LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah — There are many fun things to do at Oktoberfest, which is why Snowbird staff members are working to make sure people get home safely at the end of the day.
“We've always offered a free ride down, but this year, we really wanted to try out a free ride up as well. So just round-trip transportation from the valley,” said Kelsey James, the assistant director of marketing at Snowbird.
In partnership with Snow Country Limousine, the new shuttle feature is completely free and is working to tackle several problems, including traffic build-up in the canyon.
“We're hoping the more people that opt for this free round trip transportation, fewer cars in the canyon, fewer cars kind of parking along the highway in our lots, it should just make everything a lot easier,” James said.
Not only this, but it’s also meant to make sure people don’t drink and drive.
“It is a beer festival, people are consuming, we are at elevation, and so just having that option. Ride shares do come up, but it's kind of hard to get to. Our layout is kind of interesting. So having a sure ride down when you want to get down is perfect,” James said.
Visitors seem to like the experience so far.
“This bus blew my expectations out of the water,” said Chris Magee, "I could not be more happy with the experience that I just had.”
“We thought about driving up, and then we saw that they had this shuttle service that they offered. And I think the shuttle service is one thing, but then you take in the ambiance and the decor, it really becomes a viable option,” Evan Cone added.
Visitors said it also combats the difficulty of ordering Ubers from the festival’s location.
“Never want to drink and drive, obviously, especially coming up this high in the canyon, you kind of get bottle-nosed into an area where there's not many Ubers that are available. So, to have this shuttle service available. It's just, it's awesome,” said Michael Prue.
Rick Schwemmer, mayor of Oktoberfest, believes the service can ease many people’s worries about getting home.
“That's one of the best things that I think Snowbird did, is do the shuttle program so that people feel like they can come up here. They can have a good time. Don't have to worry about getting behind the wheel. They can get home. They can get home safely,” Schwemmer said.
Additional safety measures include new clear bag requirements this year, public safety officers monitoring the area, and medical staff to monitor dehydration.
James also said construction currently going on in the canyon should be done by next weekend.
For shuttle hours, pickup locations, festival hours, and to make shuttle reservations, visit snowbird.com/oktoberfest.
