Millburn Rocktoberfest Saturday: 25 Concerts, Kid Zone, Art, Beer

MILLBURN, NJ — With more than 20 musical acts on two stages, a beer garden, a Kid Zone, art displays, and an afterparty, the show will go on when Millburn Rocktoberfest returns Saturday.

As Millburn recovers from Tropical Depression Ida, Rocktoberfest organizers Joanna Parker-Lentz and Micole Richter believe a music festival like this is needed now more than ever.

Rocktoberfest takes place in Taylor Park.

The aim of the festival is to raise money for the Millburn Education Foundation and Millburn Township Schools.

With free admission, the event will showcase the bands noon until 10 p.m. The afterparty runs from 10 p.m. to midnight.

Besides live music, festival-goers can expect Oktoberfest-inspired food and drinks, as well as food and shopping from local eateries and handmade retail goods in the “Artisan Village.” There will also be a Kid Zone with activities for children, from preschool to age 18, including an Arts & STEM Hands-on Expo, inflatable rides, carnival games, a balloon artist and much more.

The Lineup

As of Thursday, the musical lineup is:

Main Stage

12:00 p School of Rock, Classic Rock
12:20 p Twice Heard, Rock
12:45 p Rodyna, Slavic/Middle Eastern
1:20 p Mrs. Eller & the Fellers, Pop Rock
2:05 p Cats Will Play, Funk/Classic Rock/Soul
3:00 p Tatiana, Rock
3:35 p Autumn Jones, Soulful/Alternative/Singer-Songwriter Music
4:10 p Harris Harper, Singer-Songwriter
4:35 p Toad and the Stooligans, Hip-Hop/Funk/Jazz
5:10 p The Parkers, Alternative/Electronic Pop/Rock
5:45 p Stephane Quartet, NOLA Blues
6:45 p Livingston Leo, Rock
7:40 p Rudie Crew, Reggae/World Music
8:40 p Particle & Friends, Jam Band & Rock Covers

2nd Stage

12:00 p Soulfege, A capella
12:45 p Deepa & Friends, Bollywood & Classic Hindi Covers
1:15 p Hot Dog Joint, Acoustic
2:10 p Harris Harper, Singer-Songwriter
2:40 p Soulfege, A capella
3:00 p So i Heard, Music School, Kid Rock
3:55 p Chris Pastore, Country Rock
4:40 p Rachel Ella, Singer-Songwriter
5:10 p School of Rock, Classic Rock
5:50 p Twice Heard, Rock
6:30 p Acoustic Mayhem, Country/Bluegrass/Americana

Millburn Standard After Party: 10:00p - 12:00a Chris Pastore, Toad and the Stooligans

See updated information at the Rocktoberfest website.

Rising From The Ashes

Despite the storm causing chaos amidst Rocktoberfest planning, Richter said the festival has had more of a positive response since the storm and new vendors have even come in at the last minute.

“There's just such a sense of pride, you know, of this feeling of Millburn strong in wake of this disaster,” Richter said. “There's just this amazing sense of solidarity, and almost everyone [is] still able to be at the event. A couple of kitchens are not working but really, almost everything is still up and running, and we're really grateful for that.”

Both Richter and Parker-Lentz have been instrumental in organizing volunteers to help with cleanup around Millburn — from collecting supplies to creating GoFundMe pages and helping families who have been displaced due to severe flooding in their homes. Parker-Lentz said many of the storm victims she has met with have expressed excitement over Rocktoberfest because it serves as an uplifting moment in a time of darkness.

“I think people are ready to celebrate as a community, even though there's still so much mud and muck and debris and depressing stuff,” Parker-Lentz said. “It's really a great opportunity for everyone to come together in solidarity, to be in an uplifting moment and to feel like we're all one community.”

Parker-Lentz explained that she and Richter always had a vision of hosting a big festival concert in Taylor Park, and this year will be its fifth iteration. Coming from a very musical family, Parker-Lentz dedicated a lot of time and care into creating a band lineup for the festival. Many of the artists are from local towns and the TriState area.

Richter said the artisan village is a new addition this year, where people will be selling hand-made items, such as hand-poured candles, crafts, jewelry and clothing. In addition to that, there will be regular retail vendors from shops in town, as well as a beer garden for attendees 21 and over where people can purchase drink tickets.

Parker-Lentz added that the Millburn Education Foundation, of which her and Richter are board members, has been a major contributor to the Millburn schools, particularly during the pandemic. All of the proceeds from Rocktoberfest will go to the foundation.

The after-party will now take place at Millburn Standard from 10 to 12 p.m., as well as on the closed portion of Main Street. Live music will be featured.

The Rocktoberfest website is here.