Summary
Oktoberfest Time
Fall is the season for Oktoberfest celebrations. In Maryland, the City of Gaithersburg hosts a thrilling Oktoberfest event at Kentlands, a unique and historic neighborhood, every October. This festival features a myriad of activities including horse-drawn wagon rides, pumpkin painting, a beer garden, a wine terrace, authentic Bavarian food, and vibrant entertainment. Attendees can enjoy live music throughout the day on multiple stages in the festival area. Additionally, there are business expos and family activity areas. Admission and parking are complimentary, while some activities may incur a nominal fee.
2020 Oktoberfest
The Oktoberfest in Gaithersburg is scheduled for Sunday, October 11, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Kentlands neighborhood. The festivities will span across Kentlands Village Green, the grounds of Kentlands Mansion, Main Street, and Market Square. Kentlands is conveniently located off of Great Seneca Highway (119) and Quince Orchard Road (124).
For convenience, a free and wheelchair-accessible shuttle service will operate regularly during festival hours, connecting attendees to satellite parking at 101 and 200 Orchard Ridge Drive, just off Quince Orchard Road.
Oktoberfest Highlights
The Oktoberfest celebration in Gaithersburg is vibrant and community-oriented, providing fun for all ages. Attendees are encouraged to dress in traditional attire like dirndls or lederhosen to fully engage in the experience. Highlights of the event include:
- A Wine Terrace and a traditional Beer Garden where food vendors and performances by the Alte Kameraden German Band and Alt-Washingtonia Bavarian Dancers will take place around the Arts Barn and Kentlands Mansion. Additionally, a second stage, horse-drawn wagon rides, apple pressing demonstrations, and other family-friendly activities will be available.
- The Tap & Taste section offers festival-goers the opportunity to sample a wide variety of locally-brewed ales. Each brewery presents four-ounce tastings of select beers, with the Tasting Package usually priced at $20, which includes a commemorative glass and 10 tastes of craft beer from various local breweries.
- Along Main Street, entertainment will feature a variety of bands, community groups, artists, and crafters, alongside a business expo, strolling performers, chalk artists, aerialists, and a dedicated area for children’s crafts and activities.
Festival-goers will have the option to walk between the two areas or utilize a trolley service, where volunteer docents share insights about Kentlands’ rich history and its importance in the new urbanist movement.
The Kentlands Neighborhood
Kentlands boasts a unique history. It was one of the pioneering community development projects that adopted traditional neighborhood design planning techniques. Known as New Urbanism, this concept emphasizes walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods where residents can work, live, play, and connect with one another. New Urbanism emerged as a response to the suburban, car-centric developments that proliferated after World War II. The Kentlands neighborhood is centered around a historic farmstead formerly owned by Otis Beall Kent, dating back to a 1723 land grant.
When Kentlands was initially developed in 1988, existing structures from the Kentlands farm were thoughtfully integrated into the overall design. The community features a diverse array of living spaces, parks, small business districts, open spaces, and a community center.
Kentlands Mansion
The elegant brick mansion, which hosts part of the Oktoberfest festivities, plays a significant role in the region’s history. According to the Kentlands Community Foundation, in 1852, pharmaceutical business owner Frederick A. Tschiffely acquired over 200 acres from the family that originally owned the farm. By 1900, his son, also named Frederick A. Tschiffely, constructed the impressive mansion, along with a barn, gatehouse, overseer’s house, greenhouse, and chicken coop, collectively earning the property the nickname “The Bricks.” The estate was christened Wheatlands, reflecting the wheat cultivated on the farm while raising their eight children within the mansion.
Today, Kentlands Mansion serves as a stunning event venue. The mansion has been meticulously preserved to reflect the grandeur of the early 1900s, featuring 22-foot ceilings, dark wood paneling, and exquisite crystal chandeliers.
