Starlight Ranch celebrates Oktoberfest with over 1,000 attendees

Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News
·2 min read

Kicking off Oktoberfest for the Amarillo area, the Starlight Ranch held its second annual Oktoberfest Saturday featuring lightning-fast dachshunds, music with German beer and food in east Amarillo.

A group enjoys some German beer Saturday Night at the Oktoberfest Festival at the Starlight Ranch in east Amarillo.
A group enjoys some German beer Saturday Night at the Oktoberfest Festival at the Starlight Ranch in east Amarillo.

The event, which benefited the Amarillo Police Officer’s Association and the Amarillo SPCA, was attended by over 1,000 people, including a large crowd around the dachshund race which featured 30 dogs from across the Panhandle vying for the fastest wiener dog.

Mila the Dachshund pulls away from the crowd in the Weiner Dog Race Saturday night at the Oktoberfest Festival at the Starlight Ranch in east Amarillo.
Mila the Dachshund pulls away from the crowd in the Weiner Dog Race Saturday night at the Oktoberfest Festival at the Starlight Ranch in east Amarillo.

Jeff and Maria Arroyo, owners of the winning dachshund, Mila traveled all the way from Dallas for the Octoberfest event and spoke about their experience at the event.

“This was a great experience well worth the drive for our first Oktoberfest festival with great food and entertainment,” Arroyo said. “This is a great facility and I cannot wait for next year’s event.”

Jeff and Maria Arroyo celebrate Mila victory at the Weiner Dog Race Saturday Night at the Octoberfest Festival at the Starlight Ranch in east Amarillo.
Jeff and Maria Arroyo celebrate Mila victory at the Weiner Dog Race Saturday Night at the Octoberfest Festival at the Starlight Ranch in east Amarillo.

Bobby Lee, co-owner of the Starlight Ranch and the Big Texan, spoke about the event's growth since its inaugural year.

“We learned a lot from last year when we were disappointed in what we were able to provide for those that attended,” Lee said. “This year, we wanted to make it a more authentic and enjoyable experience for our customers. Last year we only had seven entries in the Dachshund race and this year, we had over 30 entries.”

A Dachshund stumbles out of the block during the Weiner Dog Race Saturday Night at the Octoberfest Festival at the Starlight Ranch in east Amarillo.
A Dachshund stumbles out of the block during the Weiner Dog Race Saturday Night at the Octoberfest Festival at the Starlight Ranch in east Amarillo.

Lee said the races, with the enthusiasm from the crowd, helped drive attendance. He said it was essential to serve real German food and beer, which he said elicited a great response from those who attended this year.

“The changes from last year made a real difference to the festival experience,” Lee said, “We heard a lot of comments last year disappointed with no German food or beer and we strived to make this event much better."

Owners cheer their dogs on at the Weiner Dog Race Saturday Night at the Octoberfest Festival at the Starlight Ranch in east Amarillo.
Owners cheer their dogs on at the Weiner Dog Race Saturday Night at the Octoberfest Festival at the Starlight Ranch in east Amarillo.

Over $5,000 was raised for the Amarillo Police Officers Association and $1,000 was raised for the SPCA.

“I was incredibly happy with the response this year and I plan on adding more to the event to make it the Panhandle’s finest Oktoberfest celebration,” Lee said.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo Starlight Ranch Oktoberfest lets the dogs out