FIND iT FREDERiCK - Fall/Holiday 2023

FALL 2023

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THE EDITOR

As we head into the fall and holiday season in Frederick, this time of year can mean many different things to folks.

For those of you who enjoy a good scare, October means one thing —Halloween. Though Hollywood has provided plenty of creative ways to haunt those of us who like that sort of thing, you don't need to seek outside help with finding spooky sites. There are tons of them right here in Frederick County! For instance, do you know about Spook Hill near Burkittsville? Or the bleeding tombstone in a Woodsboro cemetery? Find out about those creepy spots and more Frederick folklore in our story starting on Page 38.

Leaning further into fall, it’s definitely time to start thinking about those holiday gettogethers with family, friends and co-workers. We have lots of ideas to make your next party pop, with advice from some local experts who really know how to throw a good shindig. Check out our story on Page 26

This issue is also chockfull of more fabulous finds, including a local brewery that offers a year-round gathering space, a local company that makes delicious and nutritious high-value treats for your favorite Fido or feline, and a curated antique shop where you can lose a few hours and also gain some interesting gifts for yourself or a friend.

Enjoy this amazing season, Frederick!

Molly Fellin Spence, Executive Editor

TEAM PULSE

FALL 2023

VOLUME 17

ISSUE 2

PUBLISHER

Donna Elbert publisher@pulsepublishing.net

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Molly Fellin Spence molly@pulsepublishing.net

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Gabby Mongeau gabby@pulsepublishing.net

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Melissa Howes-Vitek melissa@pulsepublishing.net

SALES AND MARKETING

Michele Delgadillo michele@pulsepublishing.net

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Ana Lazo Eastep

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Chris Slattery, Ellyn Wexler

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Sean Reel, Spence Photographics

ACCOUNTING/BILLING bookkeeper@pulsepublishing.net

DISTRIBUTION distribution@pulsepublishing.net

FiND iT Frederick is a free quarterly publication of Pulse Publishing, LLC. Customer inquiries should be directed to Pulse Publishing, LLC, 12 S. Market Street, Suite 101, Frederick, MD 21701. All contents of this publication are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part for any reason without prior consent of the publisher.

For information about advertising in an upcoming issue of FiND iT Frederick, please contact Donna Elbert at 301-6626050, ext. 11, email donna@pulsepublishing.net or visit FindItFrederick.com.

If you have questions or comments regarding FiND iT Frederick, you may contact the editor, Molly Fellin Spence at molly@ pulsepublishing.net.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed here are the views of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of FiND iT Frederick or Pulse Publishing, LLC

Many thanks to the numerous individuals and businesses that provided information and their time for our articles and features. We wish to thank our advertisers for their continued support.

There’s nothing shabby about Frederick’s Shab Row — especially now that it’s home to Bella’s Closet! Named after one of owner Brandy Jones’ daughters, the downtown shop is the spot to find one-of-a-kind OOTDs (that’s “outfit of the day”) for the most stylish babies in town.

In the past these sweet, fanciful duds were only available online. This summer, though, Bella’s Closet leapt from its Facebook and Instagram pages (and its stall in the Spring Market) into a brick-and-mortar – literally! – shop in the Everedy Square/Shab Row section of town, where creamy blue rompers and pink grosgrain pinafores rub shoulders on shelves in a circa 1840 row house.

Bella’s Closet also has jewelry, gifts, décor and even clothes for big kids and women, but the baby clothes? Scrumptious!

We’re talking seersucker, piqué, tartan and tulle; smocked frocks, rompers and sailor suits; plus their best-selling bootie with pom poms on the laces. What’s cuter than a bootie, honestly?

The shop features styles from the U.K., Spain, and Turkey, so it’s the perfect place to find something upscale and unique.

Urbana-based Jones is originally from Georgia, and she says her Southern belle sensibility has always gravitated to classic kids’ clothes for special occasions and everyday wear as well. She stocks the store with an aesthetic developed back when she was looking to dress up her now-grown girls in outfits that went beyond the cookie cutter designs found in department and big box stores.

- by Chris Slattery

Does Kate Middleton shop here for the royal tots? No … but she would if she lived in Frederick. (Pippa, too.)

Bella’s Closet is also home to Designs by Brandy, Jones’ custom clothing line. Find a fit that’s creative and fun, whether it’s a unique baby gift for someone special or the secret sauce in this year’s holiday card photo.

Speaking of which: right now the Designs by Brandy holiday collection — including red, pink, or blue pajamas and baby blankets perfect for Christmas — is ready to fly out of the shop like Rudolph in a rocket, so place your orders early.

Bella’s Closet (featuring Designs by Brandy) 116 N. East St., Frederick 301.909.8797

bellascloset.shop

F facebook.com/bellasclosetdesignsbybrandy d @_.bellas_closet._

Photos by Molly Fellin Spence

No matter your age or interest we have something for everyone for every season.

EXPLORE. ENJOY. EXPERIENCE.

No matter your age or interest, Thurmont has something for everyone this fall and winter season. The scenic beauty of the Catoctin Mountains surrounds our historic Main Street where you will find our Murals on Main, trolley car, & entrance to the Thurmont Trolley Trail. Thurmont is home to Cunningham Falls State Park, Catoctin Mountain Park (home to Camp David), 3 wineries, 3 orchards, & 3 covered bridges. Be sure to dine in one of our locally owned restaurants! The perfect getaway so close to home. Only 60 miles from D.C. and Baltimore, 15 minutes south of Gettysburg.

Background: istockphoto.com/filo; inset: istockphoto.com/edb3_16

Fall is an amazing time to get outdoors in Western Maryland, and so, dear reader, we’ve compiled a list of the best hiking spots in the region for you to venture out on, whether the weather is warm and sunny or even cold and a bit forbidding.

You’re a seasoned hiker introducing your non-hiker friends to hiking

Cunningham Falls Nature Loop (Thurmont)

If you’re looking for a gateway hike for novices, look no further than the Cunningham Falls Nature Loop, a 5.5-mile hike just outside of Thurmont. This moderate hike includes Cunningham Falls, the largest waterfall in Maryland, as well as some phenomenal elevated views; however, this trail is typically very busy and dogs are not allowed. An additional perk of this hike is that you can rest and reward yourself with a bottle of wine from a nearby winery, Catoctin Breeze Vineyard (catoctinbreeze.com).

Pros: Good for new hikers, beautiful mountain and waterfall scenery, well-maintained trail

Cons: Heavily trafficked, limited parking, no dogs

You’re a newer hiker, a dog owner, or an Instagram influencer

Weverton Cliffs (Knoxville)

Weverton Cliffs is, in this writer’s opinion, one of the best hiking spots in Maryland. This hike is a short 2 miles out-and-back trail with some phenomenal views of the Potomac. This hike is also dog-friendly, which is great news if you have a dog or if you want to see lots of other people’s dogs. If you get to the top and find yourself wanting more of a challenge, this trail also connects to the Appalachian Trail, so you can add plenty more

mileage if you so desire. I enjoy taking my pup, Chester, and in turn, he enjoys scaring his mother by sniffing too close to the edge of the cliffs.

This hike is heavily trafficked and parking is limited, so if you do venture out, I would recommend hitting this trail early. This also helps you budget for plenty of time to drive across Jefferson Pike for a welldeserved brunch at one of my favorite local coffee places, Beans in the Belfry, in Brunswick.

Pros: Beautiful mountain and river scenery, adjustable hike distance, dog-friendly

Cons: Heavily trafficked, limited parking, summit can get congested

You enjoy pain and suffering

Appalachian Trail section hike: Wolfsville Road to Raven Rock (Smithsburg)

This is a true and embarrassing story. I moved to Maryland and met a new friend, Becca, who invited me on a hike with an acquaintance she met on the internet. I, new to the area and hoping to meet new friends, agreed to go on said hike. The morning of the hike, my alarm does not go off. I get a call from my new friend asking me where I am, to which I lie and respond with “I’m on my way” (I was still in bed). After racing out the door wearing what I was wearing and nearly forgetting a bottle of water, I sped out to meet the group of women. To this day, I will never live down my now-close friends not believing me (with good reason) when I say “I’m on the way.”

The moral of this story is that this is not a hike that you want to be ill-prepared for. You want water. You want snacks. You want comfortable shoes that fit (Becca still has a bruise on her toe from that Inset and trail

sign photos istockphoto/Santiaga and TYangMD ; all other photoss by Chelsea Mongeau

hike. We can literally measure the length of our friendship by her toenail growth).

Riley, our mountaineer, brought a tourniquet and toilet paper. While you might not need one of those, this hike is not one that you want to mess around on. It is grueling and slippery. Notably, depending on the time of year, you may encounter some flooding on the southside of Raven Rock Road. This hike is notorious as being one of the most difficult AT sections in Maryland. While dogs are allowed on this trail, you may want to consider the ability of your dog before setting out. This trail also features myriad types of terrain, including fields, some rock scrambling, small stream crossings, and rigorous elevation gain.

While AllTrails notes this trail is about 9.6 miles, our watches indicated this out-and-back hike was actually closer to about 11 miles. At the end of the section, you’ll be greeted by Raven Rock shelter to snack and rehydrate. Or, if you’re ill-prepared as I was, you can watch your friends snack and maybe even beg them for some toilet paper.

Pros: Few hikers, myriad types of terrain, challenging for more experienced hikers, dog-friendly

Cons: Remote, limited parking at the Appalachian Trail trailhead

You want to get away from the crowds

High Rock Trail (Grantsville)

At risk of stating the obvious, as a lifelong Michigander new to Maryland, I was shocked at how many people live out here. If you’re looking to escape the crowds, one of the more remote Maryland hikes is a short 2 miles out-and-back trail. The summit of this trail is the highest point in Savage River State Forest featuring some beautiful sunset vistas and a rock scramble. If you’re planning on hiking this trail, I would recommend downloading a trail map, directions, or topography before setting out on your hike, as cell service may be limited.

Pros: Few hikers, well-maintained trail, mountain views, rock scramble

Cons: Remote, trailhead can be difficult to find, limited cell service

Happy trails!

Top photo istockphoto.com/MilanMarkovic

3 Ways to Make Your Next

Party Pop!

We’re heading into the holiday season once again, and for many of us, that means one thing… it’s time to party! Whether you’re hosting a small gathering at your house for some friends, planning a special holiday treat exchange, or you’re assigned to arrange your company’s big end-of-year soiree, we’ve got some tips for you to make your next party pop!

1. Hire a Pro!

If it’s in the budget, hiring some professionals to help you get your party started — and keep it going — can take a lot of the stress out of the planning process. Take it from Alex Sincevich, owner of The Dapper DJs (thedapperdjs. com), who’s helped hundreds of couples plan the perfect wedding party and lots of other folks have a rockin’ good time at holiday and birthday and all sorts of other kinds of parties.

A professional DJ like Alex can collaborate with you to create a playlist of the perfect mix of songs to keep people happy throughout your party. Equally important? A “do not play” list.

“It might not be a bad idea to send a list of guests who are not allowed to make requests (with their photos attached)! You know Uncle Greg always asks for that one song after a couple drinks,” Alex says.

“When thinking about planning a holiday party you probably have sentimental visions of warm-and-fuzzy memories from holiday parties past. For me it's all about nostalgia and recreating those experiences with the ones you love,” Alex says. “A key part of recreating those memories is setting the mood with the right music. Personally, I like to pull out the dusty old records we grew up with; bonus: the snap crackle and pop evokes the sounds of a fireplace!” Getting the warm and fuzzies yet?

A pro like Alex can help you find some great new songs that match the flavor of those past favorites.

“Variety is key! Because maybe we've heard that one version of “Jingle Bells” one too many times and it's not a bad idea to add a few new artists to the playlist to pair with new memories made,” Alex says.

And a pro can help with so much more than music!

Consider hiring a professional to take photos, help create your menu, or to spice up your décor.

Inset photo by David Spence, Spence Photographics

A pro can take care of everything, and take the pressure off you, to help you be more present for your guests.

“Hire a pro to take the stress out of the day and let yourself be more present to create new memories,” Alex advises.

2. Think Outside the iPhone

These days everyone has a smartphone and even your grandma knows how to snap a selfie. But there’s another way to help guests capture memories that will last a lifetime… set up a photo booth at your party!

David Spence, owner of The Silly Station photo booth (sillystation.com), has brought his photo booth to dozens of parties, from Sweet Sixteen bashes to wedding receptions to New Year’s Eve countdowns. No matter the event, guests have an amazing time diving into the trunk full of props and making each other laugh with the crazy photos they create.

“One of the most fun parts of this job is shopping for new masks, crazy glasses, crowns and other props for guests to use in the booth,” Dave says.

Each time a guest uses the Silly Station, it prints out their three photos onto an oldfashioned photo strip for guests to keep. And a slide show displayed throughout the party lets everyone in on the fun, watching for their own photos to pop up and smiling as they see others’ pictures, too.

The photo booth allows guests to put down their phones and pick up some unabashed fun. And it allows party hosts to have a bunch of long-lasting mementos to remember their party. Photos truly last forever, and that picture of Aunt Susie wearing flashy Elvis glasses alongside Cousin Jim in a Batman mask will be the stuff of legend for decades to come.

Inset photo by David Spence, Spence Photographics

3. Drink Local

Frederick is home to so many amazing wineries, distilleries and breweries, you won’t have a hard time supplying your next party with delicious, locally made spirits. Shop around downtown before your next party and you can quickly and easily pick up a variety of local brews from Attaboy Beer (attaboybeer. com), Idiom Brewing Co. (idiombrewing.com), Olde Mother Brewing Co. (oldemother.com), Rockwell Brewery (rockwellbrewery.com), and Steinhardt Brewing (steinhardtbrewing.com).

Drop into Tenth Ward Distilling Company (tenthwarddistilling.com) and McClintock Distilling (mcclintockdistilling.com) for some bottles of rum, gin, or whiskey and inspiration on some unique mixed drink recipes.

Spin the Bottle Wine Company (spinthebottlewinecompany.com), Firestone’s Market (firestonesrestaurant.com/market-on-market), Viniferous (viniferouswine.com) and The Wine Kitchen on the Creek (thewinekitchen.com) can be your source for all your wine-purchasing needs.

Looking for some great non-alcoholic options? Drop into the North Market Pop Shop (northmarketpopshop.com) and pick up a bunch of six packs of tasty sodas. You can even create a fun party game by using some of the out-of-the-ordinary flavors the Pop Shop carries for a blind taste test for guests. Cover up the labels and see if your friends can guess what they’re tasting? Bacon-flavored soda? Yep, they’ve got that.

Background: istockphoto.com/Aleutie; inset: istockphoto.com/franckreporter

The All Things Music & Dance Company vision is to offer a venue for all to join and experience the arts. From the novice, hobbyist, intermediate and professional, we offer top tier instruction in our dance and music programs. We are devoted to providing students with comprehensive artistic education that fosters excellence in all forms of dance and music. We strongly believe in making the Arts accessible to everyone. We offer dance instruction in genres ranging from contemporary, jazz, ballet, hip hop, tap and creative movement. Along with instruction we have our competitive dance team which consists of three core competition teams.

Our music program offers instruction in all levels from beginners, intermediate and advanced. We currently offer individual and group music instruction for guitar and piano, music theory and composition.

Rustic Elegance & Historic Charm

Perched atop one of the highest ridgelines in Gettysburg, framed by historic wood and stone architecture and stunning views of historic Gettysburg battlefields and Hunter Lake, The Lodges at Gettysburg is a destination unlike any other in the area.

It’s peaceful here with a timeless tranquility and rustic elegance that settle you into a relaxed state of mind. Beautifully maintained grounds and lodging are surrounded by 63 acres of rolling Gettysburg countryside, the perfect backdrop for family vacations, outside-the-box meetings and romantic weddings with a dash of historic charm.

685 Camp Gettysburg Road Gettysburg, PA 17325 717-642-2500

www.thelodgesatgettysburg.com

C e l e b r a t e t h e h o l i d a y s i n

HOLLY FEST

HANDMADE HAGERSTOWN HOLIDAY MARKET

DOWNTOWN TREE LIGHTING

CITY PARK TREE LIGHTING

CHRISTKINDL MARKT

C o m e v i s i t

KRUMPE’S NEW YEAR’S EVE DONUT DROP

Do you love tequila and culturally, creative tacos? Located in the heart of Downtown Frederick, Agave 137 is the ideal spot for lunch with friends, sporting events, dinner with the family, happy hour, or an exciting night out on the town. Our drink menu features 80+ Tequilas and Mezcals to choose from, including our very own Signature Tequila made by Dobel. Weekly specials and events include Tequila of the Month, Monthly Drink Specials, GAME DAY Specials, and LIVE DJ Sets. Check out our CATERING MENU on our website www.agave137.com!

Happy Hour

Monday-Friday | 3pm-6pm: $3 Select Tacos

Lunch

Monday-Friday | 11am-3pm: $3 Select Tacos

OPEN: Sunday-Thursday: 11 AM- 12 AM Friday & Saturday: 11 AM-1:30 AM

Eats & Entertainment

Cellar Door Restaurant is known for their seasonal cocktail menu, a wide selection of beer and wine, triple-cooked wings and slow roasted brisket. Nightly entertainment ranges from karaoke, open-mic nights and even comedy shows. Cellar Door also specializes in accommodating private events for all occasions and offers Sunday Brunch from 11:30- 3pm.

Background photo courtesy of Hilltop Blooms & Beef

Forget Halloween hayrides and farms full of screamers. Frederick is full of folktales about creepy creatures, ghostly graveyards, bleeding tombstones, and haunted hamlets…

in Frederick

By Chris Slattery

There’s definitely a chill in the air here each autumn, but don’t blame it all on the weather.

Frederick County is home to 259,547 living souls, according to U.S. Census data, but it’s also home to an unknown number of more ethereal creatures.

Ghost hunters say the area is one of the most haunted spots in America.

Jody Brumage, a 10th generation Frederick Countian who works as an archivist for Heritage Frederick, the county’s historical society, sees the stats a little bit differently.

“Frederick County has some very interesting stories,” he admits. “I tend to look at it through the lens of folklore, but there’s been a long interest in these stories, and there are a few places in particular that seem to have garnered attention and are associated with hauntings and ghost stories.”

Where the Ghosts Are

Bromage grew up in Burkittsville, the little Frederick County town that became infamous as the setting for the 1999 blockbuster, “The Blair Witch Project.” The movie and its events are fictional, but that doesn’t mean the picture-postcard village doesn’t have a history of hauntings. For Bromage, who has worked with archival collections for more than a decade, a passion for folklore began in his hometown, in a place known as Spook Hill.

“The tradition is that if you stop your car at a certain place and put it into neutral it will roll uphill,” he explains about the road that ascends South Mountain in Burkittsville and was a key artery during the American Civil War. “The ghosts of soldiers pushing the artillery up the mountain in preparation for battle will push your car.”

The archivist has tried the experiment without success, but says countless others have experienced the strange phenomenon.

“Some have even gone so far as to say if you put flour or baby powder on the car’s bumper you’ll see handprints there.”

Burkittsville Union Cemetery

What you’ll see on a visit to Rocky Hill Cemetery in Woodsboro is a bit more disturbing. In a peaceful graveyard outside a picture-perfect church, a tombstone is said to bleed — and a bronze marker in front of the tombstone explains why, in a little poem.

“The woman who is buried there died young and left several children,” says Bromage, adding that the father quickly remarried, presumably to the 18th century version of a stepmonster who treated the kids very badly indeed. “Apparently the mother mourned what had happened, and the trouble her children were experiencing, and it manifested itself in the tombstone ‘bleeding.’”

Female apparitions are a theme when it comes to the haunted houses of Frederick, and that’s true of Prospect Hall, the grand 1787 mansion built by Daniel Dulaney that sits atop Frederick’s Red Hill. Bromage points out that while Prospect Hall is famous for sightings of a ghostly horse that once belonged to Gen. George Meade, who took command of the Union’s Army of the Potomac there just before the Battle of Gettysburg, it’s also home to an even sadder ghost story.

“A son of the house fell in love with a servant girl, and his father found it totally unacceptable,” he says. “He shut the son away, and sealed the girl up in a log house where she died.”

The Bleeding Tombstone at Rocky Hill Cemetery.

Photo courtesy of: Heritage Frederick

It’s a story that’s been told for generations, unlike the tale of the ghosts at the Amelung House, a historic home in Urbana that was built by the founder of one of the earliest glass factories in the U.S. in 1785. A perfect storm of setbacks — problems with trade, cheaper European imports, and finally a fire — led to a shutdown of the business, and Bromage said the spot was all but forgotten, with most of the buildings falling down and the attached cemetery where factory workers had been buried forgotten.

“The cemetery had been lost until the 1900s, when it was uncovered,” the archivist says. “And families living in the Amelung House and in the area around it reported these different apparitions after the site was found and some of the remains disturbed.”

South Mountain Magic

Before our current ability to Google info about ghosts, there were books and newspaper stories about them.

the ghost stories of Frederick to a wider audience.

Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren’s “South Mountain Magic,” along with “Middletown Valley in Song and Story,” by Thomas Chalmers Harbaugh, and works by George Alfred Townsend, an author and journalist also known as Gath, all helped bring

“There were stories about the Ghost Hounds, these wild dogs and wolves that would terrorize travelers trying to cross the mountains in the dead of night,” says Bromage. “And a winged creature called the Snallygaster that was seen on different occasions flying around the Middletown Valley.”

Dahlgren visited families who lived on the mountain, such as the Zittles, whose patriarch was a wizard and performed spells and magic from high on South Mountain. He wrote their folklore down, preserving it for future generations.

“‘South Mountain Magic’ is a fantastic snapshot of folklore in the late 19th century, told from the perspective of Madeleine Dahlgren, who was herself a bit of a mystic,” says Bromage, alluding to the “Victorian obsession with death, mortality and mourning.”

Townsend was a Civil War correspondent who acquired a great deal of fame as a writer and storyteller; he built an estate, Gapland Hall, in Crampton’s Gap, near Burkittsville, which became Gathland State Park upon his death.

Crampton’s Gap was one of three gaps that were pivotal in the 1862 Battle of South Mountain, which took place in the lead up to the battles of Antietam and Sharpsburg.

Background: Gapland Road.

Inset: Victorian mystic, folklorist, and author Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren.

“One of the sites on the battlefield with a long tradition of ghosts was the log cabin on a farm inhabited by the Wise family in what is called Fox’s Gap,” says Bromage. “There was a well on the property where several Confederate soldiers were buried — or their bodies were dumped, depending on your sources.”

Despite his work as an archivist, surrounded by ghost stories and folklore, Bromage isn’t a particularly avid believer in ghosts. He notes that when it comes to tales of wizards, ghosts and Sallygasters, “skeptical minds would say it was a good way to sell newspapers.”

He does say that he’s “not opposed to the possibility that there’s something out there,” and that there’s no denying that, historically, Frederick has been an epicenter of paranormal interest.

“There are a lot of stories and traditions about ghosts — that’s going to happen anywhere that you have a group of old houses, old communities where people have lived for generations,” he says. “Frederick County dates back to the 1740s, we have cemeteries here that have existed since that time period.” And the City of Frederick, with its 18th and 19th century buildings, served as a crossroads of the Civil War. That part of its history might explain the preponderance of haunted houses and ghostly graveyards.

“There’s a huge Civil War history, and there’s a lot of trauma associated with that,” he explains. “People living here saw battles, they saw major troop movements, they saw wounded soldiers in huge numbers that were treated in ‘hospitals’ that were set up in the city’s churches and schools and other public buildings.

“It seems only natural that there would be some people who later on chose to romanticize those periods of history.”

Untold Stories

Laine Crosbie, a Maryland-based investigative medium and New York Times bestselling author, is not afraid to face the ghost issue head on — although she never enters a haunted area without saying a quick prayer for protection, and she recommends every ghost seeker do the same.

“There are many spooky stories about Frederick, Maryland because there are more ghosts here than in many parts of the country,” says Crosbie, a frequent guest on the Travel Channel’s Ghost Brothers: Haunted Houseguests reality show.

“There’s more history in Frederick; it dates back further than many other locations, so it saw the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War, and hosted the Battle of Monocacy, a turning point in the Civil War.

“Many have crossed through Frederick on their way to Pennsylvania and other parts,” she adds, “including enslaved people through the Underground Railroad, traveling north for freedom.”

Those are the least documented stories in the plethora of Frederick ghost tales, according to Bromage.

“Historically Frederick County was an area that saw movement of enslaved people — freedom seekers,” he agrees. “It’s difficult to say where stops on the Underground Railroad were, but it’s generally believed that Catoctin Mountain, which runs right up through the center of the county, was a corridor used to escape slavery.”

Background: The Battle of Cramptons Gap, Spook Hill, Frederick. Inset: Investigative medium Laine Crosbie.

Indeed, the county’s northern border is the Mason Dixon line, which in the preCivil War years was synonymous with freedom. But the vast majority of Frederick ghost stories have been told from a different, more privileged, perspective.

“Historically this was an area where a lot of enslaved people did live, and experienced hardships and horrors and all the tragedy that came with the institution of slavery,” Bromage says. “There may be stories that are kept among those families that were their own, not passed around or written down.”

The ones that were written down, he adds, say something about the time period in which they were popular, whether people were processing the trauma of the Civil War, taking part in the mystic mania of the Victorian Age, or coping with the difficulties of the Great Depression. As an archivist, he only asks that would-be ghostbusters check in with Frederick’s rich history before heading out to the haunting grounds.

For information about Heritage Maryland: frederickhistory.org

For information about Laine Crosbie: lainecrosbyinvestigativemedium.com

Laine Crosbie’s Top Tips for amateur (and professional) ghostbusters:

• When visiting “spooky” places, it's important to approach them with respect for their history and the potential spiritual significance they hold.

• Maintain an open mind, show reverence and avoid disruptive behavior.

• Engage in quiet contemplation, acknowledge the surroundings, and be receptive to any energies you may sense. This approach honors the location and the potential paranormal experiences that may arise.

• Take note of anything happening around you. If you’re sensitive to it, you may feel energy or a presence; focus on those feelings.

• For paranormal investigators with equipment, it is especially important — after getting permission to be on the property — to talk to the spirits as if they were not “entities,“ but folks just like you and me. That’s exactly what they are, and they could be confused and hurting, just like anyone in the physical world.

• Instead of calling out for any spirits, an investigator should always ask to speak with one particular human spirit. On battlefields, you could say “I would like to speak with the highest-ranking officer.”

Girl Scout Day

Oct 7 | Fountain Rock Park

Fall Fest

Oct 7-8 | Rose Hill Manor Park

Adaptive Trick-or-Treat

Oct 20 | Rock Creek Rec Center

Wonder-Fall Oct 21 | Catoctin Creek Park

The Frederick Arts Council is offering

AFFORDABLE ARTIST STUDIOS for rent in downtown Frederick!

7 N

Market St •

Frederick, MD 21701 (Formerly BB&T

Bank Office Complex)

The Studios Space will house over 30 artists in individual, privately accessible studios. The Space features an elevator for convenient supplies loading and transport, a shared utility sink on each floor, and communal gathering spaces for networking and small classes/activities. Studios are spacious (over 100 square feet) and many feature beautiful Market & Patrick Street views. Studio artists are invited to show in FAC’s 1 N Market Street Gallery next door.

Currently available units are priced between $300-$400/month.

For more information or to schedule a walkthrough: Emma Sandler, FAC Public Art Program Manager emma@frederickartscouncil.org

Paw-O-Ween

Oct 25 | Ballenger Creek Park

History Trick-or-Treat

Oct 27-28 | Rose Hill Manor Park

Mother/Son Medieval Knight Out Nov 3 | Pinecliff Park

Sensory Visit with Santa Dec 3 | Rock Creek Rec Center

S’mores with Santa Dec 7-8 & 14-15 | Utica Park

Wild for Winter Dec 9 | Catoctin Creek Park

Museums by Candlelight Dec 9 | Rose Hill Manor Park

Winter Solstice Dec 20 | Catoctin Creek Park

Photos by Molly Fellin Spence

Fall is a great time to enjoy the beautiful, rolling farmlands and mountains that abound in Frederick County.

Take a drive to the foothills of Braddock Mountain, just 5 miles south of Downtown Frederick, and you’ll soon find yourself at Prospect Point Brewing, a family-friendly brewery that welcomes beer lovers as well as their kids and furry companions, yearround, to enjoy its lovely property.

Especially in the fall, a trip to Prospect Point is a great idea. As you head into the taproom to order your beer, ask a beertender to rent a fire pit, and they’ll set it all up for you. Fire pits are first come, first served, and offer a truly lovely way to spend an autumn evening, freshly poured brew in hand.

Prospect Point is open Thursdays through Sundays and special events are often on the calendar. Live music is often scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays, and a variety of food trucks park onsite, offering lots of delicious noshes.

Kids of all ages are welcome at the brewery, and there is plenty of space outside for them to run around and play, as well games and toys, and even a playground area.

Well-behaved and leashed dogs can hang out both inside and outside the taproom, too.

But the really important thing here is the beer!

The draft list changes regularly, but expect to find pilsners, lagers, IPAs, stouts, wheat beer, and hefeweizens as well as hard seltzers and slushies!

Special small-batch brews are regularly released and announced on social media.

Drafts are available in 4 oz. flights, 16 oz. drafts, pitchers and crowlers to go.

Follow Prospect Point on social media to find out the latest events and special brews, or follow them on Untappd, an app that allows users to check in and rate beers and share reviews with friends.

Cheers! Prospect

The City of Frederick PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

The City of Frederick Parks and Recreation Department has provided citizens in the area with quality and affordable programs for over 80 years. Year-round activities include sports, fitness, and leisure for all ages, challenging and educational children’s activities, the William Talley Fitness Center, and an abundance of unique programming .

Searching for a healthy treat that your pet will snarf right up?

Good news. Frederick is home to a company whose focus is creating small-batch, single-ingredient dog and cat treats that are not only delicious, but also good for your furry friends.

Catherine Sprouse created Snarfies right here in Frederick County after a beloved pet began having strange digestion issues.

“We ended up making homemade food and treats to entice her to eat, and it made a huge difference

through the course of her illness,” Sprouse said. “Her level of appetite and sheer enjoyment of eating food was so obviously improved when we added our freshly prepared food to her diet, I wondered if there wasn’t a good business idea in there.”

Thus, Snarfies was born!

When pet owners buy a bag of Snarfies, they can count on it being full of just one, pure ingredient –protein. Their treats are free of additives, binders, fillers, wheat, grain, soy, corn or powdered anything.

Photos by Molly Fellin Spence

Every treat is handmade right here in Frederick, from chicken liver, beef liver, and mutton to egg – high protein treats are all that’s in Snarfies’ lineup.

“When we develop a treat idea, we focus on aroma, flavor, texture, and experience,” Sprouse said. “Our recipe process develops and locks in flavor, and we find pets can really tell the difference.”

Because the treats are considered “high value,” to pets, dog trainers have become fast fans.

You can find Snarfies at special events and popups in Frederick as well as nine FreshFarm Farmers Markets in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Or buy them directly on Snarfies’ website.

No matter which treat you choose, you’ll know it was created with love and care by the Snarfies team.

Snarfies Pet Treats

snarfies.com

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At The Beauty Company we strive for all of our guests to feel relaxed and pampered while enhancing your beauty, unlike any other salon and spa in our area. With our team of experienced, licensed professionals we guarantee the highest level of service.

EST. 2017 •

OFFERING: HAIR/SPA/NAIL SERVICES

A recent weekend trip to Brunswick yielded some of the best burgers we’ve ever eaten, a bunch of tasty, freshly brewed beers, and a small haul of unique treasures discovered among the two floors of wallto-wall vintage and antique goods at Ampersand

Located directly across the street from the aforementioned tasty beer joint, Smoketown Brewing Station on West Potomac Street, Ampersand looks like a nice little single-family home. But look closer and you’ll discover that all that cool stuff hanging out on the front porch is actually for sale!

Owner Allison Wilder has spent the last year renovating and improving the property to serve as a place to sell her wide collection of antiques, vintage goods and other treasures.

Even before you walk inside Ampersand, you’ll be greeted by a porch full of unique goods.

On a recent trip, the front yard display included lawn chairs that looked exactly like the ones my parents once sat upon in our 1980s backyard, and the porch contained a beautiful vase and the coolest vintage typewriter I’ve seen in quite some time.

Once inside, you’ll have two floors to explore. And explore you must. Make sure you budget plenty of time for your visit. Dozens of shelves and tables and even the walls display a dizzying array of awesome old things that would not only look cool in your home, but will also serve as an interesting conversation starter during your next get-together.

Whose couch did that lovely little afghan once sit on and what tales could it tell?

Speaking of conversation starters … how about a vintage rotary dial telephone? Grab one and thrill your teens with the knowledge that there was a time before texting. A time when it took several minutes to dial a friend’s phone number, wait for

Photos by Molly Fellin Spence

their phone to ring, then possibly have to speak to an adult who answered before you could actually talk to your friend!

Horrors.

All kidding aside, there are so many cool things from the past to discover in Ampersand, it almost defies description. But I’ll try.

Loose golf balls and tees sit near vintage military patches and underneath old felt pennants from vacation destinations like The Poconos of Pennsylvania or Key West, Florida.

Fancy a vintage-style painted plate from Ohio, a pair of salt and pepper shakers from New Jersey, a stein from Nebraska, a porcelain bell from Aruba, or a mug from North Carolina, to commemorate a family trip from long ago? You’ll find more than one here.

And, of course, it wouldn’t be Brunswick if there wasn’t a display of vintage train-related items. A bin full of old railroad spikes selling for $6 apiece called out to me, if I could only tap into some creative idea on how to use them . . .

I spent a good hour at Ampersand on a recent Saturday morning, and I could have spent a few hours more exploring. As it was, I walked away with a pair of coordinating framed crewelwork pieces – an ear of corn and a bunch of broccoli – which I imagine were lovingly stitched decades ago by someone’s grandmother. They now live in my kitchen.

And I picked up a lovely little Pyrex mixing bowl to go with my growing collection of vintage cookware.

Whether you’re seeking out a fun gift for that hardto-buy-for person in your life or a unique item to take home for yourself, Ampersand in Brunswick is a great place to find what you didn’t even know you were looking for.

Ampersand

230 W. Potomac St., Brunswick

etsy.com/shop/Ampersand21716

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Photo by Molly Fellin Spence

Hit the road to celebrate the holidays

by Ellyn Wexler

The arrival of cooler weather means holiday season is almost here! Celebrating the season in Frederick is always wonderful, but if you have an itch for something different, why not jump in the car and celebrate the season with a road trip?

Photo courtesy of the National Park Service

Celebrate fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains

There may be no better place to witness autumn’s magnificence than Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of north-central Virginia. The 104-mile drive from Frederick to view the foliage, vistas, waterfalls and wildlife clocks in at about two hours.

A kaleidoscope of fiery reds, burnt oranges, golden yellows and even some purples, typically starts in early October at the highest elevations. Mid and lower elevations usually reach their peak during the last three weeks of October.

There are many variables – including temperature, rainfall and the realities of climate change -- so exact dates are impossible to predict. Check the National Park Service’s webcam for real-time views of leaf color progress: https://www.nps.gov/ shen/learn/photosmultimedia/view_webcam.htm.

Skyline Drive, the park’s only public road, has numerous overlooks and viewpoints for panoramic views of the colorful landscape. The 200,000plus acres of protected lands are home to deer, songbirds and black bears, as well as a variety of tree species, including oak, maple, hickory and birch, all contributing to the foliage colors.

Among the best places to experience the foliage are: Old Rag Mountain, a popular hiking destination with breathtaking views; Big Meadows, known for wide open spaces, a great spot for leaf-peeping and wildlife viewing; Hawksbill Mountain , the park’s highest peak with stunning vistas; Dark Hollow Falls, via a relatively short hike; Stony Man Trail , which leads to a great overlook, and tends to be less crowded; and Limberlost Trail, an easy family-friendly accessible trail, with a crushed greenstone walkway on a gentle grade.

The $30 park entrance fee may be purchased online or at an entrance station. Shenandoah is one of the few national parks that allow pets (on a leash) on some trails. Through Nov. 30, visitors to Old Rag Mountain, including hikers on the Saddle, Ridge and Ridge Access trails, also will need an Old Rag day-use ticket in advance; visit nps.gov/shen/ planyourvisit/faqs-oldrag.htm.

A kaleidoscope

of fiery reds, burnt oranges, golden yellows and even some purples, typically starts in early October at the highest elevations.

Halloween nights

at Eastern State Penitentiary

Philadelphia does a masterful job of defying its “City of Brotherly Love” nickname during the Halloween season. Instead, the vibe is definitively sinister on select evenings from Sept. 22 to Nov. 11 at Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary.

With Hollywood-quality sets, custom soundtracks and more than 200 performers, this Halloween festival of epic proportions takes place in a one-of-akind setting: within the walls of an abandoned 10-acre prison known for its imposing Gothic architecture. The penitentiary, a National Historic Landmark, is a 154.6-mile, two-hour, 47-minute drive from Frederick. Note that there’s no parking at the site, so set your GPS for the Philadelphia Zoo’s parking garage (3500 W. Girard Ave.), where you can hop on a shuttle.

Each of the festival’s five haunted houses — all spine-chilling with intense imagery and jump scares — are true to their names. There’s Delirium, “a mind-altering trip through a murky neon jungle where … menacing camouflaged creatures emerge from their hiding places.”

In Machine Shop , “evil with one mind but many bodies” pervades, and in The Crypt, visitors “wade through the mist into the lair of an ancient vampire clan,” and are warned that “the queen and her bloodthirsty minions might mark you as their next offering.” Heading backstage through the carnival grounds of Big Top Terror, “menacing performers will do anything to carve out their moment in the spotlight.” And finally, “there’s no escaping the terrors that lurk in the shadows” at Nightmares,

where “Mr. Sandman conjures up a menagerie of frightening personalities all dead set on trapping in your worst nightmares … forever.”

For an even more frightening experience, visitors are invited to grab a glow necklace, which signals a willingness to be grabbed, sent into hidden passageways, and even temporarily separated from their group.

Five more welcoming spaces are in store for guests who want respite between scares. Both the carnivalthemed Bizarre Bar and the vampire-themed Bloodline Lounge have live music. The Fair Chance Beer Garden offers “The Voices of Eastern State Highlights,” a 20-minute audio tour narrated by actor Steve Buscemi, featuring the voices of people who were incarcerated or worked at the prison, as well as museum exhibits. At Pumpkin Plaza, an outdoor courtyard with a bar, The Boogie Monsters perform a choreographed dance every half hour, and hay bales, skeletons and pumpkins provide a perfect selfie setting. For VIP Admission ticket holders (online purchase only), there’s the Prohibition-themed cocktail lounge Speakeasy at Al Capone’s Cell, also featuring live musical performers.

Also indoors is Kaleidoscope Hall , an immersive walk through a realm of shifting shapes and dazzling lights that illuminate the prison’s crumbling walls and vaulted ceilings. And outdoors is S’mores and Lore, where guests gather around the fire, roast s’mores, and hear campfire ghost stories.

Halloween Nights is recommended for ages 12 and older; children younger than 7 are not permitted. Tickets, sold by half-hour entry times, range from $39 to $59 in advance, $45 to $79 at the door. Visit HalloweenNights.org.

Photos courtesy of Eastern State Penitentiary

“ a mind-altering trip through a murky neon jungle where … menacing camouflaged creatures emerge from their hiding places.”

Visit Historic Bethlehem at Christmas

What better place than Bethlehem to spend Christmas? Although the locale is clearly not the birthplace referenced in the Bible, three dates give some legitimacy to the eastern Pennsylvania namesake.

A Moravian bishop, Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, christened the city “Bethlehem” on Christmas Eve 1741; six years later, Bethlehem became the first U.S. city to feature a decorated Christmas tree; and in 1937, the city adopted the nickname “Christmas City USA.”

It’s no surprise that Bethlehem, 163 miles from Frederick, about a two-hour, 45-minute drive, goes all out for the holidays. Festive decorations and light displays – including a candle-in-everywindow, beeswax candles, and the renowned Star of Bethlehem and Moravian Star – adorn picturesque cobblestone streets, lamp posts, trees, storefronts.

The exquisite Moravian-Germanic-style architecture features herringbone-patterned doors, gambrel roofs with double slopes on both sides, and jack arch windows of wedge-shaped brick. Of note is a National Historic Landmark: the 1741 Gemeinhaus (66 W. Church St.), home of the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem.

In addition to the awesome sights, special holiday activities abound. Opening the season is the annual Christmas City Tree Lighting Ceremony at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24 at Payrow Plaza. And the Historic Bethlehem Live Advent Calendar, touted as “the only one of its kind in the country and perhaps the entire world,” will kick off on Friday, Dec. 1 at the 1810 Federal-style Goundie House, at 501 Main St.

Each evening at 5:30 p.m., through Dec. 23, a visitor is invited to walk up to a door and knock; a special guest from a local business or organization opens the door and distributes treats.

Bethlehem boasts two outdoor holiday markets. There’s the traditional European-style Christmas market, Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem (505 Main St.), at PNC Plaza at SteelStacks, a 10-acre campus on the former grounds of the Bethlehem Steel plant. More than 150 artisans sell handmade crafts, holiday decorations and treats. The market is open Nov. 17-19, 24-26, Nov. 3-Dec. 3, Dec. 7-10, and 14-17.

The second market, Christmas City Village, also known as the Christmas Hut on Main, is located downtown along the streets at The Smithy, next to Central Moravian Church, and in front of the Hotel Bethlehem . Local vendors sell handmade and unique items from wooden huts. The Village is open Thursdays through Sundays from Nov. 10 through Dec. 24.

About 30 minutes northwest of Bethlehem is the Lehigh Valley Zoo where you can visit the 10th annual Winter Light Spectacular, a dazzling display of more than 1.2 million lights. The event features classic holiday scenes, multiple fire pits, hot chocolate and other holiday treats, as well as multiple live performances every night spotlighting a popular princess — Elsa, Anna, Belle or Cinderella. Santa is available for photos during most evenings from the event’s November opening through Dec. 23.

Tickets go on sale in October; visit winterlightspectacular.com.

Bottom left photo courtesy of Bethlehem, PA

Bottom right photo courtesy of Lehigh Valley Zoo

Festive decorations and light displays – including a candle-in-every-window, beeswax candles, and the renowned Star of Bethlehem and Moravian Star – adorn picturesque cobblestone streets, lamp posts, trees, storefronts.

Photos courtesy of Bethlehem, PA

We've got your Pet Healthcare Needs Covered!

General Practice

• Thrive Pet Healthcare Frederick 7820 Wormans Mill Road Frederick, Maryland 21701 (240) 332-1147

• Thrive Pet Healthcare Germantown 19728 Germantown Road

General Practice, Boarding, Daycare, Grooming, and Training

• Greenbriar Veterinary Hospital & Luxury Pet Resort 3051 Thurston Road Frederick, Maryland 21704 (240) 220-9687

From broken toes, to puppy teeth, to senior care, we're here to serve the veterinary care needs of your pet with primary, emergency, and specialty care. Contact

• CARE Veterinary Center 1080 W Patrick St Frederick, Maryland 21703 (443) 247-0482

Germantown, Maryland 20874 (240) 221-7914

History and Holidays at Catoctin Furnace

Fallfest

Traditional Village Christmas Saturday December 2, 10am-4pm

Adults in recovery from mental health challenges or addiction have a safe and non-judgmental space at On Our Own of Frederick County. The 24-year-old nonprofit recovery center provides free peer-led support groups, workshops, recreational activities and assistance in finding community resources.

The group is an offshoot of On Our Own of Maryland, a statewide, peer-operated behavioral health advocacy and education organization that trains and mentors, and ensures consistent policies for its 23 affiliates.

In addition to support groups and educational sessions about general mental health and substance use disorder, OOOF holds peer-led meetings on a wide range of topics – such as journaling, art, self-love, nutrition, disabilities, meditation, reiki and hypnosis – and social events like movie and game days.

Some groups are virtual, others, in person. Based on individual needs, the center also offers case management, help obtaining benefits; and housing, financial, and employment resources.

Anyone can speak with a peer, “someone who understands what you’re going through,” by calling the center’s warm-line at 301-620-0555, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays.

Interim Executive Director Neil Donnelly, who leads day-to-day operations, answered some questions about his background and aspirations for the center.

What inspired you to take this job?

I was motivated to help others by giving back and sharing my lived experience of too many mental health crises and struggles with alcoholism.

What previous experience did you have professionally and as a volunteer?

After 35 years in corporate America, in operations engineering and executive management, I spent the last decade focusing on human services, helping the community’s homeless and lowresource individuals. I served on my church council for seven years, two as president. I volunteer with the resource enrichment program Getting Ahead, and for United Way, three years as a certified volunteer income tax assistant and one as a budget coach. I also serve on Frederick’s Task Force to End Homelessness.

What have you accomplished in your brief time as executive director?

What are your goals for the center?

Short-term, I want to stabilize and staff our dropin center to meet peers/members’ needs with supportive programs; refresh our strategic plan while implementing a consistent message of peer-led recovery; and meet with key partners and stakeholders to ensure we deliver on all grant conditions. Longterm, I want to implement a constituent resource management database; achieve best-in-class wellness and recovery drop-in center status; support board and paid peers’ development and training; and develop and implement a diversified three-to-fiveyear funding plan.

istockphoto.com/Alessandro Biascioli NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

Our Own Frederick 22

On

FREDERICK (TJ) OFFICE

87 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 101, Frederick, MD 21702

HOURS: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm; Walk-Ins 8-8:30am

Saturday, 9am–noon (by appointment only)

PHONE: 301-694-0606

TEXT MESSAGES ARE PREFERRED TO: 301-205-5112

BALLENGER CREEK OFFICE

6550 Mercantile Drive, Suite 106, Frederick, MD 21703

HOURS: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm

PHONE: 301-668-6347

MOUNT AIRY OFFICE

1311 South Main Street, Suite 304, Mount Airy, MD 21771

HOURS: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm

PHONE: 301-829-6146

URBANA OFFICE

3500 Campus Drive, Suite 101, Urbana, MD 21704

HOURS: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm

PHONE: 301-874-6107

Photos by Molly Fellin-Spence

TheArtof Beauty

We offer a variety of luxurious and rejuvenating facials and body services

• European Facials & Customized Skin Care Treatments

• Therapeutic Massage

• Face & Body Waxing

• Eyebrow & Eyelash Coloring

• NovaLash Eyelash Extensions

• Nail Services

• Airbrush Tanning

We Carry Dermalogica and Dr. Temt Skin Care and Jane Iredale Make-Up

Call 240-629-8905 or visit TheArtOfBeautySkincareAssociates.com for a full listing of services and pricing

During Covid -19 and always the health, wellness and safety of our guests and that of our staff are our top priority. Please be assured that we will always follow state required standards for cleanliness. For our specific protocol and guidelines please call us at 240-629-8905.

Conveniently located close to Rt.15 on Rosemont Avenue

MARYLAND GOLF at its finest

With a county population of 300,000 and 13 golf courses, Clustered Spires has earned “Best of Frederick Golf Course”! Golf Digest awards Clustered Spires a HHHH rating Clustered Spires reputation is a great conditioned golf course with wonderful greens and considered the best value golf course in central Maryland.

CLUSTERED SPIRES