Körner’s Folly’s annual fundraiser brings the community together
for exceptional, local food and beverages for a great cause.
Presented by North Carolina Farm Bureau Forsyth – Kernersville
& Backyard Leisure
BY CHELSEA STEWART
History and food come together to create a memorable afternoon on the lawn at Körner’s Folly’s 9th Annual Kernersville Oktoberfest. Experience the history of Körner’s Folly while enjoying local favorites and supporting a community icon.
On Saturday, October 5 from 3-6pm local brewers and Kernersville’s favorite restaurants will setup on the main lawn at Körner’s Folly. Guests will have the opportunity to sample their delicious local and German-inspired dishes and taste local and seasonal brews.
This year’s event will feature a variety of Southern and German-inspired treats for tasting, including pumpkin and other seasonal beers from local breweries and tap rooms. A local hidden gem, The Brewer’s Kettle of Kernersville, will provide three different Oktoberfest beers and Kernersville Brewing Company will be offering their locally brewed favorites, like their Körners Kölsch. For the first time, Red Oak Brewery will bring their traditional Bavarian recipes to Oktoberfest including their Red Oak Standard and Hummin’ Bird. Gypsy Road Brewing Company will also join the line-up. This new, local brewery will be serving some of their first beer batches! Local foodie favorites, such as One-Stop, Lowes Foods, Walmart Neighborhood Market, and Exxon Low Price Mart and Grill will be serving up samples of their popular selections like bratwursts hot off the grill, German soft pretzels, Berliner-donuts, ribs, and potato wedges. Cake and All Things Yummy will be back with their pumpkin spice, black forest, and white chocolate almond cupcakes.
German Roots
So why does Körner’s Folly host an annual Oktoberfest? In case the two funny dots over the “o” in Körner’s Folly (an umlaut) did not provide a clue, the Körner family and Kernersville share a German heritage. Joseph Kerner, founder of the town of Kernersville, grew up in Furtwangen, in the Black Forest region of Germany. Joseph, trained as a clockmaker, set sail for America in 1785 at the age of 16. He soon settled in North Carolina, where, perhaps seeking kinship with those sharing his native tongue, he found the Moravian settlement of Friedland near Salem. After living in Friedland for 30 years, he purchased 1,000 acres of land at nearby “Dobson’s Cross Roads,” which then became known as “Kerner’s Cross Roads” and later, Kernersville. (Kerner is the Americanized spelling of the original Körner name). Today, Furtwangen, Germany is one of Kernersville’s Sister Cities.
Many years after the development of Dobson’s Crossroads, Joseph’s grandson, Jule Körner, built the recognizable symbol of Kernersville—Körner’s Folly—which was completed in 1880. The home originally served as Jule’s interior design catalogue where clients could view and select various architectural elements showcased throughout the house to be integrated into a custom design. With 15 different fireplaces, an array of windows and doors, and hand-laid tile designs throughout the home, Jule’s clients had no shortage of options for creating and decorating their custom homes.
139 years later, the house still delights visitors with its whimsical design and stunning detail. The home sat vacant for a number of years until being rescued by a small group of committed Kernersville citizens in 1970. Today, the nonprofit Körner’s Folly Foundation operates the home as a historic house museum whose mission “is to restore and preserve Körner’s Folly for the education and enjoyment of the public.”
Ticket Information
Tickets are $35 per person. Due to the nature of this event, and ABC Board regulations, only attendees age 21 and up are allowed. Ticket quantity is limited – Oktoberfest has sold out several weeks before the event for the past 7 years. Tickets can be purchased online at www.kornersfolly.org. Each ticket admits one person into the event, which includes food and beverage tasting, souvenir glass, and a self-guided tour of historic Körner’s Folly.
Interested in what the ticket cost and attendance is supporting? The Kernersville Oktoberfest benefits the continued operation of Kernersville’s most iconic historic house, Körner’s Folly. Why not take a tour of the home before the start of the event? Participants are invited to take a tour of Körner’s Folly between 1pm and 4 pm the day of the event, or on Sunday, October 6 (1-4pm). Körner’s Folly is currently undergoing a significant transformation as each room is restored one by one. New rooms are restored each year, and it is a remarkable time to see Historic Preservation in action. The self-guided tour lets you see first-hand the restoration and educational projects Oktoberfest supports.
This event is rain or shine and we recommend bringing a lawn chair as seating is limited. Only attendees ages 21 and older will be permitted into the tasting area – no babies, toddlers, or strollers. Parking is also limited, so we encourage carpooling with a designated driver or using rider apps such as Uber and Lyft. Parking is available in the grass lot beside Körner’s Folly – look for Event Parking signs.
Want to get involved? For tickets, sponsorships, volunteering opportunities, and other information visit www.kornersfolly.org or call 336.996.7922. Körner’s Folly is open for self-guided tours Wednesdays-Saturdays 10am – 4pm, Sundays 1pm – 4pm. Guided group tours are available by appointment.
Special Thanks to our 2019 Sponsors:
All Year Heating and Cooling
Andy Strand
A+ Ready Restrooms
BB&T Kernersville
Backyard Leisure
Best Logistics Group
The Brewer’s Kettle
Cake & All Things Yummy
Carmine’s Imports
Carolina Kitchen & Pantry
Caudill’s Commercial Electric
Childress Vineyards
The Collegiate Shop
Coltrane, Grubbs, and Orenstein
Curtis Swisher
Earnhardt Construction
Exxon Low Price Mart & Grill
Fox Rothschild LLP
Gypsy Road Brewing
Hoots Beer Company
KB Catering & Grilling
Kernersville Brewing Company
Kernersville Magazine
Kernersville Sister City Association
Kristi Idol & Associates
Long Insurance
Lowes Foods
McDaniel & Company PLLC
Musten & Crutchfield
Myron & Angie Pearman
North Carolina Farm Bureau Forsyth – Kernersville
One Stop
OutWest Steakhouse
The Packaging Source
Ray Smith
Re/Max Realty- Donna Mahrt
Red Oak Brewery
The Reuben Rink Company
RH Barringer
Right Way Landscaping
Robinson & Lawing
Sixty Six Pizzeria Grill & Bar
Solace IT Solutions
State Farm Insurance – Kevin Bugg
Stay Alert Safety Services
Sue Williams
Tex Tech Coatings
Veritas Construction
Walmart Neighborhood Market
Wilson-Covington Construction Co.
Wolfe & Associates