Landee Bryant, Executive Director of Maiden Alley Cinema, is here to tell us about Paducah's celebration of all things FUN!

Day drinking?  

Live music outdoors during the peak of amazing fall weather?  

Food prepared by very capable hands, including an array of sausages, tons of pretzels, cheeses, strudels, kraut, potato salad, beef tongue (maybe), homemade buns, and so much more?  

Five craft breweries?  

An art fair?  

A German car show?  

Dirndls?  

Lederhosen?!?

If you can’t help but exclaim a resounding “HELL YES!” to all these questions, then you are truly ready for the Paducah event that is Maiden Alley Oktoberfest!!!

It is our 5th year, which means it is time to add more fun stuff to the agenda.  Up until now we have only highlighted the beer from our amazing friends at Schlafly Beer.  They have been the signature beer of Maiden Alley Cinema from the beginning and they have been with us through it all.  A big hats off to this amazing company!!!  

BUT it is time to expand the event as we have more people to please!  Starting in 2011 we were over the moon to have around 130 attendees.  In 2014 we had over 600.  The word is spreading!  

So... we needed MORE beer.  It was a no-brainer to reach out to our two new breweries located right here in Paducah, KY - Dry Ground Brewing Company and Paducah Beer Werks!

Dry Ground even took it a step further and partnered with Schlafly to make a collaboration beer that will be revealed at this year’s event.  Done in the Kentucky Common style and aptly named Common Ground, this beer will offer a blast from the past.  

Kentucky Common Beer is a once-popular style of ale from the area in and around Louisville, Kentucky from the 1850s until Prohibition. This style is rarely brewed commercially today.  In addition, we will also have the amazing beer of West Sixth out of Lexington, KY and Tin Man out of Evansville, IN.  

This event really is about 4 things; great beer, great music, great food, and a great cause.  

By joining with the amazing crew at Kirchhoff’s Bakery & Deli you know the food will be top notch and of the highest caliber.  Louie doesn’t mess around when it comes to a Bavarian spread.  

Just as Kirchhoff’s is a Paducah tradition, we like to think that Maiden Alley Cinema is one as well.  Through expanding our programming to include live music as well as film, we have found that our audience has become more diverse and broad.  This event helps us to raise much needed operating support for the non-profit cinematic art house.  Our mission is film, which allows us to bring a new independent/foreign film or documentary to the big screen every weekend, offer several films series (i.e. Faith in Film, Movies for Me and Film Brew), host rotating art exhibits in our lobby and keep amazing music on our stage through Music@MAC.  

Speaking of music, we have a stellar line-up this year and as well as one additional hour to enjoy the festivities.  Starting the day with local favorites Chris Black & the Eagles of Unemployment and then on to the Paducah Jazz Ensemble Polka Band for some traditional music to match the theme of the day.  

Then, we have the Solid Rock’it Boosters - who always bring down the house.  After that, we venture outside our great city to bring in Curio of Chicago, IL, and then the Loot Rock Gang of St. Louis, MO.   To headline the day, we have Paducah’s own Jessica Lee Wilkes.

There will also be an after party at JP’s Bar & Grill, featuring live music by The Swamp Tigers, Commander Keen, and a few others to be announced.  

And if you are feeling frisky and want to kick off the weekend in style, don’t miss our Maiden Alley Oktoberfest Beer Dinner Friday, October 16 at 7 pm.  With food being prepared by German chef we can’t wait for a truly authentic meal.  There will be 4 courses with a beer pairing for each course.  Anita White of Gold Rush Café is even bringing her mother in from Germany to help in the process.  

Tickets and more information can be found at www.maidenalleycinema.org

Also, you can purchase tickets for both events with CASH or CHECK ONLY at any of these fine Paducah establishments: Roof Brothers Wine & Spirits (Park Ave. location), Kirchhoff’s Bakery, Dry Ground Brewery, Etcetera & Etcetera Squared, Bricolage Art Collective, Gold Rush Café, Max’s Brick Oven, and of course Maiden Alley Cinema.