Overview Das Best Oktoberfest is a one-afternoon beer festival on the infield of the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, where a souvenir glass buys all-you-care-to-taste pours of more than 120 international, domestic and Maryland beers, plus wines and schnapps. It bills itself as Maryland's oldest running craft beer festival. For 2026 it added Das Best Pumpkinfest, included with admission, with carnival rides and a pumpkin drop. Drink Eat Relax Events produces it; the company runs tasting festivals including Beer, Bourbon and BBQ and Tacos N Taps, and says it has produced more than 500 events over 25 years. On site Two stages run all afternoon: an oompah stage, where The Edelweiss Band played the whole 2026 day, and a main stage for rock and party bands, which carried MXD and the John Frase Project that year. Between sets come the Das Verrückt Olympiade games - Masskrugstemmen stein holding, fingerhakeln finger wrestling, a four-player tug-of-war and a wife-carrying race - plus a Mr. and Ms. Oktoberfest costume contest. Twice in 2026 a 600-pound pumpkin was dropped from 100 feet for a $1,000 prize. German food comes from Das Bierhalle and Little Austria and food trucks, sold a la carte. VIP guests get in an hour early with a 16-ounce pint glass and specialty tastings. The Light Rail stops at the fairgrounds, and parking is free. Brand presence Partners buy in as presenting sponsor, as a stage sponsor for the oompah or main stage, or at an enhanced sponsor level. The 2026 partner page listed ESPN 630 as media partner, the Holiday Inn in Timonium as hotel partner, Downtown Diane, and the Spirit of Hope Children's Foundation as the charity partner.