It’s fest time, people, and we could not think of a better way to start the season than gathering with a few hundred friends for the annual fun that is Marblefest.

The big event is back at the downtown brewery from noon to midnight this Saturday, so way in advance of that, I sat down last week with events coordinator Amy Levine and president Barbie Gonzalez to go over the finer details and more.

“Marblefest is a well-oiled event,” Levine said. “We have a couple new things and we brought back a couple games. The (beer) flights were a definite hit last year, so we’re definitely bringing those back.The start is at noon and we’ll end essentially at midnight. From 12 to 2, we’ll be offering free entry. From 2 to 10, a $10 fee.”

“There’s a great music lineup this year,” Gonzalez added. “We’re really excited about the New Mexico beers that we’re going to be showcasing. We have some contests planned. One thing that Amy didn’t mention is if you come dressed in lederhosen or a dirndl, you’ll get free entry no matter what time you show up. We want to encourage as many people to be in celebration mode.”

That celebration starts with the fest area that occupies the northern parking lot, with a full tent and taps pouring multiple German-style lagers from Marble and eight of its fellow breweries. Here is the list of what will be poured in pints, or available in flights of five beers for $12.

• Bosque: Oktoberfest
• Boxing Bear: OktoBEARfest
• Canteen: Pop’s Pils
• Ex Novo: Fresh-hop German Overalls
• La Cumbre: Oktoberfest
• Marble: Marblefest, Pilsner Burquell
• Nexus: Festbier
• Palmer: Dunkel
• Tractor: Traktoberfest

“This is one of the events that we look forward to the most, besides our anniversary,” Gonzalez said. “We love the celebration of not just Marble beers, but New Mexico craft beers, and doing it together under one tent. So we like to bring the best that Marble has to offer, not just in beer, but also in experience. While also showcasing the delicious flavors that New Mexico has to offer.”

Any proper fest also features some delicious food, and that will be provided by the truck trio of Urban Hot Dog (noon-7 p.m.), Don Choche (2-9 p.m.), and Cibo (5-11 p.m.).

The music lineup, as Gonzalez mentioned, is strong as well.

• JD Nash and the Rash of Cash, 2-3 p.m.
• The Rudy Boy Experiment, 3:45-4:45 p.m.
• Partizani Brass Band, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
• Slums of Harvard, 7-8:15 p.m.
• Mango Cakes, 8:45-10 p.m.

Those bands will all be out on the main stage, plus there will be two DJs — Adobe Disco (5-7 p.m.) and Gravy Jones (7-9 p.m.) — spinning in the fest area.

Oh, and then there are the various games and contests. Relive your childhood with some musical chairs in the fest area. There will also be a two-round stein-holding contest out on the main stage from 3:15 to 3:30 and 6:30 to 6:45. In between, the best dressed lederhosen and dirndl will be chosen at 5 p.m. The one event we are really looking forward to, which is new this year, is the yodeling contest, which will be held between 1:30 and 1:45.

Overall, it is a lot of work for Marble to put all of this together every year.

“So much work, and that’s another thing that we enjoy about it, is every single team is involved in these events,” Gonzalez said. “The brewery team will be involved, all of front of house, and everyone in corporate will come out the day of the event. The entire company, on the day of Marblefest, whether they’re here or at another location, they’re working. I want to say everyone is celebrating. I love it because it gives me an opportunity to shut down everything else and be a part of that experience that Marble provides.”

“The big events are such a good vibe,” Levine added.

“We’re tired, we’re exhausted by the time it’s done, but it feels good to have that hans-on experience,” Gonzalez continued. “I’ve had people say to me that I don’t need to do this. Oh, yes, I do. For me, personally, just to touch it, feel it, taste it, just be a part of it.”

This is definitely one of our favorite events, and if you have never been before, we highly encourage everyone to come on down to 111 Marble Avenue for the festivities.

“Perfect weather, perfect beer, and perfect event,” Gonzalez said. “You have a combination of all of these fantastic elements, and we’re just happy to host it. These big events, these big festivals, used to many years ago stress me out. Now I go into them (thinking) we’ve got this, we’ve figured it out. Each one, we get better. Each one, we’re like, let’s do an analysis, see what we can improve upon. We’ve really streamlined the process.”

A big thanks to Amy and Barbie for the interview. We truly appreciate the two of them, and the entire Marble staff, for putting this on every year. Make sure to raise your glasses high Saturday and thank Team Marble.

Pröst!

— Stoutmeister