72 HOURS Dec. 19, 2024

DECE M BER 19

CREATURES STIRRING

Michelle Corpora brings ghost stories to the ‘most wonderful time of the year’

* DUTCH APPLE DINNER THEATRE Show: Elvis and more Tues. * Dec.31 * Lancaster, PA * $140. 2025 TOURS

* AMERICAN MUSIC THEATRE 50’S DANCE PARTY Music of Buddy Holly, Big Bopper & Richie Valens Lancaster, PA * Sat. Jan 11 * $123.

* AMERICAN MUSIC THEATRE Show: “RIVER DANCE” Sat .Mar 1 * $158.

* MT. HOPE MANSION Murder Mystery @ Mt. Hope Manheim, Pa * Tues. Mar 4 * $111.

*

FLOWER SHOW

Mar. 6 * Philadelphia, Pa. * $94.

THINKING OF CRYSTAL

Many of you who read 72 Hours should be familiar with the byline Crystal Schelle. Her writing has been featured prominently in our publication for the past few years, and a few years back, she was the staff arts writer at The News-Post. On Dec. 9, Crystal was in a serious car accident after losing control of her vehicle, and, as of the time of printing on Tuesday, Dec. 17, she remains in critical condition at Meritus Health hospital in Hagerstown. The Schelle family is raising funds to help cover the cost of her continued care. You can find the fundraiser on GoFundMe by searching “Crystal Schelle.” Crystal was also working as the director of communications at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, as well as teaching journalism at Frederick Community College. Her longtime devotion to journalism and the arts could be felt throughout the region, and we wish her a speedy and full recovery.

HAVE A HOLLY HORROR CHRISTMAS

New Market author Michelle Corpora offers a sequel to her fun YA novel “Holly Horror” with “Holly Horror: The Longest Night.” Though the second book was released in August, it’s a great December read, as it takes place around the winter solstice. Writer Erin Jones says Corpora may have invented a new genre: cozy horror. Read it yourself, especially if you are a fan of Holly Hobbie (yes, the beloved childhood prairie-girl doll was the inspiration behind the series).

“A CHRISTMAS CAROL” ON AIR

One of the most popular movies to watch on Christmas Eve is (your preferred version of) “A Christmas Carol” (and if you need ideas for what to watch, check out Kari Martindale’s story on holiday films in this week’s issue). But should you want a different experience, might we suggest Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol: An Audio Experience,” which will air at 6 p.m. Christmas Eve on WLTF/ Today’s 97.5. Listeners can tune-in on air at 97.5 FM or online at Todays975.com.

CHRISTMAS MUSIC FROM LOCALS

This holiday season, meet Marla Rose Vardaros, a 13-year-old multi-instrumentalist and singer based in Ijamsville, who just released her debut album “Love for the Holidays,” a collection of holiday classics. “Love for the Holidays” is available at orcd.co/lovefortheholidays. Also new for the season from Frederick native Jeff Beverage is the single “Elf Christmas Party.” The song tells the story of Christmas Eve, when the elves are “done with making toys — now it’s time for making noise!” Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Why You Should NOT Put Your Child’s Name on Your Deed

Many of our clients want to leave their home to a child and contemplate putting their child’s name on the deed. While this may seem like a simple and inexpensive idea, putting your child’s name on your deed can actually be financially disastrous. Before you add a child’s name to your deed, please consider the following:

1. Title Issues

By adding your child’s name to your deed, you are giving an ownership interest to your child. This can result in you not being able to refinance your mortgage without your child’s permission. Even worse is that your child may be able to sell their interest in your home without your consent.

2. Claims by Creditors

If your child’s name is on the deed then their share of the property may be subject to his or her creditor claims, including claims from credit card companies, car accident liability claims, or possibly subject to criminal restitution.

3. Divorce Claims

Nearly half of all marriages end in divorce. If your child gets divorced their assets will be divided by the court. Any individual on a deed is an owner of the property and if your

child goes through a divorce, their portion may be subject to division in the divorce proceedings. This would mean your former son-in-law or daughter-in-law may be entitled to a portion of your home.

4. Step-Up in Basis

Capital gain is the difference between your basis (purchase price) and the sale price. If you purchased a home for $300,000 and sold the same property years later for $500,000 you would pay tax on your gain of $200,000, with some exceptions (Principal Residence Exclusion).

If you added your child to the deed while living, your child will receive your basis (purchase price) in the home and if your child sells the house after your death, your child will likely incur a capital gain tax for the difference between your purchase price and the eventual sale price. If, however, your child received your home through proper Estate Planning documents, your child could receive a step-up in basis to your date of death value of the property.

Using a Revocable Trust to pass your home can: 1) ensure no gift tax return is needed at transfer, 2) allow you to remain in control of the house while living, 3) permit your child to receive a step-up in basis, and 4) avoid Probate on the transfer of the home.

If you need help protecting your money and loved ones in the event of death or disability, call us at 301-696-0567 or self-schedule online at lenaclarklegal.com.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https:// join.industrynewsletters.com/signup/ LawOfficeofLenaClarkLLC

Courtesy photo

Well wishes to Crystal Schelle.

EAT & DRINK

From grain to whiskey to cattle feed The life-cycle of McClintock’s Maryland rye

BY CAMERON ADAMS cadams@newspost.com

McClintock Distilling co-founder Braeden Bumpers spoke with his trademark energy and attention to detail about how they planned to celebrate their eighth anniversary.

On Dec. 7, the distillery released a version of Old Etzler that was aged six and a half years in American White Oak barrels with a medium char.

Bumpers said this was not only their oldest release to date but, “to our knowledge,” the oldest whiskey released in Frederick since Prohibition.

A five-year-aged version of Old Etzler won the first Maryland’s Best Whiskey competition in July, held between in-state distilleries who used more than 50% local grains. Though Bumpers said December’s batch “is superior in age and quality, in my opinion.”

“Everything we’re looking at it is a blend of like the old-school and newschool together, to really make something that’s super unique, which is why we’re super excited to win that award,” Bumpers said while gesturing at equipment inside the downtown Frederick distillery. “What we make is very different than what a lot of people are used to with large commodity brands, so it’s always exciting to be recognized for your work.”

He described the distilling process and showed off the operation with kinetic, infectious energy.

Bumpers said that he and McClintock Distilling cofounder Tyler Hegamyer are “big nerds” about history and agriculture, and in fact, the distillery name pays homage to a Frederick County historical figure, inventor McClintock Young, who filed over 100 patents in his lifetime.

HISTORY OF MARYLAND RYE

A 1990 report by the Maryland Historical Society found that in-state whiskey production peaked in 1911 at 5.6 million gallons. Only Kentucky and Pennsylvania produced more whiskey at that time.

“You can see the development of all of these different regional superpowers, like Scotland and France and Kentucky — it’s based on agriculture,” Bumpers said. “Frederick, we have

local

“ One of our goals at the department is to remind consumers how agriculture plays a part in all of our favorite products, and this competition was a fun way to show the relationship from grain to glass.

KEVIN ATTICKS, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture

this super clay-heavy, very rocky soil. It’s hard to grow a lot of commodity crops, but it’s great at growing rye.”

Their commitment to heritage extends into their distilling process. Eschewing modern hammer mills, Burmpers and Hegamyer prefer a stone burr mill, similar to what was used in the heyday of Maryland whiskey, prior to Prohibition. Admitting the modern methods can process grains more efficiently, Bumpers said they prefer the old-school method in order to main-

tain low temperatures and preserve specific flavors in the grain.

They do, however, use modern technologies, such as a temperature-controlled fermentation, which Bumpers said allows for more consistent flavors. Their practice of recycling water for this system reduced waste by an order of magnitude, from around 1 million gallons a year to closer 1,000 gallons, he said.

Though, the story of McClintock’s commitment to local flavors extends beyond the walls of their distillery.

LOCAL GRAINS

Maryland’s Best began in 2004 by the state’s Department of Agriculture to highlight local businesses. Promotions for the program include the Ice Cream Trail and the Recipe of the Month.

“One of our goals at the department is to remind consumers how agriculture plays a part in all of our favorite products, and this competition was a fun way to show the relationship from grain to glass,” said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks in a press release announcing McClintock as the winner of Maryland’s Best Whiskey earlier this year.

Bumpers and Hegamyer receive grains from, among other in-state growers, Wallin Organic Farm. The 62acre Warwick farm has been run since 2019 by Paul Drummond, who took over for his father, Walt Drummond Jr. Wallin received organic certification in 1997, and Paul Drummond said they were just the 20th farm in Maryland to receive the designation.

He added that local sourcing and quality go together, when it comes to produce.

“We want to support our local food community,” he said. “We want to be able to support and grow food for people in our area, rather than shipping it a thousand miles away. You’re gonna get a better product if you’re getting it quicker from a place within your area, your environment.”

During a July promotional stop at Moo Cow Creamery in Middletown, Atticks said the proximity of farms and commerce hubs in Maryland is a notable feature of in-state agriculture.

“Our farmers have access to a population in a way that farmers in the Midwest, upper Midwest, even the Southwest, just don’t have,” he said. “Every farm in the state is within two hours of three or four major metropolitan markets. No one else can say that.”

Drummond said the five years of supplying grains to McClintock has been a mutually beneficial relationship, and they have “learned together.”

Drummond and Bumpers both described the ever-evolving, ongoing conversation at the heart of their business partnership. The farmer and distiller each try to act as a responsible steward during their turn to hold the baton, with an eye toward the bigger picture.

“I look at sustainability like it’s a holistic thing,” Bumpers said. “We take that into account with everything that we do here and try and look at it like, how do we benefit the community? How do we benefit the environment?”

“We only want to grow things that we enjoy eating or drinking,” Drummond added. Wallin is a farm of whiskey drinkers, so growing rye for McClintock was a perfect match, he said.

The journey of the local grains does not end at the Frederick distillery, though. Spent grains from McClin-

Staff photos by Ric Dugan

Bottles of whiskey made from

rye are shown in a pile of rye at McClintock Distilling Co. in Frederick.

tock are then fed to cattle in Frederick County.

THE SCIENCE OF GRAIN TO GLASS

Nicole Shriner has a PhD in chemical engineering from Michigan State, where she now runs a lab that analyzes fermented beverages. In her article on phenolic acid in whiskey distillation, she recognized that “sourcing distinctive grains and maximizing their flavor potential” has become a popular way for whiskeys to stand out. Though, she wrote, where the grains come from “is just the tip of the iceberg,” as flavor can be impacted at any step of the process, from grain to glass.

The academic described phenolic acid as “flavor precursor compounds” that can influence the final product during the mashing, fermentation, distillation and aging steps, although, in an interview with 72 Hours, Shriner acknowledged limitations of the current science.

“Unfortunately — or fortunately, depending on how you look at it — the human brain is so much more capable of detecting compounds than any machine that we have,” Shriner said.

She added that even when machines can detect individual compounds, the human palate often picks up more nuances in the interplay

among the compounds.

Building on the notion that every step can impact the final flavor, Shriner compared grains for spirits to grapes for wine. A vineyard that grows the same grapes but with different soil nutrients or sun access can result in significant differences in the final flavor. The academic used the French word terroir to refer to all of the environmental conditions that impart flavor.

Shriner said a small distillery would be smart to receive grains from the same suppliers in order to remove a variable or “take the location conversation out of it.”

Local suppliers provide the consistency of soil, machinery and personnel to collaborate with.

ORGANIC FARMING

McClintock became the first and only organic distillery in Maryland when they opened in 2016, according to Bumpers.

“We wanted to grow traditional farming: no pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. No artificial fertilizer,” Bumpers said. “It’s all non-GMO, heirloom varieties of rye, wheat and corn that are probably closer to the actual types of grain that are being grown in the 17- and 1800s.”

Mark Townsend, associate agriculture extension educator for Frederick

County through the University of Maryland, said farms in the county that use the traditional techniques required for organic farming are rare, but he has experience working with such growers.

Modern practices avoid disturbing the soil in order to sequester carbon and build up organic matter in the soil. These methods use herbicides to prevent weeds from pulling nutrients and water from crops.

Townsend said organic farming often relies on traditional cultivation methods, tillage and moldboard plows.

“The operator often tells me, ‘Mark, it’s like you’re farming in 1954 again,’” he said. “A lot of the practices that we used back then are the only practices that are allowed under organic standards.”

Townsend said that while he does not agree with all of the health and environmental benefits of organic farming, he thought the practice had some “terrific points.”

“Anytime we can limit pesticide applications — whether it be a herbicide, fungicide or insecticide — hey, great, I’m all about it,” he said. “But at the same time, Roundup opened the door for no-till, and no-till agriculture is very much the gold standard in terms of conservation. Point being, everything has its pros and cons.”

Zac Kennedy, head distiller at McClintock Distilling Company prepares a bucket of rye to be ground in a stone mill to make whiskey at the Frederick distillery.

Though, he added that farmers in Maryland ought to at least consider undergoing the three-year transition to organic farming, given economic factors.

He said that commodities markets often force farmers to “fight tooth and nail,” where premium markets can be more profitable for in-state growers. The added labor, money and time of the old techniques often get rewarded when farmers go to sell their crops.

Bumpers said McClintock has partnered with the National Museum of Civil War Medicine on a whiskey that took this commitment to using old techniques to the limit. For the collaboration with the museum, which sits a block away from McClintock, the distillery could only use equipment and inputs that existed during the time of the Civil War.

“If it wasn’t invented [by] the mid1800s, we were not going to use it,” Bumpers said. “It’s fun to do that stuff.”

Bumpers added that the collaboration was also a learning experience for the McClintock team, though he said that similar to their commitment to the sense of place of local, organic crops, the journey revolves around the experience of the flavor.

“It’s all to make the best possible product while retaining that history, that heritage, that really authentic, milled flavor,” Bumpers said.

Maryland athletes flex creative muscles in gingerbread house contest

BY MARTI MOORE

Special to the News-Post

Thanks to a “wicked” fairytale called “Hansel and Gretel,” building edible gingerbread houses has been so “pop-ular” for two centuries that Dec. 12 marks National Gingerbread House Day.

In the 1812 story published by the Brothers Grimm, two lost children are so hungry, they could eat a cottage they find deep in the woods. It’s because the walls are made of bread, the roof of cake, and the windows from sugar.

More than 200 years after Gretel saves her brother by pushing a witch into an oven, decorating gingerbread houses is a fun activity for children as they count the days to Christmas.

A Howard County family loves it so much, they start as early as Thanksgiving Day.

Fifteen years ago, Pam Kruger helped her older daughters, Isa and Jocelyn Torres, decorate gingerbread houses with two of their friends. The kids enjoyed it so much, the activity became a contest the following year as a few more friends joined them.

“At first, it was a fun holiday get together,” Kruger recalled. “Throughout the years, more kids were added to the fold.

Popular demand made the invitation-only event grow throughout the years to as many as 40 kids, whose skills have improved with experience. Some players are plucked from the local girl’s lacrosse team coached by Kruger’s husband, Brian Kruger. He coached his older daughters and their teammates, who play lacrosse as college juniors for Ohio State, the University of North Carolina in Charlotte and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis.

Brian Kruger now coaches his fourthgrade daughter and her teammates of the Heroes Lacrosse Class of 2033. Players also bring their siblings to the Turkey Day tables at the Kruger home in Glenwood.

Pam Kruger gives her busy construction workers a level playing field with a sturdy 12- by 12-inch wood platform covered with aluminum foil, a can of white icing and a plastic knife.

Instead of homemade gingerbread, Pam Kruger calls in a substitute player and stronger building material: graham crackers.

Each player gets two bags. In the middle of each folding table are more cans of frosting in other colors, jars of marshmallow fluff, red and white peppermint sticks, sprinkles, pretzel sticks, gum drops, licorice, plus other candy players can use to decorate the projects they

Jack Farley, 12, shows his expertise as a gingerbread homebuilder Thanksgiving Day. Note the symmetry of his peppermint candy roof tiles and pretzel stick walls. He also applied green frosting to an ice cream cone and set it upside down to make a tree as part of his cabin’s landscape. Farley said, “It was fun” and wants to return next year to the Kruger family contest in Glenwood. He and his sister honed their skills in previous years at another gingerbread house building competition in Howard County.

build. Ice cream waffle cones make excellent Christmas trees when turned upside down and frosted with green icing.

“It would cost a fortune to bake gingerbread for that many children,” Pam Kruger pointed out. Shopping for supplies from discount stores takes nearly two days and costs about $400. She sets up her gingerbread house workshop on Wednesday. Supplies are covered-up and ready first thing Thursday morning.

About seven years ago, one of the parents suggested kids compete for cash prizes. A $10 entry fee is charged per player. Some parents donate extra cash to up the ante.

Pam Kruger and her older players make it clear to newbies that there are winners and there are losers.

“We built a beach,” reveals Rylynn Murray, 13, at an annual gingerbread house building contest Thanksgiving Day in Howard County. She credits the idea to her teammate McKenna Watts, 13. Her sister, Emrie Watts, 17, admits their project was “frustrating at first,” because everything was crumbling. So, they turned the crumbles into sand.

The older teens and college kids are veteran contestants, who know the rules and don’t overthink their gingerbread construction projects in the garage. These athletes are too busy socializing, talking smack, laughing and checking out each other’s entries to notice they’re out in the cold — where the outdoor temperature is 46 degrees that morning.

“Frosted Fun” is what Pam Kruger would call her event if it had a formal name. This year marked the 15th annual Thanksgiving Day gingerbread competition.

Since 2014, all six children of a Glenelg family have participated in the contest. Emma Kennedy, 20 — a Second Class midshipman who plays women’s varsity lacrosse for the U.S. Naval Academy — helps her team build a scale model of a dining room with an aerial view of the Thanksgiving dinner table.

First-time contestants are not expected to win. Practice makes perfect. No participation awards are given.

It sounds harsh, but these kids are athletes with standards.

Nearly 35 kids gathered in Glenwood on Nov. 28 from 9 to 11 a.m.

The younger kids are sharp and focused on their work in the Kruger family’s warm sunroom. Visiting parents bring breakfast and hang out in the kitchen and den, watching two longstanding Thanksgiving Day traditions on television: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City until the 10 a.m. kickoff of the Maryland high school football Turkey Bowl in Towson between Catholic prep schools Calvert Hall College and Loyola Blakefield.

“I think it’s fun, because you never know what people are going to make and if you’re going to win,” said Alice Musgrove, 9, who built a gingerbread house with a Christmas tree and runway for Santa’s sleigh at her second year of competition with the younger kids. The fourth-grader at Lisbon Elementary School in Woodbine mentioned she won third place last year. She plans to be a contender again next year.

This contest is an exercise in creativity, problem-solving and ingenuity for many of the players. Some individuals and teams start building one thing that doesn’t transpire as they’d imagined. With the clock ticking, they quickly cut their losses, regroup, and finish with a

Photos by Marti Moore

BY ERIN JONES

The Christmas angel of David Lane

Special to The News-Post

The three wise men from the Christmas story followed the light of a shining star, but if you follow the light in Hillcrest Orchard, you just might end up at the Davis home.

Like the three wise men, you will also find yourself at a shining nativity scene. That’s because “nativity” is the theme for Angela Davis’ Christmas decor.

She chose the theme in honor of her husband Conard’s recent ordination as a deacon. Though it contains special significance, this year’s theme is the most recent one in a long line, because Angela Davis has been dazzling her neighborhood with her Christmas decorations for nearly three decades.

In 1996, when the family first moved to the neighborhood, Davis remembers that she was the only one of her neighbors to put up lights, but that didn’t dampen her excitement.

“I moved from an apartment, and I used to always put lights on the balcony,” Davis said. “Once we bought this house, I couldn’t wait.”

Davis says Christmas brings out the little girl in her. Growing up in Washington, D.C., she did not always have as much.

“We had a rough Christmas. My mom was single with four kids.” Davis said. “I couldn’t wait for the Salvation Army to come around and give us a little $5 coupon.” She remembers shopping at Woodward & Lothrop and being able to buy a punch bowl for her mother for 25 cents.

Now she sees Christmas as an opportunity to bless others.

“I know what it is to have nothing, so I thank God for how he has blessed me.”

While she has seen the neighborhood change over the years, the impact of her Christmas cheer remains constant. Children particularly love it, even asking to have their pictures taken at her home. But the warmth and spirit of the light display seems to radiate to viewers of all ages who often tell to Davis she brings “so much joy to the neighborhood,” she said. “I knew I enjoyed it, but I didn’t realize how many people it had touched, in the neighborhood and people walking by.”

During Christmastime in 2020, the pandemic raging, she and her husband were sitting on their porch when a lady walked up to them. “She said, ‘I had to walk over here, because you

After the holidays, an important new season begins — shopping the clearance racks to find next year’s decorations. Her helpful tip for anyone hoping to raise their holiday decoration game is to look for Christmas decor that is heavily marked down after the holiday season ends.

“You don’t have to break the bank or turn your lights off to have a beautiful Christmas,” she said.

As it turns out, the Christmas spirit in the neighborhood is contagious, if the lights are any indication. Even her neighbor’s teenage daughter is doing her part. The teen recently told Davis that she convinced her father to hang lights in the front window.

just don’t know how you lift my spirits.’”

This year’s nativity theme is not just in honor of her husband’s organization but also to impart hope to her neighbors.

“So many people in the neighborhood are really going through some trials and tribulations,” Davis said.

Davis committed to quite literally bringing light to the neighborhood she loves, both in the front yard and in the back. Inside the house, too, the lights and decor spread cheer, with

Santa Clauses, nutcrackers, gingerbread and not one but two Christmas trees.

Over the years, the yard has played host to some memorable blow-up decorations as well: a large green sign reading “love,” a giant rocking horse, even a 7-foot penguin.

The display takes her about two weeks to set up. She begins this undertaking the first or second week in November but holds off on lighting it until after Thanksgiving. She has it taken down by New Year’s Day.

The neighborhood is not the only avenue for Davis to spread Christmas cheer, however. Davis has been dressing up in festive outfits at Silverado Frederick Memory Care, where she works as a chef. She sees it as a personal mission to spread some joy to the patients, many of whom she’s befriended and carries on her heart.

“We need to bring some joy to our residents. A lot of them get put there and forgotten about,” said Davis, adding that she aims to treat the residents the way that she would want to be treated.

Decked in festive attire, she brings smiles, hugs and even dances to Silverado, in addition to her 36 years of experience as a chef.

“They tell me I’m such a blessing to them, and I bring them so much joy, but they don’t realize what they do to me. They’re a blessing to me and bring me so much joy.”

While December hurdles to a conclusion, Davis doesn’t plan on dimming her light after the decorations are put away for the year. It will just be time to begin preparing for the next holiday. While her penchant for festivity is particularly pronounced at Christmas, it’s certainly not limited to that alone.

“I celebrate every holiday — well, I just celebrate life,” she said. “Every day the Lord gives me another day, I like to celebrate.”

Erin Jones is a freelance writer, former humanities teacher and owner of Galvanize & Grow Copywriting. She holds a BA in English from Hood College and an MA in English from the Bread Loaf School of English, through which she studied literature at Middlebury College and Oxford University. Learn more at erinjoneswriter.com, or follow her on Instagram @ErinJonesWriter.

Staff photos by Katina Zentz

Angela Davis and her husband Conard Davis pose for a portrait at their home in Frederick on Dec. 15.

Decorations are shown at the Davis home.

The critically acclaimed “A Celtic Christmas” by A Taste of Ireland features a cast of world champion Irish dancers.

A Celtic Christmas will come to Frederick

A Taste of Ireland will bring its holiday spectacular, “A Celtic Christmas,” to the Weinberg Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20. Direct from its Off-Broadway season, this enchanting performance brings the magic of Irish music and dance to the Weinberg stage.

Featuring former World Irish dance champions and stars from Lord of the Dance and Riverdance, “A Celtic Christmas” blends the spirit of Christmas with the vibrant energy of Ireland’s rich cultural traditions. Audiences will experience a captivating mix of tradi-

tional tunes, a capella tap battles, and heartwarming storytelling, all wrapped in festive cheer.

The show also features favorite Christmas carols, alongside melodic folk mashups and stunning choreography. Having already mesmerized audiences across New York and beyond, “A Celtic Christmas” by A Taste of Ireland is now set to charm audiences in Frederick.

Tickets start at $35 and are available at weinbergcenter.org, by calling the box office at 301600-2828, or in person at 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

Eric Byrd Trio brings holiday cheer with ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ at the Weinberg Center

“Eric Byrd Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas” returns to the Weinberg Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. Dec. 21. The show begins with a screening of the Peanuts holiday classic cartoon, followed by a live performance of the Vince Guaraldi masterpiece score by the Eric Byrd Trio. For more than 20 years, the Eric Byrd Trio has been a global ambassador of jazz, blending swing, bebop, gospel and blues into their dynamic performances. With seven acclaimed recordings, they shine as a trio and with their expanded ensemble, The Eric Byrd Trio: Brother Ray Band, a tribute to Ray Charles.

Known for their modern interpretations of standards and original works, they have performed alongside legends such as Wynton Marsalis, Randy Brecker, Vanessa Rubin and Yolanda Adams, showcasing their versatility and deep roots in the jazz tradition.

Tickets start at $20 and are available at weinbergcenter.org, by calling the box office at 301-600-2828, or in person at 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

Courtesy photo

The Eric Byrd Trio will bring the score of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” to life onstage in Frederick.

Sean Higgins

The Frederick Mom’s recommendations for the weekend of Dec. 20

Activities to do with the kids this weekend, courtesy of The Frederick Mom.

Holly Jolly Art Party

5:30 to 8 p.m. Dec. 20

Dream Free Arts Studio, 1341 Hughes Ford Road, Suite 111, Frederick

$45/child

Dream Free Art is hosting a Parents Night Out this Friday. If you haven’t been to Dream Free Art yet, they are Frederick’s first and only art splatter room where all ages go to unleash their creative side. Bring the kids to the Holly Jolly Art Party, where Mrs. Tina will have fun holiday crafts and festive art projects to keep the kids busy while caregivers can use the time away as they see fit. This event is perfect for ages 3 and up. Visit dreamfreeart.com to reserve your spot. A 20% discount is offered for additional sibling sign-ups.

Storytime with Santa 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 21

Brunswick Heritage Museum, 40 W. Potomac St., Brunswick Free

If you haven’t been to the Heritage Museum in Brunswick yet, this is your sign! From 1 to 3 p.m. this Saturday, bring the whole family to listen to a story or two, make a craft, and visit with Santa Claus. This is a wonderful event for kids, because the museum is full of things to see and learn. Ask the front desk about their scavenger hunt and enjoy searching for artifacts while learning about the rich railroad history in Brunswick. Visiting the museum and attending this event are both free, but donations are always appreciated. •••

Winter Solstice

7 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 21

Catoctin Creek Park, 2929 Suman-

town Road, Middletown

$7/person

Come out with your family Saturday evening, and celebrate the Winter Solstice — the day on which the shortening of daylight hours is reversed and the daytime begins to lengthen again. Join the Frederick County Parks and Recreation for an enlightening journey into the cultural and historical significance of the Winter Solstice and learn more about the wonders and mysteries of the night sky. Weather permitting, a sky-viewing session will be offered, where you can gaze at the stars and planets. This event is recommended for ages 8 and up. Advanced registration required. Visit recreater.com. •••

Rudolph’s Reindeer Games

10 a.m. to noon Dec. 21

William R. Talley Rec Center, 121 N. Bentz St., Frederick

$5/city resident, $7/non-city

There’s a new, festive agricultur-

al program for kids ages 5-10 with the Frederick City Parks and Recreation. Head for Baker Park on Saturday and meet in Classroom A at the Talley Rec Center for two fun-filled hours of holiday games while learning about reindeer farming. Kids will hear about the importance of raising livestock, only stopping to sing and dance! This workshop includes fun hands-on activities and crafts like making reindeer food and playing festive reindeer games. To register, visit playfrederick.com.

•••

Santa Pins & Pancakes

9 a.m. to noon Dec. 21 and 22

Fourth Dimension, 4725 Arcadia Drive, Frederick $20/person

Kid-favorite bowling and arcade venue Fourth Dimension has a special guest this weekend. Reserve your lane this Saturday or Sunday to bowl with the jolliest Ol’ St. Nick at their Pins and Pancakes event. Not only will the family enjoy quality time bowling together, but breakfast is included in the cost. Unlimited pancakes are a part of this fabulous

event! So get your picture with Santa at 4D’s bowling alley, then feel free to stick around for arcade, games and laser tag. To make reservations, call 240-651-0160.

•••

Mount Airy Vol. Fire Co. Train Garden

Noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 21, 22, 28, 29

Mount Airy Vol. Fire Co., 702 N. Main St., Mount Airy

Free

The Train Garden is back! Visit the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company to see their incredible model train display this Saturday and Sunday. If you have a train and fire truck lover, this is where you want to be. Parking and entry is in the lower level of the fire station. If you’re unable to visit this weekend, the Train Garden opens again Dec. 28 and 29 from noon to 5 p.m. It’s free to attend, but donations are greatly appreciated.

Tiffany Mahaney is at least a fifth-generation 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

Photos by Tiffany Mahaney

For those who like model train displays, check out the Mount Airy Vol. Fire Co. Train Garden this weekend or next.

Catch Storytime with Santa at the Brunswick Heritage Museum, and then explore the museum.

Make holiday crafts at the Holly Jolly event at Dream Free Art.

MUSIC

XMAS VOX

13-year-old singer and multi-instrumentalist Marla Rose Vardaros releases Christmas album

BY COLIN MCGUIRE

Special to The News-Post

Marla Rose Vardaros is a 13-yearold multi-instrumentalist and singer who lives in Ijamsville. She also, just in time for the holidays, recently released her first-ever album, “Love For The Holidays,” which is filled with her take on some holiday classics.

We caught up with her recently to talk about that album, her desire to one day release an LP filled with her own songs, some of her influences and, of course, what she hopes to get this year for Christmas.

What inspired you to want to put out a holiday album?

Ever since I was little, I always sang in my dad’s big band and I have a YouTube channel where I have a couple cover songs on, so I felt like it was a natural progression in my musical career.

Who are some of your favorite singers?

Pop artists like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter. Then, for jazz, probably Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie Cole, stuff like that.

I was listening to the album earlier today and there is a good mix of songs. How did you pick the songs to be on the album?

I picked these myself. They are some of my favorite holiday songs and I thought it was a great mix between different types of holiday songs.

Do you have a favorite on the album?

That’s a hard question, but I feel like if I have to choose, it would probably be “Underneath The Tree,” which is the first song, or “Winter Wonderland,” which is the last song.

Are you going to perform any of these songs between now and Christmas?

I would love to perform these in front of people. I’m also performing with the Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra and their holiday show.

How long did it take you to record the album? When did you start working on it?

I started in the summer and I finished in October.

Was putting out this album a goal you had for this year?

Yeah. I felt that I love all holiday songs, so I thought that recording these songs and producing an album would be something really fun. Every year, I do a video and I felt that an album would

Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Marla Rose Vardaros just released her debut album, “Love for the Holidays.”

LISTEN

“Love for the Holidays” is available at orcd. co/lovefortheholidays. Find Marla Rose Vardaros on YouTube at youtube.com/@ MarlaRoseVardaros

be bigger than a music video and really cool for my eighth grade year.

Were there other ideas for other albums you maybe wanted to do?

Other cover songs that aren’t Christmas songs?

Yes, I had always thought about doing an album and this year, I achieved that goal. I know that in the upcoming years, I want to make my own songs and become a singer-songwriter and release original albums.

I was going to ask that — have you written a song by yourself yet?

Yes, I have. I’ve been working on a couple and I feel like creating an album of all of them would be really fun.

I think I read somewhere that you

play the trumpet, too?

Yeah, I play trumpet, guitar, ukulele, piano, drums, and I sing.

So you could play all the instruments on the albums?

I do on my YouTube channel.

Have you thought about shooting a music video for any of these songs?

Yes, I have. I’m in the process of starting that. Oh, and on the album, I play a flugelhorn solo, which is a different version of the trumpet that is more mellower. It’s on “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.”

Who else played the instruments on the album?

My dad, who is a professional musician. His main instrument is trumpet. My mom is a professional musician as well. Their friends are professional musicians and played on the album. It was really cool to work with actual professionals. Where did you record it? Did you record it home?

It was at a recording studio at home.

You’re in eighth grade now. Next year, when you’re in ninth grade, do you hope to get more music out?

Yes, definitely.

Would that feature the original songs you mentioned or maybe some Taylor Swift songs?

I’d like to cover some songs but mainly do original songs on the next album.

Finally, I have to ask, what do you hope you get for Christmas?

Nothing in particular. Probably just more clothes.

No more instruments?

Maybe a new guitar because my guitar is ... I don’t know, I feel like having a new guitar would be really cool.

Colin McGuire has been in and out of bands for more than 20 years and also helps produce concerts in and around Frederick. His work has appeared in Alternative Press magazine, PopMatters and 72 Hours, among other outlets. He is convinced that the difference between being in a band and being in a romantic relationship is less than minimal. Contact him at mcguire. colin@gmail.com.

Staff photo by Ric Dugan

Philly is an unlikely but well-worth-it stop during the Christmas season

BY KARI A. MARTINDALE Special to The News-Post

When you think Christmas, does Philly immediately spring to mind? No? Well, it should! At a perfect distance for an overnight trip, Philadelphia is brimming with holiday spirit and activities for the whole family.

In late November, Center City lights up and, in the historical setting of Philadelphia, brings Christmas markets, lights, Santa and the Liberty Bell topping an outdoor tree.

Christmas Village itself is located at LOVE Park and the Courtyard and North Broad Sections of City Hall.

LOVE Park, also known as JFK Plaza, features the world-famous LOVE sculpture, placed there for the United States Bicentennial celebration in 1976. During the holidays, it is surrounded by the lights, kiosks and visitors of Christmas Village.

In French Second Empire style, City Hall is a stunning building at any time of year. At the top, standing over 36 feet tall, is a statue of William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania. The sculpture of Penn is visible throughout the city, including from the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. There, the statue is best viewed while raising both arms in triumph and panting in exhaustion after running up the steps as Rocky did in the 1976 classic film.

At the center of many of the festivities is Macy’s Center City. The department store, which offers illuminated holiday window displays throughout the season, is located in the original Wanamaker Building. The historic John Wanamaker’s Department Store was one of the first department stores in the U.S. and the first to use price tags. It is now a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

Running daily in the ornate grand court is the highlight of a traditional Philly Christmas: a light show that has delighted visitors since 1956 with twinkling lights depicting Christmas characters, such as Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and the Nutcracker. The display is several stories high and can be viewed from multiple levels, but there is something magical about looking up at it from the floor of the grand court.

was built for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair and features 464 ranks of pipes.

Upstairs, Dickens Village recreates “A Christmas Carol” with animatronics, and children and adults alike can visit Santa Claus. Even if you don’t visit Santa, you can drop him a letter in the big red mailbox in the grand court.

As someone who has spent significant time in Christmas markets across Europe, I was impressed with the authenticity of Philly’s market in 2016, and it’s only gotten better. In 2023, when I spied a bona fide Käthe Wohlfahrt vendor tent in LOVE Park, I stopped dead in my tracks. Philly brings authentic Christmas market vendors.

IF YOU GO

• The Macy’s Christmas Light Show runs daily at 10:30 a.m., noon and 2, 4 and 6 p.m. through Dec. 31.

• Dickens Village and Santa Claus visits at Macy’s run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Santa’s last day is Christmas Eve, but the village runs through Dec. 31. Reservations can be made online.

• LOVE Park & City Hall is open from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

traditional German fare available in the Christmas markets, such as Bratwurst, Raclettes and Schnitzel, are a greasy slice of pie (pizza, that is), a cheese steak (which you can order “wit wiz” if you want to sample the Cheez Whiz delicacy, though personally I prefer provolone), or an Italian hoagie. And if you’re adventurous, add a side of scrapple with your breakfast.

One fun spot for eats is Reading Terminal Market, where during Christmas, you might spy a gingerbread village or other decorations around the building. In addition to a cheesesteak and hoagie (why choose just one?), you can pick up sticky buns topped in raisins or pecans.

In the back of the market is the Pennsylvania Shop, a small souvenir store that sells, among other things, items featuring the art of Paul Carpenter. Tees and pint glasses feature illustrations filled with Philly scenes, such as skylines embedded in sports mascots, and Carpenter’s murals can be found around the city.

The blinking lights are accompanied by Christmas music, backed by the Wanamaker Organ. Purchased by Wanamaker in 1909, it is the largest functional organ in the world and a registered landmark. It

Headquartered in Germany’s charming Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Käthe Wohlfahrt sells high-quality Christmas decor year-round, including nutcrackers, pewter ornaments, pyramids, wooden incense-burning figures known as smokers, and other traditional German decorations. You can find Käthe Wohlfahrt in many big European Christmas markets — and in Philly!

Vendors also sell Philadelphia Glühwein mugs for your hot drinks. Must-eats, outside of the

Holiday fun is not confined to Center City. Light shows and events are spread throughout Philadelphia. There is no better time to experience the City of Brotherly Love than amid the magic of the holiday season.

Kari Martindale is a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and spoken word artist who has been published in various literary journals and anthologies, and she has been featured in readings across Maryland. She has an MA in linguistics, sits on the board of Maryland Writers’ Association and is a member of EC Poetry & Prose.

Photos by Kari Martindale

Dickens Village in Philadelphia.

The grand finale of the Macy’s light show in Philadelphia.

Deck the Halls with

HOLLY HORROR

BY ERIN JONES

Special to The News-Post

Daylight is in short supply these days. While the longer darkness tends to be celebrated with Christmas lights, candles and cozy fireplaces, New Market author Michelle Corpora saw another opportunity: a scary story.

The sequel to her 2023 novel “Holly Horror,” “Holly Horror: The Longest Night” was released in August of this year but takes place around the winter solstice.

Corpora said she knew from the start that this would be a two-book series, which helped in the development of each story.

“This was my first experience writing a series,” Corpora said, “so it was important for me to make a plan so that both books were inextricably linked but also had their own independent arcs.”

The story picks up after the cliffhanger ending of the first book. Protagonist Evie faces new challenges in her Massachusetts town of Ravenglass, and Corpora introduces several key new characters.

In the first book, Evie encounters the shadow of Holly Hobbie, a girl who mysteriously vanished from Evie’s home decades

earlier. The second book builds on that foundation.

“Evie’s relationship with Holly changes dramatically, creating a totally new landscape for the novel,” Corpora said. “I really enjoyed bringing back secondary characters from the first book and giving their stories more page time in the sequel and further developing the history of the imaginary town of Ravenglass, Massachusetts.”

If the name Holly Hobbie sounds familiar, it’s no coincidence. Corpora partnered with Cloud Co. Entertainment, who owns such nostalgic franchises as Care Bears and bonneted doll Holly Hobbie. Corpora found that exploring the horror in something so seemingly innocuous came easier than expected.

“Going into the project, I knew I wanted to honor that legacy while also making something new,” Corpora said. “I did a lot of brainstorming about the character, who is a sweet, pastoral little girl whose face is often hidden by her bonnet, and just how to find the eerie darkness in that image. It actually was easier than you think. After all, how many scary movies feature sweet little children? Scary dolls? Twisted lullabies?”

In setting this second story during the holiday season, Corpora may have invented a new genre: cozy horror.

“The books give you a scare and a prickle on the back of your neck, sure, but I wanted readers of all kinds — especially young teens, who this series is written for — to feel good reading these books and come

Courtesy photoss

New Market author Michelle Corpora recently released the sequel to her 2023 novel “Holly Horror,” “Holly Horror: The Longest Night.”

away with them with a smile on their faces,” Corpora said. “I wanted it to be a series you’d read on a cold, rainy day, with a blanket and a cup of cocoa.”

Corpora also found inspiration from another creator of festive ghoststories: Charles Dickens. In the first installment of “Holly Horror,” she drew from “Alice in Wonderland” as a unifying motif for the story. In the sequel, she turned to Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” to serve the same purpose.

“It already has ghosts … which worked perfectly with the story and characters I had already created.”

Shirley Jackson and Stephen King were also influential on the “Holly Horror” series. For “Holly Horror: The Longest Night,” she was particularly inspired by King’s “Salem’s Lot.”

“I loved how he gave the story this slowly deepening sense of dread as evil spreads through a small town, taking over each person one by one,” she said. Whereas the first book follows a classic haunted house structure, the author sought to mix up the structure to keep the scares fresh for her audiences in book two.

Corpora considers herself a bit of a chameleon when it comes to writing genres. A ghostwriter for many years, she became practiced in writing for many voices and genres. “Holly Horror” was her first project in

LEARN MORE

For more on the author, go to michellejcorpora.com.

the genre of horror, so in preparation for the series, she became a student of horror.

“I’m really into research, so I did a deep dive into horror in preparation to write the first book. I’m a bit of a scaredy cat, so trust me, it was a pretty harrowing experience!” Corpora said. “I came away from it all with a real respect for the genre and how it often connects the supernatural with the psychological.”

Her journey to being a horror author took her not only across genres but across varied career paths. Her past careers include a stint as a wedding singer, as well as working in a veterinarian’s office and a wildlife rehabilitation center. Throughout it all, she carried her childhood dreams of being a writer, not to mention earning a bachelor’s degree in English and theater from UMBC and a master’s degree in children’s literature from Hollins University.

Eventually, Corpora moved to New York, where she became an assistant editor at Greenwillow Books. After first ghostwriting for a middle-grade series, she began to publish under her own name. She is grateful for the eclectic experiences along the way.

“Looking back, all those detours were exactly what I needed, because to be a writer, it’s important to have some weird stuff to write about,” she writes in her website biography.

In May 2025, she will release the first in her new trilogy, “Throne of Khetara.” Corpora said this series is her most ambitious project yet: an epic historical fantasy.

“The series was pitched as ‘Ancient Egyptian Game of Thrones for YA readers’ and follows four characters — a princess, a priestess, a rebel and a tomb robber — as their fates are drawn together by an ancient, forgotten oracle,” Corpora said. “It really combines everything I love into one: romance, adventure, magic and monsters.”

While her fans await the spring release, the dark winter nights offer the perfect opportunity to dive into some cozy horror by the crackling fire and enjoy the longest night.

Erin Jones is a freelance writer, former humanities teacher and owner of Galvanize & Grow Copywriting. She holds a BA in English from Hood College and an MA in English from the Bread Loaf School of English, through which she studied literature at Middlebury College and Oxford University. Learn more at erinjoneswriter. com, or follow her on Instagram @ErinJonesWriter.

”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 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 hand-embroidered images. Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine. org.

”ReMEMBERS”: NOMA Alumni Invitational Exhibit — through Dec. 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 — through Dec. 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. 301-6980656 or delaplaine.org.

”Inspired by ...” — through Dec. 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.

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.gov for details. gaithersburgmd.gov/ recreation/visual-arts.

Community Art Show: The Best of Local Art — through Jan. 7, 2025, Washington County Arts Council, 34 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. 301-791-3132 or washingtoncountyarts.com.

”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

Linda Agar-Hendrix presents photography and mixed-media work in her show “Waterworks,” on view at the Delaplaine Arts Center in Frederick through Dec. 29. Combining photography, wood and ceramics, Agar-Hendrix explores water as a theme and hopes to express its varying aspects through the variety of techniques and materials. Shown here, “Cataract,” by Agar-Hendrix.

and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 301-739-5727 or wcmfa.org.

”Unraveling Narratives: A Dialogue in Toile” — 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. Noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

”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.

through Feb. 23, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Noelani Jones’ work in this exhibition focuses on the accrual of thread in woven cloth and its metaphorical and actual connection to time and place. All of the textiles in the exhibition have been made with reciprocity with the land in mind, from the cultivation of plants for dyeing to the utilization of a foot-powered loom. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

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.

Frederick County Art Association Members

Exhibition — Jan. 4-26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Works in a variety of media by FCAA’s approximately 100 members. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Gash” — Jan. 4 through Feb. 23, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Sculpture by Jin Lee. Provoked by recent political controversies surrounding women’s rights, Lee’s work focuses on conflict and responses to conflict’s power to result in transformation for the individual and society. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Time Is A Place” — Jan. 4

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.

“Resting in Winter” — Dec. 13 to 20 and Jan. 7 to March 9 at the Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. This solo exhibition by Gaithersburg photographer Timothy Lynch focuses mainly on close-up imagery of nature. “I named the exhibit ‘Resting in Winter’ because, like us, everything needs time to grow,” says Lynch. “I enjoy exploring artistic expression, particularly botanical photography in winter, showcasing wilting plants and fallen leaves that reveal the beauty of decay. In this process, while life diminishes, beauty endures.” Meet the photographer at a free reception from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 16. 301-2586394.

Courtesy photo

THE LONG BOX

Yes, comics are good for mental health. Duh.

Last month, I explored how small press and independent comics serve as a refuge during challenging times, offering readers both escapism and a sense of community. In a small iteration of synchronicity, an article dropped into my social feeds that offered an expert’s take on why and how comics positively influence our mental health.

“Taking time to read a comic is about you giving yourself a moment. … There’s nothing wrong with caring for yourself by taking a break with a comic book,” professor Alexis Leighton Croffie told Pages and Panels, a website devoted to the industry we all love. (And if you don’t … why are you reading this again?)

whenever those blahs hit. Calvin and Hobbes and Usage Yojimbo comics are on his list, as they are with nearly all of us steeped in this weird industry.

swords and sorcery; “The Complete Don Quixote,” by Rob Davis, for classical buffs; and “The Goon,” by Eric Powell, for fun monsters.

Croffie identifies three core ways in which comic books can impact your mental health positively:

1. Fostering Authentic Communities: Engaging with comic book communities — whether through local shops, online forums or fan conventions — allows individuals to express their genuine selves. These spaces cultivate resilience by providing support and understanding during challenging times.

2. Validating Personal Experiences: Diverse narratives within comics enable readers to see their own experiences and struggles reflected in the stories. This representation extends beyond ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, to encompassing various life challenges, helping readers feel acknowledged and understood.

3. Enhancing Mood: Reading comics offers a mental break, providing enjoyment and a shift from daily stressors. Whether through humor, adventure or relatable content, comics can uplift readers’ moods and offer a form of self-care.

In short, incorporating comics into your routine is valuable self-care, and they offer moments of relief and personal validation.

•••

Speaking of self-care, some suggestions for comics comfort food came in after last month’s deadline with some excellent choices to ease you through gestures broadlyall this. Eat your fill, true believers.

Thony Aiuppy had several good suggestions for deep dives to disconnect on a rainy Sunday, or

Aiuppy also recommends the decades-spanning “Love and Rockets,” created by brothers Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez — a groundbreaking indie comic series that blends magical realism, punk rock energy and deeply personal storytelling. With themes of love, identity, family and resilience, “Love and Rockets” has been celebrated for richly developed characters and emotionally resonant storytelling that is a heartfelt exploration of human connection and enduring strength. No list of influential creators wo uld be complete without a mention of Noah Van Sciver, a legend in the industry for his small press and independent publications. His “Blammi Comics” are a goto for Aiuppy. Blammi showcases Van Sciver’s wit and versatility as a cartoonist, featuring a mix of humor, poignant storytelling and autobiographical vignettes, exploring themes like existential dread, awkward encounters and selfreflection.

Of late, Aiuppy said Michael Sweater’s “Everything Sucks” is his “go-to sweet tooth comic series.”

“Everything Sucks” follows two friends navigating dead-end jobs, bad relationships and punk rock subcultures while balancing cynicism with a sense of camaraderie and hope.

Finally, Aiuppy said, “Josh Bayer’s ‘Unended’ has been something I keep going back to this year. I’ve had three family members and my dog pass this year. Somehow, this book has really helped.” I love Bayer’s work but haven’t yet read “Unended.”

It’s raw, evocative art, and fragmented narratives churn around memory, mortality and the creative process.

Here are a few from my pal Alan Henderson I’m going to list that you can research yourself: “Blankets,” by Craig Thompson; crime drama “Stumptown,” by Greg Rucka and others; “Mouse Guard,” by David Petersen, for anthropomorphic

In the vein of comics comfort, I want to put forward two personal recommendations that have come up between that last column and now.

“Printopia” (Cosmic Lion Productions): I am a huge Bob Fingerman fan (thanks to my good friend Tony Esmond for that, who bought me Fingerman’s seminal “Minimum Wage” as a birthday present one year). It’s taken a decade, but Fingerman’s latest — “Printopia” — comes in a lush, large hardcover edition that gives his work room to sprawl. And much like the claustrophobic Upper West Side of New York City, where it’s set, Fingerman’s “Mad” magazine art style uses every millimeter on the vignettes that fill the book. Fingerman, now a native of L.A., peels back the familiar skin of his

characters in a story that’s loosely centered on a print shop that caters to some unusual customers.

You can find “Printopia” on Amazon. Better to buy it direct from Cosmic Lion.

“Interdimensional” (Bad Ink Studios): You may remember my interview with Evan Schultz and Lydia Roberts of Bad Ink. They’re comics rock stars in the making and have only cemented their reputations as comic creators with the third edition of “Interdimensional.” This is horror/ sci-fi at its finest with a snappy tale of corporate malfeasance. Best of all, Schultz and Roberts draw you into the process of creation through their social media, so you can see firsthand the immense amount of work that goes into each edition. Pick up a copy at badinkstudios.com. What comics have made you happy recently? Shoot me a note at cgcumber@gmail.com, via Instagram or (god help me) TikTok, where you can find me @cgcumber.

CLIFF CUMBER

What should we watch this holiday season?

BY KARI A. MARTINDALE

Special to The News-Post

There’s a movie for everyone during this most wonderful time of the year, from cutesy animated films like “Frosty the Snowman” (Hulu, Amazon Prime) to one of many adaptations of “A Christmas Carol.”

If your thing is curling up with your girlfriend and bumping hands in the popcorn bowl while trying to decipher whether she wants you to kiss her, there’s “The Holiday” (Hulu, Amazon Prime), “The Knight Before Christmas” (Netflix), or the triumphs and tragedies of “Love Actually” (Hulu, Amazon Prime). If you enjoy your romance with a little more drama, try “Love Hard” (Netflix), “The Happiest Season” (Hulu), or “Christmas with You” (Netflix).

If you’re looking for some motherdaughter movie time that won’t make your teen roll her eyes, try “Let it Snow” (Netflix). If you’re missing your old friends, check out “The Best Man Holiday” (Amazon Prime).

Personally, I like my Christmas movies to have a good mix of family tension. “The Ref” (Amazon Prime) features some of the wittiest dialogue out there, and there’s entertaining tension in “Bad Moms Christmas” (Netflix), “Love the Coopers” (Hulu), “Single All the Way” (Netflix), “Almost Christmas” (Hulu, Amazon Prime) and “The Family Stone” (Hulu).

I’m also a fan of travel debacles going from bad to worse, as happens in Thanksgiving’s best movie, “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” (Paramount+). It’s no surprise, then, that my favorite part of “Home Alone” (Disney+) is Catherine O’Hara resigning herself to climbing into the back of a van with a polka band to get home to her son.

If you fit the Boomer profile and secretly feel like it ain’t great if it ain’t in black-and-white, there’s the courtroom drama of “Miracle on 34th Street” (showing on most providers) and, honoring veterans, “Christmas in Connecticut” (Amazon Prime) or the song and dance of “White Christmas” (Amazon Prime).

If you’re Gen-X, you’re old enough to be nostalgic, young enough to accept that Christmas movies can be in color, and cynical enough for Clark Griswold, so “Christmas Vacation” (Hulu, Max, Disney+) fits the bill. For a little more nostalgia, there are

always “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (Apple TV), a stop-action classic like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (NBC, Apple TV) or the devilish “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (Hulu). For nostalgia with a side of action, try the devious “Gremlins” (Max, Hulu).

(If you’re an outcast looking for underdog stories but you find the animatronics of “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer” tiresome, “Arthur Christmas” (Paramount+) is a fantastic alternative.)

If it’s bridging the generations that you seek, “A Christmas Story” (Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime) is perfect (especially now that Gen-X is too old to be scolded about shooting an eye out).

For a little action, try the wellcasted “El Camino Christmas” (Netflix) or even the animated “Rise of the Guardians” (Peacock, Amazon Prime). If you’re a bit of an oddball, then bring out the movies Tim Burton has had a hand in making, namely “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (Disney+) and “Edward Scissorhands” (Disney+, Hulu, Peacock).

Short answer: Yes.

Spoiler alert: Just kidding — there are no spoilers because the plots are all the same.

Christmas Party” (Hulu).

For reluctant Santas, not only do you have “The Santa Clause” (Disney+) franchise, but there’s “The Holdovers” (Amazon Prime), the British film Get Santa (Peacock), the heartfelt Noelle (Disney+), and the animated Klaus (Netflix).

Now for some of the important questions of the season.

Long-form answer: I still watch multiple Hallmark films a year and I’m not ashamed to admit it. A movie doesn’t have to make cinematic history to make us laugh, cry, hope or forget our chaotic lives for 90 minutes. Sometimes, plopping down on the couch for some benign Christmas cheer is exactly what we need to decompress from real life. Or, if you’re a workaholic and don’t want to decompress, maybe

“Hallmark Christmas movie” has taken on a broader meaning these days than being a Hallmark Channel Original film. No matter its origin, if it’s sappy, it’s a “Hallmark movie.” In 2024’s “Hot Frosty,” a Netflix rom-com with all the trappings of a Hallmark Christmas movie, Lacey Chabert, who starred in the original “Mean Girls,” brings together the Christmas worlds. In an early scene, when flipping past television shows, she notices “Mean Girls” co-star Lindsay Lohan suffering memory loss in “Falling for Christmas” (Netflix) and says, “That is so funny. That looks just like a girl I went to high school with.”

Speaking of “Mean Girls” (Paramount+, Hulu, Amazon Prime), watch it with your teen and recreate the “Jingle Bell Rock” choreography for more Christmas fun!

WHAT SHOULD WE WATCH ON CHRISTMAS EVE?

The movie you watch right before bed on Christmas Eve should be a movie that takes place on Christmas Eve, such as “A Christmas Carol,” and gives a nod to fleeting childhood wonder, like “Polar Express” (Hulu, Max, Disney+) and “The Christmas Chronicles” (Netflix) series. Even better if it has humor for every age group, like “Elf!” (Hulu, Disney+).

The one exception is “It’s a Wonderful Life” (Amazon Prime) because it has aired on Christmas

Rich Legg/Getty Images

Santa Claus is coming to ... a movie near you.

Local Mentions

CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE

Tue , Dec 24 starting at 7p in the Main 1908 Sanctuary Light refreshments and Hot Chocolate following worship in the Parish Hall St John's Lutheran Church 8619 Blacks Mill Rd , Creagerstown, MD Call: 301-898-5290 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ORCHARDS

Available in our Market: Empire, Evercrisp, GoldRush, Granny Smith, Fuji Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Jonathan & Gala Apples Seckel & Bosc Pears Kale, White & Sweet Potatoes

Fresh Baked Fruit Pies, Apple Cider Donuts, Fresh Apple Cider, Jams & Jellies Gift Cards Available 301-271-2737 Open Daily 9am-5pm 15036 North Franklinville Rd Thurmont MD

www catoctinmountain orchard com

COUNTRY BUTCHERING

Burkittsville Ruritan Club

500 E Main St, Burkittsville MD

Fresh Pork on Sale

Fri Jan 10 (8am-5pm)

Sat Jan 11 (8am-12pm)

Pre-order by Sat Jan 4

Call 301-371-7795

COUNTRY BREAKFAST

Sat, Jan 11 (6-10am)

Adults $10; Children -$5

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

Local Mentions Services Farm Items & Equipment

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!

Thurmont Event Complex 13716 Strafford Drive

Thurmont, Maryland Thurmont Community Ambulance Service, Inc

Pets & Supplies

RAGDOLL KITTENS, 8 wks old, vetchecked, $300, 443-547-7312

Services

LUKE'S HOME & HAUL SOLUTIONS

• Moving Services/ Mattress disposal

• Junk Removal & Trash/ Waste Pick-up

• Estate Clean-outs & Bulk Removal

• Yard Clean-up & Hedge Trimming

• Light Demo & Post Construction Clean-up 20% off 1st-time customers Eco-Friendly, We Recycle! 240-732-9442 lukeshaulandproperty @gmail com

Thursday Dec. 19

CLASSES

Frederick County Civil War Roundtable Presentation (virtual event) — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. As the first comprehensive botanical history of the Civil War, Judith Sumner’s recent book “Plants in the Civil War: A Botanical History” examines military and civilian uses of plants, from plantation landscapes and agriculture to slave medicine, prosthetic limbs, and military engineering. Plants provided both the cash crops at the heart of the conflict and the raw material used in waging war. This illustrated talk will emphasize the key topics of crops and enslavement, plantation life, Civil War medicine, and southern landscapes and war — all illuminated from a botanical perspective. This is virtual presentation may be accessed at https:// www.youtube.com/@nmcwm. Free for members, $5 suggested fee for non-members. gldyson@comcast.net. frederickcountycivilwarrt.org.

ETCETERA

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.

A Legacy of Memories: Creating Your Personal Memory — 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. This workshop is designed to guide you through the possibilities of crafting personal legacy projects that capture your unique experiences, values, and stories for future generations. Participants will embark on a meaningful journey to preserve and share their life’s most cherished moments. 18 and older. 301-600-7250.

frederick.librarycalendar.com/event.

Queer Art Social! — 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Common Market, 927 W. Seventh St., Frederick. Come paint, draw, create, make and mingle every third Thursday of the month. Bring something you are working on and or start a new project! You do not have to be a visual artist to attend, all forms of creating are welcome! This is a free drop-in social gathering! Music, sparkly drinks, tea and limited art supplies will be provided. 301-663-3416. aharmon@commonmarket.coop. commonmarket.coop.

Everything Holiday Themed Trivia — 6:30 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery Riverside, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. Sign-ups at 6:30 p.m. Dress up in your favorite holiday attire and put on your thinking cap to test your brain power! Pourhouse Trivia will be hosting an awesome night of fun and trivia! Here’s your chance to get into the spirit — drink a few pints or enjoy something from our seasonal Holiday Inspired cocktail list — while hanging out with great friends! 301-372-4880. matt@rockwellbrewery.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.

Teen Time: Design a Cookie Cutter! — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Use a simple 3D modeling program to design your own custom cookie cutter to be 3D printed! Cookies not included. This program is for

teens in 6th through 12th grades (ages 11-18). 301-600-7250. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

FILM

“White Christmas” Movie & Holiday Social — 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Capitol Theatre, 159 S. Main St., Chambersburg, Pa. Also sing-along version at 3 p.m.; classic movie at 6:30 p.m. Includes a social hour in between each movie screening with festive treats, adult-themed beverages, non-alcoholic drinks & concessions! Meet Santa! General concessions and drinks will also be available before the start of each screening. All tickets $5, purchase at door only. 717263-0202, option 1. vperry@thecapitoltheatre.org. thecapitoltheatre.org.

Wonder Book Classic Film Series presents “The Neverending Story” (1984) — 7:30 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Relive the magic of on the big screen! Join young Bastian as he discovers a mysterious book that transports him to the enchanted world of Fantasia — a realm in desperate need of a hero to save it from The Nothing. Experience this beloved fantasy classic as part of the Wonder Book Classic Film Series. $7 and $5 for seniors, students & military. 301-600-2868. bhiller@cityoffrederickmd. gov. weinbergcenter.org/shows/ the-neverending-story-1984.

MUSIC

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.

THEATER

“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.

“Holiday Spectacular” Presented by Barbara Ingram School for the Arts — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Maryland Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. This special production will feature the diverse talents of the entire student body. Colorful costumes and seasonal sets complement a montage of songs, dances, stories and visual images that warm the hearts and inspire everyone to remember what the holiday season is truly about.

$10 - $25. 301-790-3500. boxoffice@mdtheatre.org. mdtheatre.org.

“A Very Jewish Christmas” — 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. A world premiere play by Sarah Shulman! When a Jewish-Catholic family reunites for their Hanukah and Christmas celebrations, relationships are challenged and secrets are revealed that test the family more than ever before. Come for the brisket, wine and whiskey but stay for a heartfelt story of love, heartbreak, discovery, and hopefully ... forgiveness. Oh, and cookies ... lots and lots of cookies.

$7-$36. 301-694-4744. marylandensemble.org/ a-very-jewish-christmas.

Friday Dec. 20

CLASSES

Make a Connection, Save a Life — 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Inner-Evolution, Virtual Event, Frederick. At Inner-Evolution, we believe that everyone has the power to make a difference in the lives of others. That’s why we’re hosting a free, virtual Suicide Prevention Training for anyone in the community. This interactive two-hour workshop will empower participants with the knowledge and tools needed to help prevent suicide and support those who may be struggling. Advance registration is required. 18 and older. 240-490-2833. info@inner-evolution.com. inner-evolution.com.

ETCETERA

Lawyer in the Library — noon to 3 p.m. at C Burr Artz Library, 10 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Free one-on-one legal advice from Maryland Legal Aid lawyers. Types of issues include bankruptcy, child custody, divorce, expungement (removing convictions from criminal records), foreclosure, government benefits, landlord/tenant, wills/tenants. Customers are helped on a first-come, first-served basis, no appointments necessary.

301-600-1630. lparish@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Holiday Nights at the Museum: Tours and Toasts — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. Enjoy a relaxing evening with a special holiday cocktail and charcuterie before touring our exhibitions. Free admission. 301-739-5727. wcmfa.org/concerts-lectures-2.

Bad Santa Party — 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery Riverside, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. Join us for the most epic holiday bash of the year! Unleash your inner mischief and embrace the festive spirit like never before. Christmas costume contest where the most outrageous outfit will be crowned the winner. DJs will be playing favorite Christmas tunes. Sip on festive cocktails made with our hard seltzer! Food truck, drink specials. Ages 21 and older. 301-372-4880. matt@rockwellbrewery.com.

FAMILY

Grinch-A-Mals — noon to 6 p.m. at Fountain Rock Park & Nature Center, 8511 Nature Center Place, Walkersville. Noon to 2 p.m., 2 to 4 p.m. or 4 to 6 p.m. sessions. Let the nature center animals tell you about different holiday traditions around the world! There will be Grinch inspired crafts & games. Price is for parent and child pair. Register online. For ages 3 to 12, with a parent. $10. 301-600-2936. recreater.com.

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.

Holly Jolly Art Party — 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Dream Free Arts Studio, 1341 Hughes Ford Road, Suite 111, Frederick. A Parents Night Out! Frederick’s first and only art splatter room where all ages go to unleash their creative side. Bring the kids to the Holly Jolly Art Party at 5:30 p.m. where Mrs. Tina will have fun holiday crafts and festive art projects to keep the kids busy while caregivers can use the time away as they see fit. This event is perfect for ages 3 and up. Visit www.dreamfreeart.com to reserve your spot. A 20% discount is offered for additional sibling sign-ups. $45 per child. dreamfreeart.com.

Search for the Christ Child — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Frederick Church of the Brethren, 201 Fairview Ave., Frederick. Also Dec. 21 at noon and 5 p.m. A heartfelt celebration of the true spirit of Christmas. Take part in an engaging 30-minute journey through Biblical Bethlehem, immersing yourself in the sights and sounds of the Christmas season. While you wait for your journey to begin, enjoy free refreshments and crafts. ASL interpreters will be available. 301-662-1819. sftcc.fcob@gmail.com. fcob.net.

Allview Holiday Lights Contest for Food Banks — 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Eric A, Allview Drive, Frederick. Residents of Allview Drive in Mount Pleasant are asking visitors to pick their favorite holiday light display during selected dates in December. Voters can place a “vote” with one or more canned or non-perishable food items in one of 23 stockings attached to the mailboxes of participating houses — by selecting the stocking (or stockings) of their favorite lighted display on the street. All collected non-perishable food donations will be distributed to the Libertytown (St. Peter’s) Food Pantry, Frederick County Food Bank, and Glade Valley Food Bank. This event is held 6-10 p.m. Dec. 20 to 23. 240-506-5759. eric.anderson@frederickhabitat.org. facebook.com/AllviewHoliday LightsforFoodBanks.

FESTIVALS

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

Holiday Gift Mart — noon to 5 p.m. at Eastside Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Hand-crafted gifts — original artwork, jewelry, glass pieces and ornaments, forged steel, ceramics, cards and more! eastsidearts313@gmail.com. eastsideartistsgallery.com.

Colorful Pet Portrait — 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Give Rise Studio, 125 S. Carroll St., 101, Frederick. Creating a pet portrait using paint, the glass, and unconventional techniques results in a unique and dynamic piece of art that captures the essence of your beloved pet. This portrait blends traditional painting with innovative methods, providing a modern twist to classical pet portraits.

$40. giverisestudio@gmail.com. giverisestudio.com.

MUSIC

F.A.M.E. Song Circle — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Mount Airy Town Hall , 110 S. Main St., Mount Airy . Make some music with other folks. All ages and abilities welcome. Bring an instrument, your voice,  or just your ears. D.Koronet@att.net. frederickacoustic.org.

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

“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.

“A Celtic Christmas By A Taste of Ireland” — 7:30 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. This thrilling production elevates the holiday season with electrifying performances by stars from “Riverdance” and “Lord of the Dance” and a star-studded roster of World Champion Irish dancers. Featuring traditional high-energy Irish tunes, heartfelt ballads and favorite carols. $35 and up. weinbergcenter.org.

“A Very Jewish Christmas” — 8 p.m. to

10:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. A world premiere play by Sarah Shulman! When a Jewish-Catholic family reunites for their Hanukah and Christmas celebrations, relationships are challenged and secrets are revealed that test the family more than ever before. Come for the brisket, wine and whiskey but stay for a heartfelt story of love, heartbreak, discovery, and hopefully ... forgiveness. Oh, and cookies. $7-$36. 301-694-4744. marylandensemble.org/ a-very-jewish-christmas.

Saturday Dec. 21 CLASSES

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.

301-600-7000.

bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

ETCETERA

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.

Monthly Collection for Little Sisters of the Poor. — 10 a.m. to noon at In front of , 114 E. Second St., Frederick. St. John’s Council #1622, Frederick, is serving as the hub location for councils in Western Maryland every third Saturday for the monthly KofC Maryland State Program to provide material support to the Little Sisters of the Poor’s St. Martin’s Home in Baltimore. 301-305-2127. satterf@comcast.net. kofc1622.org/little-sisters.html.

Holiday Open House — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Davis Meeting House, 7100 Watersville Road, Mount Airy. 410-370-3956. jantaylor@verizon.net.

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.

FAMILY

Trinity UMC’s Annual Cookie Walk — 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 703 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Homemade Christmas Cookies for sale! Walk around the table OR pre-order your platters online. $20 for a small platter and $32 for a large platter. Deadline for pre-orders is Dec. 18. Get in line quick as it is first come, first serve selections! Any questions, please contact the church office 301-662-2895. 301-662-2895. tumc@trinityfrederick.org. trinityfrederick.org/cookiewalk.

Santa Pins & Pancakes — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fourth Dimension, 4725 Arcadia Drive, Frederick. Continues Dec. 22. Reserve your lane this Saturday or Sunday to bowl with the jolliest Ol’ St. Nick. Not only will the family enjoy quality time bowling together, but breakfast is included in the cost. Unlimited pancakes is a part of this fabulous event! Get your picture with Santa at 4D’s bowling alley, then feel free to stick around for arcade, games, laser tag, and more! To make reservations, call 240-651-0160. $20 per person.

Rudoplh’s Reindeer Games — 10 a.m. to noon at William R. Talley Rec Center, 121 N. Bentz St., Frederick. There’s a new, festive agricultural program for kids ages 5-10 with the Frederick City Parks and Recreation! Meet in Classroom A for two fun-filled hours of holiday games while learning about reindeer farming. Kids will hear about the importance of raising livestock, only stopping to sing and dance! This workshop includes fun hands-on activities and crafts like making reindeer food and playing festive reindeer games. To register, visit www.playfrederick.com.

$5 city residents, $7 non-city residents. playfrederick.com.

“Junie B. in Jingle Bells Batman Smells” — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Also 1:30 p.m. Dec. 14, 15, 21 and 22. She’s back! Follow the feisty and irrepressible Junie B. Jones as she plays Secret Santa to 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? With plenty of laughs and life lessons, it’s the perfect holiday treat for the whole family. $7-$20. 301-694-4744. marylandensemble.org/ junie-b-jones-2025.

Family Storytime — 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Stories, movement, music and fun for the entire family. Designed for kids, with a caregiver.   301-600-7200. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

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. Parking and entry is in the lower level of the fire station. Donations accepted. 301-829-0100. info@mavfc.org. mavfc.org.

Storytime with Santa — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Brunswick Heritage Museum, 40 W. Potomac St., Brunswick. Bring the whole family

to listen to a story or two, make a craft, and visit with Santa Claus! The museum is full of things to see and learn. Ask about their scavenger hunt and enjoy searching for artifacts while learning about the rich railroad history in Brunswick. Visiting the museum and attending this event are both free, but donations are always appreciated. 301-834-7100. brunswickmuseum.org.

Allview Holiday Lights Contest for Food Banks — 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Eric A, Allview Drive, Frederick. Residents of Allview Drive in Mount Pleasant are asking visitors to pick their favorite holiday light display during selected dates in December. Voters can place a “vote” with one or more canned or non-perishable food items in one of 23 stockings attached to the mailboxes of participating houses — by selecting the stocking (or stockings) of their favorite lighted display on the street. All collected non-perishable food donations will be distributed to the Libertytown (St. Peter’s) Food Pantry, Frederick County Food Bank, and Glade Valley Food Bank. This event is held 6-10 p.m. Dec. 20 to 23. 240-506-5759. eric.anderson@frederickhabitat.org. facebook.com/AllviewHoliday LightsforFoodBanks.

Winter Solstice — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center, 2929 Sumantown Road, Middletown. Ages 8 and older. Learn about the winter solstice and what is happening in the night sky.Weather permitting, a sky-viewing session will be offered, where you can gaze at the stars and planets. Advance registration required.  $7 per person. 301-600-2936. recreater.com.

FESTIVALS

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

Holiday Gift Mart — noon to 5 p.m. at Eastside Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Hand-crafted gifts — original artwork, jewelry, glass pieces and ornaments, forged steel, ceramics, cards and more! eastsidearts313@gmail.com. eastsideartistsgallery.com.

MUSIC

Celtic Harp Trio — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at MIddletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. Enjoy the beautiful music of the Celtic harp, violin and flute. 301-600-7560. lgrackin@frederickcountymd.gov. fcpl.org/calendar.

Handbell Concert — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Middletown Library, 31 E. Green St., Mid-

dletown. Come enjoy holiday tunes played on English handbells by members of the Frederick Community College Handbell Choir. aknight@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

MSO in Concert: Home for the Holidays 2024 — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Maryland Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Elizabeth Schulze, conductor. Immerse yourself in the magic of the season with these festive performances featuring a delightful blend of beloved traditional and popular music, capturing the true essence of the holidays. $40. 240-382-2623. nlushbaugh@marylandsymphony.org. marylandsymphony.org.

Eric Byrd Trio: “A Charlie Brown Christmas” — 8 p.m. at Weinberg Center, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. For years now, Washington-native Eric Byrd has been performing the iconic soundtrack from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” with his trio at venues across D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The show begins with a screening of the Peanuts holiday classic followed by a live performance of the Vince Guaraldi masterpiece score.

$30, $25, $20. 301-600-2828. bhiller@cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org/shows/eric-byrd-trio-acharlie-brown-christmas-2024.

THEATER

Bah Humbug: A Christmas Carol (Mostly) Improvised — 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St. , Frederick. This Christmas — choose your own Scrooge! In “Bah Humbug,” Michael Harris and a team of Maryland’s best improvisers turn your suggestions into a never seen before, never to be seen again reboot of the Dickens’ classic. Hilarious, unpredictable and full of audience participation.

$20 general, $17 seniors and students. 443-454-3520. gmichaelharris@gmail.com. weinbergcenter.org/shows/ bah-humbug-2024.

Dance Unlimited Holiday Showcase! — 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Dance Unlimited, 244 B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Also at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Join Dance Unlimited students and the Dance Unlimited Repertory Company as they present their 2024 Holiday Showcase! This family-friendly performance presents performances to some

of your favorite holiday tunes, including a dancing Santa and a fun a holiday skit too!  $15. 301-662-3722.

danceunlimited @performingartsfactory.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.

“A Very Jewish Christmas” — 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. A world premiere play by Sarah Shulman! When a Jewish-Catholic family reunites for their Hanukah and Christmas celebrations, relationships are challenged and secrets are revealed that test the family more than ever before. Come for the brisket, wine and whiskey but stay for a heartfelt story of love, heartbreak, discovery, and hopefully ... forgiveness. Oh, and cookies ... lots and lots of cookies.

$7-$36. 301-694-4744. marylandensemble.org/ a-very-jewish-christmas.

Sunday Dec. 22

ETCETERA

Christmas Breakfast Church — 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Natelli Family YMCA, 3481 Campus Drive, Ijamsville. Living Grace Church in Urbana hosts. Christmas Breakfast Church is a combination of a community breakfast and morning prayers. Living Grace is a Lutheran Episcopal Church.  240-285-9758. pastor@livinggraceurbana. org. livinggraceurbana.org.

GINGERBREAD

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Juliana Farley, 10, earned $30 and placed third in the younger division Nov. 28 at an annual gingerbread house competition in Glenwood. “I tried to build Santa’s house,” she explained. It did not work out as planned for her and her teammate, who also received $30. They plowed through settled for a typical North Pole house design. wonderfully unexpected product.

It happened to teammates Kynsleigh McGinn, 11, and Murphy Kruger, 10, who said they first made a cabin that didn’t work out. McGinn stated they ended up with a lacrosse field, complete with a concession stand, bleachers made of hard peppermint candies, and fans made of red and green gumdrops.

Murphy Kruger was born into this annual event and cannot imagine starting Thanksgiving Day without it. “I love to see all the college kids,” she said — people she doesn’t see much anymore.

Kynsleigh appreciates the creativity of her competitors and recalled someone made a beach house last year.

Pam Kruger claims her oldest child — Jocelyn Torres, 20 — is trying to take over and is “very strict on the judging criteria.” Parents served as judges at previous events until contestants cried foul one year when a dad clearly favored his kid.

The new ruling is judges cannot have any skin in the game, so Pam Kruger selected a West Virginia couple with no kids.

She noted Jocelyn Torres was apprehensive at first. When the contest was all said and done, her daughter did not complain as Jocelyn Torres was declared the winner for an exquisite gingerbread Christmas village she handcrafted with skills developed since age 6.

MOVIES

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Eve for decades. Despite being a film about poverty, predatory lending, and the town nice guy nearly cashing in all his chips, it’s a Christmas classic.

On that note, if socioeconomics interests you, a great comedy about classism is “Trading Places” (Paramount+, Amazon).

Speaking of cranky old rich men …

WHICH IS THE BEST “CHRISTMAS CAROL” MOVIE?

Judges Ali Tod, 35, and her wife, Kara Ford, 43, based their decision on structure and creativity. Jocelyn Torres explained her muse was Italy’s Amalfi Coast. For stairs to the front doors of her houses, she used Hershey’s cookies ‘n’ cream-flavored candy bars and pretzels for windows. Jocelyn Torres also made an outdoor campfire of pretzel sticks and benches from chocolate hazelnut-flavored Pirouline cream filled wafers.

Her haul for winning first-place was $240.

On Thanksgiving Day, Pam Kruger was grateful “I don’t have to cook or heat up an oven.”

“I’m not totally useless,” she added, because cleaning is a household chore the 44-year-old mother of four enjoys. Her contestants play their best and lay it out on the field. Pam Kruger says the mess they make on the tables is disposable and shoves it into heavy-duty trash bags. Guests start leaving soon after 11 a.m.

“This is my contribution to Thanksgiving because I don’t cook food,” Pam Kruger admits, then adds, “nor am I any good at it.”

Marti Moore is a freelance writer who previewed local entertainment in a “Weekend’s Best” events column on the Friday front page of the former Montgomery Journal daily newspaper in Rockville, Md. Reach her at marti.writes.moore. news@gmail.com.

There is no shortage of adaptations of “A Christmas Carol,” and part of the magic of Christmas is that many of these versions are actually great. You don’t need to come to fisticuffs over who the best Scrooge is — even I can’t decide between George C. Scott in the 1984 classic version (Hulu, Paramount+, Amazon Prime, Disney+), the animated Ebenezer Scrooge of “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (Disney+) or, surrounded by the mayhem of the Muppets in “The Muppet Christmas Carol” (Disney+), Michael Caine. Other good versions include the more recent “Spirited” (Apple TV), Bill Murray’s classic “Scrooged” (Hulu, Amazon Prime, Paramount+) and the 1951 movie “Scrooge” (Amazon Prime).

If you’re religious and watching “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” check for an accompanying short, “Small One” (Disney+).

IS TIM ALLEN AMERICA’S OFFICIAL CHRISTMAS JERK?

Yes. In every Christmas movie he’s ever been in. It’s the whole premise of the first Santa Clause: The jerk is jerky, then he becomes Santa Claus, and then he becomes less of a jerk, but do we really ever like-like him? Is he ever not a jerk?

In “El Camino Christmas,” Allen is a jerk with a backstory. He’s not even likable during his endof-movie heroics. Meanwhile, “Christmas with the Kranks” (Hulu, Disney+) features Allen being a jerk to his wife, his neighbors and the world. That said …

WHAT IS THE MOST UNDERRATED CHRISTMAS MOVIE OF ALL TIME?

This is indisputable: “Christmas with the Kranks.” The movie scores

Choreograph/Getty Images Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Gather your friends and family for a movie night.

5% on Rotten Tomatoes. With everything a Christmas classic needs — a Grinchy, Scroogey jerk, a snowman held hostage, the reluctant but stupendous support of neighbors, the mystery of “is this umbrella-toting stranger actually Santa Claus?” and a battle royale over canned ham — it’s got enough elements to win more than 5% of viewers’ Christmas-loving hearts.

And lastly …

IS “DIE HARD” A CHRISTMAS MOVIE OR NOT?

If it takes place on Christmas, it’s a Christmas movie. There’s no complex matrix, no FAFSA to fill out to determine eligibility, all you need is the acknowledgment of Christmas. So if you want to call “Die Hard” (Hulu) a Christmas movie, Yippee-Kai-yay and a Merry Christmas to you.

Note: Streaming service offerings change. This information is up to date for December 2024.

Kari Martindale is a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and spoken word artist who has been published in various literary journals and anthologies, and she has been featured in readings across Maryland. She has an MA in linguistics, sits on the board of Maryland Writers’ Association and is a member of EC Poetry & Prose.

Marti Moore

Make the holiday season unforgettable by shopping local in Downtown Frederick! Discover unique gifts, indulge in delicious dining experiences, and create lasting memories right here in our community. This Saturday, take advantage of FREE gift wrapping and photos with Santa. Plus, parking is free every weekend through New Years!

Photo credits: Moy Dumadag, Sean Reel