Organizers told the Downtown Estacada Commission on Oct. 6 that Estacada’s recent Oktoberfest drew strong attendance and helped downtown businesses, but left planners with logistical lessons to apply for next year.

Julie Cooper, a commissioner, said the library’s count showed about 719 people and that the event featured 17 vendors plus six booths run by the commission. “I thought it was an awesome event,” Cooper said. “Everyone that I talked to did very well, including the businesses Mossy Rock, Unruly Coyote, the Bridal Gallery, the candy shop.”

That performance marked an improvement from last year, Cooper and other participants said. Organizers credited a revised vendor layout for easing pedestrian flow and boosting sales for brick‑and‑mortar businesses along Broadway. Connie, a commission member who helped arrange booths, said she had moved vendors during setup to reduce conflicts and that public works and volunteers did an excellent job on logistics.

Not all feedback was positive. One attendee in a wheelchair had trouble accessing a booth area, prompting staff to note there are handicap ramps in the middle blocks and on corners. Commissioners also reported one recurring vendor who sold out and broke down two hours early; members said the event application requires vendors to remain for the full event and discussed placing that vendor nearer the end of the line to reduce disruption.

Volunteers and partner organizations were singled out in the recap. Organizers thanked Orchid Health for providing pumpkins, Arrow (Arrow/Aero) Sanitary for trash containers and city public works for stage and setup assistance. Corbin, the commission’s youth representative, led a student litter‑pickup crew and received praise for the effort.

Several ideas for improving next year’s festival were raised, including: moving more booths to create better flow; asking alcohol vendors to meet ahead of the event to clarify procedures; adding more beer vendors; improving sound so music and announcements carry down the street; and offering vendors ways to take post‑event orders (forms or signs) so sellers who sell out can continue generating sales. Commission members also discussed creating a reusable Estacada Oktoberfest pin or souvenir to sell.

Organizers said cleanup went quickly — volunteers reported being finished by about 7:40 p.m. — and overall feedback from attendees and businesses was positive. The commission said staff and volunteers will incorporate lessons from this year’s layout and vendor coordination into planning for 2026.