December 30: Lovettsville

Lovettsville’s Oktoberfest and Community Center is one of the many gifts of Loudoun this holiday season. This is one story in a series of 31 that highlight #LoudounPossible opportunities in the county. Check back every day in December to learn more!

Originally settled by Germans, Lovettsville’s first residents held fast to their German roots. They faced maltreatment as immigrants, opposed slavery, and aligned socially and politically with African Americans. That culture and community-oriented fellowship is still present in the northernmost town of Loudoun County. Lovettsville remains welcoming with its Oktoberfest celebration, Christkindlmarkt (traditional German Christmas market), and the construction of a brand new community center for all Lovettsville residents to enjoy.

The humble beginnings of Lovettsville’s Oktoberfest began in 1976 when planning for the National Bicentennial celebration back in 1974. It was meant to honor the town and its German ancestries and has grown with each celebration. It was listed as one of the Best Oktoberfests in the World in 2018 and was a 2022 Best of Loudoun finalist in the Loudoun Times-Mirror. This year’s festival attracted just over 13,000 attendees.

Christkindlmarkt, Lovettsville’s German-inspired holiday market, returned in 2022 after a two-year hiatus. Previously organized by the Loudoun Valley German society for more than a decade, this festive event is now run by the Lovettsville Lions Club and Lovettsville Game Protective Association and had a packed lineup of 25 vendors, German-inspired food, mulled wine and beer as a fundraiser, and local cub scouts offering gift wrapping by donation. Christkindlmarkt is part of a town-wide event, a Cocoa Crawl, which kicked off a holiday event lineup, topping it all off with a German-inspired lantern parade and tree lighting.

The newly constructed Lovettsville Community Center opened in September on the same property as the existing community center. The overall project includes construction of a new 18,500 square-foot building, renovation of the pool house building, and demolition of the existing building for construction of a new parking facility. The new community center includes a full-court gymnasium, fitness center, dedicated seniors’ area, five classrooms, a kitchen, restrooms, and meeting spaces. The pool house building received a 600 square-foot addition to expand the showers, changing areas, first aid area, and concession areas.

Visit the Lovettsville website to learn more about the community and upcoming events.