Writer Kari Martindale this week shares with us her Christmas binder, a project she started more than 20 years ago to keep track of all of her various annual traditions. Filled with recipes, memorable moments, a holiday movie watchlist, Christmas card lists and addresses, festive clippings and other tidbits, it’s an inspiring creative project you might want to try for yourself.
FREDERICK HOMES FOR THE SEASON
The annual Candlelight House Tour showcases historic homes in Frederick — their architecture and seasonal decor. This year’s self-guided tour, created by Celebrate Frederick, runs Dec. 7 and 8 and takes visitors inside private homes elaborately adorned with holiday decorations. Tickets are $25 in advance. Call 301-600-2844 for details.
PREMIERE AT WAREHOUSE CINEMAS
Six friends set out to a secluded house for a relaxing weekend away, when they unwittingly start a snowballing effect of chaos, death and paranoia in the new horror/thriller film “The Only Ones” from Frederick’s Jordan Miller. The movie will premiere locally at Warehouse Cinemas on Dec. 12. The first screening at 8 p.m. has already sold out, but a second screening at 10 p.m. has been added. “The Only Ones” was written and directed by Miller and stars Tatiana Nya Ford, Emily Classen, Zach Ruchkin, Paul Cottman, Cayla Berejikian, Jeb Aufiero, Christopher Inlow and Nancy Anne Ridder. Learn more at futurephantoscope.com.
MASSIVE GINGERBREAD DISPLAY AT FCC
Frederick Community College students have been busy creating a massive gingerbread display that will be featured at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in D.C. beginning Dec 9. The winter-themed piece is 4 by 12 feet and features the National Mall, including the Washington Monument, African American History museum, National Gallery of Art, an ice skating rink, the Smithsonian’s Natural History museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, the botanical gardens, the Smithsonian Castle, and the Sackler and Freer galleries, as well as three statues. The tallest structure is the Washington Monument at 36 inches. The students began prepping for the project in November 2023 and began work on it in May 2024.
A HOMECOMING FOR MARGARET DOWELL AT THE DELAPLAINE CENTER
Margaret Dowell will show new work in the solo exhibition “Dowell Farm” at the Delaplaine Arts Center this month, marking a homecoming of sorts for the artist and arts educator who lived, taught and showed work in the Frederick area from the ‘90s through 2011. The show opens Dec. 7 with a reception and artist talk from 3 to 5 p.m. and will remain on view through Dec. 29. The series of paintings depict the tobacco fields of her family’s Southern Maryland farm.
TRAVEL BACK TO VICTORIAN ENGLAND
Just like Fezziwig’s Christmas party in “A Christmas Carol,” the holiday was celebrated in Victorian times with fancy dress, games, food and a proper cup of tea. Purple Iris in Martinsburg, West Virginia, will host a Victorian Christmas Tea & Party from 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 21 with a full afternoon tea, door prizes, favors, Victorian parlor games, entertainment, a carol sing-along, Christmas shopping, a reading of a Victorian ghost story and an appearance from Santa Claus. And though not required, guests are encouraged to attend in Victorian dress. The deadline for reservations is Dec. 6. See larkintea.com for details.
Keeper of Christmases How to make a Christmas binder
BY KARI A. MARTINDALE
Special to The News-Post
Sometime in November, the clouds part and trumpets sound as I reach for the light blue binder with redlettered “Christmas Organizer” down its snowflake-decorated spine. I pull it off the shelf and sunbeams spotlight a family of snowmen, smiling up at me from the cover, as excited as I am that the most wonderful time of the year is here!
Now at a size of 8.5 by 5.5 inches with 2-inch rings, my Christmas binder has been revamped in recent years to accommodate decades of memories, plans and traditions — past, present and future. It’s filled with my personal blend of organized chaos. Every year, I flip through the pages to see memories, inspiration and reminders.
I purchased the original Christmas Organizer from Barnes & Noble in 2004 when my stepchildren were young, and I began using it to organize Christmas wish lists, schedules, meal plans and the addresses of our Christmas card recipients.
I already had a separate journal with a decorative felt snowman cover, where I’d jot down Christmas memories, but when that journal was damaged in a move, I removed the journaled pages and a few blank pages and inserted them into the Christmas binder. Along with ticket stubs, magazine pages and advertisements, clothing tags, ticket stubs, printouts of social media posts and emails, photos and other random tidbits, the binder has taken on a true scrapbook feel.
The sections of the original planner:
Chapter One: Season’s Greetings, including a Master Card List
Chapter Two: Gifts Galore, including size charts and wish lists
Chapter Three: Eat, Drink & Be Merry, including menu planners and recipe cards
Chapter Four: Deck the Halls, including treasured ornament logs
Chapter Five: Family Traditions, including Christmas Memories journal pages
Chapter Six: Christmas Calendars
I left the chapters intact but reorganized over the years, creating and removing sections to fit my needs. For example, I added “Santa Letters” to hold the letters my daughter Sequoia had written to Santa (which Santa returned to me), and “Nikolaustag” because we celebrated St. Nikolaus Day while living in Germany and still continue to
letter-writing party that got too big,” describing the year so many children wanted to join us in writing to Santa that someone had to reserve us a room at their church to fit everyone.
A newspaper clipping reprinting the famous “Yes, Virginia” letter of 1897 is attached to one of the folders, which holds letters from Santa to my daughter, as well as the note she left Santa in 2013, next to an empty mug and spilt milk: “Sorry the milk fell!”
Next is a card Sequoia created for our late dog Flash, a Jack Russel that inspired my two picture books, one of which is called “The Christmas Flash Couldn’t Even.” A paperback cover from the book is inserted in the binder, and pages from the book are scattered throughout the organizer when the illustrations match the section.
This is followed by a series of photos and drawings of reindeer because my daughter drew Rudolph for several years in a row and I enjoy looking at the progression (her third-grade infographic of a reindeer indicates that they have silver, shiny antlers, are the size of shetland ponies, and are beautiful, smelly and stinky).
CHAPTER TWO: GIFTS GALORE
After the tabbed divider, the section is introduced by an adorable page from one year’s Amazon gift catalog, starting with “Once you turn this page, you’ll enter a world where holiday dreams are made…”
recognize it. Pages I didn’t find useful are now plastered in photos, stickers and other clippings and scraps.
Two years ago, when the elastic band snapped, the binding was cracked, and the rings no longer held all of its pages (which now number over 250), I purchased a new binder with the same cover dimensions but larger rings. I cut the original cover into sections and transferred the original front and back covers to the new binder. Because the spine had become damaged, I photographed it, printed it out and attached the image to the spine of the new binder so it would have a similar look when sitting on the bookshelf.
If I were making a Christmas
organizer from scratch, I’d purchase this binder, which is an Avery mini 3-ring binder that holds 5.5 by 8.5-inch pages, and decorate the cover and organize it similar to how mine now looks after 20 years of use.
When I open my binder, before the organizer begins, the first page is cut from an Amazon catalog and the winter scene boasts “Cheer starts here.”
CHAPTER ONE: SEASON’S GREETINGS
I inserted a charming page from a post office catalog at the beginning of the section. Here, I keep mailing addresses, Christmas-themed postage stamps and holiday address labels.
Folders and envelopes hold letters from my daughter to Santa. Affixed to the first folder is a photo of my Sequoia posing with an official, regulationsized midcentury mailbox used to mail letters to Santa Claus — specifically to Santa Claus, Indiana — to receive a postmarked reply. Then follows a printout of a 2011 email titled “the Santa
There are blank wish-list pages from the original binder, along with clippings and handouts of wish lists from other sources. Expense envelopes and the pages that follow hold old Christmas shoppings lists and wishlists dating back as far as 2005.
Photos of Christmas mornings follow, some with descriptions of favorite moments and gifts, others showing Santa’s gifts under the tree. I added a tabbed divider called “Stockings” for pictures of my daughter opening her overflowing stockings — a highlight of our Christmas mornings.
CHAPTER THREE: EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY
This section includes current and past holiday menus and shopping lists, photos of family meals, ingredient lists for our family’s frequent holiday casseroles and desserts, and photos of building gingerbread houses and baking cookies. I can flip to this section for easy access to ingredients for the shopping list, rather than pull out the recipe book to find each recipe.
Christmas calendars in the binder.
Photos by Kari A. Martindale
Favorite Christmas dishes go in the “Eat Drink & Be Merry” section.
Remembering gifts of the season.
CHAPTER FOUR: DECK THE HALLS
This section begins with photos of past decorated Christmas trees. An old magazine clipping of a Hallmark ad glued to the back of a card featuring a tree sums up how our family feels about Christmas ornaments: “Christmas trees are not for decorating. They’re for sharing your family’s story.”
Next, pages feature photos of Christmas decorations throughout the years (including Sequoia posing on a large stuffed Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer each year from age 1 to 4, perhaps the inspiration for subsequent years of Rudolph drawings and reindeer descriptions).
A printout of a 2011 email includes a perfect example of my Christmas hoarding tendencies and our hodgepodge of decorations: When our tree was too tall to fit the tree topper, I remembered that I’d torn a Target/Salvation Army partnership advertisement out of a magazine in 2006, featuring a small cutout paper angel craft. The email ends with “and now, five years later, Sequoia has placed
a cut, taped paper cone angel at the top of our tree.”
Original organizer pages labeled Treasured Ornaments log some of the ornaments we’ve amassed over the years. Flipping through this year and seeing a photo of the ornament I bought after losing my stepfather in 2022 reminds me that I need to make an ornament in memory of my grandfather and father-in-law, both of whom we lost this year.
In an inventory section, I have photos of decorations with notes about who or where they came from, sentimental value, and traditions attached to them.
An envelope holds brochures from some favorite German Christmas shops, and following a childhood photo of me with our vintage Santa Claus, Indiana, mailbox is a printed blog post about my first trip to the town in 2017.
CHAPTER FIVE: FAMILY TRADITIONS
Every family has their own holiday traditions. My favorite is reading “The Night Before Christmas” on Christmas Eve, so this section begins with a newspaper clipping of “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”
Next is a photo of the original Christmas binder, overstuffed, with
its overstretched elastic band ready to snap. On the back is a handwritten explanation of what this keeper of Christmases means to me.
Then comes the “Tradition” checklist: a spreadsheet of our family traditions, with year columns to color in if we honored the tradition that year. Some traditions, like photos with Santa and making crafts, have fallen by the wayside as children have grown older.
Christmas Eve gets its own page. There are practical reminders for myself, such as to put out baskets for everyone to stick their gifts in after they unwrap them, trash bags to keep the situation under control, and — when we used to handwrite thank you cards — a stack of cards so we could quickly jot down which grandparent sent which gifts in each card. Then comes the list of fun traditions like opening and putting on our matching pajamas, watching one of our Christmas Eve movies, setting out milk and cookies, and reading “The Night Before Christmas.”
When I was a child, with my Christmas money, I bought a Hallmark set of “The Night Before Christmas” pop-up book, cassette and coloring book. My family would read it annually, which I carried into my adulthood. Still using the book I purchased in the ‘80s, everyone takes a turn reading a page. This section is where I’ve stuck some photos of those readings, along with the story of buying the book.
My favorite chart is one that doubles as a sort of to-do checklist and a record of Christmas movies watched each season. I refer to this all month long to jog my memory on favorites. Some movies, like “Elf!,” “The Ref” and multiple “Christmas Carol” versions, are mustwatches. Some years, I’ll notice how long it’s been since we’ve watched a great one, so I’ll add it to the queue, and other years the page reminds me that since 2014, I’ve never had to sit through repeated viewings of Disney’s “Princess Christmas” again.
Another one of our traditions has been visiting Christmas markets, so I keep a running list of markets visited, from Philadelphia to Europe to Colombia. A photo page features favorite moments, like my daughter Sequoia ice skating in Cité de Noël in Liège, Belgium; the beautiful decorations of Michelstadt, Germany’s Weihnachtsmarkt; Sequoia looking up in wonder at the playful Steiff window display at Kassel, Germany’s fairy-tale themed Märchenweihnachtsmarkt; and giddily stepping off of a horse and carriage ride through Nuremberg, Germany’s Christkindlesmarkt.
A collage page features photos of us wearing holiday clothes throughout the years, from Sequoia in Christmas dresses, to dogs dressed as Santa, to my
A favorite Rudolph decoration.
A page for Christmas wish lists.
What would Christmas be without family traditions?
A Deck the Halls inventory.
26)
Swirls of Frederick offers more than summer treats
Tricia Kennedy and Jon Rottenberg knew they were taking a chance when they decided to open a Frederick ice cream shop.
The couple didn’t know a lot about running such a shop, but they enjoyed checking out other ice cream shops in their travels and hoped to bring some of the things they had learned and observed to their own shop, Swirls of Frederick.
Their store, Swirls of Frederick, which opened in June on the first day of summer, is tucked away in the Frederick Shopping Center off of Seventh Street in Frederick.
Along with a freezer full of ice cream, the shop offers treats including soft serve, shakes, sundaes, acai bowls, bubble tea and coffee.
“All these products work together very easily,” Kennedy said.
They wanted to be able to provide something for everyone, Rottenberg said, whether it was parents and children, people who can’t eat dairy, or people who may want coffee instead of ice cream.
They also offer vegan soft serve along with their regular variety.
The store’s ice cream comes from Taharka Brothers Ice Cream in Baltimore and Always Ice Cream in Annapolis, while their coffee comes from Annapolis’ Chesapeake Coffee Roasters.
Meanwhile, they use local honey from an apiary in Walkersville in their acai bowls, teas and other items, Kennedy said.
For most of the time since they’ve opened, people have ordered scooped ice cream, Rottenberg said. But recently, as fall has settled in, more people have been turning to their selection of acai bowls.
They used to live in Florida, where acai bowls are very popular, Kennedy said.
The menu includes options to build your own bowl, as well as their “Signature Bowl,” a melange of acai, granola, banana blueberries, strawberries, mango, coconut and chia seeds, topped with peanut butter and Nutella drizzle.
Along with a snack, people also see acai as a lunch or dinner option, Kennedy said.
— Ryan Marshall
SWIRLS OF FREDERICK
1305 W. Seventh St. #10, Frederick
301-788-1508
swirlsfrederick@gmail.com
Prices: $5-11
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, closed on Mondays.
Staff photos by Katina Zentz
Husband and wife Jon Rottenberg, left, and Tricia Kennedy pose for a portrait at Swirls of Frederick on Nov. 22.
The Swirls Signature Bowl, the signature dish for Swirls of Frederick.
Spires Brass Band will perform its annual Christmas concert with a special guest vocalist Heidi Ackerman
BY CRYSTAL SCHELLE Special to The News-Post
In a small way, Heidi Ackerman’s performance with the annual Spires Brass Band Christmas Concert is a way to thank them for guiding her to her current career.
Ackerman is one of the soloists who will perform with the band at its annual Christmas Concert on Dec. 7 at Frederick Community College.
In 2018, Ackerman, a mezzo-soprano, performed with the band under the direction of its founder and conductor, the late John Slezak.
“He and his lovely wife [Gail] were always so kind to me,” Ackerman recalled. “And they were the ones who called me and told me about the Frederick Chorale doing their artistic director’s search. Mr. and Mrs. Slezak called me and said, ‘You need to apply for this. You’ll be perfect for it.’’
Buoyed by the Slezaks’ recommendation to apply, Ackerman did and was hired in January 2022. Sadly, it was the same year John Slezak died. So when Ackerman was asked if she would be interested in performing again this year, she said yes.
She is excited to sing under the group’s new director, Brian Hinkley. She also is pleased with the song selection, one of which is the Karen Carpenter/The Carpenters medley of “Merry Christmas, Darling” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
Ackerman, who earned her master’s degree in opera and vocal performance from Arizona State University, has performed mostly musical theater and jazz.
“We’re going to do a lovely Ella Fitzgerald arrangement of ‘Winter Wonderland,’ she said. “I’m very excited about those two especially.”
Although her professional career has been singing, Ackerman said she has “an affinity for brass and brass bands,” calling herself a “reformed brass player.” She played French horn during her undergraduate years.
Originally from Phoenix, Ackerman found her way to Maryland after being stationed at Fort Meade as part of the United States Army Field Band. She was still on active duty when she first performed for Spires Brass Band as a member of an Andrew Sisters trio.
“Since leaving that [Army] band, it has been so wonderful to deepen my roots in music communities around Maryland that I wasn’t able to do because we were simply on the road a third of the year,” she said. “So Spires, to me — John and Gail and all the members there — really kind
the other a Russian version complete with the sound of horse bells.
Hinkley said The Carpenters medley performed by Ackerman is part of a Slezak tradition in that it combines the brassiness of the band with the softness of vocals. “He kind of tapped into something that creates a pretty intimate experience with the audience,” Hinkley said. “Having a vocal soloist with a group is a very unique thing, and that’s where we kind of get our slower pieces.”
of reflected the musical roots that are so deep in Frederick. I really enjoyed getting to know the community, just the high caliber of musicianship and dedication of these musicians who are community members. I’m always ready to jump with a chance to work with them. They’re such a wonderful group of people.”
As the official director for about 15 months, Hinkley still finds excitement and reward in his new post, especially working with the musicians themselves.
“It’s been wonderful,” he said. “It seems like I see improvement in little ways, here and there, constantly. It’s nice to see that growth. It’s nice to see that trip in music.”
To put those practices into play, Hinkley promises a lot of upbeat pieces at the Christmas Concert.
“We’ll have some of our standards ,like a couple of movements from ‘The Nutcracker Suite,’ and some of those pieces move pretty quickly,” he said.
The band will perform two versions of the holiday classic “Sleigh Ride,” one by American composer Leroy Anderson, and
He said mixing a popular song with Christmas classics gives it a different perspective.
“Because, we as brass players, we can be loud, we can play fast, we can dazzle,” he said. “But you bring in a vocalist who sings something that’s very tender, and it can be very gripping to the audience to take them to the other extreme of the emotion.”
One of his favorites, which the band will perform this year, is “Mary, Did You Know?,” which countless people have recorded since Michael English first
Sam Levitan Photography
Heidi Ackerman will be a guest vocalist at the Spires Brass Band Christmas Concert.
Courtesy photo
Vocalist Heidi Ackerman
Mark David Nichols Music director Brian Hinkley
FAMILY
MET’s FUN Company presents ‘Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!’
Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s FUN Company will present “Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!” Re-instituting a nine-year tradition, Junie B. returns to the MET FUN Company stage.
Follow the feisty and irrepressible Junie B. Jones as she plays Secret Santa for her least favorite classmate, Tattletale May. Will Junie B. give Tattletale May exactly what she thinks she deserves, or will the holiday spirit force a change of heart?
her role as Junie B., alongside Lauren Johnson as Lucille/ Elf Ellen and Tori Weaver as May.
Performances are at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 1:30 p.m. on Sundays.
Arrive early to enjoy crafts and activities in the lobby. Patrons will have the opportunity to have their crafts featured in the show, as part of the set.
CONCERT
(Continued from 7)
released it in 1991. Ackerman will join the band for the performance.
Marvin Wilke, board president, said the band has been really excited to have Hinkley as director. He said several special productions have been staged during the past season, including a May concert featuring Frederick County fifth-graders. The band also performed a British Invasion concert featuring the rock ‘n’ roll of UK artists.
“It was really well-received,” said Wilke, who is also a charter founding member of the group and former student of Slezak.
Wilke said the Christmas concert is always a favorite among fans.
SPIRES BRASS BAND CHRISTMAS CONCERT
When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7
Where: Jack B. Kussmaul Theater at Frederick Community College, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick
Tickets: $20 for adults, $5 for students (ages 6 through those with active student ID), free for toddlers. Tickets are available at the box office 45 minutes before the performance.
Info: spiresbrassband.org
change the songs performed at the concert, especially for their loyal following.
With plenty of laughs and life lessons, it’s the perfect holiday treat for the whole family, particularly geared toward children ages 5 to 12.
FUN Company artistic director and MET ensemble member Julie Herber directs the show, which runs through Dec. 22 at the MET in downtown Frederick.
The cast includes Karli Cole reprising
The show runs approximately 55 minutes with no intermission. ASL interpretation and audio description services can be arranged in advance through the box office.
Tickets are priced from $17 to $20. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 301-694-4744, online at marylandensemble.org, or in person at the MET at 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick.
“I think this concert is going to be really exciting for the community because we’re going to do everything from some really traditional Christmas, nice, melodic pieces, and all the way up to a really fast and exciting version of the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas,” he said.
He’s also looking forward to celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary in the spring with another concert.
Hinkley said they will continue to
“We try to keep them happy and keep them coming back, but we’re also trying to reach to new audience members,” he said. “We’re trying to get in touch with people who either don’t know who we are or have never come to a performance.”
Crystal Schelle is a journalist whose work has been published locally, regionally and nationally. She enjoys trivia, cats and streaming movies.
Enjoy a festive walk down Historic Thurmont Main Street for our Small Town Christmas on Main by visiting our local shops & Pop-Up Shops along the way!
Shop for unique & special gi s from our shops & local vendors you won’t nd online. Take pictures in front of beautiful window displays and all the colorful lights adoring our urmont Main Street Area! Start a tradition this year by planning a Small Town Christmas on Main in urmont from 5-9 pm.
M.R. Cheesecakes
Rosie Cheeks Distillery
Red Envelope Coffee
The Munch Mobile-Sweets & Mini Donuts
Fordham Lee Distillery
Music by Paul Zelenka & Co. at 10Tavern
Wear your ‘bestess, ugliest’ holiday sweater and enter the contest at 10Tavern at 8:30
East Main Street:
Studio 24E – Pop Up Shops inside
Gateway Flowers – Pop Shop inside 10Tavern-Christmas Drink Specials
Water Street:
urmont Kountry Kitchen for dinner specials
Main Street Center - Pop Up Shops inside Catoctin Mountain Massage & Wellness Center
The Frederick Mom’s recommendations for the weekend of Dec. 6
Activities to do with the kids this weekend, courtesy of The Frederick Mom.
S’mores with Santa 4 to 8:45 p.m. Dec. 6
Snook Family Farm Agricultural Center of Utica District Park, 10200-B Old Frederick Road, Frederick
$30 per family
Families of up to 10 individuals can reserve their own campfire and enjoy s’mores with Santa this Friday at Utica Park! A s’mores toppings bar and hot cocoa bar will be included. Get ready to tell Santa your every wish! This event is available every Thursday and Friday from Dec. 5 through 20. Choose from three sessions offered from 4 to 5:15 p.m., 5:45 to 7 p.m. or 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. Advanced registration is required. For tickets, visit recreater. com.
Wild for Winter
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 7
Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center, 2929 Sumantown Road, Middletown
$7 per person
Winter is calling! Celebrate the beauty of the outdoors with the whole family this Saturday at Catoctin Creek Park! All ages can enjoy a variety of self-paced, family-friendly, nature-based activities, nature crafts, a hike and a warm, seasonal treat. A playground is also onsite and can be enjoyed. An average visit to the program is 1.5 hours. Advance registration is required. For tickets, visit recreater.com.
Jumbo’s fourth annual Christmas on the Farm will give the whole family something festive to do. Get in the holiday spirit with live music from the Jolly Elves while taking photos with
Santa Claus himself! Explore craft vendors with unique gifts, handmade treasures and holiday decor from local artisans. Food trucks and sweet treats will be onsite. Families can experience the magic of Christmas with viewing a live nativity scene on the farm. Adults and teens can join Succulents by Jess for a creative Christmas tree making activity. Jumbo’s is just the place to be Saturday for any age.
Hometown Holidays in Brunswick
9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 7
1 W. Potomac St., Brunswick Free
Join the community of Brunswick on Saturday for a one-day event filled with festive experiences for the entire family! Kick off the morning with Breakfast with Santa from 9 to 11:30 a.m. (8 to 9 a.m. Sensory Hour session) at the Brunswick Vol. Fire Co., 1500 Volunteer Drive.
(See MOM 18)
TIFFANY MAHANEY
Tiffany Mahaney
Santa Farm Fest at Green Meadows Farm.
Tiffany Mahaney
Hometown Holidays in Brunswick.
HISTORY
New National Road Museum in Boonsboro will tell the story of Route 40
BY ERIK ANDERSON
Special to The News-Post
Following 12 years of effort and anticipation, the National Road Museum in Boonsboro will have a public “soft open” on Dec. 14 and 15.
It will be the only museum in the world dedicated solely to telling the story of the National Road. Authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1806, it was the first highway built entirely with federal funding. It was constructed from 1811 through the 1830s before being turned over to states and private toll companies, and it remained one of the most important East-West corridors until the construction of the interstate system in the 1950s.
“The road was the connection to the wilderness of what we now know as Ohio, Illinois and Indiana,” said Reuben Moss, executive director of the museum. “Those were new states, and they had no way to connect with the cities of the East. This road was the government’s answer for westward expansion. It was essential commerce. It was essential for the growth of the nation.”
As originally constructed, the road stretched from Baltimore to Ohio. A large portion of its original layout is now designated as Alternate Route 40 between Frederick and Hagerstown and includes Boonsboro’s entire main street. The new museum sits a few yards back from the road that forms its raison d’etre.
Originally a hardware store, the museum building was purchased by a philanthropist in 2005 who wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with the building, Moss said. The then-director of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine pointed out the need for the road museum, and work on restoring the building began in 2012.
Moss said he is still waiting to hear the final total, but says a “significant investment” has been made by over a dozen corporate donors and nonprofit
The National Road Museum will open Dec. 14 in Boonsboro. It will be the only museum in the world dedicated to telling the story of the National Road.
organizations, including The Maryland History Trust and the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area.
Visitors to the museum will encounter educational exhibits that will explain the evolution of the road, from the joining together of existing main streets, through its disrepair and disuse following the Civil War to its revitalization in the 1920s.
Moss says the museum is full of artifacts that reveal a common theme about the road’s relationship to technology. From the beginning, the road depended on the latest developments. It was the first in the country to use McAdam paving, a method of crushing stone to form a hard surface similar to modern roads.
Wikimedia Commons/Peetlesnumber1
A sign for the National Road in Richmond, Indiana, in 2012.
While the exact composition of today’s asphalt has changed since the 19th century, our roads are still paved using the same principles applied to the old national pike.
But the museum operates under the same organizational banner as the existing Boonsboro Trolley Station Museum in part as a reminder that technology is a give and take.
The development of trains led to a drop in revenues for the toll companies that maintained the national road, leading to their eventual demise. Road conditions got so bad after the Civil War, Moss said, traveling from Middletown to Frederick in a horse-drawn cart could take a full day.
In those conditions, when the electric trolley system arrived in the 1890s to reduce that travel time to half an hour, it seemed like technology had dealt a final blow to conventional road travel.
But as the automobile developed in the early 1900s, the federal government took a renewed interest in roads, and by the mid 1920s, the old national road was
(See ROUTE 40 30)
Courtesy photo
Forget Munich! America’s best Bavarian-style Christmas markets revealed
BY SAGE SCOTT FOOD DRINK LIFE
Looking for a taste of Europe without leaving the United States? These Bavarian-style Christmas markets across America will bring you the magic of Germany’s beloved holiday traditions, complete with gluhwein, handcrafted gifts and enchanting festive atmospheres. This holiday season, experience the warmth and wonder of authentic Bavarian-style Christmas markets right here in the U.S. without taking a long-haul flight to Munich. Located in quaint towns and bustling cities, these markets offer the perfect blend of holiday cheer, traditional crafts and delicious food, making them a must visit for anyone seeking a magical Christmas experience.
CARMEL
CHRISTKINDLMARKT
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt transports visitors to a festive European village in the heart of Indiana. This market features over 50 vendors selling traditional German gifts, decorations and foods. Stephanie Rytting of USA Adventurer says, “This event is not just the term Christkindlmarkt slapped on any old event. The setting, food, drink and gifts truly could be right at home in Germany or Austria.” Visitors can also enjoy a picturesque ice skating rink, wooden chalets lined with garland and the towering Christmas pyramid, which creates a magical backdrop.
A highlight for food lovers is “kartoffelspeiss,” spiralized potatoes on a stick. You’ll also find “flammkuchen,” a savory flatbread and “raclette,” melted cheese spread over bread. Stephanie sums up the experience: “Make sure you come hungry.” And for those looking to skate, she advises, “You’ll want to make a reservation online ahead of time to help beat the crowds.”
FRANKENMUTH
CHRISTKINDLMARKT
Nestled in Michigan’s Little Bavaria, the Frankenmuth ChristKindlMarkt transforms the quaint town into a winter wonderland. With its cozy heated tents, the market brings a slice
Do your holiday shopping in style.
of Germany to Michigan, filled with the delicious aromas of bratwurst sizzling on the grill, steaming mugs of gluhwein and freshly baked holiday treats like stollen.
Brandy Gleason, a regular visitor from nearby Ohio and owner of Gleason Family Adventure, describes the market as “magical,” adding, “Frankenmuth crackles with Christmas excitement … the sights and sounds of Christmas surround you.” This market is a beloved holiday tradition in the Midwest with a charming skating rink, a singing Christmas tree and beautifully decorated Bavarianstyle architecture.
CHRISTKINDLMARKET CHICAGO
As one of the most authentic
Bavarian-style Christmas markets in the U.S., Christkindlmarket Chicago brings European holiday charm to the heart of the Windy City. Opening the weekend before Thanksgiving and running up to Christmas, the market features traditional German crafts, authentic food and the ever-popular gluhwein in a souvenir mug.
A loyal local visitor, Michelle Price of Honest and Truly, shares, “It’s a must visit every year. The vendors bring authentic foods and toys straight from Bavaria.” She recommends visiting on a Tuesday to avoid the weekend crowds and visiting early in the season to ensure you get one of the coveted souvenir mugs, which sell out fast.
Foodies will love the market’s extensive selection, from warm roasted nuts to Bavarian pretzels.
“Come hungry,” Michelle adds. She suggests the Timber Haus offering hearty Bavarian meals in a warm setting for a cozy escape. Her final tip? “Dress warmly and pack your patience because this beloved Chicago tradition is always bustling with holiday spirit.”
OLD WORLD CHRISTMAS MARKET
Held annually in early December at the picturesque Osthoff Resort, the Old World Christmas Market offers a delightful European holiday experience. With heated tents brimming with German and European crafts, visitors can sho p for intricately crafted ornaments, delicate jewelry and Russian nesting dolls, all while
Food Drink Life/Associated Press
HCC Student Art Exhibit — Dec. 5-13, Hagerstown Community College, Kepler Center, Robinwood Drive, Hagerstown. Features artwork from students enrolled in the visual arts studio courses this fall, including drawing, painting, photography, digital art and ceramics. Opening reception 5 to 7 p.m, featuring performances by HCC’s Contemporary Music and Choral Ensemble. Exhibit hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 240-500-2221 or hagerstowncc.edu.
Chris Mona: Recent Solo Projects & Collaborative Projects — through Dec. 13 at Esther Prangley Rice Gallery, located in Peterson Hall at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster. This solo exhibition features works by Anne Arundel Community College professor Chris Mona, including printmaking projects done in collaboration with Pyramid Atlantic Art Center founder Helen Frederick, who he began collaborating with in 2023. OCMwork@mcdaniel. edu, 410-857-7000, chrismona.com.
”Brushes With History: Inspiring the Personality of Frederick” — through Dec. 14, Museum of Frederick County History/Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Features the works of a few of the most notable artists who have worked in Frederick County, past and present. With beautiful paintings of the county’s landmarks and natural splendor, our story explores the ways in which the visual arts provided economic opportunity to individuals and communities. Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 301-6631188 or frederickhistory.org.
Most Popular Art From the 2024 Wine and Art Series — through Dec. 15, Links Bridge Vineyards, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont. Over the year, guests voted on their favorite pieces during each of the 12 exhibits. For a grand finale we have invited each of the 31 contributing artists to bring back their most popular work: photography, oil, acylic, mixed media. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends or by appointment. 301-466-2413, linksbridgevineyards.com.
”Impressions of Frederick: Reimagining Perception” — through Dec. 29, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Ron Ames approach to photography attempts to use the camera like a brush to reimagine perception, to alter, not only what he sees, but how he sees it. Using long exposure techniques and intentional camera movement, Ames creates abstracted images of the world around him. Gallery hours
“What About the Women?” runs through Dec. 31 at Ferleman Gallery, 9 N. Centre St., Cumberland. Work by Kim Klabe, like the piece shown here, offers an in-depth exploration into the themes of femininity, resistance and the cultural dynamics surrounding the female identity.
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.
”Waterworks” — through Dec. 29, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Combining photography, wood, and ceramics, the work in this exhibition, by Linda Agar-Hendrix, explores water as a theme and hopes to express its varying aspects through the variety of techniques and materials. Hours
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.
”/bodycrumbs” — through Dec. 29, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Photography and mixed media. As a way to combat anxiety and chronic pain, Ally Christmas’s work focuses on repetition in production, simulating ritual. Her work vacillates between more traditional forms of photography and alternative and mixed-media methods including cyanotype printing and handembroidered images. Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.
Baltimore Watercolor Society’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Exhibition — through Jan. 5 at Gaithersburg Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. The annual regional juried exhibition featuring the work of more than 90 of the best watercolor artists. A variety of educational opportunities will be available during the exhibit. See gaithersburgmd.
”ReMEMBERS”: NOMA Alumni Invitational Exhibit — Dec. 6-29, NOMA Gallery, 437 N. Market St., Frederick. This eclectic group of artists will be showing work including jewelry, painting, ceramics, fabric art, printmaking and more. To view the list of participating artists, visit nomagallery/frederick.com. Gallery hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. 240367-9770.
Dowell Farm Paintings — Dec. 7-29, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Margaret Dowell collapses time and space in this series of paintings, using the tobacco fields of her family’s Southern Maryland farm as a way to think about the correlations between an artist’s labor in the studio and the labor of her ancestry. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.
gov for details. gaithersburgmd.gov/ recreation/visual-arts.
”Floating Beauty: Women and the Art of Ukiyo-e” — through Jan. 12, 2025, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. This exhibition examines historical perspectives on women and their depiction in art from Edo Period Japan (1615 – 1858). Organized and drawn from the collection of the Reading (Pa.) Public Museum, this exhibition features over 50 woodblock prints, including works by ukiyo-e masters. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 301-739-5727 or wcmfa.org.
”Sunflowers & Snow” — through February 2025, Garryowen Irish Pub, 126 Chambersburg St., Gettysburg, Pa. Paintings and prints by Dorothea Barrick. Daily 11 a.m. to midnight. 240674-9488 or 717-337-2719.
”Unraveling Narratives: A Dialogue in Toile” — Dec. 6 through Jan. 12, 2025, Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. The exhibition aims to foster a visual conversation that highlights the interplay between tearing, collaging and the rhythmic motion of needle and thread. Works by Kate Norris and Jennifer McBrien. Opening reception 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 13. Noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
”Inspired by ...” — Dec. 7-29, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. This exhibition features a wide range of quilting imagery, color and techniques. Clustered Spires Quilt Guild members were asked to make work that is a reflection on personal inspiration and to include imagery and words based on where that inspiration motivates their creative work. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-6980656 or delaplaine.org.
15th Annual Community Art Show: The Best of Local Art — Dec. 12 through Jan. 7, 2025, Washington County Arts Council, 34 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Opening reception 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 12, Virtually Dec. 14. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. 301791-3132 or washingtoncountyarts. com.
Jennifer Hudson: Solo 2025 and Bonnie Zuckerman: Forest of Dreams Exhibits — Jan. 9 through Feb. 4, Washington County Arts Council, 34 S. Potomac St., Suite 100, Hagerstown. Opening reception 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 9; virtual exhibit available Jan. 11. Hours 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. 301-791-3132 or washingtoncountyarts.com.
15th Annual Washington County Art Educators Exhibit — Feb. 6 through March 4, Washington County Arts Council, 34 S. Potomac St., Suite 100, Hagerstown. Opening reception 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 6. Virtual exhibit online Feb. 8. Gallery hours 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. 301-791-3132 or washingtoncountyarts.com.
Courtesy photo
Margaret Dowell collapses time to explore her family heritage of tobacco farming in new exhibition of paintings
BY LAUREN LAROCCA llarocca@newspost.com
Those familiar with Margaret Dowell’s work know that her paintings make a statement, so it’s no wonder that each piece in her recent series, “Dowell Farm,” has a backstory.
The longtime Frederick County resident and arts educator moved back home to Calvert County’s Sunderland in 2011 to care for her aging father. He would, unfortunately, die about five months later, but Dowell remained at the family farm where she grew up.
She remembers looking out at the fields at the time — once a vibrant tobacco farm — only to see they were becoming overgrown with saplings. Having had the experience and mentality for farm work since growing up there, Dowell got a bush hog and began to clear the farm herself and slowly started tending the land — all while continuing to teach and produce her own artwork.
Fast forward to present day, and she no longer manages the whole farm but continues to keep some chickens and raised beds for vegetables, while a neighbor grows hay in Dowell’s fields. She also spends a lot of time painting.
Her most recent body of work depicting her time and heritage on the land will be shown in the solo exhibition “Dowell Farm” from Dec. 7 to 29 at the Delaplaine Arts Center in Frederick, and she will be onsite for a short artist talk and opening reception from 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 7.
“This show is almost like a homecoming,” said Dowell, who served on the Delaplaine Arts Center board of directors in the mid-‘90s and was given curatorial opportunities while there. “I miss friends and the art scene there.”
Her series of oil paintings delve into the personal and cultural history of the farm up through present day, with themes of family lineage and roots running through.
The 77-acre farm that Dowell calls home started in her family in the 1700s as a tobacco farm — tobacco long being an economic driver in Calvert County until recent years.
Her dad was the last tobacco farmer there, and Dowell grew up working in the fields “with everyone else,” she said. “It was a little rustic. We didn’t have running water.”
“Leroy’s Gifts” is the only piece in the exhibition that has been shown in Frederick previously — in fact at the Delaplaine, in 2001. It shows the hands of Dowell’s father, whose name was Leroy, holding a crop of big, juicy tomatoes in his hands, against a backdrop of white roses inspired by a rose bush in Dowell’s former
IF YOU GO
“Dowell Farm,” a solo exhibition of work by Margaret Dowell, runs Dec. 7 to 29 at the Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. An opening reception will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 7. Prints of her work will be available in the gift shop for $20, with proceeds going to the Delaplaine Center.
yard in Woodsboro, mixed with actual dirt from her dad’s garden in Sunderland. Dowell considers it the anchor of the show.
“One of the best memories I have of my dad is his bringing vegetables into the house,” Dowell recalled. “He had huge hands, and he grew everything organically, and he would bring these veg-
etables in and plop ‘em down — he didn’t even use baskets most of the time.”
This was the earliest piece she created about the farm, but after moving there, she found more and more inspiration to paint it.
Early upon arriving back home, for instance, she attended the Calvert County Fair and saw a small sign that said they no longer featured tobacco at the fair, that it was a “thing of the past,” Dowell recalled. “And I’m thinking, that’s the saddest thing. Years ago, this was the place where everybody brought in their sticks of tobacco, they were judged, and everybody was real happy when they won an award … it was a big deal because that was the culture here. Everything revolved around tobacco growing. They even had church suppers before farmers started to cut their tobacco so there’d be no interruption. This was tobacco country.”
Dowell took it upon herself to start growing some tobacco. She rounded up a few people to help her plant it, hang it up, and ultimately enter it into the next year’s fair, and they won first prize — because there wasn’t really any competition. But following that, other people in the community started growing tobacco, too, and Dowell began collecting tobacco seeds to hand out.
She then painted “Tobacco in My Veins,” her first new piece related to the farm, which will be shown at the Delaplaine.
She still grows a small patch each year — enough for people to see when they visit, so Dowell can share the history.
“One of the challenges for me is that I’m still honoring tobacco as the farming that supported this community while also
(See DOWELL 30)
Courtesy photo
“Dr. Margaret Dowell (2022) and Dr. Nathanial Carroll (circa 1850s),” by Margaret Dowell.
Get jolly at TAG
TAG/The Artists Gallery will celebrate the holiday season with an exhibition and pop-up craft market, where visitors can purchase one-of-a-kind gifts.
Affordable art and unique crafts will be featured in December’s show, “Jolly.” In addition to paintings, drawings, sculptures, pottery and mixedmedia pieces, TAG artists are offering tote bags, ornaments, hand-painted greeting cards and other holiday gift items.
Meet the artists and enjoy refreshments from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 7 during the opening reception.
“Jolly” opens Dec. 6 at TAG/The Artists Gallery, 501 N. Market St., Frederick. See theartistsgalleryfrederick.com, or call 301-228-9860 for more information.
HCC to hold fall student exhibition and ensemble performances
The English and Humanities Division at Hagerstown Community College will host its Student Art Exhibition and Ensemble Performances from Dec. 5 to 13 in the Kepler Center on HCC’s main campus.
The exhibition will feature artwork from students enrolled in the visual arts studio courses this fall, including drawing, painting, photography, digital art and ceramics. The exhibit will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The opening reception for the exhibition will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 5 in the Kepler Center. The evening’s festivities will feature musical performances from HCC’s Contemporary Music and Choral Ensemble. The event is open to the public.
Hagerstown Community College is at 11400 Robinwood Drive, Hagerstown.
For more information, contact Margaret Yaukey, visual arts program coordinator, at 240-500-2221 or mayaukey@hagerstowncc.edu.
TAG artist Rhonda Smith’s handcrafted tote bags at TAG’s holiday market.
TAG artist Palma Brozzetti offers her handmade greeting cards during the December show.
Courtesy photos
Pat Scull’s ceramic sculptures at TAG’s holiday market.
Couresy photo
“Memories of My Place,” by HCC student Mesza Gibson.
HOME FOR THE
SUNDAY DECEMBER 15, 2P.M. AND 5P.M. KUSSMAUL THEATER FREDERICK COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Holiday favorites including the Downton Abbey Suite , Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Trumpets , and others. For tickets and information, visit fredericksymphony.org or call 301-685-3585.
SPIRES BRASS BAND
FCC students build giant GINGERBREAD HOUSE for D.C. display
BY DAWN MORGAN NEARY Special to The News-Post
Locals and travelers alike flock to the historic, luxurious Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C., especially during the Christmas season. A block from the White House and an hour from downtown Frederick (rush-hour traffic notwithstanding), the festive Willard lobby hosts a complementary caroling program nightly from Dec. 1 to 23.
Another holiday tradition is their annual gingerbread display, which premieres at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 9. The theme for this year’s display honors the National Mall and the icons surrounding it.
For more than six months, many Frederick County high school and post-secondary students worked tirelessly to build their sweet contribution to this year’s display.
According to Frederick Community College’s Elizabeth DeRose, program manager of the Hospitality, Culinary and Tourism Institute, the Willard chose FCC as one of this year’s participants, and the “impressive project began this past summer with expert guidance” from FCC instructor-chef Mark Mills.
Mills reached out to Phil Arnold, instructor for the Architecture/ CAD/Engineering program at the neighboring Frederick County Public School’s Career and Tech Center, and “asked if Phil would be interested. He was very eager,” said DeRose.
HCTI Chef Missy Miller and Virginia Bramante, founder of Ginger’s Breadboys, rounded out the team.
To start, the HCTI students baked and dehydrated the gingerbread, and CTC’s Arnold took it to his students, who laser-cut the pieces.
Willard InterContinental chefs also provided guidance. About a month ago, they “came up to inspect and give students feedback on the
Staff photo by Katina Zentz Pieces of gingerbread that represent the architecture of the National Museum of African American History and Culture are shown at the Frederick Community College’s Monroe Center on Nov. 21.
Charles Pham
FCC students work on constructing a massive gingerbread house.
Pieces of gingerbread at the Frederick Community College’s
project,” said DeRose. She said HCTI students also took a field trip earlier in the semester to the hotel, where they toured the kitchens, learned about careers in the industry, and were treated to lunch. She added that the Willard “will be awarding internships to students as a culmination to this project.”
They are continuing to work on the massive gingerbread creation, DeRose said. Their deadline is Dec. 5.
“Because of the additional bakeries and restaurants opening in the area, the demand for our students far outweigh supply,” DeRose said, adding that students have a 100% placement rate upon graduation. To accommodate the growing need of
Laykin Capel works on details for the gingerbread house at Frederick Community College’s Monroe Center on Nov. 21.
the program, HCTI recently opened its second kitchen lab, which will focus on baking.
FCC offers workforce training programs, certificates and associates degrees in hospitality, culinary arts and tourism. The associates programs typically take two years when completed full-time. The certificates can be completed in as little as three semesters. Competitive apprenticeships are awarded to select students, where they work full-time and their employer covers the cost of their tuition.
HCTI alumni work at bakeries, restaurants, and event venues such as Ceresville, DeRose said. She added that because there are no other culinary or baking in schools regionally, “we pull students from all over and place them in internships near where they live.”
The Frederick News-Post wrote previously on 200 Monroe, the highly rated student-run restaurant that functions as a capstone project for HCTI students. It is open every Thursday evening during the school year.
“At least half the guests every week say they never heard of us,” said DeRose.
Reservations for 200 Monroe open at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters and fill quickly. DeRose said to sign up for alerts on Open Table because they usually get cancelations each week.
The busy students of the HCTI won’t get much relief after the gingerbread project is completed. DeRose said they’ve been selected by King Arthur Baking Company to participate in a recipe contest in April, and local bakers, like Twin Bear’s Andy Roy, will be among the judges.
Dawn Morgan Neary has been a freelance writer and multimedia producer for more than 20 years. She has reported for the Tampa Bay Times, Current, Creative Loafing, Philadelphia Weekly and others.
Staff photo by Katina Zentz
Staff photos by Katina Zentz
College’s Monroe Center on Nov. 21.
GERMAN
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soaking in the festive European market charm.
Wisconsin native Lori Helke describes the experience: “It’s a full sensory experience. Nothing gets me in the Christmas spirit more than the Old World Christmas Market.” She also recommends taking a horse-drawn wagon ride through the enchanting village of Elkhart Lake, while sipping hot gluhwein. Traditional holiday food stalls serve up bratwurst and apple strudel. And Lori fondly recalls: “My mom never left the market without a potato pancake.”
TEXAS CHRISTKINDL MARKET
Located in Arlington, a sister city to Germany’s Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the Texas Christkindl Market is one of the largest Bavarian-inspired holiday markets in the Southern U.S. It brings a taste of Germany to Texas with traditional market stalls offering handcrafted gifts, nutcrackers, Käthe Wohlfahrt merchandise and live entertainment. Kirsten Maxwell, owner of Kids are a Trip, shares that “the market incorporates some of the traditions from German markets,” including a Schnitzel Haus serving German sausages and schnitzel.
For an authentic holiday experience, visitors can enjoy “gebrannte mandeln,” or sweet roasted almonds, while browsing the stalls. Kirsten recommends visiting at night to enjoy the full charm of the market’s holiday lights. Although smaller than some U.S. Christmas markets, it delivers a cozy, festive atmosphere that transports visitors to Europe without leaving Texas.
DENVER CHRISTKINDLMARKET
During the holidays, Civic Center Park in downtown Denver transforms into a festive Europeanstyle village for the annual Christkindlmarket. With traditional German vendors offering hearty sausages, warm pretzels and steaming cups of gluhwein, the market recreates a cozy European village in the heart of Denver, set against the stunning backdrop of the Capitol’s holiday lights.
Travel writer Michelle Moyer of Moyer Memoirs notes, “Small vendors line the walkways in
traditional huts, displaying merchandise worth of an authentic Bavarian market.” Travel writer at Carey On Travels, Sonia Monahan, describes it as a cherished holiday tradition: “Strolling through the market with a hot gluhwein and pretzel brings back memories of our favorite German markets.” She adds, “The Colorado State Capitol Building next door is also decorated for the holidays, adding to the festive atmosphere.”
VILLAGE OF LIGHTS: CHRISTMASTOWN
Located about two hours east of Seattle, Leavenworth is a logging town that reinvented itself as a Bavarian-themed village in the 1960s to avoid becoming a ghost town. Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, the quaint village adds another layer of magic with twinkling lights, a gingerbread house exhibit and other festivities. Travel writer Chez Chesak of Chez Connects notes, “Since virtually the whole town was rebuilt in a Bavarian theme, you really feel like you’re in Germany.” The charming architecture and atmosphere make this a perfect place to celebrate the holiday season.
Leavenworth’s restaurants offer classic German dishes like wurst, spatzle and strudel, all of which Chesak describes as authentic and delicious. However, the town can get crowded, especially on weekends when buses roll in from Seattle. Chez recommends planning your visit during the week or a less busy time to best enjoy the town decked out for the holidays.
MAGICAL BAVARIAN-STYLE MARKETS AWAIT
Whether you’re planning a festive getaway or exploring a market closer to home, these Bavarian-style Christmas markets are ready to whisk you away into the magic of the season. They capture the spirit of Christmas, inviting you to return year after year.
Sage Scott was bitten by the travel bug as a preschooler when her family moved abroad for the first time. Now settled in America’s Heartland, Sage is a travel writer, world wanderer and photographer whose favorite color is golden hour.
MOM
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For lunch, let the Ambulance Co. Food Sale serve you from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Railroad Square, 100 S. Maple Ave. Children can drop off letters to the North Pole at the Santa Mailbox between 12:30 and 4:30 p.m. on Railroad Square, 100 S. Maple Ave. The most exciting part of the day is the Train Rides with Santa, Mrs. Claus, the Grinch and Rudolph on an hour round-trip experience offered at 1 p.m. and again at 3 p.m. for $15 per person. Sign up to ride the train through Eventbrite. Shop local vendors between 2 and 7 p.m. at Martin’s Creek Parking Lot. Then, the Jingle Bell Run and Santa Stroll takes place at 3 p.m. at Square Corner Park, 8 N. Maple Ave. Stay to enjoy the town’s Holiday Parade from W. Potomac St. to Square Corner Park starting at 4 p.m. The City’s tree lighting follows the parade. Then join Santa Claus at the tree for photos!
Santa’s Farm Fest
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 7 and 8 Green Meadows Petting Farm, 10102 Fingerboard Road, Ijamsville $18 per person for ages 2+ Bring the family to Green Meadows Farm on Dec. 7, 8, 14 and 15 to enjoy Christmas at the Farm. Take free pictures with Santa, the Grinch, Elsa and all their adorable back-drops! Enjoy the Animal Barn with lots of friendly, furry animals to pet. Visit the stables with vendors to shop or be creative and make some crafts. Enjoy a holiday hayride then warm up by their fire pit. Concessions are available, and there are many playgrounds for the kids. Last admission is at 3 p.m., as the farm closes at 4:30 p.m. Purchase tickets at the Admission Barn or in advance at greenmeadowsevents.com/ santafarmfest-tickets.
Christmas in New Market
1 to 6 p.m. Dec. 7
140 W. Main St., New Market Free
The small but great town of New Market hosts their annual holiday event on Saturday, starting with the parade at 1 p.m. Join the community for festive activities, music, drinks and food at the New Market Park, 48 E. Main St. Then visit Green Valley Therapy at 4 W. Main St. for selfies with Santa from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Stay for the town’s annual tree lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. at the New Market Park with Christmas caroling and hometown performances. This annual tradition is perfect for all ages.
Hometown Holidays in Brunswick.
Middletown’s Christmas in the Valley
4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 7
31 W. Main St., Middletown Free to attend
Kick off the holiday season on Main Street in Middletown this Saturday for Christmas in the Valley! This annual, allday event will have Ol’ St. Nick visiting with kids, caroling with the Middletown High School Chorus, and helping to light the town’s Christmas tree. Take your photo with Frosty the Snowman at Middletown Valley Bank, 24 W. Main St., roast marshmallows with the Boy Scouts, or join Mrs. Claus for storytelling at More Ice Cream on 13 W. Main St. Stop by to enjoy a musical youth program at Zion Lutheran Church, 107 W. Main St.
Walkersville Festive Christkindlmarket
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 7 Throughout Walkersville Free
Bring the family to watch the seventh annual Walkersville Holiday Parade beginning at 10 a.m. on South Glade Road, Fulton Ave. and W. Pennsylvania Ave. Stroll the quaint, historic streets to shop from local artisans, stores and vendors. Enjoy carolers and musicians while visiting Old St. Nick and his elves. Mrs. Claus will share a special story, too! Tiffany Mahaney is at least a fifthgeneration native to Frederick County, and she now proudly raises her own family here. She is the owner of The Frederick Mom on Instagram. Follow her @thefrederickmom.
Tiffany Mahaney
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA & BABY JESUS!
A family event for all ages
Saturday, December 7, 2024 9 am – 11:30 am Special presentation – The Birth of Christ @ 10:30 am Free Event
Breakfast served all morning
Experience the story of the Nativity, Crafts and Cookie Decorating Station Bush Creek Church of the Brethren 4821A Green Valley Rd Monrovia, Md 21770 301-865-3013
Facebook /com/BCCoB1855
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA
December 08, 2024
8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Laytonsville VFD 21400 Laytonsville Rd
Laytonsville, MD
$15/adults; $8/kids 6-10
5 under Free
For more info call Murphy at 240-876-8937
Benefits the Laytonsville VFD Apparatus Fund
CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ORCHARDS
Available in our Market: Stayman, Empire, Crimson Crisp Apples, Granny Smith, Fuji Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Jonathan & Gala Apples
Seckel & Bosc Pears Kale, Cabbage, Green Bell Peppers, White & Sweet Potatoes
Fresh Baked Fruit Pies, Apple Cider Donuts, Fresh Apple Cider, Jams & Jellies
Apple Cider Slushies. 301-271-2737
Open Daily 9am-5pm 15036 North Franklinville Rd. Thurmont MD
www catoctinmountain orchard com
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
and so much more! 27 vendors, Hand made crafts, Live music, Nativity display, Train display and kids play area, Food for sale with a dining area, Kids shopping room, gift wrapping Saturday Dec 7th 8am-3pm Brook Hill UMC 8946 Indian Springs Rd Frederick,MD
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
Dec. 7th, 9am-2pm Flint Hill Church 2732 Park Mills Road Adamstown, MD Craft vendors call 240-367-7323
Cookie Platters & Bake Table available
CHRISTMAS COOKIE WALK
Sat. Dec 14 • 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Carroll Manor Fire Company 2793 Adams Street Adamstown, MD
Large Assort of Holiday Cookies that YOU Select $12 per lb or $7 per 1/2 lb
Pre-packaged assorted platters are preorder only
Large Platters (2 lb ) $26 00 Small Platters (1 lb ) $14 00 Chris 301-874-5642
Pre-order cookies online: www.carrollmanorfire company com until 12/11
EMMITSBURG COMMUNITY
St Johns Union Church Building Sun , Dec 15 @ 4p
Followed by dinner in the Parish Hall featuring fried chicken, spiral ham, succotash, Harvard beets, sweet potato casserole, macaroni and cheese, cheese platter, cranberry relish, coffee, tea and baked items
St. John's Lutheran Church 8619 Blacks Mill Rd , Creagerstown, MD Call: 301-898-5290
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Jefferson Ruritan Club COUNTRY BREAKFAST and BUTCHERING
Sat Dec 7, 2024, 7am-11am
Adults $14, Children 6-10 yrs $7; under 6 yrs Free; Pancakes, Eggs, Sausage, Bacon, Fried Country Ham, Pudding, Hominy, Sausage Gravy, Coffee & Juice
Pick up Meat Orders - 8 am - 12 noon; 4603B Lander Rd Jefferson, MD 21755
HILLSIDE TURKEY
FARMS
Turkey, Chicken, Duck, Pork, Beef, Smoked Meats, Deli Meats & Cheeses, Seafood & More Hillsideturkey.com 301-271-2728
30 Elm St Thurmont, MD 21788
Thursday 8-7
Friday 8-3
Saturday 8-12
HOLIDAY CRAFT AND VENDOR EVENT
Hosted by Vigilant Hose Co Activities Bldg , 17701 Creamery Rd Emmitsburg, MD Saturday, December 7 from 9a-4p
Many Crafters and Vendors And much more!
Food available for purchase
Visit with Santa Photos Available for sale Bring families, children and pets!
For more info contact: Sharon Keeney 410746-8776, MaryLou Little 240-285-3184 or Kenny Clevinger 240-393-0758
New Market Grange No 362 HOLIDAY BAZAAR 14 South Alley, New Market, MD
Saturday, December 7, 2024 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Various crafts and unique gift ideas
Same great food as served at the GF Fair, breakfast sandwiches, soups, hot dogs, hamburgers, sloppy joes, and country ham sandwiches
New Midway VFC Co #9 12019 Woodsboro Pike New Midway, MD FIRE PREVENTION SANTA DRIVE THROUGH Sunday, December 3rd 12 30 p m to 1:30 p m
• Santa Goodie Bags
• Craft Bags
• Fire Prevention Bags
• And More!!!
Your Firefighters and EMS Responders are Looking Forward to Seeing You!! Don’t Forget!! Plan and Practice Where Your Families Safe Meeting Place is!
New Midway VFC Co #9 12019 Woodsboro Pike New Midway, MD FIRE PREVENTION SANTA DRIVE THROUGH Sunday, December 8th 12 p m to 1:30 p m
• Santa Goodie Bags
• Craft Bags
• Fire Prevention Bags
• And More!!! Your Firefighters and EMS Responders are Looking Forward to Seeing You!! Don’t Forget!! Plan and Practice Where Your Families Safe Meeting Place is!
Pre-order by 12/02/2024
Pick-up Friday 12/06/2024
Thurmont Ambulance Company Presents FREE BREAKFAST W/SANTA December 14, 2024 7-11 a m Pancakes, Scramble Eggs, Sausage, Orange Juice, Milk, Coffee
Thurmont Event Complex 13716 Strafford Dr Thurmont, MD 21788
Local Mentions Services
VIGILANT HOSE COMPANY
NEW YEAR'S EVE BINGO
17701 Creamery Road, Emmitsburg, MD
Tuesday, 12/31/Doors Open @ 5pm/Games @ 8pm
All Inclusive 9 pk/$50 for 30 games, 2 Jackpots @ $2000 each
5 SPECIALS @ $500 each/All other games $300/Incl Dinner Platter! Reserved seating if tickets purchased by 12/13 Tickets purchased after 12/13 will be $60
No checks mailed after 11/22 For info:
Pam @ 240-472-3484 or @ Marylou @ 240-285-3184
Reserve right to change payouts if 200 are not sold
Weekly BINGO
Every Friday Night Doors open @ 5 p.m., Bingo starts @ 7 p m Bonanza, Early Bird, Regular, Specials, Jackpot! Small Jackpot-$500 Big Jackpot-$1500 Great Food!
Adults must be accompanied by a child Call Jo Ann for Info 240-446-0451
Reservations Recommended At the Fire Hall 2 South 3rd Street, Woodsboro, MD Food and beverages available for purchase
NO Outside food or drinks allowed
Select Home Exteriors ROOFING SIDING WINDOWS GUTTERS Storm Damage?
We specialize in assisting clients with the insurance claim process
Call for your free inspection! MHIC#106434 301-845-7470
Help Wanted Help Wanted
Proffitt & Associates Architects, located in historic downtown Frederick, Maryland, is seeking a full-time Office Manager with strong organizational, financial, and communication skills Role encompasses a wide variety of administrative tasks including reception duties, supporting design staff to maximize their productivity during design and construction, maintaining office environment and equipment, and managing office finances Flexibility, self-starting attitude, and the ability to work professionally in a collaborative process are desired Candidates should have professional administrative experience, preferably in the architecture/engineering field Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Deltek Vision experience are required
Salary range of $60,000-67,000 plus benefits package including employer-paid health insurance, 401K plan, holidays, vacation time, sick, and personal leave as well as employer-paid parking Qualified candidates, please e-mail a resume and cover letter in PDF format to info@proffittandassociates com
Stefan Mach, Owner (301) 788-3061 frederickroofrepair.com
visit our website and fill
Thursday Dec. 5
CLASSES
Fall In Love with Watercolor — 10 a.m. to noon at FAC Studios Classroom, 7 N. Market St., Frederick. Beginners are welcome and will be given individual attention. Develop your personal artistic style and learn watercolor techniques of wet and dry painting. Background painting will be taught as well as how to bring structure and detail into your painting. If you have your own supplies, please bring them to class . For those who do not, please ask for a supply list. All skill levels welcome! Pre-register. $25 per class through Eventbrite. 301-6624190. emma@frederickartscouncil.org.
Beginner Knitting — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Learn the basics from local knitter Terry Cammack. Use our supplies or bring your own. Designed for those who are new to the knit and pearl stitches. 301-600-7000.
Beyond Beginner Knitting — 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Learn the basics from local knitter Terry Cammack. Use our supplies or bring your own. Designed for those who have mastered the knit and pearl stitches. 301-600-7000.
Senior Cafe: The place to come for coffee, conversation, friendship and fun events! Chair Yoga — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Anna with Country Meadows will be back to do a Chair Yoga class. 301-600-8200. fcpl.org.
Duplicate Bridge Games — noon to 4 p.m. at Church of the Transfiguration, 6909 Maryland Ave., Frederick. Looking for a competitive mind sport? Frederick Bridge Club duplicate games allow you to hone your skills. No membership requirements. If you need a partner, call 240-344-4041 or email lffutrell@yahoo.com. $8. 301-676-5656. sdobran@comcast.net. bridgewebs.com/frederick.
200 Monroe Restaurant — 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Monroe Center, 200 Monroe Ave., Frederick. Frederick Community College invites you to enjoy a gourmet dinner
created by students. Guests will enjoy a first course, entree, and dessert freshly made by the baking and pastry class. Reservations required.
Mega Networking at FITCI — 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc., 321 Ballenger Center Drive, Frederick. Join FITCI’s end-of-year “funnest,” fastest, festive facilitated networking. THE event for people who don’t like to network! This event is guaranteed to facilitate over a hundred connections! Be sure to bring hundreds of business cards! 301-694-2999. officemanager@fitci.org. fitci.org/events.
Teen Time: Community Service Project — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Give back to our community by making tie fleece scarves. All materials provided. Scarves will be donated to the Brunswick BEACON Food Pantry and Brunswick House. This program is for teens in 6th through 12th grades (ages 11-18). 301-600-7250. frederick.librarycalendar.com.
FAMILY
S’mores With Santa — 4 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at Snook Family Farm Agricultural Center at Utica District Park, 10200-B Old Frederick Road, Frederick. A s’mores toppings bar and hot cocoa bar will be included. Advanced registration is required. Space is limited. Registration is per family. By registering you are reserving a fire pit for you and your family. One family group per fire pit - a family can include up to 10 individuals. 4-5:15 p.m., 5:45-7 p.m. or 7:30-8:45 p.m. Continues Thursdays and Fridays through Dec. 20. $30. 301-600-2936. recreater.com.
FESTIVALS
Scents & Sweets Competition and Auction — 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Free to attend. The holidays bring out the creativity in all of us, so why not let the gingerbread structures and floral arrangements at this year’s Scents & Sweets competition inspire you? Exhibit and reception showcasing festive gingerbread and holiday wreath creations. celebratefrederick.com.
MUSIC
Jazz Night — 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Mainstage Theatre, WMC Alumni Hall, McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster. Senior
adjunct lecturer Tim Jenkins directs the concert featuring diverse styles of jazz, including classic big band swing, bebop, Latin, funk, jazz-rock and classic blues. 410-857-7000. OCMwork@mcdaniel.edu. mcdaniel.edu.
Live Jazz at the Cocktail Lab — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Tenth Ward Distilling Co., 55 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Get swanky with us every Thursday night for live jazz and your favorite craft cocktails. 21 and older. 301-233-4817. monica@tenthwarddistilling.com. tenthwarddistilling.com.
Friday Dec. 6
ETCETERA
Open Coworking Day — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cowork Frederick, 122 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Curious about coworking? Spending a day coworking with the freelancers, entrepreneurs and teleworkers of the Cowork Frederick community is hands-down the best way to see if it’s right for you. Free, but you must pre-register. heycowork@coworkfrederick.com. coworkfrederick.com/open-coworking-day.
Christmas Bazaar — 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Frederick Church of the Brethren, 201 Fairview Ave., Frederick . The Women’s Fellowship and Service Guild of sponsors. Lunch served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring homemade chicken corn, beef vegetable, and bean and ham soups; country ham, chicken salad, hot beef, and hot dogs sandwiches; pie and cake. There will be comforters, quilts, fancy table, bake table, books and videos, white elephant, and antiques and collectibles. 301-662-1819. info@fcob.net. FCOB.net.
Stoney Gardens Crafts & Open House — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Stoney Gardens, 4220 Delauter Road, Myersville. Craft show and Holiday Open House with items for sale to the public that are made by local artists and vendors.
Meet a Firefighter: A Sensory Program for Adults with Developmental Disabilities — 11 a.m. to noon at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Meet a firefighter and learn about fire safety from an expert! We invite all adults with developmental disabilities to join us for this informative, sensory event. 18 and older. 301-600-7250. frederick.librarycalendar.com. Holiday Nights at the Museum: City Park
Tree Lighting — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. The museum will be open late for the public to see our exhibitions, and soak in the holiday spirit. 301-739-5727. cschelle@wcmfa.org. wcmfa.org/concerts-lectures-2.
First Friday’s Thurmont — 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Studio 24E, 21 E. Main St., Thurmont. First Friday is BACK and with even more to see! This grassroots community-centric event is growing each month with more vendors and participating businesses. 443-679-7916. studio24e@aol.com.
‘80s DJ Dance Party! — 8 p.m. to 11:55 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery Riverside, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. A night of awesome tunes and kickin jams. Grab that fly retro outfit and your cool kicks, because we’re throwing it back to the best music of the ‘80s with DJ AARP. Food truck. No cover. Ages 21 and older. 301-372-4880. matt@rockwellbrewery.com. tinyurl.com/42fyfepw.
FAMILY
S’mores With Santa — 4 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at Snook Family Farm Agricultural Center at Utica District Park, 10200-B Old Frederick Road, Frederick. A s’mores toppings bar and hot cocoa bar will be included. Advanced registration is required. Space is limited. Registration is per family. By registering you are reserving a fire pit for you and your family. One family group per fire pit - a family can include up to 10 individuals. 4-5:15 p.m., 5:45-7 p.m. or 7:30-8:45 p.m. Continues Thursdays and Fridays through Dec. 20. $30. 301-600-2936. recreater.com.
“Christmas Chronicles” — 6 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick. Following a boisterous family Thanksgiving dinner, Pap Pap McCallister heads up to the attic to start bringing down the Christmas decorations, having not been allowed to start putting them up until after Thanksgiving — a rule set by Grammie McCallister. As he’s sorting through the collection of decorations, family members begin joining him as they reminisce about past Christmases and talk about their hopes for the year to come. A heartwarming and fun-filled evening with the McCallisters will have audiences in the holiday spirit as they leave the theater. Tickets vary. Weekends through Dec. 22. 301-662-6600. WOB@wayoffbroadway.com. wayoffbroadway.com.
FESTIVALS
Christmas Open House — 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Taylorsville United Methodist Church, 4356 Ridge Road, Mount Airy. Food, crafts for kids, Christmas carols, Santa. 410-875-4101. taylorsvilleumcmd@gmail.com. taylorsvilleumc.org.
City Park Tree Lighting — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hagerstown City Park , 501 Virginia Ave., Hagerstown . The official lighting of holiday lights and music on City Park lake. Free family-friendly activities and watch the lights turn on at 7 p.m. Hay wagon rides will be available between sites. Photos with Santa, music, refreshments, drive-thru synchronized lights in the park. 240-382-0520. lcarroll@hagerstownmd.org. hagerstownmd.org.
Winter Lights Drive-Through Display —
6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Seneca Creek State Park, 11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg. Also 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, through Dec. 31. A 3 1/2-mile drive through a winter wonderland featuring more than 400 displays and beautifully lit park trees. Advance ticket sales only (no ticket sales at the gate). $15 per car Monday through Thursday, $25 per car Friday through Sunday. 301-258-6350.
gaithersburgmd.gov.
FILM
“Turn Every Page” — 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. A Shepherdstown Film Society Selection, discussion follows film. Exploration of a famous author-editor relationship, that of author Robert Caro and editor Robert Gottlieb. Free. 304-876-3704. Contact@OperaHouseLive.com.
Movie Knight — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Y Arts Center, 115 E. Church St., Frederick. Local filmmaker nights presented and curated by Falling Squares every first Friday of the month at the Y Arts Center. Doors open at 8 p.m. Free admission. All ages. fallingsquares@gmail.com.
GALLERY
Countryside Artisans Holiday Studio Tour — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Maryland Agricultural Reserve, . Continues Dec. 7 and 8. Meet the artists, see where they work, and learn about their mediums. Download the map to reach each unique destination as you explore the beauty of Maryland’s countryside. Find original paintings, prints, glass, sculpture, jewelry, ceramic, quilts, textiles, and more. Enjoy handcrafted beverages from our winery and brewery along the way. 3013371745. sugarloafquilting@gmail.com. countrysideartisans.com.
MUSIC
College Band Concert — 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Mainstage Theatre, WMC Alumni Hall, McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster. Directed by Linda Kirkpatrick, senior lecturer in music, the College Band features nearly 50 musicians, including McDaniel students, as well as McDaniel faculty
members, band alumni, and community musicians, performing musical selections by contemporary composers, including several holiday selections. 410-857-7000. OCMwork@mcdaniel.edu. mcdaniel.edu.
FCC Wind Ensemble Performance — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Frederick Community College, JBK Theater, Visual and Performing Artrs Center, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick. A captivating blend of contemporary compositions, toe-tapping concert band favorites, and traditional masterpieces. Led by Kimberly Hirschmann, the music is brought to life by the dynamic performance of our college-community ensemble. 301-846-2566. mgersten@frederick.edu. FCC2024WindEnsemble.eventbrite.com.
“A Celtic Christmas” By A Taste of Ireland — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at The Maryland Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Prepare to be enchanted with some of the world’s finest Irish dancers and musicians bringing the spirit of Christmas to life, in a show that will make you laugh, cry, and sing into the night. 301-790-3500. boxoffice@mdtheatre.org. mdtheatre.org.
Aaron Lewis: The American Patriot Tour — 8 p.m. at The Event Center at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, W.Va. Second show Dec. 7. Country powerhouse Lewis (Staind) brings his hits (No. 1 albums, “Am I The Only One”). 21 and older. $75.
hollywoodcasinocharlestown.com.
B’more Bridges: Lafayette Gilchrist + Gregory Thompkins — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Frederick YMCA Arts, 115 E. Church St., Frederick. Frederick Experimental Music Association will present B’more Bridges, a series of three concerts of improvised music, intermedia, and jazz, by renowned Baltimore artists at the Frederick YMCA Arts Center.. Doors open at 7:30, performance begins at 8 p.m. Admission is $20 — no cards. 301-466-8176. admin@pointofdeparture.org. pointofdeparture.org/FEMA.html.
Live Music at the Cocktail Lab — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Tenth Ward Distilling Co., 55 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Every Friday in the Cocktail Lab we’ll be servin’ up our deliciously wild concoctions and some sweet tunes to get your weekend started off right. 21 and older. 301-233-4817. monica@tenthwarddistilling.com. tenthwarddistilling.com.
THEATER
“A Victorian Christmas: An Evening’s Entertainment At Balmoral Castle, Scotland” — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at St John’s UCC, 1811 Lincoln Way East, Chambersburg, Pa. Also on Dec. 7. Presented by Discover DanceWorks. Prince Albert designed & built Balmoral Castle as a family vacation retreat in Scotland where the Royals would entertain friends & family. The Royal Family’s dance teacher kept a diary while he was
there. From this record, we have imagined an evening’s entertainment, brought to life with popular dances, songs, parlor game and period readings. Performers will be dressed in reproduction period clothing. Doors open at 5 p.m.
$10 adults, $5 under 18. 717-414-1166. DanzaAntiqua@gmail.com.
“The Nutcracker” — 8 p.m. at Weinberg Center, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. The stunning artistry of the Maryland Regional Ballet and the beloved Tchaikovsky score combine to transport audiences to the Kingdom of Sweets. Under the direction of Joyce Morrison and featuring guest artists from the New York City Ballet and students from the Frederick School of Classic Ballet, it’s a holiday tradition at its finest.
— 8 p.m. at Gaithersburg Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. Runs through Dec. 15. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 3 p.m. Dec. 14. In a series of hilarious, short blackout sketches, an ensemble of actors provide examples of bad Christmas card behavior, while an Emily Post-type narrator gives advice on how to correct these mistakes. Recommended for ages 12+.
Christmas in Thurmont: Ornament Making — 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. As part of the Christmas in Thurmont celebration, children are welcome to drop in the library for a fun Christmas themed craft. 301-600-7200. frederick.librarycalendar.com.
Shri Yoga: Flex, Fix, Fun! — 10 a.m. to noon at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Shri Yoga is a calming but challenging style practiced in an informal environment. Classes include various asanas, breathing exercises, chakra vibration, mantras and relaxation techniques. Attendees are welcome to bring their own mat.
Pancake and Sausage Breakfast — 7 a.m. to noon at Prospect United Methodist Church, 5923 Woodville Road, Mount Airy. Buckwheat & regular pancakes, country sausage, applesauce or fruit cup, milk, juice, coffee. All-you-can-eat. $12 adults, $6 ages 6-12, kids 5 and under free. 301-829-9244. prospect.marvinchapel.umc@gmail.com.
Country Butchering and Breakfast — 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Jefferson Ruritan Club, 4603B Lander Road, Jefferson. Includes pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, fried
country ham, pudding, hominy, sausage gravy, coffee and juice. Adults, $14; children 6-10 years, $7; children under 6 admitted free. Annual pork butchering pickup from 8 a.m. to noon. 301-662-3643. rdhigdon@comcast.net. jeffersonruritan.org.
Myersville Indoor Farmers Market — 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Myersville Fire Co. Banquet Hall, 301 Main St., Myersville. Held on the first and third Saturdays of each month. Shop local, enjoy fresh and high-quality products, and support the sustainability of the region’s agriculture and economy. Shoppers can expect a diverse array of offerings, including seasonal produce, baked goods, meats, eggs, handmade crafts, and other unique items. 301-524-1035.
myersvillefarmersmarket.com.
Winter Arts Emporium — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Check off your holiday gift list with one-of-a-kind artworks from our annual holiday artists’ market! The event features 20+ vendors featuring a wide array of artworks and gift items created by local artists and artisans. Free.
Stoney Gardens Crafts & Open House — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Stoney Gardens, 4220 Delauter Road, Myersville. Craft show and Holiday Open House with items for sale to the public that are made by local artists and vendors.
Friends of the Thurmont Regional Library Winter Book Sale — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Find many deals. It’s the perfect time to stock up on material to read over the cold winter months or to purchase as holiday gifts. 301-600-7200. frederick.librarycalendar.com.
Holiday Pop-Up Shop — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 60 W. Washington St., Hagerstown. Downtown Hagerstown Main Street Program hosts. For three weeks during the holiday shopping season, stop by the storefront to shop from various vendors. 240-382-0520.
Frederick Ukulele Jam — noon to 2 p.m. at The Common Market, 5728 Buckeystown Pike, Unit B1, Frederick. A monthly group ukulele jam! Bring your ukulele, a few copies of some songs you might like to play, and/or an iPad/tablet. Take turns leading and suggesting songs for the group to play, any genre. All ability levels and ages welcome! Contact Jeanne Rhodes for more information at jeanne.rhodes@icloud.com. 301-663-3416.
Pics with Santa — 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Steinhardt Brewing Company, 340 E. Patrick St., Suite 100-102, Frederick. Operation
Paws for Homes volunteers annual Pics with Santa, who will sit with your furry friends, family or children for your holiday picture. Pictures will be uploaded to the OPH event page for folks to download. All available for a minimum $10 donation. cherylg@ophrescue.org. ophrescue.org.
Tour the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, 1110 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. Tour Frederick’s oldest surviving building with a knowledgeable guide. Now 266 years old, it was the home of Elias and Albertina Brunner, German immigrants who were part of the great migration centuries ago of refugees from oppressed and war ravaged Europe. The home contains the only surviving example of the German five-plate stove that provided clean, safe, energy-efficient home heating. $8. 301-456-4912. boycerensberger@gmail.com. fredericklandmarks.org.
Candlelight House Tour — 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Historic Frederick, . Also noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 8, rain or shine. Self-guided walking tour takes visitors inside private homes elaborately adorned with holiday decor throughout Historic Frederick. $25 advance, $30 day of tour. 301-600-2844. adavey@cityoffrederickmd.gov. celebratefrederick.com.
Twilight Lantern Tours of Schifferstadt — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Schiffertstadt Architectural Museum, 1110 Rosemont Ave.,
Frederick. Call it creepy or call it authentic, after dark you can explore Frederick’s oldest house by lantern light. We’ll provide a lantern for each visitor; you bring your imagination as to what it would have been like to live in this 266-year-old stone house, called Schifferstadt, before electric lighting. Trained docents will guide you safely through the doorways, rooms and stairways, even up to the attic and down to the cellar. $8. 301-456-4912. boycerensberger@gmail.com. fredericklandmarks.org.
Ghost Tours of Historic Frederick — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Brewer’s Alley Restaurant and Brewery, 124 N. Market St., Frederick. Journey through Frederick’s gruesome and bloody past — nearly 300 years of war, executions and revenge. True documented stories of the paranormal with Maryland’s oldest operating ghost tour. Uncover political savvy and defiant citizens, patriots from the Revolutionary War and beckoning soldiers from the Civil War. Reservations recommended. $17 adults. 301-668-8922. info@marylandghosttours.com. marylandghosttours.com.
Skyla Burrell Blues Band Live in Concert — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery Riverside, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. Skyla is known for her high-energy electric blues. Playing covers and originals. $5. 301-372-4880. matt@rockwellbrewery.com. tinyurl.com/3cvsdfbv.
FAMILY
Breakfast With Santa — 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Smithsburg Volunteer Fire co., 22 N. Main St., Smithsburg. All-you-can-eat pancakes, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage gravy and biscuits. $8 adults, $5 ages 5 to 12, under age 4 free with paying adult. Bring your own camera to take pictures with Santa. 301-824-3439. sebceb98@yahoo.com.
Santa Comes to Hoober — 8 a.m. to noon at Hoober , 1003 Tibbetts Lane, New Windsor. Hoober is a third-generation family-owned and operated farm machinery dealer that has been serving the agricultural community since 1941. The store will host its family-friendly event. Crafts, snacks, pictures with Santa, prizes and the option to purchase in-stock toys at a discount. 410-635-2404.
Breakfast With Santa and Christmas Bazaar — 8 a.m. to noon at Mother Seton School, 100 Creamery Road, Emmitsburg. Free admission to the Christmas bazaar, door prizes, crafters, bake table, pictures with Santa. Breakfast is $10 ages 7 to adult, $5 ages 3 to 6, $40 for a family of 5+, ages 2 and under free. Menu: Pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and more! mothersetonschool.org/Santa.
Breakfast with Santa — 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. Peter The Apostle Roman Catholic Church, 9201A Church St., Libertytown. Scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast sticks, fruit cup, beverages. Christmas
music, Mrs. Claus storytelling, goodie bag for kids from Santa, sing-along songs. Admission: $25 maximum for a family; $10 adults and ages 16 and older; $5 ages 6 to 15, ages 5 and younger no charge. kofc13290.org.
Wild For Winter — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center, 2929 Sumantown Road, Middletown. Celebrate wintry wonders with hikes, nature-based crafts, playground and warm treats. Advance registration required. All ages. $7 per person.
301-600-2936.
recreater.com.
Christmas at the Farm — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch, 6521 Holter Road, Middletown. Get in the holiday spirit with live music from the Jolly Elves while taking photos with Santa! Explore craft vendors with unique gifts, handmade treasures, and holiday decor from local artisans. Food trucks and sweet treats will be on-site. Families can experience the magic of Christmas with viewing a live Nativity scene on the farm. Adults and teens can join Succulents by Jess for a creative Christmas tree making activity.
Holiday Family Movie Matinee: “The Muppet Christmas Carol” — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Gaithersburg Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. Ages 6-12. Kids are welcome to snuggle up with a bag of popcorn and a holiday classic guaranteed to entertain the whole family. $5 kids/$7 adults.
(Continued from 5)
Christmas sweaters (which I refuse to call ugly).
There’s a list of everyone’s favorite Christmas carols and notes about Advent calendars, followed by a tabbed section for Nikolaustag, where printouts of blog posts from our time living in Germany tell of a Nikolausmarkt in Heppenheim, Germany, and the year I was shivering on a Bavarian hotel balcony in my underwear, trying to quietly fill boots.
CHAPTER SIX: CHRISTMAS CALENDARS
The largest section of my binder, this is where I keep two things: journals and a list of where we spend each Christmas. The first page records where we spent Christmas Day, starting with the first Christmas with my now-husband in Ellicott City in 2001. As a family always on the move, throughout the years our Christmas Days have been spent in Maryland, Virginia, California, South Carolina, Utah, Florida (once at Disney World!) and Dieburg, Germany. No matter where we are, Santa has always managed to find us.
The journal pages are where you’ll read the funniest and most memorable aspects of each holiday. Pages inserted from my original Christmas journal describe 2004, “The Year of 2 Blue Santas,” which involved my husband forgetting that he bought me the Jim Shore Santa figurine I’d asked for, remembering only when I brought one home from an after-Christmas sale. It also quotes my stepdaughter: “Krystol says, as everyone’s loudly exiting the house, ‘Our family is obnoxious.’” She wasn’t wrong.
Pages from 2007 describe “The Year of the Expensive Wii,” when my husband expressed interest in a Wii, then got wishy-washy, then wanted one, but by then the Wii was the Cabbage Patch Doll of 2007, sold out and highly-sought after, so I ended up spending double.
Later, a printout of an email describes “The Wrapping Paper Debacle of 2010,” when my husband used Santa’s very special wrapping paper to wrap my birthday present. (The Hallmark cashiers actually gasped as I related my problem while attempting to find new very special wrapping paper in time for Christmas.)
Despite having blank journaling pages, I also use random inserts. On the back of a gift certificate showing the purchase of a $50 savings bond from my grandfather to my daughter, I describe “The Christmas 2011 Bond Fiasco,” and on the back of a Kennedy Center ticket, you’ll find a story from 2016, when I didn’t pay attention to the description and age recommendation
of the SCTV improv Christmas Carol show we were attending, which made our 9-year-old daughter one of only two children in the audience, with raunchy jokes thankfully flying over their heads.
A printed email explains the confusion surrounding a Nook gift card for my in-laws in 2011, and a printout of a Christmas Eve 2015 Facebook post describes me falling down a marble staircase. The 2016 journal entry, titled “The Water Pump,” describes the Christmas that we had more guests staying at the house than our water pump could handle.
The 2020 entry starts out “Ah, yes. 2020. It was a different xmas season — no visiting Santa, very little in-person shopping — mostly home b/c of COVID concerns.” There’s a photo of me and Sequoia in an empty Rockefeller
Square in front of the Christmas tree. We’d driven up to New York to pick up a friend’s son who wasn’t comfortable taking a Covid-filled train home to Nebraska for Christmas, and we couldn’t believe how empty the city streets were.
Journal pages are also filled with sweet moments, like 5-year-old Sequoia handing me the giant Kinder Egg she’d pulled out of her stocking because I was the one who asked Santa for one; and sad moments like last year when my grandfather had a stroke just before Christmas, passing shortly after.
A zipper envelope in the back of the binder holds scraps, and the binder cover folders hold extra pages.
The nostalgia and laughs I get out of the Christmas binder while organizing the holiday make it one of my most treasured albums, and I look forward to many more years of memories to fill it
Keeping track of Christmas movies watched and to-watch.
with … including a clipping of this article in print!
Kari Martindale is a Pushcart Prizenominated poet and spoken word artist who has been published in various literary journals and anthologies.
Photos by Kari A. Martindale
Seasons greetings! Opening the Christmas binder each year is a tradition in and of itself.
Visiting Christmas markets is an annual tradition, recorded in the Christmas binder.
Christmas on the Farm — noon to 5 p.m. at Agricultural History Farm Park, 18400 Muncaster Road, Derwood. Also Dec. 8. Enjoy free cookies and cider, a bake sale table, hay rides, barn decorations, music, holiday crafts, farm animals. Visit the tool museum. lifeissweet91@gmail.com. friendsofthefarmpark.org.
Annual Train Garden Display — noon to 5 p.m. at Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Co., 702 N. Main St., Mount Airy. Visit the Fire Company’s Train Garden. More information at www.mavfc.org. 301-829-0100. info@mavfc.org. mavfc.org.
Secret Elf Workshops — 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. at Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Second session 3:15-4:45 p.m. Calling all elves! The best gifts are the ones you make, so join us at the North Pole (otherwise known as our third floor studio!) to create craft projects you can give as holiday gifts! Gift wrapping is included. Space is limited, so register early online. Children aged 6 and older may attend without an adult. If you are registering a younger participant, please accompany your child. NOTE: If you are registering more than three children, please call the Delaplaine to check availability. $10 per participant. 301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/programs.
Holiday Open Barn and Visit with Santa — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Silverado Stables, Frederick County 4H Therapeutic Riding Program, 11515 Angleberger Roiad, Thurmont. Frederick County 4H Therapeutic Riding Program in conjunction with the Maryland Horse Discovery Centers Program host. LIVE seasonal music by AJ’s Jazz Band; enjoy a casual unhurried chat with Santa in a working horse barn; hear a special story about our therapy horse, Hilde; visit with and groom our polite ponies. Participants must wear closed-toed shoes to get close to ponies. No crocs. Also, a demonstration by a local blacksmith, Sean Losee, who will be crafting holiday ornaments. Baked goods will be for sale from Ana’s Baked Goods. $5/family. 301-639-9872. kimpheobus@gmail.com. fc4htrp.org. Christmas in Thurmont: North Pole Storytime — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Very special guests from the North Pole will join us for a reading of The Night Before Christmas. There will be a meet and greet opportunity after the storytime for pictures. 301-600-7200. frederick.librarycalendar.com.
holiday spirit as they leave the theater. Tickets vary. Weekends through Dec. 22. 301-662-6600. WOB@wayoffbroadway.com. wayoffbroadway.com.
FESTIVALS
Christmas Bazaar and so much more! — 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Brook Hill United Methodist Church, 8946 Indian Springs Rd, Frederick. 27 vendors, handmade crafts, live music, Nativity display, kids’ shopping room with “our elves” — all gifts under $1, gift wrapping, train display with a kids’ play area, breakfast, lunch and snacks available for purchase with a dining area. Free parking, handicap accessible. Free. 301-758-0356. rsevans613@comcast.net. bhumc.org.
Brunswick’s Hometown Holidays — 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. throughout downtown Brunswick. Breakfast with Santa 9-11:30 a.m., sensory hour 8-9 a.m. at Brunswick Volunteer Fire Co.; lunch available at the ambulance company 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Railroad Square and drop off letters to Santa at the Santa mailbox; Santa train rides 1 and 3 p.m., ticketed event $15/person); Holiday Marketplace 2-7 p.m., Martin’s Creek parking lot; Jingle Bell Run & Santa Stroll, 4 p.m., registration at 3:30 p.m., Square Corner Park, minimum $5 donation or 2-3 cans of food/family; 4 p.m. Holiday Parade, from W. Potomac St. to Square Corner Park, followed by tree lighting and photos with Santa. brunswickmainstret.org.
Got Greens? — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Catoctin Furnace, 12610 Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont. Pre-order fresh fraser fir wreaths and pine roping for the holidays. Pick up your order Dec. 7 at the Catoctin Furnace Traditional Village Christmas festival. You can design your own wreath or leave it to our elves while you shop at the European Christmas market. Bring the kids to meet Belsnickel, the anti Santa who rewards good children with treats and gives the naughty ones something to think about. $40. 443-463-6437. ecomer@catoctinfurnace.org. catoctinfurnace.org/shop.
HolidaysHolidays
“Christmas Chronicles” — 6 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick. Following a boisterous family Thanksgiving dinner, Pap Pap McCallister heads up to the attic to start bringing down the Christmas decorations, having not been allowed to start putting them up until after Thanksgiving — a rule set by Grammie McCallister. As he’s sorting through the collection of decorations, family members begin joining him as they reminisce about past Christmases and talk about their hopes for the year to come. A heartwarming and fun-filled evening with the McCallisters will have audiences in the
Eastern National Dolls, Toys & Bears
Show & Sale — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Montgomery County Agricultural Center Fairgrounds, Exhibit Hall 6, 16 Chestnut St., Gaithersburg. Continues Dec. 8. The largest doll, toy and bear show in Md. Free parking, food. “The Learning Room” will feature speakers on related topics. Dolls from antique and vintage to modern, Barbies, doll accessories, parts, houses, furniture and more. Toys from antique to modern, mechanical and tin, holiday and more. $10. 239-440-3184. sbellman714@gmail.com.
Santa’s Farm Fest — 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Green Meadows Petting Farm, 10102 Fingerboard Road, Ijamsville. Also Dec. 8, 14 and 15. Visit with our warm furry animals in our Animal Barn, feed the animals for free, take pictures with Santa, enjoy our vendors’ goodies in the heated stables and go on a free festive hayride on the farm. $18 (credit) for ages 2+. 301-865-9203. info@greenmeadowsevents.com. greenmeadowsevents.com/events.
Yuletide Sip & Shop Handmade Market — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Gravel and Grind, 15 E. Sixth St., Frederick. In the patio and parking lot on First Saturday. Several Maryland artisans offer a variety of handmade goods: Jewelry, stickers, prints, ceramics, candles & perfumes, knit goods, etc! For the final market of the year we are having a live music yuletide performance by local Celtic band, Vesper’s Echo starting at 12:30 p.m. But first don’t forget to grab some delicious coffee and waffles before you walk around and shop. Free street parking and parking in lot. 240-563-3893. thedwellinggem@gmail.com.
Festive Christkindlmarket — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Throughout, Walkersville. Bring the family to watch the 7th annual Walkersville Holiday Parade beginning at 10 a.m. on South Glade Rd., Fulton Ave., W. Pennsylvania Ave. Stroll the quaint, historic streets to shop from local artisans, stores, and vendors. Enjoy carolers and musicians while visiting Old St. Nick and his elves! Mrs. Claus will share a special story too! 301-845-4500. walkersvillemd.gov.
Holiday Cookie Crawl — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 60 W. Washington Street storefront, Hagerstown. Visit downtown shops and restaurants to build your own plate of locally-made holiday cookies during this self-guided tour that’s great for groups of friends and families alike! Register now (while tickets last)! Tickets are $10 per box and participants will receive at least 1 cookie at each stop. $10. 240-382-0520. lcarroll@hagerstownmd.org. mainstreethagerstown.org/ downtowncookiecrawl.
Christmas in Thurmont: Holiday Sing-ALong — 12:45 p.m. to 1 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. As part of the Christmas in Thurmont celebration, join the choirs from Thurmont Primary and Elementary schools for a holiday sing along.
301-600-7200. frederick.librarycalendar.com.
Christmas in New Market — 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at New Market, . Starts with the parade at 1 p.m. Join the community for festive activities, music, drinks and food at the New Market Park, 48 E Main St. Then visit Green Valley Therapy at 4 W. Main St. for selfies with Santa from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Stay for the town’s annual tree lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. at the New Market Park with Christmas caroling and hometown performances! This family-friendly annual tradition is perfect for all ages. Free to attend. 301-865-5544. townofnewmarket.org.
ThorpeWood’s Annual Holiday Open House — 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at ThorpeWood Lodge, 12805-A Mink Farm Road, Thurmont. ThorpeWood Lodge will be open to the community on Dec. 7 and 8 and will feature grand decorations, hot cider, a cookie potluck (bring your holiday favorites), live music, a giant Christmas tree, and kids’ crafts. Santa will be visiting both days from 3 to 5 p.m. 434-996-0273. kvanwaveren@thorpewood.org.
Christmas in the Valley — 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 31 S. Main St., 31 S. Main St., Middletown. This annual all day event will have Ol’ St. Nick visiting with kids, caroling with the Middletown High School Chorus, and helping to light the town’s Christmas tree. Take your photo with Frosty the Snowman at Middletown Valley Bank, 24 W. Main St., roast marshmallows with the Boy Scouts, or join Mrs. Claus for storytelling at More’s Ice Cream on 13 W. Main St. Stop by to enjoy a musical youth program at Zion Lutheran Church, 107 W. Main St. and much more. Free to attend.
A Main Street Christmas — 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Downtown Main Street, 110 S. Main St., Mount Airy. The Town of Mount Airy will officially ring in the holiday season with this beloved annual event. The tree lighting ceremony will start at 5:30 p.m. and parade kicks off at 6:30 p.m. The Mayor and Town Council along with several specially selected local students will light the Town Christmas tree in the Railyard. Then get ready as the annual holiday parade makes its way down Main Street with nonprofits, local businesses, community organizations and a very special appearance by Santa Claus! The parade starts at Mount Airy Elementary School and runs to Calvary United Methodist Church. The event is one of the best ways to spread holiday cheer so dress warmly and come join us for A Main Street Christmas! mountairymd.gov.
Winter Lights Drive-Through Display — 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Seneca Creek State Park, 11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg. Also 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, through Dec. 31. A 3 1/2-mile drive through a winter wonderland featuring more than 400 displays and beautifully lit park trees. Advance ticket sales only (no ticket sales at the gate). $15 per car Monday through Thursday, $25 per car Friday through Sunday. 301-258-6350. gaithersburgmd.gov.
GALLERY
First Saturday Open Studios — 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at FAC Studios, 7 N. Market St., Frederick. Spend First Saturday browsing art and touring the artist studios. 301-662-4190. emma@frederickartscouncil.org. frederickartscouncil.org.
Art Matters Artist Talk: Members of the Clustered Spires Quilt Guild and Margaret Dowell — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Members of the Clustered Spires Quilt Guild and solo exhibition artist Margaret Dowell share about the work in their exhibition. 301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/programs.
MUSIC
Christmas in Thurmont: Holiday Music with the Monocacy Jazz Trio — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. As part of the Christmas in Thurmont celebration, the Monocacy Jazz Trio will delight guests with the soulful sounds of the holiday. The trio features Ali Afrookteh on saxophone and flute, Pete
Chauvette on vibraphone, and Mark Lyser on bass. 301-600-7200. frederick.librarycalendar.com.
Westminster Symphony Orchestra Concert — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Mainstage Theatre, WMC Alumni Hall, McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster. Linda Kirkpatrick, senior lecturer in music, directs the orchestra, which is composed of McDaniel and Carroll Community College students, as well as music faculty and community musicians. Selections include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” and the premiere of cellist Collin David’s “Hours:24.” 410-857-7000. OCMwork@mcdaniel.edu. mcdaniel.edu.
Emmitsburg Community Chorus Concert — 3 p.m. at Lewistown United Methodist Church, 11032 Hessong Bridge Road, Thurmont. Under the direction of Peggy Flickinger, the 31-voice group includes members from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. They are accompanied by pianist Lisa Mattia. The concert features holiday favorites. jnbgraham@gmail.com.
“Cool Yule” with Alfred Yun — 7:30 p.m. at Gaithersburg Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. Yun is an in-demand jazz pianist who has performed across the globe from South Korea to Boston to Washington D.C. His music is influenced by his upbringing in both Korea and the U.S. and listeners can hear influences from jazz, hiphop and K-Pop to traditional Korean music in his compositions. Holiday jazz originals and favorites, including Thelonious Monk’s “A Merrier Christmas.” $30, $20 students 18 and under. 301-2586394. artsbarn@gaithersburgmd.gov. gaithersburgmd.gov.
“The Spires at Christmas” — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Frederick Community College, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick. Heidi Ackerman will be the featured soloist for the Spires Brass Band 30th annual holiday concert. This holly jolly performance will have you Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Sleigh Riding, Decking the Halls, and Dancing with the Nutcracker, and much more. A popular family event you won’t want to miss! $20 adult-$5 Sstudent. info@SpiresBrassBand.org. spiresbrassband.org/concerts.
The Dirty Middle and Night Walks — 9 p.m. to 11:55 p.m. at Cafe Nola, 4 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Frederick blues and rock band The Dirty Middle (9:30 p.m.) will share the stage with Baltimore indie-psych band Night Walks (11 p.m.). $5 cover. 301-6946652. thedirtymiddle@gmail.co.
THEATER
“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” — 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Other Voices at The Performing Arts Factory, 244B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. In this hilarious Christmas classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids — probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won’t believe the mayhem — and the fun — when the Herdmans collide head-on with the story of Christmas!
$10-$14. 301-662-3722.
administration@othervoicestheatre.org.
“The Nutcracker” — 2 p.m. at Weinberg Center, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. The stunning artistry of the Maryland Regional Ballet and the beloved Tchaikovsky score combine to transport audiences to the Kingdom of Sweets. Under the direction of Joyce Morrison and featuring guest artists from the New York City Ballet and students from the Frederick School of Classic Ballet, it’s a holiday tradition at its finest. $35, $30, $20. 301-600-2828. bhiller@cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org.
“The Nutcracker” — 7 p.m. at Weinberg Center, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. The stunning artistry of the Maryland Regional Ballet and the beloved Tchaikovsky score combine to transport audiences to the Kingdom of Sweets. Under the direction of Joyce Morrison and featuring guest artists from the New York City Ballet and students from the Frederick School of Classic Ballet, it’s a holiday tradition at its finest. $35, $30, $20. 301-600-2828. bhiller@cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org.
“The Rules for Writing Christmas Cards” — 8 p.m. at Gaithersburg Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. Runs through Dec. 15. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 3 p.m. Dec. 14. In a series of hilarious, short blackout sketches, an ensemble of actors provide examples of bad Christmas card behavior, while an Emily Post-type narrator gives advice on how to correct these mistakes. Recommended for ages 12+. $16-$23. 301-258-6394. artsbarn@gaithersburgmd.gov. gaithersburgmd.gov.
Sunday Dec. 8
CLASSES
Kickstart your Genealogy Journey — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. Take advantage of the holiday season to revisit your genealogy research, finally talk to those relatives, get organized, make a plan, and kickstart your family history in 2025. We will discuss revisiting back methodology and brainstorm some brick wall fixes. All are welcome no matter how long, or how short, you have been on your genealogy journey. 18 and older. 301-600-7560. ebomgardner@frederickcountymd.gov. fcpl.org.
ETCETERA
Chili Cook-off — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery Riverside, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. Show everyone why your chili is the best! Prizes for Best Overall; Best White Chicken; Best Spicy; Best Vegetarian; Most Unique. Free to enter and taste. See website for entry form or email Dennis@ RockwellBrewery.com. 301-372-4880. matt@rockwellbrewery.com. tinyurl.com/ybh36kxy.
Christmas House Tour — 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 17 Paradise Ave., 17 Paradise Ave.,
Mount Airy. 17 Paradise, Mount Airy’s only downtown bed and breakfast, at the corner at Paradise and Dorsey avenues. Decked out in all its Christmas splendor, each room features different and unique decorations including old, new and festive. Light refreshments. Docents will be in period costumes. Proceeds to benefit the Historical Society of Mount Airy. Reminiscent of days gone by, this historic house will be filled with warmth and good cheer and ready to welcome you and your family and friends to instill some holiday spirit. $5 per person. 17paradisemtairy@gmail.com.
Tour the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, 1110 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. Tour Frederick’s oldest surviving building with a knowledgeable guide. Now 266 years old, it was the home of Elias and Albertina Brunner, German immigrants who were part of the great migration centuries ago of refugees from oppressed and war ravaged Europe. The home contains the only surviving example of the German five-plate stove that provided clean, safe, energy-efficient home heating. $8. 301-456-4912. boycerensberger@gmail.com. fredericklandmarks.org.
Lessons and Carols: The Promises of Christmas — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Mount Airy Presbyterian Church, 17455 Old Frederick Road, Mount Airy. Featuring choir, handbells, scripture and singing. Childcare is provided for ages 4 and under. A reception with refreshments will follow the program.
Free admission, no ticket required. 301-829-5223. mtairypca@gmail.com. mtairypca.org/lessons-carols.
FAMILY
Breakfast With Santa — 8 a.m. to noon at Laytonsville District Volunteer Fire Department Inc.., 21400 Laytonsville Road, Laytonsville. $15 adults, $8 ages 6-10, ages 5 and under eat free. Benefits the Laytonsville VFD Apparatus Fund. 240-876-8937. tr9864@yahoo.com. ldvfd.org.
Annual Train Garden Display — noon to 5 p.m. at Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Co., 702 N. Main St., Mount Airy. Visit the Fire Company’s Train Garden. 301-829-0100. info@ mavfc.org. mavfc.org.
“Christmas Chronicles” — 12:30 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick. Following a boisterous family Thanksgiving dinner, Pap Pap McCallister heads up to the attic to start bringing down the Christmas decorations, having not been allowed to start putting them up until after Thanksgiving — a rule set by Grammie McCallister. As he’s sorting through the collection of decorations, family members begin joining him as they reminisce about past Christmases and talk about their hopes for the year to come. A heartwarming and fun-filled evening with the McCallisters will have audiences in the holiday spirit as they leave the theater. Tickets vary. Weekends through Dec. 22. 301-662-6600. WOB@wayoffbroadway.com. wayoffbroadway.com.
Weekly Carillon Recitals in Baker Park — 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. at Joseph D. Baker Tower and Carillon, Dulaney Ave. and Second St., Frederick. Featuring City Carillonneur John Widmann playing the carillon of 49 bells from a mechanical keyboard with fists and feet. 301-788-2806. jwidmann@yahoo.com.
All Aboard with Santa — 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Gaithersburg Community Museum, 9 S. Summit Ave., Gaithersburg. Railroad-themed visit with Santa. Fresh-baked cookies and hot chocolate around a campfire and crafts in the 1884 RR Station. Visit with Santa as he greets visitors from the cab of the 1918 steam engine. Fun things to see and do and many gifts to purchase in the Museum Shop, from inexpensive stocking stuffers to complete railroad sets. There is also a quiet car where visitors can get away. Santa habla español. This program is sensory friendly. Reservations required. $12 per person for non-Gaithersburg residents, $10 for residents. 301-258-6160. museum@gaithersburgmd.gov. gaithersburgmd.gov.
Winter Concert: Celebrate With Us! — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church, 8428 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. Frederick Children’s Chorus Concert showcases an inspiring selection of seasonal and choral classics.
Adults $10; Seniors $15; Students 18 and under Free. 240-426-2293. Kathleen.Siedor@fredcc.org. fredcc.org.
FESTIVALS
ThorpeWood’s Annual Holiday Open House — 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at ThorpeWood Lodge, 12805-A Mink Farm Road, Thurmont. ThorpeWood Lodge will be open to the community on Dec. 7 and 8 and will feature grand decorations, hot cider, a cookie potluck (bring your holiday favorites), live music, a giant Christmas tree, and kids’ crafts. Santa will be visiting both days from 3 to 5 p.m. 434-996-0273. kvanwaveren@thorpewood.org.
GALLERY
Downtown Artwalk for December — noon to 4 p.m. at Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Take a self-guided jaunt downtown and visit local galleries! At the Delaplaine, Elizabeth Hinton of Twisted Talismans will be showcasing jewelry and gifts crafted with intention. 301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/programs.
MUSIC
F.A.M.E. Traditional Song Circle with Tomy Wright — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Faith Assembly of God , 3700 Burkittsville Road, Brunswick . Bring an instrument, your voice or just your ears for a couple of hours of music. Tomy Wright leads folks in singing and playing along, using the Rise Up Singing and Rise Again songbooks. which will be available during the gathering. 301-471-0889. d.koronet@att.net. frederickacoustic.org.
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championing people who don’t smoke.” (She in fact co-edited the book “Addiction and Art,” published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2010, and curated a coinciding exhibition at Frederick’s former Blue Elephant art center.)
“For Our Ancestors, Calvert County Tobacco” followed, a piece depicting cut tobacco in a field with an ominous sky overhead and the galaxy below, showing that Dowell’s part in Sunderland is just a small snippet of time. “Air Curing Tobacco” shows fresh green tobacco grown by Dowell hanging from rafters in her barn. “Searching for Glory” is a cosmic portrait of a tobacco flower in bloom.
“Self Portrait With Bush Hog and Ancestor” shows Dowell bush-hogging the farm fields after moving in, and in “I, Alone, am Responsible for this Death,” a small mouse is caught in a trap, something Dowell has had to reconcile with during her time there.
But perhaps the piece with the most fascinating backstory is “Dr. Margaret Dowell (2022) and Dr. Nathanial Carroll (circa 1850s),” where a present-day Dowell in a red dress (sewn by Frederick’s Joanie Jenkins) holds one end of a stick of tobacco while a young Black man — a model representing Nathanial Carroll — holds the other.
Dowell learned about Carroll through the book “Mulatto: The Black History of Calvert County” by Michael Kent, who lives in Calvert County.
“He talked about a young man who worked on the farm,” Dowell said. “He came over one day and said, ‘I’ve got something for you in this book. You may not know about this guy, but he worked here.’”
ROUTE 40
“Leroy’s Gifts,” by Margaret Dowell, shows the hands of her late father, a tobacco (and vegetable) farmer.
Carroll and his brother worked on the Dowell farm with the agreement that if they worked there for 10 years, they would receive the money to buy their father’s freedom, as he was enslaved at a neighboring farm.
After working for a decade and freeing their father, the family moved to Baltimore, where they became involved with Sharp Street Memorial United Methodist Church, which later morphed into what is now Morgan State University. Carroll was educated there and ultimately earned his PhD and became a prominent figure in Baltimore, preaching at Sharp Street Church and founding the first Home for the Aged for people coming out of slavery.
“When I had the idea for the piece, I wanted to do a time warp, with me looking at him,” Dowell said. “I wanted to say,
‘I see you.’”
Lauren LaRocca is the editor of 72 Hours. You can reach her at llarocca@newspost.com, or follow her on Instagram @karmarocca.
(Continued from 10)
once again the fastest way to travel long distances.
Moss said that even though the national road was once again overtaken as a major route when I-70 was developed, it remains a really important local thoroughfare and draws lot of tourism because of its scenic views.
The Historic National Road was designated as a Historic Engineering Landmark in 1976 and as a State Heritage Park in 1994. In 2002, the federal government named it as a National Scenic Byway and an AllAmerican Road.
Moss said that as the museum grows, its mission is expanding to nurture the entire 170 miles of the National Road that traverse Maryland. He said the museum seeks volunteers
to help maintain the 55 historic markers that dot the road from Baltimore to Grantsville. Originally installed by the Maryland National Road Association, the markers provide information about important sites along the route, but that organization became defunct when their funding source ran out, and the museum took over responsibility for maintaining the signs.
The museum is also planning a phase II of its operation, which will include acquiring more road artifacts, developing children’s programs, and starting outreach programs that foster clean-up and maintenance efforts all along the road.
Erik Anderson is a freelance writer in Frederick who cares about few things more than the history of his community. Email him at erikanderson07@gmail. com.
“Tea Time,” by Margaret Dowell, is a quiet nod to equality and diversity. This piece and others in her “Dowell Farm” series can be seen at the Delaplaine Arts Center in December.
Courtesy photos
Courtesy photo
The National Road Museum will open Dec. 14 in Boonsboro. It will be the only museum in the world dedicated to telling the story of the National Road, aka Route 40.
Make the holiday season unforgettable by shopping local in Downtown Frederick! Discover unique gifts, indulge in delicious dining experiences, and create lasting memories all month long. Plus, explore our Downtown Holiday Gift Guide to find that perfect present!
