From the City’s website:

Oktoberfest at the Kentlands - Sunday
Phone 301-258-6350
Email parksrec@gaithersburgmd.gov

Oktoberfest 2008

The City of Gaithersburg and the Kentlands Citizens Assembly present the 17th Annual Oktoberfest at the Kentlands, Sunday, October 12, 2008, from noon to 4 p.m. at Kentlands Village Green. Admission and parking are free. Free wheelchair accessible shuttle service will be available from the Global Exchange Services (GXS) Building at the corner of Main Street and Route 28, and will run regularly during festival hours. Free bike valet parking will be located on Golden Ash Mews beside the Firehouse and Greenhouse.

Amidst horse-drawn hayrides and pumpkin painting, festival goers can enjoy authentic Bavarian food and beer and lively performances by the Alte Kameraden German Band and Alt-Washingtonia Bavarian dancers. Lederhosen and dirndls are optional as Alt-Washingtonia instructs and encourages participation in some of their dances. Throughout the festival you’ll find booths representing local merchants, organizations, artists and craftspeople. The City Art Shop, housed in the Arts Barn adjacent to the Village Green, will showcase one-of-a-kind pieces by more than 100 local artists.

The outdoor Family Stage will feature the contagious energy of FLUMPA, Live!, while the dynamic dancers of Studio C will be performing on the Arts Barn Theater stage. Performing on both stages will be the talents of Upbeat Unlimited, The Day Dream Dance Performance Company, The Kentland’s Community Children’s Chorus, and The Damascus Theater Group. Kids will also enjoy a full day of pony rides, moon bounce, face painting, recycling art projects, and many other activities. A used book exchange will be taking place inside the Arts Barn, so be sure to bring a used book to swap for a “new” used book! Note that a small fee will be charged for some activities.

Oktoberfest at the Kentlands is sponsored in part by:

Also, I received the following note from the Gaithersburg-Germantown Jaycees:

*Jaycees Celebrate Oktoberfest*

GERMANTOWN, Maryland, September 29 — The Gaithersburg Germantown Jaycees (”G&G Jaycees”) will be bringing their popular Paint-A-Pumpkin booth to the Oktoberfest celebration at the Kentlands Mansion in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood on October 12th from noon — 4:00pm.

Upon visiting the Paint-a-Pumpkin booth, artists of all ages will have the opportunity to decorate a pumpkin in their own unique style. And because the pumpkins are painted instead of carved, the likelihood of the artwork lasting until Halloween is greatly improved.

Running fund raising projects such as these provides individual Jaycees the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills and gain the experience of running a small business for a day. Additionally, the money raised from the event is returned to the community, supporting the chapter’s participation in such events as “Read Across America” and the “Bark in the Park” dog carnival as well as supplying free hot chocolate and cider at Gaithersburg’s Olde Towne Trick-or-Treat and Holiday Tree-Lighting ceremony at City Hall.

Established in the 1950s, the Gaithersburg/Germantown Jaycees offer people between the ages of 21 and 40 unique opportunities to develop leadership skills they can use elsewhere in life. In 2004, the Gaithersburg/Germantown Jaycees were recognized as the City of Gaithersburg’s Organization of the Year. Additional information about the G&G Jaycees is available at www.ggjaycees.org or by calling 301-230-4930.

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