About 250 people wound down off the back of an eventful week at the Old Bank’s annual Banktoberfest at the weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
For the third year the Old Bank hosted it’s Banktoberfest in the spirit of its German counterpart Oktoberfest on Saturday.
Old Bank publican Ryan Mackintosh said the event also provided a platform for people to unwind and reconnect with their community after an eventful week of Prince Harry and Meghan touring the town.
“We’ve ripped down all the Union Jacks and thrown up the German flags but we had to wait until the royal couple left for that to be appropriate, we didn’t want to offend them,” Mr Mackintosh said.
“Everyone is still in high spirits after the royal visit, everyone I’ve spoken too today is extremely proud, everyone is brimming with pride and excitement.
“You haven’t got to be German to attend these things, it’s about coming down, having a chat, having a beer, some good food and listening to some good music.”
Mr Mackintosh said inspiration for the event struck when he realised its potential to showcase local brews.
“I spoke to a lot of craft brewers who specifically brew beers for this time of year and it clicked to me, if those guys are brewing beers, let’s get some on tap and make an event” he said.
“This year, there are a lot of local beers on show, two beautiful authentic German style beers from Badlands Brewery in Orange and two by Pioneer Brewery in Cudale.
“It’s great that we can use local brewery’s and source local product.”
The Black Dog Ride state coordinator Wayne Amor, who organises charity motorbike rides to raise awareness about depression, said the event was a great way for the community to connect after Prince Harry spoke in Dubbo about mental illness.
“We came down last year and had a great day, it’s great to catch up with people you might not see for months or a couple of years for that matter,” Mr Amor said.
“Everybody needs to keep an eye on their mates, their family, the people that are in their lives to make sure they’re communicating or able to communicate when things go wrong.”