Celebrations of German culture usually occupy the October calendar across Maryland venues. But this weekend, Irish dance takes the spotlight in Rockville.

On Oct. 11 and 12, the Culkin School of Traditional Dance will host Feis Culkin and the Maryland Fall Championship at the Hilton Washington D.C./Rockville Hotel & Executive Meeting Center.

The Culkin School was founded in 1997 by Sean and Denise Culkin and started out of a church basement in Bethesda. They’ve since expanded to hold classes at Glen Echo Park and Rockville United Methodist Church.

The world of Irish dance competitions can be intense, but dancers are buoyed by a passionate subculture of fans. Here’s what you may want to know if you’re interested in going.

What is a Feis? It’s an Irish word that means “festival.” A Feis is a more localized dance competition that can be a warmup and qualifier for larger, regional competitions called Oireachtas. The school typically hosts Feis Culkin annually and has dancers compete to qualify in the Southern Region Oireachtas, which will be held this year on Dec. 5-7 in Orlando. Sunday’s fall championship is another part of the Feis that will allow dancers to hone their skills before December’s regional meet.

What are the competitions? Reading the schedule for Sunday’s championship is a bit like deciphering codes in the matrix. Dancers compete within age groups and in different styles, such as slip jig, treble jig and hornpipe. Competitors take the floor at 8 a.m. both days starting with team events, followed by individuals.

What else is there to do? Feis Culkin on Saturday will also feature Irish music and language competitions from 1-3 p.m. and a soda bread bake-off at 11 a.m. Also, once traditional competitions are finished, a “spooky special” will feature performances where Halloween costumes are encouraged.

Ginny Bixby contributed to this report.