A brand new concert event will be coming to Sarnia's Centennial Park this fall.
Tickets are now on sale for the Alzheimer Society of Sarnia-Lambton's Rocktoberfest, in partnership with Revelree.
Manager of Fund Development & Communications Marie Marcy-Smids said the two day event runs October 2 and 3 at the Suncor Agora.
She said it's part of their 40th anniversary celebrations.
"On the first night, Friday night, we have a headliner Dwayne Gretzky. They are filling stadiums and venues all over Canada," said Marcy-Smids. "We also have on that night, The Hip Machine, Twang Bastards and Livewire. Saturday night, we have secured 54-40, the Cory James Mitchell Band, we have Little White Lies and we have Boneyard. It's an all-Canadian weekend. There'll be food, fun, there'll be activities for the kids."
Throughout the weekend, guests can also enjoy traditional Bavarian-inspired cuisine, festival favourites, local beverages, and Oktoberfest-themed experiences.
Marcy-Smits said they're hoping to raise $80,000, noting the agency is only 48 per cent funded by the Ministry of Health.
"Any of the money raised stays in Sarnia-Lambton to support the families that need us at a critical time because most people, when they arrive at our doorstep, are in crisis," she said. "The amount of people affected in Sarnia-Lambton, with care partners included, is about 10,500. That's a lot of people for our population. We are an aging population and the services that we provide and the support we give is probably just going to only become more prevalent over the next 10 years."
Marcy-Smids said he excitement is building, and she's thankful for the support from the Revelree team.
"They wholeheartedly dove in to help us out with this," said Marcy-Smids. "They are handling all the negotiations with bands and they'll be handling the setup of that end of it and then we are doing the rest of it. So it's a good partnership for us. Our hope is that it could become an annual event."
Marcy-Smids is hoping Rocktoberfest will help fill the void left by Revelree and Borderfest not taking place in 2026.
"We don't have anything locally in an Oktoberfest kind of theme," she said. "We have the Brigden Fair, which is the following weekend, but other than that, we don't. So we thought this was the perfect event to provide to the community when there isn't anything else."
Tickets can be purchased on Revelree's website.
The presale prices, starting at $54.40, are in effect until July 9.
