Chamber sounds call for vendors to reserve space for Oktoberfest

Staff Report

Updated: Jul 21, 2011, 10:17 PM

Published: Jul 21, 2011, 10:21 PM

The Effingham Chamber of Commerce is issuing a call for all area vendors interested in participating in this year’s Effingham Oktoberfest to apply now.

“We are amazed at how many vendors, particularly food vendors, are applying early for our show,” said Chamber Director Rick Lott. “I think that says a lot about what we did last year with our first festival.”

Festival hours will be: Sept. 23 from noon-11 p.m. and Sept. 24 from 9 a.m.-11 p.m. at Rincon’s McCall Plaza.

Last year’s festival drew an estimated 3,000-3,500 visitors.

Lott added that while getting vendors in was a great thing for the event, he doesn’t want local vendors to be left out. The number of food vendors is limited to just 10-12 in an effort to ensure that there is enough business for all of them.

And the food vendors aren’t the only ones signing up early. He said there are currently nine artists and craftsmen signed up for the show. One of these, Lorraine Saunders, will travel up from Florida to show and sell her quilts.

“Lorraine was determined to do our show again since they did so well last year,” Lott said. “She told me they even sold three quilts before they even got their booth set up on Friday morning.”

Local non-profit organizations are already getting involved, some taking two booths this year instead of the single booths they had last year. Lott said the children’s area will be expanded under its new sponsorship by the Effingham Health System.

Suncountry Amusements in Rincon will provide activities for the kids and are planning to bring a rock wall for this year’s festival.

During the day on Friday and Saturday local entertainment acts will be featured and spots on the schedule are filling in fast.

In fact, at this writing, there is only one available spot on Friday afternoon. On Friday night, Cumulus Broadcasting will sponsor a Battle of the Bands where local bands compete to win the title and nearly $1,000 in cash and prizes. Then on Saturday night the audience will be treated to a trip down memory lane with legendary band the Drifters. You’ll remember their hit songs, “Up on the Roof” and “Under the Boardwalk.” German music will be front-stage Friday and Saturday as the popular Channelheimers Oompah Band performs several times each day.

One new element for this year’s event will be a covered Beergarden area. A huge 40 by 80 square foot tent will cover this area with tables and chairs for guests. German and American beers will be available along with Coca Cola products and water.

Festival T-shirts also will be sold in this area, as well as at the Coke booth. There will be a nominal $2 charge for a wristband showing proof of age for alcohol consumption this year.

Lott said there will be a package deal available, giving the purchaser a wristband, souvenir mug and first beer for $5. Refills will be $3 for Miller Lite, and slightly more for the German brews. He said the wristband fee helps to pay for the large tent and that the use of wristbands in general, is a way to maintain control over underage drinking. Lott said last year’s crowd was extremely well-behaved and there were no incidents whatsoever.

The Springfield Revitalization Corporation will provide volunteers for the beer booth, with a portion of the proceeds going to their efforts to fund renovations to the historic Mars Theatre. The VICA club of Effingham County will handle volunteers for the Coke trailer.

To assist with parking this year, Boy Scout Troop 665 will be stationed in the ballfields on McCall Road just past the festival site, to direct traffic and keep anyone from blocking anyone else in. The former Landscape Depot lot will be used for parking and will have better signage directing cars there. Volunteers will run golf cart shuttles between the festival site and the parking areas.

Yet another new element to complete this year’s Oktoberfest will be the first Effingham Oktoberfest Cross Country Invitational Race. The foot race will be open to varsity boys and girls and also a JV and open race. The race is scheduled for Sept. 24 at 9 a.m. Interested runners should contact Laura Soles at (912) 308-0036 for more information.

The Chamber emphasized that an event of this size can’t be produced without the good will and support of sponsors.

“We’re grateful for our presenting sponsor, Comcast Cable, our music stage sponsor, Savannah Technical College, and everyone who is helping to make this possible,” Lott said. “Sponsorships are still available, so there’s still time to get involved in this fun community event.”

Currently the list of Oktoberfest Sponsors includes: Comcast, Savannah Tech, Georgia Power, Effingham Health System, Coca Cola, Cumulus Broadcasting, Effingham Herald, Effingham Magazine, Effingham Now, Fuller Chevrolet, Miller Lite, Verizon Wireless, Heritage Bank of the South, Harold’s Body Shop, Wells Fargo Insurance Services, DeWitt Insurance, Burns Insurance Associates, the Coastal Bank, and the City of Guyton.

The Effingham Oktoberfest is a production of the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce. Information on sponsorships, vendor spots or general information may be obtained by calling 754-3301 or emailing ricklott@effinghamcounty.com.

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Effingham ECCA Students Build Electric Car with Hyundai

From wiring to problem-solving, Effingham juniors Rowand Smart, left, and Dexter Bohlman tackle the challenges of building an electric car alongside engineering director Aaron Parker. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)

ECCA electric car — From wiring to problem-solving, Effingham juniors Rowand Smart, left, and Dexter Bohlman tackle the challenges of building an electric car alongside engineering director Aaron Parker. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)

Mya Taylor

Updated: Sep 23, 2025, 1:44 PM

Published: Sep 23, 2025, 1:47 PM

SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — For five months, 10 engineering students at Effingham College and Career Academy spent afternoons with wrenches, wires and instruction manuals, turning boxes of parts into something extraordinary — a working electric car.

The build was part of a partnership between ECCA’s engineering lab and the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in nearby Ellabell. Funded through $150,000 in state grants and supported by Hyundai’s donation of tools, the project gave students hands-on experience in electric vehicle technology while tying classroom learning to one of the region’s most significant new industries.

Finding their place in the project

Junior Dexter Bohlman hadn’t expected to be part of the build. A scheduling error placed him in a higher-level engineering class, and before long he was wiring railings, connecting a key fob and shaping the steering panel.

Much of the work he did alone. The wiring — 250 to 450 terminals in all — was especially tricky.

“You have to figure out how to manage the wires to make it so that they’re less complicated,” Bohlman said. “On the top rail it’s a little bit of a mess, but down there we managed to get it a little more concise.”

For Bohlman, the project became more than an assignment. It gave him experience to add to his aerospace résumé and a sense of ownership in something bigger than himself.

Classmate Rowand Smart also joined by accident, after his schedule shifted. At first, he said, his enthusiasm for engineering was fading. The project changed that.

“It turned into something that I was actually interested in because it’s kind of a hobby working on my truck and seeing the less mechanical and more electrical part of it,” Smart said. “The wiring, the programming, all of that was really interesting.”

Smart’s father and grandfather were both mechanics, and he said their influence helped guide him through the toughest parts of the build.

Learning by doing

Students worked four days a week on the car, often troubleshooting unexpected problems.

“We had to figure out what we were going to do, find the parts, read the instructions before we put it together, and make sure we had the right equipment,” Smart said.

Together they learned not only how to wire circuits and measure voltage but also how to rely on one another.

Engineering Director Aaron Parker said the students’ persistence reflected what he calls the “four C’s” — creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration.

A proud moment

By May, the car was ready for its first test run. Getting it out of the lab was almost as hard as building it — four adults and 10 students had to tilt and lift the vehicle through a doorway.

Once outside, the students each took turns driving. For Bohlman and Smart, it was the highlight of months of effort.

“It was probably one of my proudest moments of students, especially upon completion,” Parker said.

The car later went on display at Stemposium, a community event where STEM students showcase their work. Families and staff stopped to admire what the team had built.

Looking forward

Bohlman said he dreams of an affordable electric rally car, while Smart imagines a Mustang with electric power. Both said the project changed how they see engineering.

HMGMA Chief Administrative Officer Brent Stubbs shared his gratitude for the partnership with ECCA.

“HMGMA is thrilled to sponsor the EV lab at Effingham College and Career Academy. ECCA is teaching young students about electric vehicles and giving them an opportunity to get hands-on experience, so when we learned about their need, we jumped at the opportunity to help. We are proud to be a long-term partner in educating future generations of EV and automobile enthusiasts. We hope one day some of them will become Meta Pros at HMGMA,” Stubbs said.

As for the car itself, Parker said it will soon get finishing touches — a light and dash cover — before being used to promote the program. Another frame, bright red and untouched, waits for the next group of students to take on.

“At the end of the day we want to set these kids up to be successful adults so that they can be independent when they get out in the real world,” Parker said.