kids (INK), the American Legion and the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach.
