72 Hours January 15, 2026

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JANUARY 15

Dog City!

Frederick named No. 1 city in the US for dog lovers

January 9 - March 15, 2026

BROADWAY'S MUSICAL COMEDY HIT! FEATURING 28 CLASSIC 1980'S ROCK TUNES: SONGS

PAINT THE TOWN: Jamie Gerhold will present a community art project at the Delaplaine Arts Center PAGE 13

Tickets are selling FAST! Reserve Your Tickets Today!

TobysDinnerTheatre.com

PLAYING FOR KEEPS: Make’n

Music celebrates four decades as Frederick’s go-to music shop PAGE 4

TENNESSEE TRAVEL: Cloudland at McLemore Resort offers the epitome of rest and relaxation PAGE 10

INSIDE THIS WEEK Music ........................................................... 4 Frederick Mom ....................................... 9 Getaways .................................................10 Art ............................................................ 12

Comics ......................................................16

EDITOR Lauren LaRocca llarocca@newspost.com

Film.....................................................17

REVENUE DIRECTOR Connie Hastings

Cover story.............................................14

Classifieds ...............................................18 Calendar ................................................. 20 ON THE COVER: “Roxy is our 18-month-old golden retriever and marches to the beat of her own drum,” writes Christina Dabulskis-Cohen. “She is extremely affectionate and is always looking for ways to make us laugh. She is also what we like to call clumsily athletic.

She’s fast, but retrieving, catching and playing tug of war are just not her best skills, and that’s OK! She is a total dog’s dog. She loves hanging out with her pup sister, Lucy, as well as her daycare buddies.”

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PUBLISHER Geordie Wilson

CALENDAR EDITOR Sue Guynn sguynn@newspost.com Submit a calendar listing for your event 10 days prior to publication at newspost.com/calendar.

72HOURSONLINE.COM

CELEBRATE DR. KING’S LEGACY

Two nearby communities are honoring Martin Luther King Jr. with week-long programming and symbolic marches. Hagerstown Community College hosts its annual MLK Celebration Week from Jan. 19 to 22, culminating in the Community Peace Walk on Jan. 22 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. The walk begins in the HCC Student Center with a brief ceremony before participants move through campus with stops focused on King’s vision of peace, justice and service. Meanwhile, Loudoun County hosts its 35th annual MLK March and Celebration on Jan. 19, beginning at 10 a.m. on the courthouse lawn in Leesburg, Virginia. The march moves from the Old Loudoun County Courthouse to the Douglass Community Center, built on the site of Loudoun County’s last segregated high school, which closed in 1968.

The keynote speaker is Maryland Delegate Gabriel Acevero, a leading advocate for police accountability, labor rights and racial justice. The program includes light refreshments, musical performances, and community presentations.

PAINT THE TOWN (AND THE CORAL REEF)

The Delaplaine Arts Center’s third floor is about to become an underwater ecosystem, and you’re invited to be part of it. Jamie Gerhold is creating a large-scale coral reef mural that will evolve over 16 months, when visitors can design and paint fish that Gerhold will integrate into the piece, making it a living collaboration. The project kicks off with workshops for the Delaplaine’s engagement partners on Jan. 15 and 16. Throughout the project’s duration, fish templates will be available during operating hours, and Gerhold will drop in weekly to weave individual contributions into the larger scene. Some fish will “swim” beyond the mural’s border, creating an immersive installation where visitors feel like they’re stepping into the reef itself.

MIKE KUSTER RACKS UP MORE AWARD NOMINATIONS

When most musicians are fielding congratulations for one nomination, Mike Kuster is juggling five. The Frederick-based country and Americana artist has earned nods for Songwriter of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Country Male Artist of the Year, Country Impact Artist of the Year and Country Single of the Year for “Distant Trains” at the 2025 Independent Music Network Awards. This isn’t beginner’s luck — Kuster’s been steadily building his reputation, having previously claimed Songwriter of the Year in 2024, Country Male Artist in 2023, and Country Impact Artist in 2022. His song “Daddy’s Blue Jean Jacket” won Country Single back in 2021. The nominated single “Distant Trains” was produced by IBMA and Grammy Award-winner Michael Cleveland, and if you’re keeping track of Kuster’s momentum, he dropped a new single called “Corn Fed” on Jan. 6 for airplay. His album “Mountain Monsters of Maryland” has also earned him recognition at the Josie Music Awards and a WAMMIE nomination. Congrats!

POE’S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

Edgar Allan Poe would have turned 217 on Jan. 19, and Baltimore is marking the occasion the only way that makes sense: with murder mystery, cake and a lit-hop artist debuting songs inspired by the enigmatic Poe Toaster legend. On Jan. 17 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Westminster Hall & Burying Ground hosts a live podcast-style murder mystery called “Poe Toaster Murder Mystery” that blurs the line between séance, true crime and performance art. If you prefer your Poe experiences more traditionally macabre, Jan. 17 and 18 offer bus tours ($49) that hit all the death-adjacent landmarks: the Poe House & Museum, the hospital where he died, and both of his graves at Westminster Hall. And if you’re an artist or writer inspired by Poe’s work, mark Jan. 19 — when the Saturday “Visiter” Awards open for submissions.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Share your community stories and events with us! Email llarocca@newspost.com.

Faculty experts discuss today’s biggest issues.

HOOD Talks is a free virtual series designed for those who want to stay informed, think critically and gain practical perspective on today’s most pressing issues through expert insight and real-world case studies.

THE IMPACT OF AI ON SCIENCE with Randy Johnson, Ph.D. FEBRUARY 5 | NOON Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the world of science—but are these changes for better or for worse? Join Randy Johnson, Ph.D., director of the bioinformatics program at Hood College, for a discussion on the benefits and risks of leveraging AI in the scientific field.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION. SCAN TO REGISTER

HOOD.EDU/HOODTALKS

HOOD COLLEGE | 401 Rosemont Ave., Frederick, MD 21701 FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF CAMPUS EVENTS, VISIT HOOD.EDU/CAMPUS-EVENTS. 72 HOURS | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 3

MUSIC

Make’n Music celebrates four decades as Frederick’s go-to music shop

BY DYLAN HYMAN

Special to The News-Post

A tradesman is only as effective as the tools they carry and the same principle applies to the music business.

While online retail’s accessibility and affordability have pushed many consumers toward fully digital commerce, there are clear drawbacks — chief among them the inability to feel, hear and test an instrument before buying it. For musicians, an instrument is a vehicle for expression, shaped and worn uniquely by each player.

A YouTube rabbit hole and a PayPal account may land you a pedal or synth on impulse, but demoing “meat and potatoes” instruments — guitars, basses, drum shells, cymbals or amps — is still the most authentic way to find the next piece of your signature sound. As Frank Zappa said, “The tone is in your head.”

Walking into Make’n Music’s showroom, packed floor to ceiling with nearly every reputable brand in modern music, that kid-in-a-candy-store feeling quickly takes over. Frederick’s resident full-service music shop offers beginner gear to start a journey, experienced teachers and practice rooms for intermediates, high-end equipment for advanced players chasing a specific tone and a team of technicians keeping everything performance-ready.

Reg Nusbaum began his life in music as a drummer, recalling an early memory from childhood. “My mom wouldn’t get me a set, so I went door to door selling [packets of] seeds ...

I sold just enough to get this snare drum. I finally talked them into it in ninth or 10th grade.”

It was an era when rock drummers like John Bonham and Keith Moon were moving from the pocket to the spotlight.

Later, Reg found himself selling Bill Lawrence pickups and other equipment to local music stores.

“I got into the industry around ‘77, ‘78 ... used to [sell equipment] to music stores. That was my business ... which I always thought was funny because I’m a drummer. Then my body started falling apart and I couldn’t drive around like I used to.”

Stepping back from full-time retail gave him space to imagine his next chapter.

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Dylan Hyman

Pam and Reg Nusbaum at Make’n Music in Frederick.

“I had been talking about [opening my own store] for a year or two. And my wife said, ‘OK, either do it or shut up!’”

“He had all the connections because he was going and selling to music stores,” Pam Nusbaum recalled, “so he knew what was working and what wasn’t ... and he had always said that Frederick never had a decent music store, at least not this kind of music store. We were more into the actual performance aspect of it. We were more into the actual performance aspect of it, where you could actually buy a guitar that you would play out.

And we were always up with the latest Ibanez, the latest Fenders.”

Make’n Music opened in July 1984, just two years after the couple mar-

ried, originally occupying the upper floor of a two-story building on West Patrick Street near the Golden Mile. It quickly became a hub for local music retail throughout the ’80s and ’90s.

Reg recalled an early delivery: “We were at the original store for maybe two years and this tractor trailer backed up behind us, popped the door open. It was half full of Marshall amps. When you see all that stuff, you can’t help but think, ‘Where is this going to go?’ We had them everywhere … I think we even took some home.”

He also shared a humbling moment that occurred on one of the store’s first days, when somebody brought in a guitar with a tuning issue. “I’m a drummer,” he said. “I had no idea what I was doing. ... One of the teachers at the

store taught me how to properly tune a guitar later on.”

As MTV-fueled music culture boomed, the business expanded into the bank building below.

Back then, Pam recalled, “You had clubs like Rabbit’s Foot, Cahoots and Lucas McCain’s. t was the 80’s — everybody wanted big hair and a guitar.” Confident in the move, she noted, “Reg knew what would sell ... We opened up with Peavey and Fenders.

We competed with Chuck Levin’s and Veneman Music. People would drive that far to get that specific guitar or that special amp.”

In 1997, Make’n Music moved to its current home at 7540 N. Market St., a larger space suited to a growing customer base. Their son, Ryan Nusbaum,

who now helps at the store, remembers childhood birthday parties at the bowling alley that once occupied the building — its lanes now hidden beneath plywood. Today, the space unfolds into a sensory feast: walls of guitars and basses, amps ready to demo, display cases of pedals, a dedicated drum room, performance and photo staging areas, a temperature-controlled acoustic room and private lesson studios.

The shop also offers repair services led by store manager and authorized Peavey, Fender and Taylor tech Rick LeFever.

“He can fix anything,” Pam said.

Since day one, Make’n Music has also specialized in sound systems.

“We recently put a bunch of wireless mics into [Gov. Thomas Johnson High School’s] sound system and just worked with Gambrill State Park,” Reg said. Pam credited longtime employees LeFever and Gary Hunt, both with the company since the mid’80s, for genuinely caring about the store.

Over the years, the shop has handled rare, grail-level gear, including a Fender prototype Broadcaster and a Taylor Liberty Tree guitar.

“Back when they had a Taylor dealer in Baltimore, Taylor bought the entire tree,” Reg explained. “They cut it down and didn’t make a lot, 400 guitars maybe. We kept one and then we sold another.” The number of guitars made symbolized the age of the tree, which was a historic landmark of the original 13 colonies that served as a gathering place for political rallies.

Private lessons remain one of Make’n Music’s most successful programs, with about a dozen teachers offering instruction in guitar, bass, banjo, violin and drums. “We do a decent amount of beginners ... but we have a lot of players who don’t want to see the stage,” Reg said. “Drums have not really come back since COVID. Everything else is probably where it was, if not a little bit more.”

“A lot of people picked up guitars when they had nothing to do,” Ryan chimed in. “Not so easy finding a space to play drums downtown.” In contrast to influencer-led digital lessons, Make’n Music offers a human, hands-on connection that remains invaluable.

Reflecting on industry changes, Reg noted, “Before computers, I could tell you almost everything in that store.

Now, there’s no reason to think like that.” The shop adapted, hosting online inventory through its website and Reverb.

“You have to really be on your game,” Ryan said.

Pam explained why their in-person shopping experience is more valuable

Dylan Hyman

Acoustic guitars on display at Make’n Music. than drop-shipping your next gear purchase. “The one thing that I feel that our guys do really well is they try to get the customer the best possible fit for their needs,” she said. “If somebody comes in and says, ‘Well, I want this particular guitar.’ Well, we have that one, but why do you want that one? Especially younger musicians, they just don’t know what they don’t know. Until you get something in their hands and let them try it out, ask questions … sometimes they don’t even know what questions to ask.”

“If a kid comes in and you see their eyes wide open and put a guitar right in their hands, they will remember that forever,” Reg said. “When Mom can click a button, it’s just another thing that came in.”

One relic of the pre-COVID days is the in-store clinic, and Make’n Music became known for them. The clinics gave musicians and fans a chance to learn directly from their heroes and experience the bond of musicianship.

Make’n Music was one of the main players in the greater DMV metro area.

“The biggest clinic we ever did was with Mike Portnoy, the drummer for Dream Theater. We probably had maybe 500 people there,” Reg said, also

mentioning others like Michael Angelo Batio, the dual-wielding heavy metal guitarist known for his involvement in Manowar and Nitro, and Kenny Aronoff, one of today’s most prominent session and touring drummers, credited for his work with the Rolling Stones, Smashing Pumpkins and Paul McCartney. Reg quickly perked up citing Dom Famularo, a famed drummer and motivational speaker, as the best clinician he’s ever seen. “He just really wound me up about my business and what I was doing.”

Though access to music has increased, attention has dwindled. “The world’s changed,” Ryan said. “You aren’t going to be Van Halen overnight.”

Music demands dedication and patience, but for those who commit, it remains deeply rewarding.

In 2024, Make’n Music celebrated its 40th anniversary with a day of live music next door at Monocacy Brewing.

“That was the first time I had been onstage in probably 35 years,” Reg said. Ryan, who returned to Frederick four years ago after living in San Diego, organized the event.

“Frederick isn’t a local town anymore,” Reg observed.

“Frederick isn’t a local town any-

more. We’re more like Rockville,” Reg said. “The D.C. market has moved up here. You don’t see as many small shops anymore — it’s either gone corporate or it’s become a one or two man show. It’s become a challenge for mid-sized businesses.”

As a staple, family-owned business of Frederick, Make’n Music is coming up on a half century, but establishments like it are a dying breed. Businesses are being hit harder with rising overhead costs and labor shortages, and companies are looking for ways to maximize profits, as the consumer feels the stretch more than ever.

“You just have to react to whatever is coming your way,” Pam said. “We’re married and have worked together for 41 years. It’s hard, but we feed off each other.”

Frederick is fortunate to have a family like the Nusbaums, stewards of a space where musicians of all levels can grow. After four decades, Make’n Music remains a rare and vital fixture.

Dylan Hyman is a freelance music journalist covering the people that feed the growing Frederick music community. In their spare time, they collect hot sauces and tend to their succulents.

72 HOURS | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 5

Bob Weir, Grateful Dead guitarist, vocalist and founding member, dies at 78

BY NIHA MASIH

The Washington Post

Bob Weir, rhythm guitarist, vocalist and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, has died at 78, according to a family statement on his website Saturday. He “succumbed to underlying lung issues” after being diagnosed with cancer in July, it added. The statement did not say when he died.

“Bobby’s final months reflected the same spirit that defined his life. Diagnosed in July, he began treatment only weeks before returning to his hometown stage for a three-night celebration of 60 years of music at Golden Gate Park,” the statement said.

Mr. Weir, alongside bandmates Phil Lesh and Jerry Garcia, was one of the front three of the Grateful Dead quintet, formed in 1965.

Originally called the Warlocks, the band changed its name to the Grateful Dead after discovering another band with the same name. (The other Warlocks would later change their name to the Velvet Underground.) Mr. Weir was 17 at the time of the band’s formation and came to be known as “the kid.”

Mr. Weir co-wrote some of the songs that became fixtures of the band’s live performances, including “The Other One,” “Sugar Magnolia,” and “Playing in the Band.” Mr. Weir also worked closely with lyricist John Perry Barlow on hits such as “Cassidy,” “Estimated Prophet” and “Throwing Stones.”

Over three decades, between 1965 and 1995, the band explored every contour of fun, The Washington Post wrote last year when its members received Kennedy Center Honors. “Fusing rock and roll, folk, and jazz with avant-garde, visual, and literary traditions — and virtually inventing a new way to play music in the process — they became one of the most popular, enduring, and influential bands in American history,” the Kennedy Center noted in its appreciation of Mr. Weir, Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann.

“You pick your friends. You don’t pick your brothers,” Mr. Weir told The Post in an interview last year. “In this particular case, we were fated together. We blurred all those lines. We have a brotherhood, and we also have an abiding friendship.”

The 1960s are often remembered as a significant moment in American youth culture, and speaking to Rolling Stone this year, Mr. Weir said: “But back in the Sixties, there was a convergence of new factors in our cultural makeup. Rock & roll had emerged. Music was the code by which we communicated.”

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Jesse Dittmar/For The Washington Post

Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead is shown at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district in October 2024.

In that decade, the Grateful Dead played a major role in music, hippie and drug culture in the United States.

The band traveled and partied with author Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, known for using the psychedelic drug LSD, as depicted in Tom Wolfe’s 1968 nonfiction book “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.”

One of the constants of Grateful Dead stage-show recordings was Mr. Weir’s banter — calling intermissions, showing off his dry humor or issuing his familiar crowd instructions to “take a step back,” and then another. Even as Garcia was the band’s mystical figurehead, the affable Mr. Weir served as the band’s central conduit with fans, known as Deadheads.

He rejected the godlike reverence they projected onto Garcia. “I won’t have it,” Mr. Weir said in an interview with The Post in 2022. “The deification that those folks made of Jerry is basically what killed him,” he said. “It disgusted him, and rightly so.” Asked whether he had experienced that type of idolization himself, he quashed the idea: “I’ve seen where that goes. That’s a lesson I learned the hard way, from losing a friend.” Garcia died at a drug-treatment center in

California in 1995 at the age of 53.

By the time of Garcia’s death, Mr. Weir had evolved from “the kid” into a central figure who would keep the Grateful Dead’s legacy and music alive. Along with pop and blues guitarist John Mayer, as well as original drummers Kreutzmann and Hart, Mr. Weir formed and led Dead & Company since 2015. Separately, Mr. Weir founded Wolf Bros in 2018, a quartet with keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, bassist/producer Don Was and drummer Jay Lane.

“He often spoke of a three-hundredyear legacy, determined to ensure the songbook would endure long after him,” his family said in the statement, adding that they hoped that dream would live on through future generations of Deadheads.

In his Rolling Stone interview last year, Mr. Weir reflected on death: “Every day, things change. I’ll say this: I look forward to dying. I tend to think of death as the last and best reward for a life well-lived.”

The Grateful Dead was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

The band received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement honor in 2007 and holds a world record for performing 2,318 con-

certs. In 2024, the band hit another milestone when it notched its 59th album to reach the Billboard Top 40.

Tributes for Mr. Weir poured in on social media from Deadheads and fellow musicians. Duane Betts, guitarist and son of Allman Brothers co-founder Dickey Betts, a longtime friend of Mr. Weir who died in 2024, described his death as a “huge loss” in an Instagram story.

Singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers recalled Mr. Weir’s help early in her career.

“This man … welcomed me into a spirit of making music that has everything to do with community and connection and soul, and always with a twinkling of perfect mischief at the edges,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

The Empire State Building was lit up in tie-dyed colors in tribute.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) described Mr. Weir as a musician who helped create the soundtrack of a generation. “He was — and will always be — a king of psychedelic rock,” he wrote on X. Mr. Weir is survived by his wife, Natascha, and daughters Monet and Chloe.

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. with community activities in Hagerstown and Leesburg HCC HOSTS MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CELEBRATION WEEK

Community members, families and orgaFollowing the march, attendees are innizations are encouraged to participate, par- vited to a program at the Douglass ComHagerstown Community College invites ticularly in the Peace Walk. More information munity Center featuring light refreshments, the community to take part in its annual Mar- is available at hagerstowncc.edu/mlk-cele- musical performances and community presentations. The keynote speaker is the Hontin Luther King Jr. Celebration Week, Jan. 19 bration ••• orable Gabriel Acevero of the Maryland to 22, honoring Dr. King and the legacy of AP Photo/File LOUDOUN COUNTY’S 35TH House of Delegates, District 39. the Civil Rights Movement. All on-campus ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING Delegate Acevero has represented Martin Luther King Jr., speaks to reporters in events are free and open to the public.

JR. MARCH AND CELEBRATION Maryland’s 39th Legislative District since The week’s signature event, the AnnuBirmingham, Ala., May 9, 1963.

Families, friends and community organi- 2019 and is a leading advocate for police al Community Peace Walk, will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Jan. 22. Beginning in the HCC zations are invited to attend Loudoun Coun- accountability, labor rights, immigrant rights with limited mobility. Space is limited. A rety’s 35th annual Martin Luther King Jr. March and racial justice. He serves on the House turn shuttle will be available after the march Student Center, the event includes a brief Appropriations Committee and played a for those not attending the program. opening ceremony followed by a reflective and Celebration on Jan. 19. The event bekey role in advancing vocational education walk through campus with stops focused on gins at 10 a.m. on the Loudoun County EVENT SCHEDULE: initiatives statewide. Born in Trinidad and ToCourthouse lawn in Leesburg, Virginia.

Dr. King’s vision of peace, justice and ser7:30 to 9 a.m. — Food drive at Frederick This year’s theme, “The Dream Continbago, Acevero was instrumental in the pasvice.

Douglass Elementary ues: Our History, Our Voice, Our Impact,” sage of Anton’s Law and the Equality Access Additional activities throughout the week 9 a.m. — Children’s Corner and youthreflects a continued commitment to racial to Public Services Act. He is a graduate of include self-guided learning opportuniadult panel discussion equity and harmony.

One of the region’s Bowie State University and a member of Phi ties, student poster presentations, a Lunch 10 a.m. — Marchers assemble at the & Learn discussion and a day of service for longest-running MLK celebrations, the event Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. courthouse is organized by the MLK Diversity-EngageAttendees are encouraged to participate HCC students and employees.

10:30 a.m. — March to Douglass Commuin a food drive benefiting Loudoun Hunger. ment Foundation, a 501©(3) nonprofit.

SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS: Nonperishable food items may be dropped nity Center The celebration includes a symbolic 11 a.m. — Program and refreshments Jan. 19: HCC closed in observance of march from the Old Loudoun County Court- off at Frederick Douglass Elementary beNoon — Community scholarship awards the federal holiday house to the Douglass Community Centween 7:30 and 9 a.m. and keynote address Jan. 20: National Day of Racial Healing Parking is available at the Loudoun ter at 407 E. Market St. The center is locat1 p.m. — Conclusion of event with student poster presentations in the Stu- ed on the former site of Douglass High County Parking Garage at 146 Loudoun St. For more information, contact Tammy dent Center SW and the Town Hall Parking Garage at School, the last segregated high school in Carter at 571-331-4721, Lena Hickman-Miott Jan. 21: Lunch & Learn discussion at Loudoun County before its closure in 1968. 10 Loudoun St. SW. A shuttle will run from Local school bands, families and community Frederick Douglass Elementary to the court- at 703-932-7895 or Lily Dunning at 540-53911:30 a.m. in the Student Center house beginning at 9:45 a.m. for attendees 5651, or email themarch@mlkleesburg.org.

Jan. 22: Annual Community Peace Walk groups will participate.

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In awe of the humble strip mall — and my top 5 Frederick picks

early every neighborhood of any size has one: the humble strip mall. Short on ambience but long on usefulness, these unassuming clusters of storefronts are the quiet workhorses of American convenience.

In my retirement job as a pharmacy delivery driver, I spend my days moving through Frederick and taking in the city as it really is. Some sights are charming. Others, like utilitarian strip centers, less so.

Still, when you need a six-pack, GARY BENNETT dry cleaning, a missing dinner ingredient or a quick taco, the strip mall reveals its true beauty.

So what exactly is a “strip shopping center”? As the name suggests, it is a row of stores arranged in a straight line or a simple L or U shape, usually with parking out front and serving a nearby neighborhood.

According to Property Manager Insider, what these centers lack in atmosphere they make up for in convenience. Shoppers value the ease.

Investors value the returns. Small business owners value the lower barrier to entry.

Strip malls are distinct from full shopping centers, indoor malls and commercial districts, which serve larger trade areas and feature more stores and infrastructure. Frederick has all four. Westview Promenade and the Seventh Street Shopping Center are examples of full shopping centers. The FSK Mall is now the city’s only indoor mall. The Golden Mile functions as a commercial district, as do the Route 26 shopping centers, which are quickly evolving in the same direction.

Indoor malls, once dominant, have steadily fallen out of favor over the past two decades. Meanwhile, outdoor shopping centers such as Riverview Plaza, Frederick Crossing and Market Square are outperforming them. More surprising still, Retail Insider reports that strip shopping centers are seeing stronger yearover-year sales growth than even larger shopping centers nationwide, driven by a preference for local businesses and the enduring appeal of convenience. Their lower construction costs only add to their resilience.

Frederick, one of Maryland’s fast-

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Prospect Plaza

Ballenger Creek Plaza est-growing municipalities, has no shortage of strip centers. Most residents live within a short walk or drive of one they rely on regularly. These centers tend to house businesses essential to daily life, from national chains like 7-11 and Dollar General to small independent shops. Typical tenants include grocery and convenience stores, restaurants, service providers such as salons and dry cleaners, specialty retail and practical businesses like banks, pharmacies and tax services.

are met within a short walk. A strong strip mall saves time and, surprisingly often, improves quality of life.

5. Eastgate Shopping Center East Patrick Street and Monocacy Boulevard An L-shaped center with a standout donut shop, liquor store and several fast-casual options including Roy Rogers and JR’s Pizza. Belles combines a bar, pool hall and deli, while a well-stocked pet store rounds out the mix.

4. Thomas Johnson Center Oppossumtown Pike and Thomas Johnson Drive Anchored by Weis, this long strip center features an eclectic lineup of outparcel shops including a dry cleaner, spa, liquor store and multiple fast-casual restaurants. Zipani gives the center a distinct personality.

3. Ballenger Creek Plaza Ballenger Creek Pike and CrestStaff photos by Ric Dugan wood Boulevard Anchored by Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park, this compact center includes a barber shop, nail salon, daycare, dollar store, liquor store, tax prep office and several pizza and sub shops. Urban Air makes it a destination, especially for families.

2. Walnut Ridge Center Rosemont Avenue across from Fort Detrick Anchored by Food Lion, this long strip center offers broad appeal with subs, pizza, Mexican, Chinese and ramen restaurants, plus a barber shop, nail salon, dry cleaner, Edible Arrangements and a travel agent.

Dunkin’ and Starbucks in the parking lot seal the deal.

1. Prospect Plaza Jefferson Street at Route 15 Serving several nearby neighborhoods, Prospect Plaza earns the top spot with unmatched retail density. Two adjacent dollar stores and a Gabe’s provide serious browsing power, while food options range For me, a truly great strip mall from Pizza Hut and McDonald’s to covers most everyday needs in one stop. Ideally, that means a small gro- Habanero’s Tacos and Chef Lin Buffet. Service offerings include salons, cery, a few fast-casual food options, basic personal services, a place to in- a liquor store, auto parts shop, dry cleaner and even a veterinarian. If I dulge occasionally and something ever had to set up camp near a strip to offset the indulgence. I have yet center, this would be it. to find one local center that includes Gary Bennett is a longtime Fredereverything, but some come close. ick resident who spends his time hikBelow are my top five standalone ing, biking, volunteering and providstrip shopping centers in and around ing childcare for grandchildren. He is Frederick. These are places I consid- married and retired from his career er livable, meaning all basic needs as a nonprofit marketing executive.

THE FREDERICK MOM

The Frederick Mom’s recommendations for the weekend of Jan. 16

children ages 0-6 and their families, enActivities to do with the kids this weekjoy indoor winter-themed arts and crafts end, courtesy of The Frederick Mom. while touring its preschool classrooms Youth Dialogue Forum and meeting their teachers. This is a free 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 16 community event and open to all.

C. Burr Artz Li••• brary, 110 E. Patrick Urbana Dance Competition Team St., Frederick Showcase Free Noon p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Jan. 17 If your child is a Urbana High School Auditorium, high school student 3471 Campus Drive, Ijamsville interested in civic en$20/show; $30/both shows (ages 3 gagement, advocaand under are free) cy, and raising awareCheer on local youth dancers from TIFFANY MAHANEY ness for youth issues, the Urbana Dance Competition Team then consider registhis Saturday to see their talent before tering him/her for this event. At the Youth they hit the big stage at competitions.

Dialogue Forum, learn how City governThere’s two showtimes: one starting at ment impacts community, explore careers noon and the other at 3:30 p.m. From in Frederick, and share your ideas with high-energy routines to powerful percity officials during the interactive disformances, this showcase highlights the cussion and Q&A. Food is provided. For dedication and artistry of its dancers. more info or to register, email Josephine A great event for the whole family! Buy Hall, jhall@cityoffrederickmd.gov. your tickets online.

••• ••• Pottery with Cowgirl Clay Studio Bob Ross Paint-A-Long 1 to 1:45 p.m. Jan. 16 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 17 Walkersville Public Library, 2 South Hot Fired Arts, 1003-D W Seventh St., Glade Road, Walkersville Frederick Free $48/participant Join Andrea Horine of Cowgirl Clay Now this art workshop will be memStudio for this fun, free clay event at the orable! Join instructor Amy as she walks Walkersville Library. Kids, teens, and students (ages 14 and up) through one adults can learn how everyday tools can of Bob Ross’ paintings in acrylics on a 16 turn a lump of clay into something totalx 20” canvas. Learn some painting techly unique. There, you’ll get inspired for niques while having a relaxing evening your own art projects at home and learn of painting — in Bob style! Hot Fired Arts more about the classes Cowgirl Clay Stuprovides everything needed to comdio offers. plete your art project. Feel free to bring ••• your choice of beverages and snacks.

Special Storytime with the MaryYou might want to bring an apron/smock land Symphony Orchestra too. Register at hotfiredarts.com.

2 to 2:45 p.m. Jan. 16 ••• Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Tiffany Mahaney Meet & Greet Adoption Green St., Middletown Keaton Grosso, 12, from Linganore, enjoys the new location for Jump Climb Extreme, a ninja 12 to 3 p.m. Jan. 18 Free warrior course in Frederick.

My Pet Store & More, 1305 W. SevBring your family to the Middletown enth St., Frederick library this Friday for a special musical erick this weekend. Open gym at Jump a seat for dinner and drinks at BentzFree reading of “Do Like a Duck Does” actown while checking out the thrilling perJoin Second Start Rescue’s Meet & companied by Maryland Symphony Or- Climb Extreme is for all skill levels and formance of the 176ers Dueling Pianos. Greet Adoption event this Sunday afterchestra musicians! All ages are welcome. for ages 3 and up. Jump, run, and train at own your leisure during open gym Enjoy these two professional pianists noon at My Pet Store, where families can Kids will love meeting MSO’s Oboist, Rick Basehore, and will collect a special hours. Pay per hour or buy a punch card. entertaining (often with audience partic- visit with fluffy and furry adoptable, inipation) and performing sing-a-longs at credible dogs who are currently looking stamp in their MSO Passport after Sym- For updates hours, waiver forms, and more info, visit jumpclimbextreme.com. facing/“dueling” pianos. Don’t miss it! for loving forever homes. Whether you’re phony Storytime.

••• ••• ready to adopt or simply want to learn ••• Dueling Pianos Winter Wonderland Family Fun Day more, you’re warmly invited to check it Ninja Open Gym 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Jan. 16 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 17 out. secondstartrescue.org.

3 to 8 p.m. Jan. 16, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Bentztown Restaurant, 6 S. Bentz St., Lightbright Academy, 313 Ballenger Tiffany Mahaney is at least a fifth-genJan. 17 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 18 Center Drive, Frederick eration native to Frederick County, and Jump Climb Extreme, 4613 Wedge- Frederick Free she now proudly raises her own famiFree wood Blvd., Unit D, Frederick ly here. To see more local family friendFrederick’s first music city-inspired Consider joining Lightbright AcadCost varies ly things to do, follow her on Instagram @ Experience the fun and excitement of restaurant is hosting a great event this emy for their Winter Wonderland Famthefrederickmom. ninja warrior playtime right here in Fred- Friday night — perfect for families. Grab ily Fun Day this Saturday morning. For 72 HOURS | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 9

GETAWAYS

Cloudland at McLemore Resort offers the epitome of rest and relaxation

BY SHUAN BUTCHER Special to The News-Post

Perched dramatically on the edge of Lookout Mountain, Cloudland at McLemore Resort is a mountaintop retreat designed for slowing down.

Located in Rising Fawn, Georgia, the resort overlooks McLemore Cove and the Cumberland Plateau, offering sweeping views that immediately shifted my sense of time and place. Whether traveling solo, as a couple, or with family, Cloudland invites guests to unwind with nature as the constant backdrop.

Though less than 30 miles from Chattanooga, Tennessee, the resort feels worlds away. The rural setting encourages visitors to pause, unplug and settle into a quieter rhythm. From the moment I turned off Canyon Ridge Road and passed through the private entrance gate, Cloudland felt like a secluded oasis suspended above everyday life.

Opened in May 2024, the Curio Collection by Hilton resort sits 2,300 feet above sea level, where even a simple moment — like opening the curtains in a mountain-view room — becomes an experience. During the day, rolling peaks and valleys stretch endlessly below; at night, the stars command attention. The views extend beyond guest rooms to the heated infinity pool and outdoor hot tubs, where soaking feels like hovering at the cliff’s edge.

Relaxation at Cloudland takes many forms. Guests gather near the grand fireplace, settle into the quiet corners of the library, or linger over board games and books. Each evening, The Pocket Cafe hosts a complimentary happy hour, offering two drinks per guest — a small but thoughtful ritual that reinforces the resort’s unhurried pace.

The property’s name honors John McLemore, whose family settled in the area in the early 18th century. A minor Cherokee chief and U.S. Army captain during the War of 1812, McLemore’s Scottish heritage subtly appears throughout the resort’s design and storytelling.

While rest is central to the experience, Cloudland also caters 10 | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 72 HOURS

Courtesy photos

Cloudland at McLemore Resort is a mountaintop retreat designed for slowing down. to active travelers. Golf is a major draw, with a full clubhouse, practice facilities, a six-hole short course and two championship 18-hole courses — The Highlands and The Keep — both carved dramatically into the mountaintop. The Highlands has earned national recognition as one of the top 100 courses in America.

For non-golfers, hiking trails wind along the cliffs and through wooded terrain, revealing rock formations and alternate vantage points of the landscape. Complimentary bikes are also available for guests who prefer to explore on two wheels.

Throughout the week, resort staff lead organized activities including yoga sessions, workshops, and other group experiences. A full-service spa, 24-hour fitness center and Peloton room round out the wellness offerings.

A view from the library at Cloudland at McLemore Resort.

Dining at Cloudland reflects the same balance of comfort and refinement. Croft, the resort’s casual restaurant, serves American fare with subtle Scottish influence. Named for the small farms scattered across Scotland, Croft emphasizes fresh, simple ingredients and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Breakfast options range from avocado toast and smoked salmon to biscuits and gravy, croque madame and short rib hash. The Mountain breakfast — complete with cage-free eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled tomato, potatoes, and lion’s mane mushroom — is a hearty standout.

Lunch brings lighter yet thoughtful fare, including tomato soup with poached crab salad and lemon crème fraîche, mixed artisanal greens with fennel, strawberry, pickled watermelon rind and maple vinaigrette, and the BLFGT: a fried green tomato sandwich with bacon, garlic mayonnaise, and Bibb lettuce on toasted sourdough.

Next door, Auld Alliance offers a more elevated dining experience rooted in Scotland’s historic affinity for French wine. The menu leans protein-forward, celebrating seasonal, wild, and foraged ingredients. The charcuterie board — featuring house-crafted sausages and artisan garnishes — is well worth ordering. Standout dishes include the winter spinach salad with cured egg yolk and pecorino dressing and a generous roasted Cornish game hen served with wild mushroom risotto, apple butter stuffing and winter greens.

Upon entering the dining room, attention is inevitably drawn to the 28-day dry-aged bonein ribeye displayed prominently.

For a distinctly Scottish side, rumbledethumps — a baked dish of mashed potatoes, cabbage, cheese, and onion—adds a comforting, traditional touch.

With the motto “Above the Clouds,” Cloudland at McLemore Resort lives up to its promise. It is a place where rustic beauty meets quiet luxury, offering refined tranquility in Georgia’s mountains.

Leave your worries below, breathe deeply, and let time stretch a little longer.

Shuan Butcher is a writer, nonprofit professional, event planner and avid traveler. He writes from Frederick.

Cloudland at McLemore Resort is in Rising Fawn, Ga.

Auld Alliance Restaurant offers an elevated dining experience rooted in Scotland’s historic affinity for French wine.

72 HOURS | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 11

”The Unquiet Mind” — through Jan. 31, Vault of Visions Art Gallery, 1 N. Market St., Frederick. Debuting in the heart of winter, a season when many contend with seasonal affective disorder or heightened emotional strain, “The Unquiet Mind” by Michelle Ramos offers a timely and resonant exploration of mental well-being. 240-3155483 or vovartgallery.com. 9 a.m.4 p.m. Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday through Friday, noon5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Monday by appointment. 240-3155483 or vovartgallery.com.

Frederick County Arts Association Exhibit — through Feb. 1, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. The annual FCAA exhibition features members’ artworks in a variety of media, including paintings, photography, mixed media, drawings, collages, ceramics and sculpture. FCAA’s approximately 100 members range from casual painters to full-time professionals. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656, delaplaine.org.

“The Elephant in the Room” — through Feb. 1 at Artspiration, 915 Toll House Ave., Frederick. 657-6270554, toc21702@gmail.com. ”Where Energy Meets Matter: Exploring the Frontiers of Science” — through Feb. 20, Y Arts Center, 115 E. Church St., Frederick.

Participating artists explore the dynamic interplay of art and science, celebrating the cuttingedge research and innovation happening at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR), sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and throughout Frederick. This exhibition includes work that captures the essence of energy and matter — through explorations of physics, biology and the unseen forces that shape our universe. Call 301-662-4190 or email info@frederickartscouncil.org for viewing hours. ”She is ...” — through March 1, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Maremi Andreozzi’s work is an affirmation through interpretive painted portraits of lesser known women in history.

Painting a contemporary visual likeness and reconceptualizing their contributions confirms their place in our narrative and broadens our understanding of everyday exceptional people shaping history.

12 | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 72 HOURS

local artists alongside the “Healthy Horizons Through Students’ Eyes” Competition. Hours are 8 a.m.6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240215-1460 or frederickhealth.org/ crestwoodart.

“The Past is Always Present” — Jan. 15 to March 24 at Washington County Arts Council, 36 S Potomac St., Hagerstown. Curated by Eileen Berger of Just Lookin’ Art Gallery.

The exhibition showcases the creativity of 14 African-American artists, featuring an array of original paintings, mixed media and assemblage works. Opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 16, and artist Russel Lewis will speak.

301-791-3132. ”Leaves Revisited” — Feb. 7 to March 1, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Leaves take center stage in the fiber works of this exhibition by Dominie Nash. It is a continuation of Nash’s Big Leaf series, which considers the form and variety of leaves as an endless source of inspiration. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org. ”Tet[R]ad: Cultivating Community Discourses” — Feb. 7 to March 1, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Works in a variety of media by David Modler, Samuel Peck and Michael Dodson. This installation is part of ongoing artsbased social and studio practices focused on engaging communities in collective art making. Visitors to the exhibit are encouraged to participate with the artists in visual Courtesy photo journals, collaborative drawings, and other potential creative “Folk & Fable” runs through Jan. 31 at NOMA Gallery in Frederick, featuring collage work by Katana mischief. Art Matters artists talk Lippart. A closing reception and artist talk will be held on Jan. 31.

2 p.m. Feb. 7. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, delaplaine.org.

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698”Midnight at Kelly Pond” — Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

0656 or delaplaine.org. through March 1, Delaplaine Arts 301-698-0656, delaplaine.org.

Art-Hop: Black Art-Hop Hystoria Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. ”Urban and Industrial — A Pop Up Exhibition by Taurean Ceramic and mixed media by Anne Landscapes” — through March Washington — 5-7 p.m. Feb. 22, Boyer. Monday through Saturday, 1, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Frederick Social, 50 Citizen’s Way, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698Carroll St., Frederick. Paintings by Frederick. One of Maryland’s best 0656, delaplaine.org.

Alfred Groff. Cities and industrial Crestwood Gallery Winter Exhibit emerging talent displays his work landscapes are often thought of inspired by and commemorating & “Healthy Horizons Through as cold and merely utilitarian. This Black History month. There will be Students’ Eyes” Competition — work challenges that notion by visually engaging work along with considering the beauty in the forms through May 8, Frederick Health complimentary food that reflect the — Crestwood Building, 7211 Bank and colors of urban and industrial African-American experience. Artist Court, Frederick. Original works environments. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. talk at 6 p.m. Teens and older. 301Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. including oil, watercolor, mixed 465-1087 or tcw1@hood.edu. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656, media and photography from

Jamie Gerhold will present a community art project at the Delaplaine Arts Center

BY JENNIFER LEE

on a mural project at a hotel in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, as part of the Carolina Beach Murals Project. Gina served Muralist Jamie Gerhold presents as the lead artist, Beka was the first assisa hands-on, interactive project at the tant, and I joined as additional support.

Delaplaine Arts Center beginning this That weekend changed everything for month and running through the spring of me. Painting outdoors, working along2027. During that time, Gerhold will be side friends, connecting with the comcreating a large-scale underwater coral munity and seeing the real impact public reef mural that serves as both a visual anart can have made it all click for me, and I chor and a living, evolving collaboration was hooked. with the community.

When I returned home, I began journVisitors are invited to design and paint aling and setting clear intentions around a fish that will be incorporated into the becoming a muralist. In a moment of dipiece in this ongoing, interactive project. vine timing, while waiting for my phone “Murals have a beautiful way of comto be repaired at a restaurant, I struck pletely transforming a space, shifting the up a conversation with my waitress. She energy, creating connection, and turnmentioned a friend who was looking for ing everyday environments into places a muralist to help open a new restaurant where people truly feel something,” Gerin Mount Airy. That connection led to my hold said. very first solo mural at Casita Ramos, and Gerhold shared more details via an from there, everything began to unfold. email interview with 72 Hours.

Since that first mural, my mural pracTell us about your interactive project at tice has grown organically through word the Delaplaine. of mouth, community connections, referMy interactive project is a long-term, rals and collaborative relationships. I have Courtesy photo community-driven mural that will unfold completed murals for a wide range of over a 16-month period. I’ll be painting spaces including restaurants, small busiJamie Gerhold stands beside one of her murals. an underwater coral reef mural on the nesses, churches, community spaces and third floor that will serve as a living backprivate residences across Maryland, Pennlayered and interconnected. Just like ipated in a collaborative mural program drop for community collaboration. Visa coral reef, our community thrives bethat created a large-scale mural inside the sylvania, D.C., Oklahoma and California. itors, students, staff, volunteers and pacause every individual plays an important Savannah Mall. That experience, painting My work has also received broader rectrons are all invited to design and paint ognition, including being selected as a role, and this mural is a visual celebration in a public space and collaborating with their own fish, which I’ll then integrate participating artist in Plaza Walls, a largeof our shared ecosystem of Frederick. a team, sparked my initial love for largeinto the mural over time. scale mural festival in Oklahoma City.

What upcoming classes will you be of- scale public art.

The project will begin with a series of Some notable projects include mulfering?

After graduating, I focused on comhands-on workshops for the Delaplaine’s tiple murals for Little Miner Taco, murals This spring I’m excited to lead my third missions and studio work, including creengagement partners, serving as a crefor Jessica Jordan Jewelry in downtown Mural Painting 101 program with the City ating two large-scale paintings for the ative kickoff for the collaboration. These Frederick, and most recently, a mural for of Frederick Parks and Recreation Depart- Orenda Center of Wellness. During this sessions will take place on Jan. 15 and 16, ment. the nursery at All Saints’ Episcopal Church time, I also began painting murals in priallowing participants to engage directon East Church Street. Each mural I create Mural Painting 101 is a hands-on, vate residences, collaborating closely with the process and concept behind is rooted in collaboration, storytelling and mentorship-based class designed for ly with homeowners to create custom, the mural. a deep respect for the spaces and comadults who are interested in learning the site-specific artwork that reflected each I’ll also be leading a Creative Outmunities they serve. fundamentals of mural painting. Particiclient’s story and environment. let program tied to the project from 3 to This interview has been edited for pants are guided through the entire proIt wasn’t until the height of COVID, 5 p.m. May 2, inviting the broader comcess, how to price their work, how to aphowever, that mural painting fully clicked space and clarity. munity to participate directly in the muFollow Gerhold on Instagram @jamie_ ply for mural jobs, how to develop a for me. A close friend, artist Beka Butts, ral by creating fish of their own to be concept and design, to surface preparaand artist Gina Franco invited me to assist gerhold_art. integrated into the final design and instal- tion, materials and collaborative paintlation. ing techniques. The program culminates Throughout the duration of the projin the creation of a public mural, giving 5 WILLOWDALE DRIVE | FREDERICK, MD ect, fish templates will remain available participants real-world experience and a (301) 662-6600 | WAYOFFBROADWAY.COM for the public to paint and decorate, and deeper understanding of how public art visitors are encouraged to stop by during comes to life within a community. It’s an operating hours to contribute. I’ll be incredibly fun program and something dropping in weekly to weave these indithat I’m very much looking forward to. vidual fish into the larger scene, adding Art enthusiasts can also take classdetail and cohesion as the mural evolves es with me through the Delaplaine Art organically. Some of the fish will “swim” Center, City of Frederick Parks and Recdown the hallway and beyond the border reation, Fox Haven, Amplified Change, of the mural, creating an immersive instal- as well as through private classes, worklation that invites visitors to feel as though shops, retreats and summer camps. they are stepping into and becoming How did you get started as a muralist? part of the coral reef.

I’ve always been an artist, but my The final piece will be a vibrant corjourney into mural painting truly began al reef filled with a variety of fish that rep- during my time at the Savannah College JANUARY 16 – MARCH 1, 2026 MARCH 28 – MAY 24, 2026 resent the people of Frederick — diverse, of Art and Design. While at SCAD, I particSpecial to The News-Post

72 HOURS | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 13

Dog City! Frederick named No

BY LAUREN LAROCCA

L

llarocca@newspost.com

awnStarter named Frederick the No. 1 best city for dog lovers for 2025.

The list is followed by Asheville, Scottsdale, New York and Santa Fe, in that order.

(Imagine my surprise when I realized I’ve lived in four out of the five top dog cities in the country, because I am very much a cat person.)

The study claimed to have compared the 500 largest U.S. cities using 37 “key factors,” such as dogfriendly dining options, yard space, regulation of commercial breeders, pet amenities and emergency care, vets, dog sitters and so on.

Is it our dog parks around every corner? Our “yappy hours” at downtown restaurants? Our new Sandbox Brewhouse? Is it … our lawns?

As it turns out, Frederick and Trenton, New Jersey, topped the list for nearby dog shows and training events, and Frederick and a few other cities have the most animal shelters per 100,000 residents. These and other rankings combined to put us at No. 1.

To read the whole study, go to lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/ best-cities-dog-lovers/#keyinsights.

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to get to know some of these four-legged residents. I asked Frederick: Why is your dog the best dog ever? Dozens of responses (and adorable photos) followed.

As suspected, everyone thinks their dog is the best dog ever.

One of them was even the best man at a wedding.

I hope these stories touch your heart as they did mine, a cat person!

14 | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 72 HOURS

Lucy While every person who tells you their dog is the best dog is right, our Lucy is the greatest ever! Lucy is 3½ years old and is the most gentle, empathetic soul of a dog. Aside from the fact that she is the best cuddler — she is always down to watch a movie and snuggle under the blankets — she is also a helper.

It’s just in her nature. I work at a primary school as a learning and literacy specialist. Lucy comes to school with me twice a week and joins me and my students for reading intervention. She sits at the table and helps them feel confident showing off their newly learned skills. She is also there for friends who are feeling sad and will sit with them while they quietly share their feelings.

She is also the best big pup sister to our other dog, Roxy. We are so blessed to have Lucy in our lives. — Christina DabulskisCohen

Wrangler Wrangler is a 6- or 7-month-old blue heeler, and he is a great dog for being so young. He loves to sit when asked, he loves to lay down when asked for a treat, and when we call him, he comes straight to us. When he has to use the bathroom, he comes to me and sits closer and

closer until he barks to let me know. I’ve started taking him out in public with other people and dogs and he is sweet, respectful, listens well and doesn’t cause problems.

Every dog he’s ever met becomes a new best friend.

Whenever he sees a fourwheeler, he goes right to it and waits for someone to take him for a ride, sitting right in front of you. — Haven Miesner

everyone else is having a good day. He is the best snuggler and an overall great dog! — Ayla Gould

Watson Emanuel I have five dogs, but Watson Emanuel — yes, he absolutely has a middle name — is very special. He was the first dog I fostered after my first dog of almost 15 years passed away Link Link is 3 years old and is our unexpectedly. I fostered Watson bestie. He loves everyone in our from Lonely Hearts Animal Rescue last year, knowing he family and protects his three “human” brothers. He joined us was very sick. He had a heavy at just 8 weeks old and instantly parasite load and was severely dehydrated. TMI: I have never stole our hearts. Link gives the best kisses and loves to snuggle taken so many pictures of dog with his humans. When he’s not poop (pink and white) in my sleeping, he’s either “smooshin’ life! After a few days of fluids, medication and spoon-feeding the cushion” on our couch or every few hours, he turned a peeking through the window corner. His little body fought so blinds to bark at rogue deer hard and came out on top. He’s passing by. — Susan Messmore my soul dog, my giant dodo bird, and the reason I continue volunteering with Lonely Hearts to help save as many lives as possible. — Kayla Smith

Aster My 9-year-old beagle, Aster, is a kind, sweet soul, and everyone who meets him falls in love. He has helped me through many mental health challenges and is always a warm, welcoming face to come home to. He is currently going through physical therapy for a groin and knee injury, but he continues to make sure

Broly My chihuahua mix, Broly, is absolutely the best dog ever. He has a ton of attitude and spirit bottled into his tiny body, and under his toughguy exterior is the most loving

little guy. I was never a pe person before, but after w got him for my son during pandemic, Broly won me completely. I can’t imagin without him. — Erica Bush

Low Ryder Low Ryder is simply the best. This 7-year-old rescu pup came into my life five years ago and I’ve been thanking my lucky stars ev since. He’s the kind of dog who just wants to go — wh we’re paddleboarding the Potomac, hanging at a loc brewery, hiking the Monoc Battlefield or stopping to s hello to his many adoring With the inevitable squeal “It’s a corgi!” wherever he Low Ryder truly is a dog o million smiles. He’s the be boy and Frederick is lucky have him. — Abby Casarell

Sierra and Sophie This is Sierra and Sophi I’ve had these girls since th were 12 weeks old. They’v brought so much happine into my life. They are spoil rotten and love “clucky bir (chicken). When I go to Sa they always get a rotisserie chicken. They love car ride and trips to the beach. The are the best girls ever, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. — Judy Grim

o.1 city in the US for dog lovers

getting a “big scary Doberman,” but he’s the sweetest baby. He opens the trash, steals treats, ignores personal space and has mastered the art of being a doberdork. He’s dramatic, protective and always there when I’m down. — April Andrea Motran

et we g the over ne life h

Frodo He is the best dog because he does the greatest tricks!

He dances for treats, comes at every call, howls when the cat starts his meow fest, rings e his bell when he wants to go ue outside, steals socks at every e opportunity and plays keepaway with every toy. He gets ver zoomies, wears himself out, g hether then does it all again. He follows you into the bathroom e after showers and tries to steal cal your towel by grabbing the cacy end and shaking it. But he will say fans. also cuddle for hours during a movie and checks on you by l of goes, licking your face. Frodo keeps us on our toes — he’s hilarious, of a estest lovable and the best! — Ashley Kennedy y to la

hie. hey ve ess led rd” am’s, e es ey d

Spot I lost my girl on New Year’s Eve and wanted to honor her memory. Spot was my soul animal and my very best friend. She loved me fiercely and I loved her just as fiercely.

If I was mad, she was mad. If I was happy, she was happy.

There was no place she’d rather be than under a blanket with me. She made my life exponentially better and I am a better person for having known her. She will forever be my favorite girl. — Alexis Hundertmark

Frankie My dog Frankenstein — aka Frankie — is the best! He’s the most gentle, docile boy ever. My toddler, four cats and Frenchie all adore him.

He’s never started a tiff and even our meanest cat insists on cuddling him. He’s the sweetest boy, even if he is a beggar at mealtime — he deserves it. — Megan Ireland

Apollo My soul dog, Apollo. I found him on the street in Miami during a storm and couldn’t find a rescue to take him. We hid him in our apartment and eventually moved with him and our three cats to Maryland. He was the best man at our wedding and is the best life companion we could ask for. He talks, sits on your lap — all 65 pounds — and consoles anyone who’s upset. A true emotional support animal. — Karen Retana

Kylo My pup Kylo is about 3 years old and a rescue. His previous owners were abusive and neglectful, but you would never know it. He is the sweetest, most loving dog ever. — Madison Rhine

Wally Wally is the best because he is my love and companion.

I got him at 9 weeks old and he’s now 14. He has congestive heart disease and has had two surgeries, but he still plays every day and lights up my life completely. — Laura Whitehead

Jack Full name: Jackson James Brown. We rescued him in 2010 and were told he was 6 months old — turns out he was two.

Jack is now about 17 and living with doggy dementia. He’s a Havanese mix rescued from an Amish breeder who couldn’t sell him. No one wanted him because of his proportions and underbite, but he became the best dog imaginable. He grew up with my daughters and always greeted us with a shoe in his mouth. These days he sleeps a lot and needs help on the stairs, but we couldn’t have asked for a better pet. — Cindy Brown

Banjo My sweet doggo, Banjo, helped heal my heart after I lost my soul dog in May. He gives me purpose and a reason to get up every morning. — Erin McCleaf Louie We adopted Louie from Louisville, Kentucky, in July. He’s 2 years old and lived outside with a breeder for his first two years.

He’s the sweetest, cuddliest guy ever and we’re so lucky to have him. We even wrote two songs about him — one for the woman who found him and one for the couple who fostered him. — Lisa Werber Martinis

Mr. Cooper Ellington Mr. Cooper Ellington is the best dog ever because he has the biggest personality a little dog could have. From bringing his favorite squirrel toy to bed every night to tricking you into buying new food because he refuses kibble, he keeps us laughing.

He has the biggest heart and the best smile. — Natalie Miller

Ghost Blu This is my boy Ghost Blu and he’s the best troublemaker ever.

Everyone worried about me

Riley This is Riley and she’s the absolute best. She loves everyone and everything, showers you with affection and comforts you when you’re sad.

She’s been a foster mama to 15 puppies and is endlessly nurturing. She is my soul dog.

— Johanie Parra Submissions have been lightly edited for clarity.

Lauren LaRocca is the editor of 72 Hours and also works as an astrologer and folk herbalist. You can reach her at llarocca@newspost.com, or follow her on Instagram @ karmarocca.

72 HOURS | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 15

THE LONG BOX

P

How American comics ruined itself and now Manga’s eating their lunch

through the magazine on her train comicture two readers.

One is standing in a Tokyo con- mute. When she reaches her destination, she leaves the magazine on the venience store, flipping through overhead rack for other riders to pick up an inch-thick manga magazine printed and enjoy. on low-grade paper that already feels In the U.S., the customer gently and halfway to recycling. It’s an inch-thick, with care transports the issue 500-page volume, wrapped home. After reading it carein a gaudy glossy color covfully, he seals it in a polymer er; black and white, yes, but bag with a cardboard sheet bursting with 20-something to keep the book pristine — serialized stories, each 15 to “bagging” and “boarding” — 20 pages, and interspersed and adds it to his long box, with articles and interviews. the cardboard storage system The cover price is anywhere from which this column defrom $2 to $4. rives its name, next to other A continent away, anothCLIFF CUMBER editions in the series’ run. And er stands in a U.S. comic shop, there it may stay for months holding a slim single issue or years. that contains maybe 24 pages of a sinThat difference didn’t happen by acgle story padded out with ads, and — if he’s a comic shop regular, as most are — cident.

For most of the 20th century, the came from a neatly stacked pile the retailer pulled aside just for him that week: American comic-book industry looked much closer to the first than the second. his “pull list.” It’s high-quality, high-cost They were sold like magazines and propaper, in full glossy color. The issue liferated on newsstands, in drugstores costs $5. and supermarkets. They were mass-proThe Japanese reader thumbs

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16 | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 72 HOURS

duced, printed and sold cheaply, plentiful and easy to stumble across. If they didn’t sell, they went back to the publisher. This return system was inefficient and wasteful, but it allowed comics to exist everywhere. Nobody had to make a careful, advance decision to read them. They were entertaining and ubiquitous, all for a few cents. Pulp.

By the end of the 1960s, that system was collapsing. Returns were punishing distributors and publishers. Retailers treated comics as low-value clutter. And in 1970, realizing this collapse was imminent, comic con organizer Phil Seuling proposed a radically different approach to save the industry he loved — the direct market: sell comics directly to specialty shops at a discount, eliminate returns, give retailers control over ordering and publishers stability. It was a fix born of necessity.

In the short term, it worked well enough to keep superhero comics alive at a moment when their future was genuinely uncertain.

Neither Seuling nor the publishers realized that this system of distribution would become a rod for the industry’s back.

Once comics became nonreturnable, every unsold copy mattered. Retailers bore the risk. Orders tightened.

Print runs shrank. Cover prices crept upward to compensate. Comics stopped being disposable and became specialty items. Entertainment gave way to commitment. Accidental readers — the people who picked up a comic because it was there — quietly dropped out of the equation.

Japan never made that trade.

Manga magazines have remained thick, cheap and ubiquitous, an intentional loss leader that supports what’s called the “tankōbon,” or more expensive and better produced collected editions. The weekly and monthly magazines merely break even at best and, again, that’s intentional. Their purpose, as well as entertainment, is a vehicle for advertising and to test the market.

This is such a beautifully Japanese thing to do (and my god, does that appeal to my overly organized mind).

Reading and collecting, handled by different objects at different times to appeal to two different audiences. So neat.

In the U.S., the single issue does both jobs at once, and not well.

I’ve written around this tension in past columns on manga: how Japanese comics assume circulation first and permanence only if earned. Entertain, entertain, entertain at volume. Constantly

test what sells. That’s the primary mission.

That structural difference explains why American comics culture became obsessed with condition, why bags and boards and the comically weird and counterintuitive culture of grading and “slabbing” issues became the default, and why the equally counterintuitive notion of a comic being “ruined” by reading it too enthusiastically. The direct market didn’t invent collector psychology, but sought to encourage and exploit it. The problem? Comic collectors are a finite resource.

The 1990s speculation boom and subsequent bust didn’t come out of nowhere. It exaggerated incentives that were already in place, the variant covers, gimmicks and artificial scarcity. When the bubble burst in the mid- to late’90s, the financial damage pushed the surviving market to even more heavily milk the readers — collectors — who remained.

Then the internet arrived and accelerated the decline of print media everywhere. By this point, American comics were already niche. The medium had learned to survive through loyalty rather than circulation. Comics have transformed into luxury artisanal items, relying on a boost from token celebrity creators, yet mired in a deeply toxic and fractured fan base — all because of the direct market and unintended consequences.

Japan’s system proved more resilient, not because it was immune to change, but because the industry was built on volume rather than scarcity. The assumption is that most comics will be read and forgotten, and that is not a failure.

None of this is about blame. Seuling couldn’t have known how the market would harden around his solution.

The direct market wasn’t a bad-faith maneuver. It was a necessary fix that solved an immediate crisis and, in doing so, set limits that became harder to escape as the world shifted.

Comics make sense to me as objects that pass through life, not stored away like priceless museum artifacts.

Perhaps that attitude has emerged from a childhood of British weeklies that shared the cheap mass appeal and disposability of Japan’s manga market.

The question isn’t whether we can go back. We can’t. The question is whether we can build systems that once again assume comics are meant to be read, not collected, and that doing so isn’t a sign of disrespect, but of health.

FILM

Steven Breckon/IFC Films

Joel Edgerton appears as the coach in “The Plague.”

This ‘Plague’ is really about the horrors of adolescence

BY SONIA RAO

talents such as Elliott Heffernan, whom you might recognize from Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” — in following Ben is the new kid in town. He isn’t the lead of a deviously charismatic sure whether to listen to the other 12-year-old named Jake (Kayo middle-schoolers at water polo camp Martin). Jake is a villain straight out who tell him to avoid Eli, a chubby boy of “Lord of the Flies.” His dominance they claim has “the plague” because relies on the systematic subjugation of rashes covering his body. They get of everyone else, and Eli (Kenny up and move to another table when Eli Rasmussen), who may be on the tries to eat with them in the cafeteria. autism spectrum though it’s never They sprint to the nearest sink to scrub stated, becomes the scapegoat. their hands clean after accidentally Ben tries to fit in with Jake’s crew, brushing past him. feigning interest in conversations It’s all a mean joke, Ben thinks to of sex to signal his coolness, but he himself. The disease can’t actually be finds he has more in common with Eli. real. Right?

They bond over Gollum impressions He grapples with his conscience and dance parties and a trick Eli throughout “The Plague,” a does in which he pretends to cut off psychological horror film reminding his finger. Together, they are free to viewers of just how cruel adolescence act like the children they are — which can be. This is well-trodden territory, makes it even more heartbreaking but director Charlie Polinger’s when Ben continues to reject Eli in impressive debut paints such a vivid the presence of others. Will he learn portrait of boyhood bullying that to embrace being different, as Eli has it feels like discovering pubescent done, or keep trying to behave as his misbehavior anew. He warns against bullies do? enabling this kind of abuse, without Polinger has said he was ever becoming didactic. inspired to write “The Plague” Early on in the 2003-set film, Ben while cleaning out his childhood (Everett Blunck) joins the other bedroom during the pandemic. He boys — played by remarkable young discovered journals and yearbooks The Washington Post

that reminded him of his youthful exploits, including those that took place at an all-boys summer camp like the one in the film. He writes these characters with empathy, acknowledging that Jake and his friends act out of insecurity, while also channeling his grown-up feelings of helplessness into the water polo coach (Joel Edgerton, playing the only substantial adult character).

When Ben starts to get bullied over his friendship with Eli, his coach tries to comfort him by recalling how hard a time he had growing up, too.

“This is like the most depressing pep talk ever,” Ben says, letting out a sigh.

“The Plague” does an exceptional job of making viewers share in Ben’s growing sense of dread. The opening scene takes place in the swimming pool, during which an underwater camera shoots the lower halves of water polo players treading water. Their legs thrash about but their bodies remain in place, a disconcerting image made more so by a chorus of male voices crying out in unison as part of composer Johan Lenox’s score.

Cinematographer Steven Breckon shot on 35mm film, creating a retro effect that transports viewers to this stressful past. Aside from a few overt moments of body horror, such as when Ben discovers rashes like Eli’s spreading across his torso, most of the terror comes from the anxietyinducing score and Polinger’s clever visual perspectives. His camera creeps around corners, mimicking the bullies’ watchful eyes. He often zooms in on the boys’ faces, which betray the conflicted emotions they mask with overconfident brags.

While “The Plague” tells a specific story, it speaks to the larger conversation about a “masculinity crisis.” Some toxic codes of conduct are adopted early in life. Boys like Jake model their behavior off the adults around them. They learn to reject people different from them so they can feel superior.

This plague may not be real, but it’s on us to keep the brutality from spreading.

Rated R. Contains mature language, sexual material, self-harm/ bloody images, and some drug and alcohol use — all involving children.

95 minutes.

72 HOURS | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 17

Local Mentions

Local Mentions

BINGO - TUESDAY AFTERNOONS FREDERICK ELKS

Every Tuesday - 289 Willowdale Dr. Doors open 11:00 - Bingo begins at 12:30 Also pull tabs and tip jars Food available for purchase Cash only - ATM available on site Payouts increase with attendance - so invite a friend!

301-371-9130 KMcNitt53@aol.com

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New Market Grange #362

SOUP & SANDWICH TAKE OUT 14 South Alley New Market, MD Saturday, January 31 Pick-up: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Soups by Quart- $9.00 Vegetable Beef Chicken Corn - Bean Sloppy Joe by Quart- $14.00 Country Ham Sandwich- $5.00 Advance Order by Sat. Jan. 21, 2026 Place orders by email at newmarketgrangemd @gmail.com or call Teresa @ 301-717-4852 Please provide order, name & phone number Cash – Check - Credit

BREAKFAST BUFFET

New Midway Vol. Fire Co. Sunday January 25 , 2026 Serving: 7:00 am–12:00 Noon Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs Sausage, Potatoes Puddin, Hominy Sausage Gravy, Spiced Apples Orange Juice, Coffee Adults: $14.00 Children 5-10: $7.00 Under 5: Free Credit Cards Accepted

JEFFERSON RURITAN CLUB COUNTRY BUTCHERING & BREAKFAST

Sat. Feb. 7, 2026

Must place advance (Pork) orders before Wed. Jan. 28th; call (301) 473-7986 or (301) 834-6165.

Pick-up orders Sat. Feb, 7, 2026, 8 am to 12 noon.

COUNTRY BREAKFAST Sat. Feb 7th; 7 am to 10:30 am 4603B Lander Rd., Jefferson, MD 21755

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CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ORCHARD Apples: Pink lady, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Crimson Crisp, Granny Smith Stayman, Evercrisp & Gold Rush.

Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes, Cabbage, Kale, Cauliflower & Broccoli.

Fresh Baked Fruit Pies, Apple Cider Donuts, Apple Dumplings.

Specialty CMO Ice Cream, Hot Spiced Cider & Hot Chocolate Jams & Jellies.

Business Opportunity ASL INTERPRETER

We are currently looking for American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters for an educational program being held at a county jail. The assignment requires coverage Monday through Friday, from 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM. If you are interested or know anyone who might be interested, please contact us for more information regarding the details and compensation for this opportunity.

443-799-5591 cecilia@echotis.com www.echotis.com

Pets & Supplies PARTI YORKIE

named Rosie, 4 mo. old (9/22), is looking for a loving home, (can email photos), text or call 703-334-1073

Services

301-271-2737

January Open Fri., Sat. & Sun. Closed February & March 15036 North Franklinville Rd. Thurmont MD www.catoctin Orchard.com

Pets & Supplies Roofing it right the first time.

Roof Replacement Roof Repair • Siding Gutters • Skylights Licensed • Bonded • Insured

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.

Sporting Goods/Guns FISHING FLEA MARKET

Jan 24 & 25, Monaghan Fire Co. 245 West Siddonsburg Rd, Dillsburg. PA. New, used and antique fishing and related merchandise, Casting Kids, Seminars, and more. All proceeds benefit fire Co. (717)991-1015 bobsbaits@comcast.net monaghanfishingshow.com

Stefan Mach, Owner (301) 788-3061 frederickroofrepair.com MHIC#85927 hire your local roofer visit our website and fill out our contact form

CHIPOO & TOY POODLE PUPPIES

Adorable very small male chipoo puppy, choc.& tan long coat 7 mo.old, two toy poodle females,one small Apricot almost 1 yr old & one Red 6 mo. old. All up to date on shots, d-wormed and micro-chipped. Family raised, they are trained to use a wee pad.

Chipoo male-$850.00, Toy poodle females $950.00 each. They come with a written health guarantee. Please serious inquiries only 301-241-4159

GOLDEN RETRIEVER PUPPIES

Ready now! Shots, wormed, vet checked. 3 year health guarantee. Parents on premises. $1250 plus 240-620-2013 • www.victoriaspups.com

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Thursday Jan. 15 CLASSES

Writing Workshops with Niki Gjoni (For Teens) — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Join us for this writing workshop. Sometimes the best way to understand someone else’s circumstances is to walk a mile in their shoes. In this workshop, write three different scenes from three different perspectives in your household. The catch? One of the perspectives has to be that of a pet or a plant. Feb. 12 workshop: “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words ... and Then Some.”

301-600-7000.

Frederick County Civil War Roundtable Meeting and Presentation — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 East Patrick St., Frederick. Please join us as Robert E. Crickenberger Jr. presents “Point Lookout and the Second Wave of Prisons.” free for members, $5 suggested fee for non-members. gldyson@comcast.net. www.frederickcountycivilwarrt.org.

ETCETERA Art At Night: Carroll Street Buildings of Industry — 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick.

Join Heritage Frederick Archivist Jody Brumage, McClintock Distillery’s Braeden Bumpers, Twin Bear’s Bakery’s Andrew and Emily Roy, and the Delaplaine for an engaging look into the history of each of our buildings and the industries that shaped the Carroll Street area of downtown Frederick. You can also enjoy a whiskey tasting from McClintock, bread tasting from Twin Bears, and the art in our galleries!

301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/programs/.

FAMILY Musical Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to

20 | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 72 HOURS

11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Music, movement, and stories for the whole family. Designed for ages 0 and up with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ musical-storytime-187894.

Pajama Storytime — 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Enjoy music, stories, and more! Designed for ages up to 5 with a caregiver.

301-600-6329. cdillman@ frederickcountymd.gov. www.fcpl.org.

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.

301-360-5888. monica@ tenthwarddistilling.com. tenthwarddistilling.com.

Friday Jan. 16 CLASSES

C Is for Crime Scene: Forensics at the Library — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Carroll County Public Library, Eldersburg Branch, 6400 W. Hemlock Drive, Eldersburg. For ages 6 - 12. Join Dr. Judy Stavely for an interactive reading of “C Is for Crime Scene: A Forensics A to Z Book,” a fun and educational introduction to science and forensic discovery for young readers.

Families can explore hands-on activities such as fingerprinting demonstrations and STEM-themed coloring pages that bring the book’s concepts to life.

410-386-4460. ask@carr.org. ccpl.librarymarket.com/event/c-crimescene-forensics-library-280389.

Partner & Contra Lessons and Dancing — 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at AmVets Post 7,

26 Apples Church Road, Thurmont. Grab your partner and come learn how to Partner & Contra dance with instructors Carissa Barth Kijowski and Brandon Kijowski! This is a great class to attend if you are beginners! Fridays in January. $15. 202-758-4179. Fibedancecontact@ gmail.com.

ETCETERA

Midterm Meditations (Ages 13-19) — 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick.

Bring yourself some self-care during this midterm season. Destress and relax with meditation while improving your ability to take in and retain information. For teens in grades 9-12.

301-600-7000.

FAMILY

Preschool Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 East Moser Road, Thurmont. Songs, stories, and fun for preschoolers and their grownups. Designed for ages 3-5 with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ preschool-storytime-187933.

Get Ready for Kindergarten — 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 East Moser Road, Thurmont.

Have fun exploring literacy, science, mathematics, and art through play-based activities that integrate essential school skills. Designed for ages 3-5 with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/getready-kindergarten-187947.

“Rounding Third” — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House , 131 W. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. The tumultuous journey of two Little League coaches through an entire season, from their first tentative meeting to the climactic championship game. The

audience is the stand-in for the team, so the coaches speak directly to the audience about competition, character, punctuality, and the importance of wearing the right equipment. This is a play that was first produced to rave reviews at the Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown. It’s a funny, family-friendly show, suitable for all ages. Advance tickets recommended. $20 advance, seniors, students//$25 standard at the door. 304-876-3704.

Contact@OperaHouseLive.com. shepherdstownoperahouse.thundertix. com/events/251274.

Monster Jam — 7 p.m. at CFG Bank Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore.

Also Jan. 17 at 1 and 7 p.m., and Jan. 18 at 1 p.m. Get ready to cheer, scream and be amazed as massive Monster Jam trucks and world champion drivers take over Baltimore for a weekend packed with stunts, smiles, and jaw-dropping skills. With awesome trucks, amazing stunts, big air, and action-packed excitement, it’s the definition of fun for everyone! See website for ticket info.

443-614-8013. mmiles@weinbergharris. com. www.monsterjam.com/en-us/results/ baltimore-md-cfg-bank-arenajan-17-19-2025/.

MUSIC 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.

301-360-5888. monica@ tenthwarddistilling.com. tenthwarddistilling.com.

THEATER MET’s Musical “Bingo Cabaret” — 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Also Jan. 17. Join MET for a night of music and

a night of bingo! Your favorite performers will sing you a song. If it’s on your bingo card mark it! Each general admission ticket includes: Admittance to the event, one bingo card and one bingo dot marker, and one raffle ticket. $36. 301-694-4744. contact@ marylandensemble.org. ci.ovationtix.com/35900/ production/1166049.

Saturday Jan. 17 CLASSES

All About Seeds — Gardening 101 — 11 a.m. to noon at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg.

Get a jump on spring by learning how to select the right seeds. Our gardening expert will share his knowledge of seed sources, soil testing kits, gardening books and how to properly save and store your seeds. Seed catalogs and examples of seed starting equipment will be on display. 18 and older.

301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

beginning! Includes tour of the historic catacombs. $39 to $69 GA $39; VIP $78 includes bus tour (early meet time). poebaltimoremanager@gmail.com. book.peek.com/s/43e841c2-02f5-4e8a926e-1c9d471488c9/jY1Bx.

FAMILY

Puzzle and Game Swap — 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Myersville Community Library, 8 Harp Place, Myersville. Bring your gently used puzzles and games to the library to exchange with others! Be sure that all contributions are in good condition and include all pieces.

301-600-8350. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ puzzle-and-game-swap-181106.

Celtic Harp Trio — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. Enjoy the musical stylings of the Celtic harp, flute and violin.

301-600-7560. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ celtic-harp-trio-186996.

“Rounding Third” — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House , 131 W. Dancing with Grief: Herbal Support for German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. The Tough Times — 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The tumultuous journey of two Little League Common Market Co-op, 927 W. Seventh coaches through an entire season, St., Frederick. Join Educator and Herbalist from their first tentative meeting to Iris Kirsch for a talk on living vibrantly the climactic championship game. The in challenging times and explore the audience is the stand-in for the team, art of digesting difficult experiences so the coaches speak directly to the and setting and holding boundaries. audience about competition, character, Learn how to easily incorporate safe, punctuality, and the importance of simple, abundant herbs into our lives to wearing the right equipment. This is increase our resilience and support our a play that was first produced to rave nervous systems. Attendees will gain an reviews at the Contemporary American understanding of the functions of nervine Theater Festival in Shepherdstown. It’s a and adaptogenic herbs, the connection funny, family-friendly show, suitable for all between digestion and health, and the ages. Advance tickets recommended. power of moving into, rather than away $20 advance, seniors, students//$25 from, difficult emotions. standard at the door. 304-876-3704.

301-663-3416. arobinson@ Contact@OperaHouseLive.com. commonmarket.coop. shepherdstownoperahouse.thundertix. commonmarket.coop/classes-events/ com/events/251274. dancing-with-grief/.

ETCETERA Edward Hebern: A Cryptographic Odyssey — 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. National Cryptologic Museum docent, Pat Bomgardner, returns with a fascinating story of one of the most influential figures in cryptology who most people have never heard of.

301-600-7560. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ edward-hebern-cryptographicodyssey-188123.

Edgar Allan Poe Birthday Weekend & Poe Toaster Murder Mystery — 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Westminster Hall & Burying Ground, 519 W. Fayette St., Baltimore. A live, podcast-style murdermystery that blurs the line between séance and true crime. Celebrate Poe’s 217th birthday during a special mock broadcast of “Raven Nevermore: Unsolved Mysteries.” Together, you’ll follow chilling clues, question spectral suspects and perhaps discover that the Toaster’s disappearance was only the

FILM

“The Unholy Three” (1925) — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. As part of the Silent Film Series, “The Unholy Three (1925) screens with live accompaniment from the mighty Wurlitzer organ. Join us for this rare theatrical experience, complete with a pre-show musical set and a brief introduction to the film’s legacy in early cinema. Three sideshow performers leave their lives of captivity and become “The Unholy Three.” Echo the ventriloquist assumes the role of a kind old grandmother who runs a bird shop. Tweedledee, the “twenty-inch man,” becomes her grandbaby, and Hercules is their assistant. Soon an incredible crime wave is launched from their little store. $15. +1(301)600-2828. dyoung@ cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org/shows/the-unholythree-1925-movie/.

Silent Film Series: “He Who Gets Slapped” (1924) — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. After

Baron Regnard steals both his greatest invention and his wife, scientist Paul Beaumont loses all self-regard and joins a circus sideshow to become the most famous clown in France, known by other clowns as “He Who Gets Slapped.”

When Paul falls in love with bareback rider Consuelo, she and her partner, Brazo, mock him. He is heartbroken but determined to shield Consuelo when Regnard shows sudden romantic interest in her. $15. 301-600-2828. dyoung@ cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org/shows/he-who-getsslapped-1924-movie/.

OUTDOORS January Nature Walk — 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Audrey Carrol Audubon Sanctuary, 13030 Old Annapolis Road, Mount Airy. Join Audubon Society of Central Maryland naturalists for a nature outing!

All ages welcome. Note that no restroom facilities are available, and the walk will be canceled in the event of inclement weather. www.centralmdaudubon.org/ eventscalendar/2025/10/19/novembernature-outing.

Sunday Jan. 18 FAMILY

Antietam Station Open House — noon to 4 p.m. at Hagerstown Model RR Museum Inc. at Antietam Station, 17230 Sharpsburg Pike, Sharpsburg.

The Hagerstown Model RR Museum will open the historic Antietam Train Station to the public every Sunday in January.

Admission is free and the station is handicap accessible. Several operating model train layouts and displays of local railroad history.

301-964-0469. bblairwilliamson@aol.com. www.antietamstation.com.

“Rounding Third” — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House , 131 W. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. The tumultuous journey of two Little League coaches through an entire season, from their first tentative meeting to the climactic championship game. The audience is the stand-in for the team, so the coaches speak directly to the audience about competition, character, punctuality, and the importance of wearing the right equipment. This is a play that was first produced to rave reviews at the Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown. It’s a funny, family-friendly show, suitable for all ages. Advance tickets recommended. $20 advance, seniors, students//$25 standard at the door. 304-876-3704.

Contact@OperaHouseLive.com. shepherdstownoperahouse.thundertix. com/events/251274.

GALLERY Ambidextrous Painting Demo with Jessie Bunk — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Vault of Visions Art Gallery, 1 N. Market St.,

Frederick. Watch art in action! Visit the gallery for a live ambidextrous painting session with local artist Jessie Bunk to learn more about her bilateral process, inspiration from nature, and experience in art education as a tool to empower future generations and survivors of power-based violence.

240-315-5483. emma@vovgallery.com. vovartgallery.com.

Monday Jan. 19 ETCETERA

Martin Luther King Jr. Beloved Community Potluck Dinner and Conversation — 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 703 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Annual community event celebrating the teachings and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. cosponsored by a interfaith coalition of local faith communities. Program to include a short film and discussion and several musical performances. Please bring a dish to share if able. Everyone is welcome. Doors open at 5:30 with program to begin at 6 p.m. RSVP helpful but not required.

240-409-7176. andibonita@gmail.com. www.facebook.com/ FrederickFriendsMeeting/.

Tuesday Jan. 20

Friends of the Emmitsburg Library Meeting — 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Join the meeting!

301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

Sacred Sisters Circle: Body Sovereignty — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Sol Yoga - Earth Room, 256 West Patrick St., Frederick.

Join us in the tender, healing and empowering space of exploring our body sovereignty. Often in this society, especially as women, we encounter situations when our needs, boundaries, and “no” are bypassed. Through somatic awareness, guided movement, nourishing self-touch, self-consent practices, and ritual, we will create a compassionate, curious, and sacred space for exploring body autonomy and restoring personal sovereignty. We meet every first and third Tuesday of the month. $25-$45. 503-957-4207. amandaluciaart@ gmail.com. themind-bodyway.com/ sacredsistersfrederick.

FAMILY Winnie the Pooh Celebration — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg.

Join the fun as we celebrate Winnie the Pooh Day with a morning of crafts, games and more! Ages up to 5, elementary.

301-600-6329. cdillman@ frederickcountymd.gov. www.fcpl.org.

Musical Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Music,

72 HOURS | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 21

movement, and stories for the whole family. Designed for ages 0 and up with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ musical-storytime-187894.

Young Homesteaders: Vermicompost (Ages 9-13) — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg . Join Anna Glenn from the University of Maryland Extension for Young Homesteaders, a hands-on series where youth ages 9–13 will learn the basics of sustainable living like gardening, animal care and more.

Each session is interactive, a little messy, and packed with fun ways to connect with nature and agriculture. Vermicompost: Learn how to build your own worm bin to help reduce food waste. Geared for ages 9-13.

301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

Greetings Adventurers! Role Playing Games Club (ages 11-18) — 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Dive into the world of Table-Top Role Playing Games!

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a new recruit, you’ve got a spot at our table. Pull up a chair as we fight monsters on bikes or perform a daring heist while being a hungry bear. For teens in grades 6-12.

301-600-7000.

Wednesday Jan. 21 CLASSES

Free Gentle Yoga at the Co-op — 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at The Common Market Co-op, 927 W. Seventh St., Frederick. This class is the perfect intro for a new student or an experienced yogi that is wanting to fill their cup with an accessible and supportive yoga practice. There will be plenty of modifications offered to meet various levels so that ALL can enjoy the benefits of yoga. The practice will include low impact movement, seated postures and plenty of stretching. Students will become comfortable using props like blocks, straps and even the occasional chair. These classes allow the student to leave with lots of tools to support a yoga practice in any class setting as well as a home practice. Classes are donation based.

301-663-3416. arobinson@ commonmarket.coop.

ETCETERA Theatriks: Adult Adaptive Program — 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Do you like juggling, tricks, and lots of fun? Join us as we clown around with Theatricks! This program is for adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers/aides. 18 and older.

301-600-8200. www.fcpl.org.

Bingo with 930 WFMD’s Bob MillerAn Adult Adaptive Program — 11 a.m.

22 | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 72 HOURS

to noon at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Meet 930 WFMD’s very own Bob Miller while having a fun hour of Bingo. All adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers are invited to this program. 18 and older.

301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

FAMILY

Toddler Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Songs, stories, and fun for toddlers and their grownups.

Designed for 2 year olds with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ toddler-storytime-187907.

Thursday Jan. 22 CLASSES

Veteran Affairs S.A.V.E. training — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Veteran Services Center, 1750 Monocacy Blvd., Suite A, Frederick.

Designed to provide essential training for individuals working with veterans, service members, and their family members.

This course primarily focuses on mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and understanding the unique challenges faced by veterans. No registration necessary.

240-651-8889. info@ veteranservicescenter.org.

ETCETERA

Curious Iguana Presents: Author Richard Bell — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at C. Burr Artz Public Library, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick. With America’s 250th birthday on the horizon, come join a fascinating look into the past with author Richard Bell as he discusses his new book “The American Revolution and the Fate of the World.” Following his talk, Richard will answer questions and sign books.

Books will be available for purchase at the event. curiousiguanaevents@gmail.com. curiousiguana.com/event/richard-bell/.

Lab Dog: Local Author Talk & Beagle Meet and Greet — 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Join local author Melanie D.G. Kaplan and the vice president of animal research issues for Humane World for Animals, Katie Conlee, for an evening exploring the world of research animals and the beagle who changed Melanie’s life. Through short readings, a discussion, and a visit from beagles bred for research, Kaplan and Conlee will share what they know about empathy, science and the bond between humans and animals. For teens and older.

301-600-7000.

FAMILY

Musical Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Music, movement, and stories for the whole

family. Designed for ages 0 and up with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ musical-storytime-187894.

Family Fun: Art Night — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Roll up your sleeves and let your imagination run wild as we experiment with different art forms.

Age group: Elementary.

301-600-6329. cdillman@ frederickcountymd.gov. www.fcpl.org.

FILM Movie Night: Pollution in the Potomac — 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at New Spire Arts Stages, 15 West Patrick St., Frederick.

Enjoy a the World’s Most Scenic River Journeys episode on the Potomac followed by presentations on PFAS pollution by the Potomac Riverkeepers.

301-417-4371. info@icprb.org. www.eventbrite.com/e/movie-nightpollution-in-the-potomac-tickets1977914419272?aff=oddtdtcreator.

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.

301-360-5888. monica@ tenthwarddistilling.com. tenthwarddistilling.com.

THEATER “The Prom” — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. MET’s Teen Ensemble presents. Four eccentric Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. So when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue ... and themselves. This production contains mature language which may not be suitable to some viewers. $20. 3016944744. contact@ marylandensemble.org. ci.ovationtix.com/35900/ production/1255779.

Friday Jan. 23 CLASSES

Partner & Contra Lessons and Dancing — 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at AmVets Post 7, 26 Apples Church Road, Thurmont. Grab your partner and come learn how to Partner & Contra dance with instructors Carissa Barth Kijowski and Brandon Kijowski! This is a great class to attend if you are beginners! Fridays in January. $15. 202-758-4179. Fibedancecontact@ gmail.com.

ETCETERA Go Team Therapy Dogs: An Adaptive Adult Program — 11 a.m. to noon at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple

Ave., Brunswick. Join us as we welcome the Go Team Therapy Dogs back to the Brunswick Library! We invite all adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers to join us for this fun, sensory event. 18 and older.

301-600-7250. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ go-team-therapy-dogs-adaptive-adultprogram-176663.

Mike Kuster and The Catoctin Cowboys — 8 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery Riverside, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. A night of high-energy country music! An evening filled with heartfelt originals, toe-tappin’ honky-tonk, and the top-notch musicianship that’s made Mike one of the region’s most exciting country artists with a string of awards and number one singles on independent radio charts.

Rockwell’s great beer + great live music = the perfect winter weekend kickoff!

Tickets available online — and you can also purchase tickets at the door! 21 and older. $10. 240-575-9755. www.eventbrite.com/e/mikekuster-the-catoctin-cowboys-live-atrockwell-brewery-12326-8pm-tickets1977560521755?aff=oddtdtcreator.

FAMILY

Preschool Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 East Moser Road, Thurmont. Songs, stories, and fun for preschoolers and their grownups. Designed for ages 3-5 with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ preschool-storytime-187933.

Get Ready for Kindergarten — 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 East Moser Road, Thurmont.

Have fun exploring literacy, science, mathematics, and art through play-based activities that integrate essential school skills. Designed for ages 3-5 with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/getready-kindergarten-187947.

FILM Mountainfilm on Tour — 7:30 p.m. at Majestic Theater, 25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg, Pa. Using the power of film, art and ideas, the festival brings together a community of filmmakers and change makers, showcasing documentary films that celebrate adventure, activism, social justice, environment and indomitable spirit. Held in Telluride, Colorado, every May, the Majestic Theater staff specially curates an evening of the best adventure shorts of the festival for our audiences. $15 in advance / $20 at door $15 advance, $20 at the door. 717-3378200. www.gettysburgmajestic.org.

MUSIC The ABBA Reunion Tribute Show — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at The Maryland

Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown.

From “Mamma Mia” to “Dancing Queen,” all of the greatest hits are performed with unrivaled authenticity from both an audio and visual perspective with an amazing jaw-dropping finale re-creation taking you back to where it all began in 1974! $44 and up. 301-790-3500. boxoffice@ mdtheatre.org. www.mdtheatre.org/abba-reuniontribute.

1964 The Tribute — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. With meticulous attention to detail, 1964 replicates the sound, look and feel of a real Beatles performance, transporting audiences back to the height of Beatlemania. For over 40 years, this cast of professional musicians has brought the spirit of the Fab Four to life for those who never had the chance to see them live. A perennial favorite on the Weinberg stage, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to feel the magic of a Beatles show for the first time or relive it. $35, $30, $25. 301-600-2828. dyoung@ cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org/shows/1964-thetribute-2026/.

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.

301-360-5888. monica@ tenthwarddistilling.com. tenthwarddistilling.com.

Blightbeast, Weed Coughin, Disciples of Violent Entities — 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Cafe Nola, 4 E. Patrick St., Frederick.

An evening of excellent heavy metal.

Blightbeast is making our first venture to Western Maryland. With Frederick locals Weed Coughin and Baltimore homies Disciples of Violent Entities. 21+ only. $5. 301-514-5836. blightbeastofficial@ gmail.com. www.facebook.com/ events/1872676119990477.

THEATER “The Prom” — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. MET’s Teen Ensemble presents. Four eccentric Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. So when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue ... and themselves. This production contains mature language which may not be suitable to some viewers. $20. 3016944744. contact@ marylandensemble.org. ci.ovationtix.com/35900/ production/1255779.

“Macbeth” — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick. By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes …

In one of Shakespeare’s most haunting tragedies, “Macbeth” plunges audiences into a dark world of ambition, prophecy and betrayal. When three mysterious

witches foretell that Macbeth will become king, a deadly chain of events is set in motion, blurring the line between destiny and choice. Admission: Pay-what-you-will. contact@esptheatre.org. endangeredspecies.my.salesforcesites.com/ticket/#/events/ a0SRo000006IdfNMAS.

Saturday Jan. 24 CLASSES

Succession Gardening — 10 a.m. to noon at Edward F. Fry Memorial Library at Point of Rocks, 1635 Ballenger Creek Pike, Point of Rocks. Learn the technique of succession gardening with Frederick County Master Gardener Megan Rice to ensure a steady, staggered supply of plants and vegetables throughout the growing season. 18 and older.

301-874-4560. scwells@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ succession-gardening-183181.

ETCETERA

History Program: “George Blessing, Hero of Highland” — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Myersville Community Library, 8 Harp Place, Myersville. Join local historian, writer, and vice president of the Myersville-Wolfsville Area Historical Society Ann Longmore-Etheridge in this encore presentation. Learn about local farmer and respected elder George Blessing, his courage in resisting the Confederates, and his rise to local fame in the wake of the Civil War. 301-600-8350. rkurtz@frederickcountymd. gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/ event/possible-mwahs-encoreprogram-181859.

Curious Iguana Presents: Middle-Grade Author Cordelia Jensen — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Calling all young poets: this one is for you! Author Cordelia Jensen discusses her new middle grade novel “Lilac and the Switchback,” with fellow author Laura Shovan. This story (written entirely in verse!) follows Lilac, a girl feeling like the “extra” kid in her aunt and uncle’s soon-to-be fuller house; however, after receiving a check from her estranged father, Lilac wonders if it’s worth the risk to find him. Following the conversation, Cordelia will answer questions and sign books. Copies will be available for purchase at the event. curiousiguanaevents@gmail.com. curiousiguana.com/event/cordeliajensen/.

FAMILY

Winter STEM with “The Snow Thief” — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg.

Squirrel has never seen snow before.

Will he like it? Come find out! Join us for a fun telling of “The Snow Thief” by Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater. Then participate in wintry hands-on STEM activities. Age Group: Elementary.

301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

Meet Bob & Freddie. When it comes to local businesses, businesspeople and organizations in Frederick, they know best. Here is a personal interview with a 2025 Best of the Best winner or finalist about why they love what they do, helping those they serve and working in Frederick.

Law Office of Lena A. Clark 2025 WINNER FOR BEST LAW FIRM – ESTATE LAW 2025 WINNER FOR BEST WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS

129 W. Patrick St, #11, Frederick 301-414-8726 www.lenaclarklegal.com Starting 2026 Strong with Estate Planning

A new year means a chance to get organized, set goals, and take care of what matters most.

If “Get my Will or Trust done” has been on your to-do list for a while, this is your sign to make it happen. Imagine starting the year with your Estate Planning substantially completed, knowing your family and legacy are protected. That sense of relief and accomplishment could be one of the most meaningful resolutions you keep this year.

We understand that starting your Estate Planning can feel daunting. Many people delay it because they assume it’s complicated, time-consuming, or that they’ll need to have every answer ready before meeting with an attorney. The truth is, you already know most of what you need to know, and we’ll guide you through the rest.

Estate Planning Made Simple At the Law Office of Lena A. Clark, we’ve spent over two decades helping Maryland families create Wills and Trusts designed to protect what matters most. Our clients are consistently surprised by how easy, pleasant, and fast the process is once they begin. Most say, “I wish I had done this sooner.”

Our planning process is designed to take the stress and confusion out of Estate Planning.

We don’t just prepare documents, we provide the legal strategy behind them. That means you’ll understand exactly how your plan works, how your assets will pass, and what

steps will protect your family for years to come.

You’ll leave your signing appointment with peace of mind, not just a pile of paperwork. And that’s something worth celebrating as the year starts.

Why Now Is the Perfect Time The start of a new year is the ideal time to set intentions and take care of important life planning. While many people focus on health or finances, establishing or updating your Estate Plan is one of the smartest and most caring resolutions you can make.

Whether you need a Will, Trust, Financial Power of Attorney, or Advance Medical Directive, getting started now ensures that your wishes are clear and your loved ones are prepared for whatever the year brings.

It’s also a great time to review your existing plan, especially if there have been changes in your family, finances, or Maryland estate laws over the past year.

Planning for the future doesn’t have to wait.

With our guidance, you can complete your Estate Plan in just a few weeks, and start the year confident that everything and everyone you care about is protected.

If you need help protecting money and loved ones, call us 301-414-8726 or self-schedule www.lenaclarklegal.com.

Sign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/ LOLACnewsletter

72 HOURS | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 23

FILM “Gallipoli” Screening & WWI Panel Discussion — 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. Jan 9, 2026, marks the 110th anniversary of the end of World War One’s Gallipoli campaign: a disastrous failure for the Allies but a stunning victory for the crumbling Ottoman Empire. Learn more through Peter Weir’s “Gallipoli” (1981) about this defining moment in Australia’s national identity. After the film, military historian Dr. Scott Hileman will discuss the campaign’s impact on world events like the Armenian Genocide. Microbiologist Dr. Mark Chee will discuss how Britain’s involvement of its colonies in the war eventually helps the 1918 influenza spread across the empire upon which the sun never set.

301-600-7560. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

THEATER “The Prom” — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

MET’s Teen Ensemble presents. Four eccentric Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. So when they hear that trouble is brewing around a smalltown prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue ... and themselves. This production contains mature language which may not be

suitable to some viewers. $20. 3016944744. contact@ marylandensemble.org.

“Macbeth” — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick. By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes …

In one of Shakespeare’s most haunting tragedies, “Macbeth” plunges audiences into a dark world of ambition, prophecy and betrayal. When three mysterious witches foretell that Macbeth will become king, a deadly chain of events is set in motion, blurring the line between destiny and choice. Admission: Pay-what-you-will. contact@esptheatre.org. endangeredspecies.my.salesforcesites.com/ticket/#/events/ a0SRo000006IdfNMAS.

Sunday Jan. 25 CLASSES

Indoor Gardening — 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Winter doesn’t have to mean putting your green thumb on hold — bring the garden inside! Whether you’re new to plant care or you’re already a houseplant pro, this is the perfect time to learn how to propagate your favorite plants and keep the green growing year-round. 21 and older.

301-600-8200.

www.frederickcountymd.gov.

ETCETERA Calling all Brunners! — 12:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Frederick Eagles Aerie #1067, 207 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

Frederick Sister Cities Association cordially invites you, and all interested parties, to our first meeting of the new year. Food available for purchase.

240-646-4640. Lmurbanowicz@gmail. com. fredericksistercitiesassociation.weebly. com/.

Great Comets in History — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Learn about noteworthy comets of the last 1,000 years and how they have influenced history and culture, from local amateur astronomer Scott Carr. 18 and older.

301-600-7250. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ comets-harbingers-doom-176638.

FAMILY Antietam Station Open House — noon to 4 p.m. at Hagerstown Model RR Museum Inc. at Antietam Station, 17230 Sharpsburg Pike, Sharpsburg.

The Hagerstown Model RR Museum will open the historic Antietam Train Station to the public every Sunday in January.

Admission is free and the station is handicap accessible. Several operating model train layouts and displays of local

railroad history.

301-964-0469. bblairwilliamson@aol.com. www.antietamstation.com.

THEATER “The Prom” — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. MET’s Teen Ensemble presents. Four eccentric Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. So when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue ... and themselves. This production contains mature language which may not be suitable to some viewers. $20. 301-694-4744. contact@ marylandensemble.org. ci.ovationtix.com/35900/ production/1255779.

“Macbeth” — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick. By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes … In one of Shakespeare’s most haunting tragedies, “Macbeth” plunges audiences into a dark world of ambition, prophecy and betrayal. When three mysterious witches foretell that Macbeth will become king, a deadly chain of events is set in motion, blurring the line between destiny and choice. Admission: Pay-what-you-will. contact@esptheatre.org. endangeredspecies.my.salesforcesites.com/ticket/#/events/ a0SRo000006IdfNMAS.

PERSONAL & BUSINESS INSURANCE SERVING FREDERICK RESIDENTS SINCE 1990 Auto • Home • Life • Commercial

www.SallyArnoldInsurance.com

Sally&Arnold Associates 24 | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 72 HOURS

301-662-2246 519 N. Market St, Frederick

Monday Jan. 26 CLASSES

Sol Yoga — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Join us for this free yoga class offered by Sol Yoga. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes. 18 and older.

301-600-8200. www.fcpl.org.

How to Build a 1500+ SAT Score Strategy (ages 11-18) — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Join the experts from C2 Education for a presentation on strategies for achieving a 1500+ SAT Score.

301-600-7000.

FAMILY

Family Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Enjoy music, stories, and more! Designed for ages up to 5 with a caregiver.

301-600-6329. cdillman@ frederickcountymd.gov. www.fcpl.org.

Baby Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Songs, stories, and play for babies and their grownups.

Designed for ages 0-24 months with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@

frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ baby-storytime-190574.

Little Adventurers — 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Children learn and explore through hands-on activities using science, technology, engineering, art and math concepts at the library.

Caregivers are encouraged to connect with children and participate in the activities!

301-600-6329. cdillman@ frederickcountymd.gov. www.fcpl.org.

Tuesday Jan. 27 CLASSES

Self-Care Through Resilience — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Myersville Community Library, 8 Harp Place, Myersville . A guided discussion centered around self-care by building resilience. Travis Walter of the Mental Health Association will discuss seven factors of resilience and how to incorporate them into your everyday life. This will include an emphasis on engaging self-care and building positive connections. 18 and older.

301-600-8350. rkurtz@frederickcountymd. gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/selfcare-title-tbd-183986.

FAMILY

Musical Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Music, movement, and stories for the whole family. Designed for ages 0 and up with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ musical-storytime-187894.

Young Homesteaders: Growing Microgreens (Ages 9-13) — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Join Anna Glenn from the University of Maryland Extension for Young Homesteaders, a hands-on session where youth ages 9–13 will learn the basics of sustainable living. Microgreens: Learn how to pack a whole bunch of nutrients into a small growing space. Geared for ages 9-13.

301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

Independent Schools Admissions Fair with Light Refreshments — 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at C. Burr Artz Public Library, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Families can meet representatives from several outstanding independent schools in the region. Learn about each school’s unique programs, community, and admissions process — all in one convenient evening.

Participating schools include The Banner School, Barnesville School, Springdale Preparatory School, Friends Meeting School and Lucy School, Light refreshments.

301-381-2191. dan.buck@lucyschool.org.

Engineering Challenge (Ages 9-18) — 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Calling all future engineers and those who enjoy STEM challenges.

Apply engineering principles to brainstorm, design and build structures, solve problems and test your skills.

301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

Wednesday Jan. 28 CLASSES

Free Gentle Yoga at the Co-op — 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at The Common Market Co-op, 927 W. Seventh St., Frederick. This class is the perfect intro for a new student or an experienced yogi that is wanting to fill their cup with an accessible and supportive yoga practice. There will be plenty of modifications offered to meet various levels so that ALL can enjoy the benefits of yoga. The practice will include low impact movement, seated postures and plenty of stretching. Students will become comfortable using props like blocks, straps and even the occasional chair. These classes allow the student to leave with lots of tools to support a yoga practice in any class setting as well as a home practice. Classes are donation based.

301-663-3416. arobinson@ commonmarket.coop.

72 HOURS | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 25

FAMILY

contact@esptheatre.org. for you. Designed to give people the skills to The Sicilian Tenors – “Journey to Highclere endangeredspecies.my.salesforce-sites.com/ help someone who is developing a mental Castle” — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Weinberg Toddler Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at health problem or experiencing a mental ticket/#/events/a0SRo000006IdfNMAS. Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, health crisis. The course uses role-playing and Comedy Extravaganza — 8 p.m. to 9:30 The Sicilian Tenors return with a brand-new Thurmont. Songs, stories, and fun for toddlers simulations to demonstrate how to recognize p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. and their grownups. Designed for 2 year olds and respond to the warning signs of specific live show inspired by their award-winning Patrick St., Frederick. MET Comedy Nights PBS special, filmed at the iconic Highclere with a caregiver. illnesses.

Improv comedy Festival is BACK! Join us for Castle known as the real-life Downton 301-600-7200. bbrannen@ dwilliams@everymind.org. a weekend of fun and laughter in Frederick’s Abbey. Featuring stunning visuals and frederickcountymd.gov. newest performance venue: the MET Key timeless music, the performance includes frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/toddler- Brain Boost: Protect Your Business When Stage! The show will feature members from You’re the Whole Team — noon to 1 p.m. at beloved songs from the romantic Downton storytime-187907.

The Comedy Pigs, Oh Crit, That’s What She Cowork Frederick, 122 E. Patrick St., Frederick. era, along with the Tenors’ signature Italian Tween Perler Bead Art (Ages 9-13) — 3:45 Said, Off Key, and Key City Improv. It will also A free lunch and learn for the Frederick favorites. Audiences can also look forward p.m. to 4:45 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch feature surprise performances from some Business Community! Build simple systems to showstoppers from The Phantom of the Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. A that keep your business running even when Opera and more in this unforgettable evening of our specialty MET Comedy Night shows. casual craft session where tweens can make you can’t. Learn about owner resilience, digital of passion, nostalgia, and world-class vocals. Don’t miss this celebration of comedy and Perler Bead Art with a variety of patterns debut performance in our new space! protection, workflow backups, and practical $42, $37, $32. +1(301)600-2828. dyoung@ available. Perler beads are plastic fuse beads ways to stay prepared, adaptable and stress- cityoffrederickmd.gov. $15. that you place on a grid and melt together. free. Pre-registration required. weinbergcenter.org/shows/the-sicilian-tenors- ci.ovationtix.com/35900/ Participants will leave with a finished piece of 301-372-5165. heycowork@coworkfrederick. journey-to-highclere-castle/. production/1243153.

Perler Beard art. com.

Live Music at the Cocktail Lab — 8 p.m. to 10 301-600-6329. coworkfrederick.com/brain-boost-lunchp.m. at Tenth Ward Distilling Co., 55 E. Patrick Sunday Feb. 1 www.fcpl.org. learns/.

St., Frederick. Every Friday in the Cocktail Partner & Contra Lessons and Dancing — 7 Lab we’ll be servin’ up our deliciously wild p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at AmVets Post 7, 26 Apples concoctions and some sweet tunes to get Thursday Jan. 29 Church Road, Thurmont. Grab your partner your weekend started off right. 21 and older. and come learn how to Partner & Contra 301-360-5888. monica@tenthwarddistilling.

FAMILY dance with instructors Carissa Barth Kijowski com. and Brandon Kijowski! This is a great class Tiny Stages: “Pop!” — 10 a.m. to 10:45 tenthwarddistilling.com. to attend if you are beginners! Fridays in a.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. January.

Patrick St., Frederick. A FUN Company Tiny THEATER $15. 202-758-4179. Fibedancecontact@gmail.

Stages Production. Bubbles, balloons and Comedy Extravaganza — 8 p.m. to 9:30 popcorn come to life in this joyful, immersive com. p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. show filled with music, puppets and playful Patrick St., Frederick. MET Comedy Nights surprises. A gentle, sensory adventure where FAMILY Improv comedy Festival is BACK! Join us for every POP! brings a new delight. Geared for Tiny Stages: “Pop!” — 10 a.m. to 10:45 a weekend of fun and laughter in Frederick’s ages up to 5. Pay-what-you-can. newest performance venue: the MET Key 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble. a.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. A FUN Company Tiny Stage! The show will feature members from org.

Stages Production. Bubbles, balloons and The Comedy Pigs, Oh Crit, That’s What She marylandensemble.org/tiny-stages-pop/. popcorn come to life in this joyful, immersive Said, Off Key, and Key City Improv. It will also Musical Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at show filled with music, puppets and playful feature surprise performances from some Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, surprises. A gentle, sensory adventure where of our specialty MET Comedy Night shows.

Thurmont. Music, movement, and stories for every POP! brings a new delight. Geared for Don’t miss this celebration of comedy and the whole family. Designed for ages 0 and up ages up to 5. Pay-what-you-can. debut performance in our new space! with a caregiver.

301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble. $15.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ org. ci.ovationtix.com/35900/ frederickcountymd.gov. marylandensemble.org/tiny-stages-pop/. production/1243153. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/musicalPreschool Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. storytime-187894. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 East Moser Family Fun: STEM Night — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Road, Thurmont. Songs, stories, and fun for Saturday Jan. 31 Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., preschoolers and their grownups. Designed FAMILY Emmitsburg. STEM related stations will be for ages 3-5 with a caregiver. set up for hands on fun and experimentation. 301-600-7200. bbrannen@ Tiny Stages: “Pop!” — 10 a.m. to 10:45 Age group: Elementary. frederickcountymd.gov. a.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. 301-600-6329. cdillman@frederickcountymd. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ Patrick St., Frederick. A FUN Company Tiny gov. preschool-storytime-187933.

Stages Production. Bubbles, balloons and www.fcpl.org.

Get Ready for Kindergarten — 11:15 a.m. popcorn come to life in this joyful, immersive

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.

301-360-5888. monica@tenthwarddistilling. com. tenthwarddistilling.com.

Friday Jan. 30 CLASSES

Mental Health First Aid Course — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Veteran Services Center, 1750 Monocacy Blvd.,, Suite A, Frederick. If you are a veteran or an individual working with veterans in our community this is the training

to 11:45 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 East Moser Road, Thurmont. Have fun exploring literacy, science, mathematics, and art through play-based activities that integrate essential school skills. Designed for ages 3-5 with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/getready-kindergarten-187947.

MUSIC

Brunswick Live! — 4 p.m. at Downtown Brunswick , Brunswick . Happening on the last Friday of every month through August, Brunswick Live! brings downtown to life with extended shop hours, live music, and special events. brunswickmainstreet.org/event/brunswicklive-2/2025-12-26/.

26 | Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 | 72 HOURS

show filled with music, puppets and playful surprises. A gentle, sensory adventure where every POP! brings a new delight. Geared for ages up to 5. Pay-what-you-can.

301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble. org. marylandensemble.org/tiny-stages-pop/.

THEATER “Macbeth” — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at ESP Loft, 16 E. Patrick St., 2nd Story, Frederick. By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes … In one of Shakespeare’s most haunting tragedies, “Macbeth” plunges audiences into a dark world of ambition, prophecy and betrayal. When three mysterious witches foretell that Macbeth will become king, a deadly chain of events is set in motion, blurring the line between destiny and choice. Pay-what-you-will.

ETCETERA

The Community Kitchen: A Recipe Swap — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. See what’s cooking in the community! Share and collect recipes from your neighbors while discovering new and exciting ways to flavor your everyday meal preparation. Weis Dietician Christina Fritz MS, RDN, LDN will present on easy and healthy recipes and ingredient swaps to elevate any dish.

301-600-7560. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/recipeswap-184946.

Book Signing and Meet-and-Greet: Isabelle Engel — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Curious Iguana, 12 N. Market St., Frederick. Engel promotes her debut novel, “Most Eligible.” Seeking a story that’ll launch her journalism career, Georgia goes on a reality dating show only to find the host is her dreamy one-night-stand from the year before. Copies of “Most Eligible” will be available for purchase at the signing. 18 and older. curiousiguanaevents@gmail.com. curiousiguana.com/event/isabelle-engel/.

FAMILY

Tiny Stages: “Pop!” — 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. A FUN Company Tiny Stages Production. Bubbles, balloons and popcorn come to life in this joyful, immersive show filled with music, puppets and playful surprises. A gentle, sensory adventure where every POP! brings a new delight. Geared for ages up to 5. Pay-what-you-can.

301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble. org. marylandensemble.org/tiny-stages-pop/.

THEATER

“Macbeth” — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at ESP Loft, 16 E. Patrick St., 2nd Story, Frederick. By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes … In one of Shakespeare’s most haunting tragedies, “Macbeth” plunges audiences into a dark world of ambition, prophecy and betrayal. When three mysterious witches foretell that Macbeth will become king, a deadly chain of events is set in motion, blurring the line between destiny and choice. Pay-what-you-will. contact@esptheatre.org.

endangeredspecies.my.salesforce-sites.com/ ticket/#/events/a0SRo000006IdfNMAS.

Monday Feb. 2 ETCETERA

Press Paws! Therapy Dogs For Teens (ages 11-18) — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Teens: relax and relieve stress by spending time petting an adorable dog friend! Therapy dogs are provided by the Wags for Hope volunteers, whose pets bring comfort and joy to the lives of others. For grades 6-12.

301-600-7000.

FAMILY Baby Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Songs, stories, and play for babies and their grownups. Designed for ages 0-24 months with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/babystorytime-190574.

THEATER “Macbeth” — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at ESP Loft, 16 E. Patrick St., 2nd Story, Frederick.

By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes … In one of Shakespeare’s most haunting tragedies, “Macbeth” plunges audiences into a dark world of ambition, prophecy and betrayal.

When three mysterious witches foretell that Macbeth will become king, a deadly chain of events is set in motion, blurring the line between destiny and choice. Pay-what-youwill. contact@esptheatre.org. endangeredspecies.my.salesforce-sites.com/ ticket/#/events/a0SRo000006IdfNMAS.

Tuesday Feb. 3

us to celebrate it while talking all things art, story, cosplay and culture! Each month features a different craft. September’s featured craft is chibi perler beading!

Materials provided, while supplies last. For teens in grade 6-12.

301-600-7000. live-frederick.pantheonsite.io/event/mangaand-anime-club-176149.

FAMILY

CLASSES

Dynamic Gentle Yoga with Mary Koster — 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. This 60-minute dynamic gentle yoga class invites you to breathe more deeply, discover new strength and flexibility while honoring your limits, strengthen your concentration/focus, and relax your nervous system. Taught in a non-competitive environment by a certified instructor, each class includes warm-ups, postures, breathing, and a final relaxation.

Options are offered to stay safely within your pain-free range of motion. All abilities and flexibility levels are welcome. Please bring your own yoga mat and any other props that you would like to use to each class.

301-600-7560. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ dynamic-gentle-yoga-mary-koster-187009.

ETCETERA Manga and Anime Club (ages 11-18) — 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. New to Anime and Manga? Longtime fan? Either way join

Musical Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Music, movement, and stories for the whole family. Designed for ages 0 and up with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/musicalstorytime-187894.

THEATER “Macbeth” — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at ESP Loft, 16 E. Patrick St., 2nd Story, Frederick.

By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes … In one of Shakespeare’s most haunting tragedies, “Macbeth” plunges audiences into a dark world of ambition, prophecy and betrayal.

When three mysterious witches foretell that Macbeth will become king, a deadly chain of events is set in motion, blurring the line between destiny and choice. Pay-what-youwill. contact@esptheatre.org. endangeredspecies.my.salesforce-sites.com/ ticket/#/events/a0SRo000006IdfNMAS.

Wednesday Feb. 4 CLASSES

Free Gentle Yoga at the Co-op — 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at The Common Market Co-op, 927 W. Seventh St., Frederick. This class is the perfect intro for a new student or an experienced yogi that is wanting to fill their cup with an accessible and supportive yoga practice. There will be plenty of modifications offered to meet various levels so that ALL can enjoy the benefits of yoga. The practice will include low impact movement, seated postures and plenty of stretching. Students will become comfortable using props like blocks, straps and even the occasional chair. These classes allow the student to leave with lots of tools to support a yoga practice in any class setting as well as a home practice. Classes are donation based.

301-663-3416. arobinson@ commonmarket.coop.

FAMILY Toddler Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Songs, stories, and fun for toddlers and their grownups.

Designed for 2 year olds with a caregiver.

301-600-7200. bbrannen@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ toddler-storytime-187907.

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