Rocktoberfest ready to roll downtown Saturday

Downtown Perryville will be ready to rock and roll this weekend.
Hopi Lane Guitar Shop and Perryville Downtown Revitalization are hosting the ninth annual Rocktoberfest this Saturday on the Downtown Square.
“This is a great event,” event organizer Bekah Roth said. “This is one of my favorite events of the year.”
Rocktoberfest, which started in 2013, is where the lesson students (The Hopi Lane Players) from the Guitar Shop at Hopi Lane show off what they have learned and perform a musical set.
“The students have the opportunity to put on a big concert,” Roth said. “The students get to strut their stuff.”
The 20 students will play from 3:30-6 p.m. and from that point all three stages will be open for various musical performances.
“All of my children have participated in Rocktoberfest and I think it’s really cool to watch all the students grow musically,” Roth said. “A lot of those students have gone on to be our teachers and now teaching students for this event. It’s neat to see everything come together as a big music family.”

The main stage will have the Hopi Lane Players, the Deuce Denninger Band, Jason Heeter and the AC’s, and Blind Velvet.
The Warehouse House, near Mary Jane’s Burgers and Brew, will have Sam & Jess, and the Ivas John Band, beginning at 6 p.m.
The Brass and Bone Acoustic Stage will have three performances: Umbra, Melissa Pupillo, Rocky Tallent and Evan Farris.
“We are just putting a spotlight on local talent,” Roth said. “Everyone is within a 36-mile radius, so we are just trying to showcase all the local talent that we have in the area.”
Roth has really seen the event grow over the near-decade duration.
“Not only have we had more students throughout the years, but we have gotten the event out there more and more each year,” she said. “People actually enjoy and look forward to seeing all the students and local bands.”
Roth is excited for the night of music and fun.
“I’m always excited,” she said. “It should be a lot of fun.”