The
Kings Park German Band is an ensemble of musicians
from the KingsPark
Concert
Band.
If your
organization would like to have the
Kings Park German Band perform for your
Oktoberfest
activities
or other functions,
please email the Kings
Park
German Band
Donations
and
performance fees for the German Band are used
tosupport
the Concert Band's
schedule of
free
concerts.
History of
Oktoberfest (Photo
taken by Ron Grendysz at
Four Seasons at Historic Virginia, 10/4/08)
Pictured:
Trumpets: Carol
McLaurin, Bill
Stetson, Mike
Martino; Stumphfiddle:
Bob Westin
Trombone:
Randy
Ritter; Baritone
Horn: Jim Roy; Tuba:
Bob Scherago
Accordion:
Anne
Andricosky;
Clarinets:
Larry
Kneesi, Bill Tracy, Greg Wilson, Pat
Scherago
Doug Miller plays the Alpen Horn at
Reston Town Center Oktoberfest 10/9/2011
(Photo courtesy of Pat Scherago) 2012 ScheduleSaturday, May
12, 2012 -
7:00 - 10:00 PM Pre-Concert
and
Intermission Performance
at the
Manassas Symphony Concert Hylton Performing Arts Center
10960 George Mason Circle Manassas,
VA
Sunday,
October 7, 2012 - 12:30 - 2:00 PM
Reston Town Center Oktoberfest
Reston, VA
Link to Reston's OktoberfestSaturday,
October 13, 2012 - 7:00
- 8:00 PM
The
Virginian
9229 Arlington Blvd.
Fairfax, VA 22031
Saturday,
October 20, 2012 - 2:30 - 4:30 PM
Kings Park Library - 40th Anniversary Celebration
9600 Burke Lake Road.
Burke, VA 22015
2011 Schedule
Saturday,
March 19, 2011 - 8:00 - 9:00 PM
(Concert Band - 5:15 -
6:30 PM)
Kings
Park
Community 50th Anniversary Celebration
5th Annual Pot-Luck Party
Lake Braddock Secondary School
9200 Burke Lake Road
Burke, VA 22015
Saturday,
September 17, 2011 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Accotink
Unitarian Universalist Church
10125 Lakehaven Ct.
Burke, VA
Saturday,
September 17, 2011 - 7:00 - 10:00 PM
Private
Neighborhood Oktoberfest
Vienna,
VA
Thursday,
October 20, 2011 - 6:00 - 7:00 PM Emeritus
at
Arlington 3821 Wilson
Blvd. Arlington,
VA 22203
Saturday, November 5, 2011 - 4:00
- 5:30 PM
Brambleton Town Center
22875 Brambleton Plaza, Brambleton, VA
History
of Oktoberfest
The first Oktoberfest was
held in the year 1810 in honor of the Bavarian
Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese
von
Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festivities began on October 12, 1810 and
ended on October 17th with a horse race. In the following years, the
celebrations were repeated and, later, the festival was prolonged and
moved forward into September. By moving the festivities up, it allowed
for better weather conditions. Because the September nights were
warmer, the visitors were able to enjoy the gardens outside the tents
and the stroll over “die Wiesen” or the fields much
longer without
feeling chilly. Historically, the last Oktoberfest weekend was in
October and this tradition continues into present times.
The
locals in Munich fondly refer to Oktoberfest as „die
Wiesn“ because
of its location, Theresienwiese, which was named after Therese von
Sachsen-Hildburghausen.
The main highlight of the Wiesn events and an important must-see is the
Oktoberfest Costume and Riflemen’s Parade. The parade
happens
every
year on the first Wiesn Sunday which will fall on September 19th this
year. Other important events are the Parade of Oktoberfest Landlords
and Breweries, the Official Tapping of the Keg, the Oktoberfest Mass ,
„Böllerschießen“ (handheld canon
salute) in front of the
Bavaria statue and an agricultural festival.
Oktoberfest has become the largest secular celebration on earth,
attracting millions of participants annually. Eating, drinking, and
dancing feature prominently in the festivities; for many, however, the
best part of Oktoberfest is the lively, colorful, and
entertaining music performed by the Bavarian Oktoberfest
oom-pah
band, consisting mainly of polkas, waltzes, and marches. That is the
experience of Oktoberfest that the Kings Park German Band hopes to
convey.
Recordings
below courtesy of Randy Ritter
Recorded March 19, 2011 at
Kings
Park Community 50th Anniversary Celebration
5th Annual Pot-Luck Party
Lake Braddock Secondary School
