good life

art. festivals. culture. day trips. hidden gems. good life

PINTS IN A PASTURE

TUCKED INTO ONE SECTION of a 33-acre expanse of rolling green fields in Poolesville is Landmade Brewing, a serene spot where groups can gather for craft beer and to mingle with farm animals. The brewery, which opened off Darnestown Road in February, features a seating area where a wooden fence separates visitors from the animals, including a few donkeys.

In the tasting room (located in a former cattle stable), you can choose from a lineup of beers brewed on-site, ranging from lagers to pale ales and all made with local ingredients, including peaches and apples grown on the farm. Beer sold in a 16-ounce mug costs between $7 and $8. There is ample seating on the property, including chairs and stools around a handful of firepits. S’mores kits are for sale in the farm’s general store.

A quaint food truck parked near the tasting room offers a rotating menu. Recent fare has included leafy salads, sausages, honey buffalo wings and a soft pretzel with beer cheese and mustard. On weekends, the food lineup expands to include breakfast burritos and, on Sundays, a burger.

Leashed and well-mannered dogs are welcome to explore the open space or lounge at your feet.

Landmade Brewing is open 4-8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday and on holidays. 19124 Jerusalem Road, Poolesville, 301-685-7139, landmadebeer.com

A MAGICAL GARDEN

THEY’RE FASHIONED FROM MACRAMÉ and moss,

twigs and gemstones—even a rain boot, a teapot and a miniature cabin atop wood-carved chicken legs. The 150 fairy houses at Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, a sprawling complex in Solomons, Maryland, can be spotted along a half-mile trail.

Among the special activities and exhibits that make up Enchanted Summer at the Garden, the fairy houses are organized into a pair of displays: A short-term set of creations by children runs through July 4, while sturdier structures that can endure sultry summers remain through Labor Day. The builders include professional artists, families and troops of Girl Scouts and Brownies.

Enchanted Summer launched with 35 houses in 2010 and has since spawned a full-on fairy frenzy, featuring such frivolities as a “Fairy Lolly” playspace in a grove of loblolly pine trees, digging for fairy fossils and gems ($15), and the chance to build your own fairy house at the artLAB (a studio for making artwork with recycled materials such as cork, beads and CDs).

Also on tap: Food Truck Fridays, yoga in the garden, a 6-footwide hidden “dragon’s nest” and a “Wild Rumpus Run” obstacle course—plus the complex’s indoor and outdoor exhibitions.

Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center is about 75 miles from Bethesda. Summer hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free (donations welcome). 13470 Dowell Road, Solomons, Maryland, 410-326-4640, annmariegarden.org

good life BEST BETS

Our picks for things to see and do in July and August

BY STEPHANIE SIEGEL BURKE

July 9 STATE CUP

Brewers, vintners and distillers from across the state will showcase their products at the Maryland Beer, Wine, & Spirits Festival. Attendees can sample the libations, all made by Maryland producers. The event also features live music, an artisans market and food trucks. Admission includes sampling, but nondrinkers can get a designated driver pass for a discounted rate.

Noon to 5 p.m.; $15 designated driver pass, $45 general admission (entry at 1 p.m.), $60 VIP pass (entry at noon); Montgomery County Fairgrounds, Gaithersburg, growandfortify.com July 21, Aug. 4, Sept. 15 LET’S DANCE

There are three chances left to Salsa in the Park, Montgomery Parks’ monthly outdoor salsa night, which kicked off in April. The event series, which runs through September, features a live Latin music performance, salsa dance lessons, and food and beverages for sale by local vendors at a different park each month. The July event takes place at Waring Station Local Park in Germantown, August’s event is at Wheaton Forest Local Park in Wheaton, and September’s event is at Long Branch-Arliss Neighborhood Park in Silver Spring.

5-8 p.m., free, various locations, montgomeryparks.org/event-team/salsa-in-the-park

July 23 SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

Put on your boogie shoes, pack a picnic and head to Strathmore’s Bloom at Good Hope: 70s Hits concert, featuring singer Cecily. Backed by a full band, the D.C.-based vocalist promises a high energy, deeply emotional performance of her favorite songs from the 1970s, including dance floor classics, socially conscious hits, and singer/songwriter gems. Chairs, blankets and food are welcome, but alcohol and pets are not allowed. RSVP online.

5 p.m., free/pay-what-you-can, Good Hope Neighborhood Recreation Center, Silver Spring, strathmore.org

BEST BETS

Aug. 12-20 FAIR FANFARE

The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair is known and loved for its farm animals, craft competition, demolition derbies, carnival rides and outrageous foods. This year, the fair welcomes some fresh attractions, including a Cycle Circus, which features bike and motorcycle stunts and acrobatics, and a lumberjack show with log rolling, ax throwing and chopping competitions. You’ll also find live musical performances, magic shows and various vehicle races.

3 p.m. to midnight Aug. 12; 10 a.m. to midnight Aug. 13 and 19-20; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 14-18; $12 in advance, $15 at the gate, free for children 11 and younger, additional cost for rides and some attractions; Montgomery County Agricultural Fairgrounds, Gaithersburg, mcagfair.com

Aug. 3-24 SEEING STARS

The city of Rockville presents four family-friendly films for its summer outdoor movie series, each at a different park, each week throughout August. See The Parent Trap (the 1998 version staring Lindsay Lohan) at Courthouse Square Park on Aug. 3, The Boss Baby at Montrose Park on Aug. 10, The Secret Life of Pets at Potomac Woods Park on Aug. 17, and Shrek at Calvin Park on Aug. 24. Bring a picnic and chairs or a blanket, but no alcohol. Through July 24 IT’S A SIGN

With smashing reviews and box office sales, the Broadway revival of The Actor James CaverlyMusic Man, starring Hugh Jackman, has been credited with energizing New York’s theater scene this year. Locally, Olney Theatre Center is putting a new spin on the musical comedy with a production that features a cast equally comprised of members who are Deaf and members who can hear. The show stars Deaf actor James Caverly (of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building) as con man “Professor” Harold Hill, who comes to River City with a scheme to sell musical instruments and uniforms to the town’s youths and train them to start a band, but then take off with their money without ever giving them lessons. Olney’s production reimagines the play, incorporating American Sign Language into the dialogue, songs and choreography.

$37-$85, Mainstage, Olney Theatre Center, olneytheatre.org

Through Aug. 21 MATH PROBLEMS

Lots of kids—and adults, too—will identify with Fantastagirl, the main character of Adventure Theatre’s new musical Fantastagirl and the Math Monster. The second grade superhero is a whiz at reading but not so confident with her math skills. When she’s confronted with a math test, the Math Monster rears its head, and so does Fantastagirl’s anxiety. But when she tries to use words and grammar to solve problems faced by her friends and family, she finds she needs math to save the day. Written by local playwrights Tori Boutin and Madeline Belknap, the show features songs inspired by 1980s glam rock and synth pop, as well as 1990s hip-hop.

$25, Adventure Theatre, Glen Echo, adventuretheatre-mtc.org n