Frederick City joined the rest of the world in marking this year’s Oktoberfest, the 25th year the event was taking place in the city.
Hosted by the Carroll Creek Rotary Club, the two day festival drew more than 2,500 attendees, transforming the area into a lively showcase of German heritage while raising funds to support Rotary service projects across the county.
Carroll Creek Rotary Club president Eric Fairbanks said Oktoberfest brought together all six Rotary clubs in Frederick County, each playing a role in mobilizing volunteers, coordinating logistics, and ensuring the festival’s continued success.
“An event like today takes about five to six hundred volunteers so it is not only volunteers from our Rotary Club, but it incorporates all the clubs in the county,” he told Kurunzi News.
“Everything that we is try to enhance what we do every year, whether that be food offerings or entertainment and any little thing we can do to make better value.”
Funding community scholarships
According to Fairbanks, the collaboration as one of the strongest examples of countywide Rotary partnership, reflecting the shared commitment to community service through fellowship.
“Oktoberfest stands for fellowship and so this is a fellowship opportunity for all our clubs to get together and because of the size of this as a fundraiser it permits us to gain through this.
“We are able to finance scholarships and grants throughout the community.”
Attendees get to experience a full immersion into German culture, with vendors offering traditional German food, including bratwurst, pretzels, schnitzel, and pastries, alongside an impressive selection of German beer.
Oktoberfest a rich display of German cultural artifacts, clothing, and handcrafted items that highlighted the festival’s European roots.
“We are offering a mix of German beers and a local selection from Brewer’s Alley here in Frederick,” said one of the volunteers named Jason.
“We are selling steins (mugs) of our own here as part of the fundraiser for Rotary Club of Carroll Creek.”
Music was central to the celebration, with two live bands performing on stage throughout the weekend, blending classic German folk tunes with upbeat contemporary selections, keeping crowds dancing, singing, and raising steins well into the evening.
Frederick’s Oktoberfest has grown to become the largest annual celebrations of German heritage in the region, mirroring traditions that originated in Munich and have since spread across Europe.
The festival’s longevity, community support, and cultural authenticity have made it a permanent fixture of Frederick’s Fall calendar honoring a quarter century of Oktoberfest tradition in Frederick County.
