Seymour downtown streets were blocked off Tuesday afternoon to get ready for the festivities to come this weekend.

Mayor Matt Nicholson said the hardest part about preparing for Oktoberfest every year is the waiting. Part of that wait involves clearing the streets of cars, which Nicholson estimated would take half an hour.

“There’s a method to the madness,” Nicholson said. “At six o’clock, we close the streets and make sure all the cars here are gone, the information booth gets set and then the fest board opens it so people can start setting up.”

Many city workers dressed in cautionary orange occupied the streets Tuesday. They set up road closed signs, pulled manhole covers, installed electrical boxes and created the infrastructure necessary for Oktoberfest’s operations.

Shawn Schlatterer of Seymour, who has helped with preparing Oktoberfest for eight years altogether, said taking off the manhole covers is one of the more challenging parts of the job.

Setup was smooth for some of the vendors last night and today, save the minor bumps in the road.

Redeemer Lutheran Church’s booth opens bright and early at 7 a.m. each day of the festival to sell egg, cheese and even sauerkraut breakfast sandwiches. Today, as everyone was getting ready for the official first day of Oktoberfest tomorrow, the Seymour church’s booth was already opened for business to sell to those preparing for the 51st annual festival and those who work downtown.

The church has been at the festival for four years after taking over the booth from The Star Promenaders. Over the years, Kathy Brown said that her favorite part about working at the church’s booth is watching the people go by.

“I love to have a spot to park and watch people walk around,” Brown said.

In spot one for food vendors is Zion Lutheran Church and School. That booth sells apple dumplings, ice cream and hot chocolate.

Church member Donna Foster said they sell 7,000 of their apple dumplings every year. They have 80 boxes full of frozen apple dumplings but must restock daily to keep up with demand.

Through their sales, Zion Lutheran Church raises money for Trinity Lutheran High in Seymour, Hispanic Services of Southern Indiana, Camp Lakeview Ministries, Hearts 4 Haiti, T.I.M. Missionaries and more.

Glenda Proffer, a leader with Seymour Boy Scout Troop 529 for more than 10 years, said her favorite part about being a vendor is getting to know the people she works with. This year, the volunteers at her booth, along with parents of the scouts, are with Lowe’s Distribution Center.

When they sell their hamburgers, persimmon pudding and other items, the funds go toward their events and trips such as the one they had over the summer in Utah where the boys camped and hiked. In the process of all they do, Troop 529 teaches leadership, responsibility and other skills. Proffer also said they accept girl scouts.

Psi lota Xi Sorority, which has been around for 102 years, has been at Oktoberfest for 50 years, supporting the arts through donating money to Southern Indiana Center for the Arts, Jackson County Community Theatre, libraries and local high school scholarships. With what money they had left from their funds, the sorority recently donated to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

At their booth, sorority members sell food for their causes, including their most popular menu item, the Reuben sandwich.

Linda Carnes referred to Oktoberfest as “the reunion place,” thinking about how it’s nice for her to see so many familiar faces, but also the way people use the festival to meet up with loved ones. Carolyn Canaday with the sorority agreed, saying her family from Tennessee sometimes come to the city specifically during Oktoberfest.

Jenny Starn, owner of JenJie’s Spud Shop, has been at Oktoberfest as a vendor since 2018. Last year, due to the cold weather, JenJie’s sold hot chocolate, which is not a normal menu item along with their ribbon fries, funnel cake fries and sweet corn.

She said that’s part of the fun — you never get the exact same experience at Oktoberfest.

“Every year, it seems different. […] Every night is a different crowd,” Starn said.

The festival officially opens tomorrow with plenty of food, crafts and events to entertain through Saturday.