72 HOURS July 30, 2026

A BURKITTSVILLE PAINTER TAKES BEST IN SHOW

Frederick County artist Lesa Cook has a habit of leaving her paintings open to interpretation, and that approach just earned her one of the region’s top art honors. Cook’s large oil painting “House on Fire” — depicting a burning home and a man holding an ambiguous object that could be a watering can or a gasoline container — won the President’s Best of Show Award at the sixth Biennial Maryland Regional Juried Art Exhibition, presented by the Arts Program at University of Maryland Global Campus. The exhibition features 44 works by artists from Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. Cook, based in Burkittsville, is a painter, sculptor, instructor at the Delaplaine Arts Center and a registered copyist at the National Gallery of Art, where she studies techniques directly from the museum’s permanent collection one day a week. The exhibition runs through Aug. 9 at the UMGC Arts Program Main Gallery in Adelphi.

THE CHUCK BROWN BAND BRINGS GO-GO TO FREDERICK

More than a decade after the death of Chuck Brown, the “Godfather of GoGo,” the band that carries his name is still going strong — and it’s coming to Rockwell Brewery for the first time on Aug. 1. Fronted by Chuck Brown’s son Wiley Brown alongside his sister KK, the Chuck Brown Band blends nonstop rhythm, blistering horn lines and the audience call-and-response that has defined go-go since Chuck Brown helped invent the genre in the 1970s. Wiley grew up onstage beside his father from the age of 4 and has led the band since Chuck’s passing in 2012, carrying the sound forward while weaving in newer material of his own. Long before Rockwell Brewery opened, Frederick was already a regular stop for go-go bands throughout the 1980s, making this homecoming of sorts for a genre with deep local roots.

ONE CITY, ONE SOUND LAUNCHES A MUSIC ACADEMY FOR TEENS

Frederick’s music community is investing in its next generation. One City, One Sound Academy is welcoming its first cohort this fall with a free nine-month program for students ages 13 to 18, offering hands-on training in music business and entrepreneurship, recording and audio engineering, and artist development. The program, held in partnership with the Y Arts Center, is designed to introduce teens to the industry side of music alongside the creative side, preparing the next wave of local artists, producers and music professionals. Interest forms are open now, with classes beginning in September. Parents, teachers and mentors are encouraged to sign up early at onecityonesound.com.

DUANE BETTS & PALMETTO MOTEL WILL PLAY RAK YARD

Duane Betts, son of the late Allman Brothers Band founding member Dickey Betts, will bring his band Palmetto Motel to RAK Yard in downtown Frederick on Aug. 6, part of a tour supporting his new album, “Isle of Hope.” The record — Betts’ first release through the storied Sun Records, the label that helped launch Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash — was produced by Grammy winner Dave Cobb and recorded in just five days at Cobb’s studio in Savannah, Georgia. The album reflects a transformative period for Betts, written in the wake of his father’s death and grounded in Southern rock, blues and roots-based rock ‘n’ roll, with the extended guitar solos and improvisational stretches that defined the Allman sound. All Good Presents, the Frederick-based concert promoter behind the show, has just started to bring national touring acts to town throughout the summer.

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

& DRINK

Talking Capsaicin

Captain Clyde’s Cannonball Crush by Black Eyed Susan Spice Co.

BY DYLAN HYMAN

Special

to The News-Post

BACKGROUND

Black Eyed Susan Spice Co. is a Frederick-based hot sauce crafter led by three pepper scientists: Sebastian Shriver, Tim Sheets and Ron Miller. They currently offer nine signature sauces and one dry rub through their online store and have had two sauces featured on “Hot Ones.” Marketed as a “smoking cannon blast of bright citrus and flavorful garlic,” this ghost pepper and orange concentrate mash placed third in the fruit-based hot sauce category at the 2023 Screaming Mi Mi Awards.

PACKAGING

The ghoulish pepper pirate, Captain Clyde, loads another round of bright citrus explosives into a cannon aimed directly at your taste buds. A seafoam green label separates itself from the others on the shelf and features seafaring lettering, as well as the heat rating drawn along the blade of a sword. Black Eyed Susan has always had consistent swashbuckling branding that celebrates the sometimesforgotten roots of piracy in our own Chesapeake Bay, and it is always a treat to see how its designers interpret the vibe of each unique recipe.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The sauce itself is a fairly smooth slurry, with no noticeable chunks or irregularities. Pours quickly but still sticks to a spoon and spreads evenly on a plate. Brilliantly aromatic, with the faint memory of Lay’s Barbecue chips. Incredibly garlic-forward yet pleasantly so, and it does not sting the nose. The color is much darker and less vibrant than what is pictured on the website ... not off-putting, per se, but more reminiscent of a dark Carolina-style mustard barbecue sauce.

NAKED TASTE TEST

While scored a 4 out of 10 for heat on the website, testing found that the heat verges on a 5 out of 10 when consumed in larger quantities. The heat immediately settles in the mouth, causing slight to moderate salivation. It fully dissipates somewhere around the minute-and-a-half mark but leaves a pungent garlic musk around the mouth. The citrus provides a decent

accent to this smoky sauce, while the right amount of salt helps bring it all together.

MEAL TASTE TESTS

Captain Clyde’s gets lost easily in a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, having to compete with the saltiness and smokiness of the bacon, the creaminess of the American cheese and the richness of the egg yolk. The spicy garlic heat does indeed bring the flavor up a notch ... but not to the degree that I had expected. Without completely submerging my sandwich, I continued to miss what made the naked taste test so promising. Perhaps this sauce’s true strength lies in partnership with mayo as a spread.

However, I found the sauce much more substantial on a quesadilla, providing a foundational level of earthy, warm heat against the Colby-Jack ooze. Slight notes of orange did break through at times, providing a contrasting zip against this fat-heavy meal ... but I was left wishing there was more. Maybe this leaves room for a squeeze of fresh lime on that street taco or plate of nachos,

and in that way, I can respect what it brings to the table in tandem with the other ingredients.

I tossed oven-baked nuggets in an equal blend of melted unsalted butter and hot sauce for an approximate analog of traditional wings. I found that the richness of the butter paired nicely with the smoky garlic flavor. I did lose most of the heat and citrus undertones, but the overall flavor remained. I personally would change the ratio to give your taste buds some more exercise, but at a 50-50 ratio, you have a solid dressing. I could see this sauce being better suited as a final dash of flavor in chili or on top of grilled fish, or even drizzled over roasted vegetables such as squash or carrots.

FINAL THOUGHTS

At around $10 for a five-ounce bottle, Captain Clyde’s Cannonball Crush does indeed hold its own against other sauces in its price bracket. But against its siblings of the Seven Seas ... I don’t know if I am reaching for this first.

I have always found the Red Flag recipe to be the best of their offerings: an intense Trinidad Scorpion pepper heat

paired elegantly with the sweetness of raspberries, cranberries and grapes. It’s a lot at once, even for a spice queen like yours truly, but you learn to appreciate it for its layers of complex flavor, letting it sit on your tongue longer and longer each time to feel the full effect of the pepper’s heat.

Cannonball Crush achieves some of that on a more accessible level for those looking to step out of the table sauce league. For garlic lovers, this will become a mainstay in your fridge. For garlic likers, I would recommend trying another variety from Black Eyed Susan Spice Co.’s line of sauces.

FIND IT

Captain Clyde’s Cannonball Crush is available for $9.99 through Black Eyed Susan Spice Co. and at select retailers. Find purchasing information at blackeyedspices.com.

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.

Dylan Hyman

BY S.D. PRICE

Special to The News-Post

The Chuck Brown Band keeps the beat going at Rockwell Brewery

When the Chuck Brown Band takes the stage at Rockwell Brewery on Aug. 1, Frederick audiences won’t just be seeing one of go-go’s most recognizable groups. They’ll be witnessing a musical legacy that has spent decades evolving without ever losing the rhythm that made it one of Washington’s defining sounds.

More than a decade after the death of Chuck Brown, the Godfather of Go-Go, the band continues to carry his music forward, one performance at a time, honoring the foundation he built while introducing new generations to the sound that became synonymous with the nation’s capital.

IF YOU GO

The Chuck Brown Band will perform at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 1 at Rockwell Brewery Riverside, 8411 Broadband Drive, Suite K, Frederick. Doors open at 7 p.m. A dance floor will be located in front of the stage. Tickets are available at Eventbrite.

For Wiley Brown, Chuck Brown’s son and now the band’s frontman, preserving that legacy begins with remembering the man behind it.

“Outside of the music, he was just a very loving man,” Brown said. “He was great with his band, a great people person. If somebody stopped him, he had no problem taking pictures, talking with them and really connecting with the fans.”

Those lessons came long before Brown ever stepped into the spotlight himself.

Growing up, he remembered constantly watching his father rehearse, refine his craft and prepare for performances. Some of his earliest memories came from traveling to outdoor shows and seeing firsthand how naturally Chuck Brown could turn thousands of strangers into one connected audience.

“He was always practicing,” Brown said. “Always doing his thing and always connecting with people.”

Eventually, those moments became something more personal. As a child, Brown would occasionally join his father onstage to rap during performances, unknowingly beginning the path that would one day place him at the front of the very band his father built.

Today, that responsibility extends far beyond performing familiar songs.

“It’s really about the fans first,” Brown said. “They’re the ones keeping everything going. We have the utmost respect for all the guys who performed with my dad over the years. It’s about honoring the music, keeping it going and putting a little new flavor on top of the foundation that’s already been laid.”

That balance between preservation and evolution has helped the Chuck Brown Band remain one of the genre’s defining live acts.

The current lineup still performs many of Chuck Brown’s signature classics while weaving in newer material, all while preserving the unmistakable groove that has defined go-go for generations. At a Chuck Brown Band performance, songs rarely stay confined to the stage. Percussion rolls continuously beneath every

Courtesy photo

The Chuck Brown Band will perform at Rockwell Brewery on Aug. 1.

groove, musicians trade solos, vocalists volley with the audience and, before long, the crowd becomes part of the performance itself. It’s less a concert than a conversation driven by rhythm.

According to Brown, that connection is what continues to separate go-go from nearly every other genre.

“It’s the call and response between the band and the crowd,” he said. “It’s all about bringing people together and making sure people have a good time. No matter where you hear go-go, once you hear it live, there’s nothing like it.”

For anyone planning to attend Saturday’s performance, Brown hopes they’ll leave understanding exactly why the music has remained such an enduring part of the region’s identity.

“Once you hear it, it just gets into you. You can feel it in your soul,” he said. “To really get the full effect of gogo music, you’ve definitely got to hear it live.”

He also welcomes the growing number of younger artists incorporating go-go rhythms into contemporary music, viewing it as another sign that the culture continues to reach new audiences.

“I think it’s great seeing bands being innovative,” Brown said. “When other people love the music so much they want a piece of it, it’s great for the music, it’s great for the culture. Go-go is for everyone.”

For Brown personally, leading the band fulfills a promise he made years ago.

During the interview, the band’s longtime manager, David Brunson, who witnessed that journey firsthand, reflected on how proud Chuck Brown would be to see his son leading the band.

Brown agreed.

“He always talked about, ‘Which one of y’all is gonna keep my music going?’” Brown recalled. “’Wiley, you got me, dog? You got me, man?’ And I’d tell him, ‘I got you, Daddy. I got you.’”

“It’s not only something he wanted,” Brown continued. “It’s something I wanted too.”

That commitment also includes returning to communities that helped shape the band’s history.

While many associate go-go almost exclusively with Washington, both Brown and Brunson were quick to point out that Frederick has long embraced the genre. Long before Rockwell Brewery opened, Frederick was already a regular stop for go-go bands throughout the 1980s.

“People always came out and had a great time,” Brunson said. “Frederick supported go-go hard.”

As the Chuck Brown Band prepares to return, Brown said the mission hasn’t changed. Every performance is another opportunity to honor his father’s vision while introducing new listeners to a sound that has always been bigger than the musicians onstage.

For longtime fans, Saturday’s show offers another chance to celebrate one of the region’s most influential musical traditions. For newcomers, it may be their first opportunity to experience the call and response, relentless rhythm and unmistakable energy that have defined go-go for generations.

And for Wiley Brown, it’s another opportunity to keep the promise he made years ago.

“I got you, Daddy.”

S.D. Price is a Frederick-based writer better known as hip-hop recording artist Demetrius.

BY SCOTT HARRIS

Special to The News-Post

Duane Betts brings roots rock and a family legacy to Frederick

Duane Betts grew up surrounded by guitars and road cases marked with airline stickers — early signs that his family’s business was anything but ordinary.

The son of the late Allman Brothers Band founding member Dickey Betts, Duane Betts will bring his band, Palmetto Motel, to RAK Yard in downtown Frederick Aug. 6.

Betts and Palmetto Motel are touring behind his new album, “Isle of Hope.” Produced by Grammy Award winner Dave Cobb and recorded in Savannah, Georgia, it is Betts’ first album released through Sun Records, the storied label that helped launch the careers of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and others.

Betts’ music draws on Southern rock, blues and roots-based rock ‘n’ roll, with extended guitar solos and improvisational sections reflecting the celebrated Allman sound. All Good Presents, a Frederick-based concert promoter, is presenting the show.

Betts spoke with 72 Hours about “Isle of Hope,” joining Sun Records and growing up in a family whose business was music.

What sets “Isle of Hope” apart from your previous records?

I don’t know. I just think every record kind of has a personality and a life of its own. I mean, hopefully they kind of fit together as a cohesive body of work. So with this record, I didn’t want to try to replicate and outdo what I did on my last record.

I did this record with Dave Cobb in Savannah, Georgia. My good friend J.D. Simo, who’s one of my favorite guitar players, works with Dave a lot. Dave really liked the direction we were going, and it just kind of took shape from there. I was going through losing my dad, and I’d kind of been through some stuff and was in a little bit of a different place, but mainly I just let the record take shape with Dave at the helm.

How does it feel to be part of a legendary label like Sun Records?

Man, it’s an honor. Obviously, their pedigree and their roster of artists over the decades is just kind of unsurpassable. But also, their current roster is very cool. They have some really great artists now, so it’s an honor to be on such an iconic label, but also some of the artists they have now are friends of mine and people that I look up to. For people who have never heard

IF YOU GO

Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel, with the Bella Rayne Band, will perform at 8 p.m. Aug. 6 at RAK Yard, 400 Sagner Ave., Suite 200, Frederick. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $42.26. The concert is for ages 21 and older. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

you before, how would you describe your sound?

It’s rock ‘n’ roll. It’s roots-based rock ‘n’ roll and storytelling and a lot of guitar solos with these improvisational, jammy sections.

There’ll be a little bit of everything in the set. Obviously, we’re going to play songs off of my new record and my last record, but there’ll be some treats in there. Maybe we’ll throw a couple of my dad’s signature tunes in there and some other stuff too. So it’s always a fun mix of stuff to pull from.

When did you first realize that your family’s business was not quite like everyone else’s?

Well, my dad always was play-

ing guitar. There were guitars around the house, and I knew he was a guitar player. So I knew that from my earliest memories, I don’t know, 4 or 5, 6 years old. ... I remember he would come home from trips, and I just remember the guitar case and the smell of the guitar case and when he’d get home and the travel, the airline stickers on the guitar cases and tags and that kind of stuff. So I knew that he was traveling and that he brought his guitar to travel.

I mean, he just hung out with his friends and stuff. Every now and then, people would come up to him. I would think, “He’s just my dad,” but later on I would be kind of surprised. I’d be like, “Wow, maybe he is kind of famous or something,” because he would get noticed in strange places, get recognized in strange places. But when you’re a little kid, you don’t think about that stuff. What differentiates a good live show from a great one?

I try to put together a show that really has variety and gives everybody something that they can kind of sink their teeth into. We really do this because we love it, and we take every

night seriously. The gig is what we live for. That’s what we love. So the traveling and everything, getting to the gig is the work, and hopefully the music sets you free.

If we can make anyone feel good about what they’ve come and seen, then that’s great. But yeah, I just try to put songs together in a way that has meaning and variety and doesn’t get kind of stuck in any one thing for too long.

Why should people buy a ticket and come out to see you and Palmetto Motel?

Because they’re going to rock out with us, and they’re going to see a great rock ‘n’ roll show and they’re going to see a great band, a great fivepiece band. Everybody in the band is really, really great on their instrument. I don’t think anybody will leave disappointed because they didn’t hear something they wanted to hear.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Scott Harris is a writer based in Frederick. In his spare time, he writes science fiction and tries to grow houseplants.

Photo by Bobbi Rich

Duane Betts

Ballistic Berry to bring back-to-basics rock to Alive@Five

BY S.D. PRICE

Special to The News-Post

Nearly nine years ago, four freshmen simply wanted an excuse to play music outside their bedrooms.

What began as friends gathering to jam has grown into Ballistic Berry, a Jersey Shore rock band built on nearly a decade of shared experiences, original music and an unwavering belief that sometimes the simplest approach is still the most powerful. On Aug. 6, that journey arrives in Frederick as the quartet makes its Alive@Five debut.

The band describes itself as “a raw, back to basics four piece rock band,” stripping rock music down to its essentials. It’s an approach that feels refreshingly straightforward, driven by guitars, energy and songwriting rather than trends.

For guitarist and vocalist Nick Garrecht, that’s exactly how the story started.

“It was around late 2017, November to be exact,” Garrecht said. “Our drummer Zac had asked me if I wanted to start a band. I had just recently parted ways with my other band and was looking for any reason to play guitar in places other than my room.”

At first, there was no grand ambition.

“It started out as a pastime,” Garrecht said. “Four of us got together and just hung out and jammed for hours.”

As members changed, the project evolved alongside them. Four musicians became five before eventual ly settling into today’s lineup of Garrecht, guitarist AJ Kasper, bass ist Shane Spennato and drummer Zac Donahue. Looking back, Garrecht be lieves the band’s foundation was always stronger than a casual hobby.

“I definitely think it was al ways meant to be more than just a pastime.”

That sense of longevity is difficult to manufacture. While many bands spend years searching for chemistry, Ballistic Berry has spent

those same years simply growing up together.

“Ten years of late nights and hour long yap sessions will do that just fine,” Garrecht said. “We’ve been through middle school, high school, everything in between, and everything after together. Being friends first has definitely helped.”

That friendship has become the thread connecting nearly everything the band creates. Each member brings different musical influences into the writing process, but their shared trust allows those ideas to coexist naturally instead of competing for attention.

“If you asked each of us separately what our main influence was, we’d probably give you four different answers,” Garrecht said.

Among the artists the band consistently agrees on are Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and the Beatles. Garrecht also points to newer influences such as Harry Styles, helping shape a sound that nods to classic rock without trying to

IF YOU GO

Ballistic Berry will perform from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 6 at Alive@Five at the Carroll Creek Amphitheater in Carroll Creek Park, between Market and Carroll streets in Frederick. Admission is $5 at the gate. The event is for guests age 21 and older with valid identification. Food and craft beverages will be available for purchase. For more information, visit downtownfrederick.org/aliveatfive.

“If you listen closely, I’m sure you can pick out those parts and say, ‘Hey, I know where they got this,’” he said.

Even the band’s unusual name reflects that willingness to embrace its own personality.

Garrecht said “Ballistic Berry” came from a running list of names saved on his phone before one simply felt right.

“We’re pretty ‘out there,’ but we’re OK with being out there,” he said. “It’s better than locking your personality in a box.”

exactly how the band approaches its performances.

“We’re gonna go crazy and have a great time and we don’t care who feels otherwise. Plus, berries are really good.”

That attitude should fit naturally into Alive@Five, where longtime music fans and first-time listeners regularly discover artists they may never have encountered otherwise.

Rather than hoping audiences simply remember a song title, Garrecht hopes they leave remembering something bigger.

“We hope they remember two things,” he said. “Be unapologetically crazy both at the next show and every day up until then.”

Just as importantly, he wants audiences to know how much they matter to the band.

“The audience is just as, if not more, important than the artists themselves,” Garrecht said. “We want them to know that we know that.”

Ballistic Berry will rock the Alive@Five stage on Aug. 6.

Among the songs Ballistic Berry is most excited to perform in Frederick are “To the Top” and “Final Stand,” two songs Garrecht describes as self-motivational anthems that celebrate both the band’s journey and the road still ahead.

That road includes new music already taking shape.

“A new EP, a new album, a new era for the Berry and the batch,” Garrecht said. “I’m grateful and proud of the work we’ve done so far, but I know the things we plan on doing next easily showcase the growth we’ve had.”

For a band that began as friends looking for somewhere to play outside their bedrooms, the destination has never been the point. The music has simply grown alongside the people making it.

On Aug. 6, Frederick audiences will have the chance to experience that growth firsthand, delivered by four musicians who still approach the stage with the same excitement that first brought them together nearly a decade

S.D. Price is a Frederick-based writer better known as hip-hop recording artist Demetrius.

Courtesy photo

BY ERIN JONES

Special to The News-Post

ACMF’s sixth season explores metamorphosis through music

When the final note fades and applause gives way to post-concert chatter, Appalachian Chamber Music Festival founder and artistic director Katie Tertell often hears the same thing: Audience members who arrived unfamiliar with classical music leave entranced and eager for more.

“They come out saying, ‘Wow, that was not what I was expecting, but that was amazing, and I want to come back,’” Tertell said. “That is why I do it, because I believe in the power of what we do and the people who are connected to this vision of making music in the way that we believe we’re doing.”

Now in its sixth season, the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival will present performances and educational programs Aug. 1 to 16 at venues throughout Jefferson County, West Virginia, and surrounding communities in Virginia. The main concert series runs Aug. 5 to 16, with educational programs for adults and young musicians Aug. 1 to 7.

Each season is organized around a theme. This year’s theme, Metamorphosis, feels particularly relevant now, Tertell said, while also speaking to the changes people experience throughout their lives.

“It’s looking at how important it is to have all art, including music, to help us process the changing world we live in,” Tertell said.

One work that directly reflects the theme is Richard Strauss’ “Metamorphosen.”

“It’s a huge, lush romantic piece,” Tertell said. “It really shows people what these instruments are capable of and what the incredible musicians we have coming to the festival can do, but it’s also one of these works that is incredibly introspective and incredibly lush and beautiful and will really encapsulate that moment.”

Another thematic highlight is Franz Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden,” performed in an arrangement by Gustav Mahler.

“It literally is about life and death and the frailty of life. It is very much about a transition of metamorphosis, but not necessarily the kind we always think of. It’s an incredibly big crowd pleaser — everyone loves that piece,” Tertell said.

The festival will also present two world premieres. Composer Liliya Ugay’s “Under the Shared Breath,” a bass quintet commissioned for ACMF’s 2026 season, will premiere during the Art & Music concert Aug. 8.

Originally from Uzbekistan, Ugay found inspiration in a connection be-

The Appalachian Chamber Music Festival returns Aug. 1 to 16 with concerts and educational programs at venues throughout Jefferson County in West Virginia and surrounding Virginia communities. This year’s Metamorphosis-themed season includes two world premieres.

IF YOU GO

The Appalachian Chamber Music Festival, themed Metamorphosis, runs Aug. 1 to 16 at venues in Jefferson County in West Virginia and Purcellville, Berryville and Winchester, Virginia. The main concert series runs Aug. 5 to 16, with educational programs Aug. 1 to 7. Ticket prices vary by event, and nine events are free. View the full schedule, venue addresses and ticket information at appalachianchamber.org/2026-festivalschedule.

tween the natural landscapes of her homeland and Appalachia.

“The mountains are really important to her and the nature that exists there, and she feels the special connection between her homeland and the feeling of Appalachia,” Tertell said. “She’s always wanted to write something inspired by the region.”

Ugay will attend the premiere and participate in a preconcert talk with Jordan Burke, who curated the visual art selections paired with the program.

The second world premiere, Alex Weiser’s “Airs of Awe and Wonder,” will be featured during the Festival Finale concert Aug. 16.

“The name evokes it all,” Tertell said. “On another side of metamorphosis, there are some obviously direct correlations to going through change, but it’s also music bringing you out of the present reality of life and giving you this moment of reflection. A lot of times when human beings or cultures are going through change, it’s hard in the moment to appreciate what comes out of challenging times. I was really drawn to this work because of that.”

Both premieres prominently feature the bass, played by longtime ACMF musician Sam Suggs.

“Both of those pieces have that in common that they’re exploring the bass as kind of a mystery character, as the lowest instrument of the string family,” Suggs said. “I appreciate that because as a bass player, we contain multitudes.”

Suggs grew up in a musical family and learned piano and cello before switching to bass in middle school, when he was tall enough to handle the instrument and wanted to play jazz with his father. He played in the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra, and classical bass eventually became his primary performing instrument.

He later studied music theory and cognition at Northwestern University and earned master’s and doctoral degrees from the Yale School of Music. He is an

associate professor of double bass at James Madison University and has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.

Suggs is also an award-winning composer, and ACMF has featured his compositions in past seasons. His connections within the composition world helped bring both premieres to this year’s festival. Ugay composed the bass part with Suggs in mind, and he advocated for Weiser’s piece to receive its premiere this year, Tertell said.

Composer and violinist Domenic Salerni introduced Suggs to ACMF during its early years, and Suggs has continued to return.

“It feels more like a family reunion than it does like some of the other gigs out there, so it’s really nice to gather with friends, and it’s in a really beautiful place,” Suggs said. “The music’s great. The programming is fun. It’s a lot of different music, which is really exciting. It’s just a really good vibe that Katie’s cultivated.”

Erin Jones is a freelance arts and culture journalist, narrative strategist and literary collaborator. Learn more at erinjoneswriter.com, follow her on Instagram @ErinJonesWriter, or subscribe to her newsletter at erinjoneswriter. substack.com.

Courtesy photo

The Frederick Mom’s recommendations for the weekend of July 31

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

World Ranger Day

Noon to 4 p.m. July 31

Monocacy National Battlefield, 5201 Urbana Pike, Frederick Free

Celebrate World Ranger Day at Monocacy National Battlefield this Friday with a free event for the entire family! Meet park rangers from across the state and region and learn about what they do and what they protect. The event will also feature equipment and vehicle displays, games, activities and crafts.

Magic at Middletown

1 to 3 p.m. July 31

Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown Free

Enter a world of mystical magic! Explore enchanting realms through creative crafts, hands-on activities and imaginative challenges inspired by beloved fantasy series. Whether your kids are crafting a wand, mixing potions or embarking on a quest, there’s something for every adventurer. This event is for all ages, including teens.

History Days

2 to 4 p.m. July 31

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

$8 per child

Students in grades two through 10 are invited to a fun and educational experience at the Brunswick Heritage Museum this Friday! Kids can enjoy hands-on activities, games, snacks and a museum tour while learning about the historic C&O Canal and legendary B&O Railroad. Each participant will also receive a Brunswick Heritage Museum patch. Register at tinyurl.com/ bhm-history-day.

Open Mic Night for Kids

5 to 8 p.m. July 31

Dancing Bear Toys and Games, 15 E. Patrick St., Frederick Free

If your child wants to perform a song, special talent or act lasting up to 10 minutes, bring them to Dancing Bear this Friday evening! Kids can showcase their talents and practice performing live for an audience made up of members of the community. This is a drop-in event, and no registration is required.

Kids and their adults are invited to drop in and get creative together at the Delaplaine’s free, family-friendly open studio! This month’s artist-inspired project will allow participants to experiment with printmaking on Styrofoam printing plates. Donations are appreciated.

Back to School

2 to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 1

Spinners Pinball Arcade, 1301 W. Patrick St., Suite 132, Frederick Free

Back to School is a free, community-wide family event hosted by Mutual Aid Frederick Indivisible this Saturday at Spinners. Enjoy free all-day arcade passes, pizza and soda! The event will also offer voter information, civic education activities, community connections and information about navigating IEPs, 504 plans and FCPS resources. Reserve free admission at eventbrite. com/e/back-to-school-communityevent-tickets-1992396093349.

Battle of the Beast Rodeo

7 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 1

J Bar W Ranch, 10530 Green Valley Road, Union Bridge $25 for adults, $10 for children ages 6 to 12; children younger than 6 are free Discover the cowboy way of life this Saturday evening at J Bar W Ranch. This all-American family event features professional bull riding, cowgirl barrel racing, breakaway roping, the Little Wranglers Rodeo and mutton bustin’. Tickets are sold at the gate only, with no online sales. Arrive early for seating; gates open at 5 p.m. Upcoming Battle of the Beast rodeos will be held Aug. 15 and Sept. 5 and 19.

Keys Candy Chaos

Catoctin Peach Festival

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 1

Catoctin Mountain Orchard, 15036 N. Franklinville Road, Thurmont

$5 in advance, $7 at the gate, plus service fees; children age 3 and younger are free

Catoctin Mountain Orchard is introducing its first Peach Festival! While the farm isn’t able to offer its famous apple picking this fall, it has created something new and special. Join the orchard for a full day of peachy fun! Peach picking will be available from 9 to 11 a.m. or until all available peaches have been picked. The event will also feature live music from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., food trucks, beverage booths, more than 30 local vendors, a petting zoo, free face painting from 1 to 4 p.m., a peach pie-eating contest at 12:30 p.m. and more. The Peach Festival is a family-friendly event for all ages. For tickets

and information, visit catoctinmountainorchard.com/peach-festival.

Indonesia Day on the Creek

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 1

Carroll Creek Linear Park, Frederick Free

Celebrate Indonesia Day in downtown Frederick with lively music, dancing, food and stories highlighting Indonesia’s many islands and cultures while building understanding among neighbors. Thanks to the Asian American Center of Frederick, the community is invited to a cultural celebration on the creek this Saturday! Families and friends of all ages can enjoy food vendors, an artisan marketplace, cultural performances, arts and crafts.

Creative Outlet

3 to 5 p.m. Aug. 1

Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick Free

3 to 5 p.m. Aug. 2

Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium, 21 Stadium Drive, Frederick

Cost varies

It’s the sweetest day of the summer — Candy Chaos is back at Nymeo Field! This Sunday, families and friends can shake their keys, cheer on the Frederick Keys against the Wilmington Blue Rocks and hang out with Keyote. The game starts at 3 p.m., and gates open at 2 p.m. End the weekend with a hot dog, ice cream and candy! The first 1,000 fans age 3 and older will receive free reusable bags. Tickets are available at frederickkeys.com.

Tiffany Mahaney is at least a fifth-generation native to Frederick County, and she now proudly raises her own family here. She is the owner of The Frederick Mom. To see more local family-friendly things to do, follow her at @thefrederickmom.

TIFFANY MAHANEY

Courtesy photo

Friends Mikey Fisher, 12, left, and Baron Mahaney, 12, both of Ijamsville, enjoy time at Spinners Pinball Arcade in Frederick.

Young people seek out phone-free spaces

BY AUDREY PACHUTA Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO — There’s something addictive about it. Sitting in bed late at night watching one 30-second clip after another. Bright, blue light illuminating the room.

Whipping out a camera the moment a restaurant server brings a meal or a favorite performer appears onstage. Succumbing to the urge to scroll Instagram the second conversation grows quiet or social awkwardness creeps in.

The alarm bells began to ring in recent Loyola University graduate Kamryn McPhaul’s head when she realized a third of her waking life was spent on her cellphone.

She, like so many others, craved the “cheap hits of dopamine,” the sense of mindless joy she received from watching a short video only to forget it moments later.

Earlier this year, she decided enough was enough.

Goodbye to Instagram and Snapchat; hello to sightseeing adventures, solo trips to the movies and hours spent at the Art Institute. The moment McPhaul installed a “permanent black-and-white filter” on her screen and deleted all her social media apps, she felt something shift. She doesn’t plan on going back.

While McPhaul’s mission to curb her screen time has been an individual endeavor, others are increasingly seeking out social spaces to join like-minded people hoping to unplug. The number of phone-free experiences grew by 567% globally in 2024 and 2025, according to Eventbrite, a platform where organizers can advertise events.

In Chicago, this trend has taken various forms: everything from creative spaces relegating devices to cotton bags and locked boxes to phone-free raves moshing into the morning’s wee hours.

Some of these events are planned and attended by young adults, most of whom hardly remember a world before instantaneous digital communication. In many cases, phone-free parties emerge in the form of novelty pop-ups, advertised as a chance to escape the pressures of an ever-demanding online universe.

“Some people want to let loose and be free and they don’t want to be filmed while they’re doing that,” said 29-year-old Samantha Boehlen, an event producer who helped plan

things and where so much social infrastructure is built.” McPhaul said. “McPhaul has been limiting herself to an hour a day of phone usage since February and is spending more time exploring on solo trips or with friends.

multiple phone-free dance parties around the city.

‘How all of our parents hung out’

After acquiring her first iPhone at 13, Olivia Gork spent most of her young life wondering what a party free of digital disruption would look like.

She dreamed of dance floors packed with crowds who let music move through them. Bars where people entered as strangers and left as friends. But the more she went out, the more she realized phones inherently stood in the way of the experience she longed to have.

“I was ending the night just being like: Where were we?” Gork said. “Were we just capturing the moments or were we living them?”

Unbeknownst to her, Gork’s vision was one she shared with event producer Chinaecherem Nwaubani, whom she met at North Coast Music Festival in 2024. Now business partners, the pair founded

an agency, Saturnalia, to plan “otherworldly phone free(dom) gatherings.”

Back in December, they hosted their first and only party to date at Fulton Street Collective, a West Town art gallery and event space. The event, with bright colorful fabrics draped from the ceiling, drew a crowd of more than 100 people, Nwaubani said.

Some came with friends and others came alone, but all followed the night’s one rule: Phones must be kept in a locked box by the entrance.

“We debated putting them in little pouches, but something for me is that I just hate being encumbered and I was just like, what is a way that everyone can be as unencumbered as possible?” Gork, now 23, said. “I think the phone just needs to be completely locked up.”

The zero-tolerance phone policy brought people together in ways even Gork and Nwaubani couldn’t have predicted. They were

particularly struck by a moment when a group gathered to play chess with a security guard, and the fact that one attendee got so caught up in being screen-free, she forgot her phone at the venue when she departed for the night.

“This is how all of our parents hung out,” Nwaubani said. “There was a time not that long ago where this was just normal.”

Boehlen, the 29-year-old event producer whose work ranges from creative collage clubs to nightlife, said she wishes she had been “more stringent” about phone usage when she helped plan a January dance party in Wicker Park.

Over the years, she has advertised many of her events as being “phonefree,” but unlike the owners of Saturnalia, she never enforced the rule as anything more than a friendly suggestion.

Recently, she said, she attended a few events that weren’t marketed as screen-free, but ended up operating

Photos by Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune

D’Jhanir Harris Smith, 22, of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, walks with his partner Kamryn McPhaul, 22, of Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, along N. Clark St. in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood on Sunday, May, 31, 2026. “We are in Chicago where it’s such a fun city to be young in, explore

that way once she arrived. She recalled a concert’s policy of storing phones in automatically sealed bags as something that could be a good idea for her future functions.

“I think people can use their phone as a crutch,” Boehlen said. “It’s very easy to look down at your phone and just scroll or answer a text message, rather than sitting in that uncomfortability.”

Phone-free creative spaces

For some, the notion of unplugging isn’t a new idea. With its eclectic collection of vinyl records and board games, Kibbitznest, a WiFi-free book bar in Lincoln Park, has been capturing the fancies of those seeking a digital detox for nearly a decade.

While phones are technically permitted inside, those visiting find themselves hard-pressed to spot anyone choosing to use them. Instead, groups gather on comfortable furniture and chat while sipping cocktails and dealing playing cards. The dark interior features walls covered with books of every genre, encouraging those who enter to keep their laptop tucked away for the sake of the written word.

One weeknight in May, around 30 people gathered for an event called “Skip the Small Talk” in Kibbitznest’s back room. As the name suggests, the night was centered around facilitating deep conversations between strangers, a task much easier when phone usage is kept to a minimum, event organizers said.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if people just talked to people?” Viviana Barajas, the 33-year-old emcee, asked the crowd at the top of the event.

Over two hours, attendees shuffled from partner to partner, engaging in 10-minute conversations centered around card-prompted topics like “What are some of your biggest hopes for your personal future?” and “What are some things you loved about yourself as a child?”

Though attendee Lindsey Lucenta doesn’t consider herself addicted to her phone, she said she believes “our relationship with phones as a society has oriented people away from engaging genuinely.” She appreciated the opportunity to step into a space like the small talk event because it allowed those around her to be more “authentically themselves.”

Jessa Fuller, an event curator and co-founder of experiential marketing agency Little Council, sought to cultivate a similar sense of belonging when her team hosted a phone-free pop-up event on a Saturday morning in River North last month.

The event, called Fulfillment Center, was geared toward people

people that felt more authentic to them.”

At the University of Illinois Chicago, 20-year-old engineering student Nawar Masood sometimes employs the help of an app called FocusFlight, which allows her to lock her phone for the typical duration of any flight. Sometimes she chooses to turn off her phone for the two-hour flight path from Chicago to Atlanta, or if she really needs to focus, she’ll opt for a longer hypothetical flight, such as one to San Francisco.

Even though she tries to limit her phone usage, Masood said her screen time can spike as high as 11 hours per day during the school year.

“A friend sent me a statistic that said we look at our phones over 200 times per day,” Masood said. “I don’t know if that’s an exaggeration or not, but I just got super overwhelmed by that.”

Now, she said, she and her friends place their phones in the center of the table when they’re hanging out. Just before going to bed each night, she reserves an hour for reading or drawing to help her wind down without her phone nearby.

of all ages who were encouraged to come, put their phone in a cotton bag and engage with one of the many activities centered around reading, writing, making and playing at a long, communal table.

“Right now, when you think of a fulfillment center, you think of a large, giant, warehouse-y building built to get us things we order online super fast,” Fuller said. “So we said: ‘What would it look like if … we took up space with one that was more focused on personal fulfillment?’”

Fuller’s team hosted the popup over two days. For her, the most striking part of the weekend was seeing people come to the Fulfillment Center alone and leave with plans to reconnect with the people they met at her event.

Students, teachers adapt in a digital world

For some, the conversation around limiting screen time has extended beyond social circles and into professional or academic ones.

This spring, Olivia Stewart Lester, a Loyola professor who typically teaches classes on the New Testament and early Christianity, proposed and taught a new class that investigated the intersection of

religion and technology.

Eighteen students joined her for her semester-long passion project, together exploring topics such as artificial intelligence and online religious communities, as well as participating in a monthlong digital fast coinciding with the start of Lent and Ramadan.

“They were surprisingly enthusiastic,” Stewart Lester said, adding she was unsure of how students would respond to a professor mandating a behavioral change.

In assigned reflection papers, students described how the fast gave them the chance to take up new hobbies, she said. Given the choice of how to implement the assignment in their lives, some students opted to eliminate certain apps like TikTok, while others chose not to use their devices on public transportation in order to be more aware of their surroundings.

“(They found) once they got through the kind of rocky adjustment period of getting used to detaching from those devices, that their mental health improved,” she said. “That they were sleeping better and forming more connections with other

Back at Loyola, Stewart Lester said she has witnessed many students struggle to keep their screen time down in a world where both academics and social spheres increasingly demand an online presence. In her own classes, she restricts technology use to lecturebased notetaking, instructing her students to put everything away for activities and discussion.

McPhaul, the recent Loyola graduate who did not take Stewart Lester’s class but has been working independently to cut her screen time, said the past few months have been a blessing as she’s learned to “hang out with herself” and engage meaningfully with her friends in a way she hasn’t been able to before.

At 22, she recognizes that leaving social media behind all together probably isn’t feasible for a young person hoping to maintain a social life in this day and age. And so, while McPhaul much prefers catching up with friends face-to-face, she said she reluctantly checks social media on her computer sometimes to ensure she doesn’t miss anything too important.

She equates this strategy to what she called “AOL era,” meaning she tries to limit her internet use to when she’s at home, just as her mother would have done in the ‘90s.

“Our phones are programmed to be like a slot machine in our pockets,” she said. “Before I had never thought about that, but it’s just so true.”

Kamryn McPhaul, 22, of Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, browses inside Women & Children First bookstore in Andersonville on May, 31, 2026. McPhaul has been limiting herself to an hour a day of phone usage since February and is spending more time exploring on solo trips or with friends.

ART ‘House on Fire’ earns Lesa Cook top regional honor

BY MINA FOUTCH

Special to The News-Post

For Frederick County artist Lesa Cook, a painting is less a lecture than an invitation. She wants viewers to bring their own experiences to the work and decide for themselves what its story might be.

That openness is central to “House on Fire,” Cook’s large oil painting of a burning home and a man holding an ambiguous object — perhaps a watering can, perhaps a gasoline container.

The painting received the President’s Best of Show Award at the sixth Biennial Maryland Regional Juried Art Exhibition, organized by the Arts Program at University of Maryland Global Campus. The exhibition features 44 works by artists from Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. Six award winners were announced at the exhibition’s opening reception June 7.

Cook, a painter, sculptor, instructor at the Delaplaine Arts Center and registered copyist at the National Gallery of Art, spoke with 72 Hours about ambiguity, teaching and the importance of persistence.

What was it like to have a work accepted into the exhibition and then win Best in Show? Tell us about the piece you submitted.

This show in particular is one of my favorites to enter, and I’m always honored to even get a piece accepted. It was a big boost for me to find out that I had won Best in Show, and it was super encouraging to get that reaction to the piece.

The piece that I entered was a fairly large painting that shows a house on fire with a man in the lower right corner holding an object. It’s unclear what the object is. It could be a watering can or it could be a gasoline container. Viewers don’t really know whether he’s the victim or the perpetrator.

I like to keep this ambiguity in my work in that way so that people can come to it with their own experience and get out of it something different. When you’re painting, you’re doing it by yourself, so you never really know how it’s going to be received by others, and it was super gratifying to see that it has connected with people.

You’ve mentioned the ambiguity in your work. Why is that theme important to you?

Allowing my work to be more of a conversation with the viewer is more important to me than just simply hammering a feeling or conducting

IF YOU GO

The sixth Biennial Maryland Regional Juried Art Exhibition is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily through Aug. 9 at the UMGC Arts Program Gallery, on the lower level of the College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 3501 University Blvd. East, Adelphi. Admission is free. For more information, call 301-985-7937, email arts@umgc.edu or visit umgc.edu/administration/arts/exhibits/bmre.

See more of Lesa Cook’s work, including “House on Fire,” at lesacook.com.

I think drawing is the foundation for all of it. I took a sculpture class 20 years ago, and I just loved it. I love the fact that you’re making an object that inhabits the same space that you’re in.

a lecture. I like to leave it open for the viewer to participate. I think when it’s spelled out, it’s not as interesting. In a way, I feel I am respecting my viewer by allowing them to put their own experiences and ideals into the work.

You describe art as a collaboration between artist and viewer. What do you find enriching about sharing your knowledge as an instructor at the Delaplaine Arts Center?

It’s a conversation. I’m a nerd, and I’m around other art nerds. It’s great to be in a crowd of people who are all enthusiastic about the same thing that you are. Anything I learn, I pass on to them and vice versa.

Really, they teach me. Every single class, I’m learning something from a student. I’m a better artist because I teach. In order to convey the information to them, I have to make it clearer in my own mind. They come to me with all kinds of different backgrounds and experiences, and so I learn from them.

When did your love of art and creating begin? What has your journey as an artist looked like?

I was always somebody who, as a kid, liked to draw, play and create. I was a graphic designer for about 20 years and had an illness, so I had to step back from a job that was deadline-intensive and stressful. It was one of those situations where the illness was both a curse and

a blessing, and it landed me back into a place I felt I should have been all along.

Since that time, it’s been a priority to study from people whose work I admire. I’m always taking classes and continuing learning and developing skills. And you know what? It’s a therapy.

You’re a sculptor, illustrator and painter. How does working across those forms shape you as an artist?

I’ve found that it really informed my painting and drawing and vice versa. They all inform each other, and they all strengthen each other. I feel like I’m a better painter because I sculpt, and I feel that I’m a better sculptor because I draw. It’s the same concept of composition that you’re using across all of them in harmony.

You’re also a copyist at the National Gallery of Art. What does that involve, and what draws you to it?

The National Gallery of Art has a program, and if you apply and get accepted, then you can come in one day a week and copy from their permanent collection.

Copying has taught me so much. Every single painting that I copy is like I’m sitting at the feet of a master trying to learn their techniques. Each artist is teaching me something specific. Then, I can pull those techniques into my own artwork, which might be a lot different in style from whoever I’m copying, but it broadens the range of what I’m able to employ in my own work.

What advice would you offer others pursuing similar artistic ambitions?

Be stubborn. It’s not really about talent. You’ve got to show up and do the work, and if you show up and do the work, then you can improve from there. To me, it’s more about being persistent. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Mina Foutch is a writer from Hagerstown who has always found solace in words. A poet at her core, her pieces have been previously published in multiple literary magazines. In her free time, she is probably reading something dramatic with a cat on her chest.

Self-portrait by Lesa Cook.

Courtesy photos

The winning “House on Fire” painting by Lesa Cook.

For stained-glass artist Deborah Borth, inspiration comes in every color

BY ROCCO GEPPI

Special to The News-Post

For Deborah Borth, inspiration can be found in the world around her — in the movement of water, the colors of a sunset, the mountains surrounding Frederick and even the koi swimming through Carroll Creek.

Sometimes, it begins with an idea that exists only in her imagination.

Then comes the glass.

Borth, a retired graphic designer who moved to Frederick about two years ago, has spent her retirement transforming sheets of colorful glass into everything from traditional window panels to three-dimensional boxes, planters and vases.

Her years as a graphic designer gave her an appreciation for composition, color and visual balance, but stained glass offers something different. Rather than working solely on a flat surface, Borth creates objects that can be held, displayed and viewed from different angles. That freedom has allowed her to explore a side of her creativity she did not always have the opportunity to pursue professionally.

“It’s kind of like a hobby slash business for me,” Borth said. “When I retired, I pretty much put all my efforts into stained glass, and I love it.”

Borth first discovered the craft about 20 years ago, when she took a stainedglass class simply to try something different. She quickly found that the medium offered the combination of creativity and craftsmanship she had been looking for.

Color, in particular, has always been important to her.

“Stained glass color is just incredible,” Borth said. “You can get any kind of color or style.”

Her graphic design background also has influenced her approach. Although much of her work is rooted in traditional stained-glass techniques, Borth describes her style as somewhat nontraditional, particularly because of her interest in creating three-dimensional pieces.

The process, however, is anything but simple.

A piece begins with an idea and, often, a drawing. Borth develops a pattern, making sure each individual piece can be cut from the glass. She then selects the colors and textures, cuts each piece and grinds the edges before applying copper foil.

The choice of glass is especially important because the material can look dramatically different depending on how it is displayed. A piece that glows with

IF YOU GO

Downtown Frederick Artwalk will feature stained-glass artist Deborah Borth from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 2 at the Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Admission is free. For more information, call 301-6980656 or visit delaplaine.org.

color in a window can take on an entirely different appearance away from natural light.

For Borth, choosing the right combination of colors requires her to imagine not only what the finished piece will look like but how the light will interact with it.

She then joins the pieces with solder before polishing and framing the work and adding a chain or another means of displaying it.

Every piece of glass presents its own challenges.

“Glass sometimes has a mind of its own,” Borth said. “You’ll score it one way and go to break it, and it’ll be completely different.”

That unpredictability can be frustrating, particularly when a carefully planned piece of glass refuses to cooperate. The reward comes as the individual pieces begin to come together.

“When I’m ready to solder it and finish it, I’m like, ‘OK, it’s coming to life now,’” she said.

Depending on its size and complexity, a piece can take Borth four or five days to complete. Others can take a week or two.

Her creative inspiration has evolved along with her surroundings.

When she lived in Bethany Beach, Delaware, her work often reflected the coastal landscape — waves, shells, sunlight and the beach. Since moving to Frederick, her attention has shifted toward the area’s mountains and, especially, Carroll Creek.

The creek’s koi, lily pads and flowers have become recurring subjects in her work.

“I really get inspiration through Carroll Creek,” Borth said. “The place is just so gorgeous with all their lily pads and their flowers and all that.”

Borth also creates commissioned pieces. One of her favorites was a large, colorful abstract work — a 36-inch circle made with some of her favorite colors. Another memorable commission was a transom depicting a sunset for a friend in Delaware.

But perhaps her most satisfying pieces are those that originate entirely in her imagination.

“I just kind of make up designs from my imagination,” Borth said. “And I usually get the most satisfaction from that.”

Borth will showcase and sell her stained-glass creations from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 2 at the Delaplaine Arts Center as part of the Downtown Frederick

Artwalk. Visitors will be able to see the range of her work, from traditional window and wall hangings to the three-dimensional pieces that have become part of her artistic style.

The indoor setting presents an unusual challenge for an artist whose work is typically displayed in front of a window: determining how best to illuminate the glass and reveal its colors.

Borth hopes the event will introduce her work to new audiences and help her build connections within the Frederick arts community.

Ultimately, though, her goal is simple. She wants people to see the beauty and creativity in her work and perhaps find a little happiness in the process.

“It sounds silly, but I want to bring joy and beauty to their lives,” Borth said. “I think I do that with my pieces.”

Rocco Geppi is a freelance writer, having earned his professional journalist credentials in his late teens, and has made a career out of his passion. He enjoys connecting with people, bringing communities together, and highlighting what makes the people and the community uniquely invaluable.

Courtesy photos

Deborah Borth with her work.

Works by Deborah Borth.

From Linganore to L.A.

Shawn Hatosy’s Frederick roots lead to a second Emmy nomination

BY ERIN JONES

Special to The News-Post

The day Shawn Hatosy’s second Emmy nomination was announced began like any other busy workday on the set of the HBO Max drama “The Pitt,” where he was shooting season three. The cast and crew talked through the scene at hand, read it and rehearsed it a few times before taking a short break.

When Hatosy returned, people began patting him on the back, and he noticed a growing gathering of cast and crew. The nominations had been announced, and he was among them. Creator and showrunner R. Scott Gemmill read the show’s 25 nominations aloud to the assembled cast and crew.

“It was a pretty cool day,” Hatosy said.

Hatosy’s performance as Dr. Jack Abbot earned him a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series this year after he won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series last year. While all eyes will be on the stage at the Peacock Theater when the 78th Emmy Awards are presented Sept. 14, Hatosy’s acting journey began more than 2,600 miles away, on the stage at Linganore High School.

It may be more accurate to say Hatosy’s relationship with the stage began at New Market Middle School, where he participated in chorus in sixth and seventh grades. While Hatosy was still in middle school, Linganore High School invited younger students to participate in one of its productions.

He remembers the bathtub races at Baker Park, listening to Z104 and hanging out at Skatehaven, which closed in 1986. In Frederick, he worked as a busser at Outback Steakhouse and as a server at the Ground Round at Frederick Towne Mall.

He played in a band at what was then Coconut Alley, now Cafe 611, as well as at Olde Towne Tavern. The band also played at In the Street. He graduated from Linganore High School in 1994. Linganore brought him into the classroom of theater teacher Carl Freundel, who had a profound and formative impact on Hatosy as an actor and student. Freundel introduced his students to a range of plays, from classics to experimental and avant-garde works.

“ I had no expectation or understanding that it would turn into this character that has become so beloved or lead to what it has in my career and winning an Emmy and now being nominated for a Supporting Actor Emmy.

“That was my first impression of theater, and I really enjoyed it. I enjoy being with a group of people with a common goal,” Hatosy said.

Hatosy grew up in the Loch Haven neighborhood in Ijamsville, a self-proclaimed child of the 1980s.

“It was a big cul-de-sac, and we used to just run around,” Hatosy said. “I just remember it so fondly and think about it all the time. I was a kid who grew up on skateboards and bikes, and my neighborhood was filled with kids my age.”

“He changed my perspective of what theater is,” Hatosy said. “He showed us every dimension of theater ... all of these very complex emotional [works], from tragedy to comedy. So that was it for me. Not just theater. He showed us music. He was very into the Beatles, and that became a passion of mine as well.

“I met him at just the right time,” Hatosy continued. “I wasn’t the most academic student, and I struggled there, but meeting Carl ... it focused me, and it gave me something to put my energy toward that was very constructive.”

Around the time he became interested in acting, a friend was working with a manager to audition for commercials and other projects. Hatosy’s mother arranged a meeting with the manager, and he began auditioning as well.

His screen career now spans dozens of film and television credits. His earliest came in 1995 with an

episode of Foster-directed Holly Hunter In 2006, “Pitt” co-star was an executive be directing with dissociative The collaboration gan with Wells later producer sy became mal Kingdom,” in. In total, made more vision together. It was while Hatosy also He directed Kingdom,” HI-Surf” and, son two of

“He’s somebody value that achieve,” Wells’ show called Abbot appeared Abbot seemed “Because would do me to do, service, I me,” Hatosy Abbot and Hatosy’s audiences

From left, Noah Wyle and Shawn Hatosy in “The Pitt.”

From left, Shawn Hatosy and Sepideh Moafi in “The Pitt.”

Photos by HBO MAX Shawn Hatosy in “The Pitt.”

of “Homicide: Life on the Street” and the Jodie Foster-directed film “Home for the Holidays,” starring Hunter and Robert Downey Jr. 2006, on the set of “ER,” Hatosy met not only future co-star Noah Wyle but producer John Wells. Wells executive producer on the series and happened to directing that particular episode. Hatosy played a man dissociative identity disorder.

collaboration between Wells and Hatosy that bethat episode would grow across the decades. later served as an executive of “Southland,” where Hatobecame a series regular, and “AniKingdom,” which Hatosy starred total, Hatosy estimates they have more than 100 episodes of teletogether.

WATCH

while working with Wells that also began his directing career. directed four episodes of “Animal Kingdom,” one episode of “Rescue: and, most recently, the “3:00 P.M.” episode of seaof “The Pitt.” somebody that is also a mentor to me. I really that relationship and what it has helped me Hatosy said.

“I had no expectation or understanding that it would turn into this character that has become so beloved or lead to what it has in my career and winning an Emmy and now being nominated for a Supporting Actor Emmy. You have to pinch me because it’s very unexpected,” Hatosy said.

Hatosy said “The Pitt” is unusual in its combination of immense popularity and critical acclaim.

The series takes place at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, which uses Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh as its visual inspiration and exterior setting. Each episode follows one hour of a single emergency department shift, led by Noah Wyle’s Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, the chief attending physician. Hatosy’s Dr. Abbot leads the night shift as an attending physician.

Seasons one and two of “The Pitt” are available on HBO Max. The 78th Emmy Awards will air live at 8 p.m. Sept. 14 on NBC and stream on Peacock.

The show’s up-close, real-time depiction of emergency care and its use of medical professionals on set to choreograph procedures convey a sense of realism that ultimately aims to highlight issues faced by the medical system. The series intentionally explores systemic inequities, mental health struggles and other challenges faced by health care workers.

“I enjoy all of the different layers that he has. He’s funny. He’s a strong leader, he’s a veteran, he’s a singleleg amputee. He’s also a guy that has all the answers when it comes to the intricacies of emergency medicine, but when it comes to his mental health, he’s not as adept. He’s on this journey alongside Dr. Robby trying to navigate the stress that this work brings,” Hatosy said.

The second season brought Dr. Abbot an increased presence.

“The writing is so strong for Abbot. He’s a very calming influence. He’s also somebody that is unique to the show because he’s a peer of Robby’s who has the same level of power in the leadership structure there,” Hatosy said. “They’ve also done a really nice job with Abbot through season one and in season two. When he’s not there, he still feels like he’s there. They have done a wonderful job of creating a need for him.

“So I thank them for that. He’s a character that I really enjoy playing. I haven’t played a lot of characters that are universally loved. This would probably be one of the first ones.”

involvement was also a selling point when a new called “The Pitt” and a character named Dr. Jack appeared in Hatosy’s inbox, despite the fact that seemed to disappear after the first episode. “Because it was John, I was all in, no matter what. I anything for him or with him. Whatever he asked even show up and make some tacos for craft would do it just because he’s done so much for Hatosy said.

reemerges memorably later in the season, Hatosy’s performance went on to win the hearts of audiences and earn him an Emmy.

“’The Pitt’ has been a show that from the first airing has just kind of blown up and has continued week after week to gain more eyeballs and more acclaim. It’s one thing to be a part of a show that is popular and then also to have critical acclaim, but then it also has this other thing where it is changing how people look at the health care system, and that is pretty special,” Hatosy said. “There’s not a moment when I’m making the show that I’m not thinking about what these health care workers are dealing with.”

Dr. Abbot became a fan favorite early on, and even minor details of his backstory have sparked theories, predictions and fan fiction surrounding his past and future.

As the Emmy Awards approach, so does the start of the school year, and the classrooms of Linganore High School and New Market Middle School will be filled with students like Hatosy was years ago — carrying dreams and potential, with teachers who may help shape them.

Some of Hatosy’s most enthusiastic cheers will no doubt come from Frederick as well. His parents and sister still live in the area. He enjoys returning when he can and wishes he could visit more often.

“I’m always thinking about Frederick,” Hatosy said. “I miss it so much.”

Erin Jones is a freelance arts and culture journalist, narrative strategist and literary collaborator. Learn more at erinjoneswriter.com, follow her on Instagram @ErinJonesWriter, or subscribe to her newsletter at erinjoneswriter.substack.com.

”A Study of Trees” — through July 31, Gifts Inn Boonsboro, 16 N. Main St., Boonsboro. Nature photography by Bruce Wilder. 301-432-0090 or giftsinnboonsboro.com.

Virtual 50+ Community Center Art Show — Aug. 19, 5 to 6:30 p.m., Frederick 50+ Community Center, 1440 Taney Ave., Frederick. An inspiring showcase of artwork made by our 50+ community — paintings, drawings, quilting, pottery, woodworking, sculpture, photography and more. Attendance is free. Preregister to receive a link to attend virtually. Light refreshments will be provided. frederickcountymd. gov/virtual50.

”America Punctuated: Contemporary Responses to 250 Years of America” — through Aug. 23, Frederick Book Arts Center, 127 S. Carroll St., Frederick. There’s a big difference between “America!” and “America?” In 1962, Martin Speckter, an advertising executive and hobbyist letterpress printer in New York, invented the interrobang, a mark of punctuation that combines the question mark and the exclamation point. FBAC hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday. frederickbookarts.org.

”Night Journeys” Photography After Dark” — through Aug. 30, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Photography by Rich Isaacman. These works offer nighttime views in settings around the world, from Vietnam to Bangladesh. The world is different after dark: different light, different skies and cityscapes, different people. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656, delaplaine.org.

”Stills on White” — through Aug. 30, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. An exhibit by June Jarkey. For gallery hours, call 301473-7680 or email gallery@frederickuu.org or visit frederickuu.org/gallery.

”Wanderings” — through Aug. 30, Gallery 322, 322 N. Market St., Frederick. Summer group exhibition explores the quiet, fleeting moments of discovery found in nature and the local landscape. Features regional artists. Hours are 4-7 p.m. Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 240-961-2242 or gallery322.com.

”Over 70 Show” — through Aug. 30, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Works in a variety of media. A signature of the Delaplaine’s Creative Aging Month, this annual exhibition celebrates local artists over age 70 and showcases a wide range of styles, techniques, and interests. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656, delaplaine.org.

”Reordering Reality: Pencil Works by Michael C. Gibson” — through Sept. 5, Just Lookin’ Gallery, 40 Summit Ave., Hagerstown. His graphite portraits challenge our assumptions about what we see. Though viewers often mistake his drawings for photographs, Gibson resists the label of photorealism. His work is not an attempt to replicate reality, but to reorder it — elevating memory, identity, spirituality and presence through the deliberate language of graphite. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, by appointment Sunday and Monday. 301-714-2278, justlookin. com.

Courtesy photo

“Unscripted” runs Aug. 1 to 30 at Artspiration in Frederick. A juried exhibition showcasing original works by local, regional and national artists who embrace creativity without limitations. Shown here, “Ramona,” fiber art by Vince Quevedo.

”Passport to Patriotism: 250 Years of Diplomacy” — July 30 through Oct. 18, Art Museum of the Americas, 201 18th St. NW, Washington, D.C. In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, exhibit brings together works by more than 30 contemporary American artists celebrating patriotism, national identity, military service, diplomacy and the American Dream. It marks the first time the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Art in Embassies — which has shared American art with the world for over six decades — has presented a major public exhibition in the nation’s capital. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. https://art.state.gov/ freedom-250.

“Corvid Conspiracy” — July 31 to Aug. 30 at NOMA Gallery, 437 N Market St., Frederick. Curated by NOMA artist Judith Kornett, the title derives from Kornett’s inordinate love of the bird we call raven, which belongs to the classification Corvid, and the fact that a gathering of ravens is called a “conspiracy.” Kornett conspires to curate an exhibit including her work and that of three artist friends: Sherman Fleming, David Cunningham and Treston Sanders. Opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 1. Artist talk at 2 p.m. Aug. 22. 814-254-9977, nomagalleryfrederick.com.

”Obsessed: Ink Drawings by Jim Haller” — Aug. 1 to 30, Links Bridge Vineyards, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont. Part of the Wine and Art Series. This is a unique exhibit featuring beautiful, bigger than life renditions of old medicine bottles from the artist’s collection. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, or by appointment. 301466-2413, linksbridgevineyards.com.

“Ken Bachman: Perspectives” — Aug. 1 to 30 at the Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. This exhibition showcases landscape oil paintings from a variety of perspectives, locations and themes both natural and manmade.

“Sarah Cairns: Inner Space” — Aug. 1 to 30 at the Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. This exhibition of paintings is an exploration of peace within chaos. Humans make sense of the world through finding patterns in their surroundings. This search for repetition and self-similarity not only orders the complexity of the world but also ushers in a profound sense of peace. It is this moment of serene introspection that the artist aims to recreate for those who view her paintings.

“Unscripted” — Aug. 1 to 30 at Artspiration, 915 Tollhouse Ave., Frederick. A juried exhibition

TAG’s annual ‘Le Salon’ exhibit to feature more than 80 works

showcasing original works by local, regional and national artists who embrace creativity without limitations. Each artwork was selected by juror Wendell Poindexter, professor of art and gallery manager at Frederick Community College. 240-397-6248, artspirationfred.com, info@artspirationfred.com.

The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards — Sept. 3-27, Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E, Bethesda. More than 370 artists from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. submitted work to the 24th annual competition. The eight finalists are, Cindy Cheng, Diana Derby, Ayana Gordon, Leslie Holt, Madyha Leghari, Anne Rogers, Tony Shore and Ciarra K. Walters. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. A public opening reception will be held Sept. 4, from 6-8 p.m. during the Bethesda Art Walk. 301-215-6660 or bethesda. org/trawick-prize.

”Impressionistic Landscapes” — Sept. 5 to 27, Links Bridge Vineyards, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont. Part of the Wine and Art Series. Pastel landscapes by professional artist Brian Jernigan. Opening reception 1-3 p.m. Sept. 6. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, or by appointment. 301466-2413, linksbridgevineyards.com.

TAG/The Artists Gallery will present its annual unjuried exhibition, Le Salon, from July 31 through Aug. 30.

The exhibition will feature more than 80 works of art, including paintings, sculptures and drawings, along with a few surprises. An opening reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 1, offering visitors an opportunity to meet the participating artists.

TAG/The Artists Gallery is open from noon to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays at 501 N. Market St., Frederick. Admission is free. For more information, call 301-228-9860 or visit theartistsgalleryfrederick.com.

A scene from TAG’s 2025 reception for “Le Salon.”

Courtesy photo

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‘Obsession’ is a sensation. Everyone, including Curry Barker, is trying to figure out what it means.

BY JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer

NEW YORK — Days before “Obsession” opened in theaters, its 26-year-old director, Curry Barker, made a bet with his manager and agent. They said if the movie opened above $20 million, they would all get tattoos.

“Obsession” fell just short. It debuted with $17 million. They were still thrilled. Barker made the horror film with just $750,000. It was enormously successful. But then something unexpected happened. The following weekend, “Obsession” easily cleared $20 million. And then it did again and again and almost a fourth time — an almost unheard-of staying power.

“It was just like: Holy cow. I didn’t think that was an option,” Barker says. “Now we’ve said if it hits $300 million, we’ll all get the tattoo. We had to make a new milestone. And I think we’ll reach it.”

Over the last month, “Obsession” has sent shock waves through Hollywood. Barker’s microbudget thriller has grossed $286 million worldwide, and it’s still going. On its fifth weekend in theaters, it was second only to Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day,” with $19 million. In North America, it has outgrossed “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.” It’s the biggest hit in the 24-year existence of Focus Features, which has had to postpone the video-ondemand release. It ranks among the most profitable movies ever made. Barker, who built a following making sketches and short films on YouTube, is living out the dream of every aspiring filmmaker. Life, he granted in a recent interview, is different now.

“My day to day is pretty much the same. It’s just that when I go out in public, it’s a lot different,” he says, laughing. “I actually feel a little unsafe sometimes.”

That’s an ironic development for someone whose twist on an old Monkey Paw story has frightened

moviegoers. In “Obsession,” Bear Bailey (Michael Johnston) wishes on an antique toy called a One Wish Willow that his crush, Nikki (Inde Navarrette), loved him. The spell — loosely inspired by an old “Simpsons” Halloween episode — works disturbingly well.

The astonishing success of “Obsession” has been hotly debated throughout the industry. Coupled with the A24 hit “Backrooms,” by 20-yearold Kane Parsons, it’s been a comingout party for YouTube as a breeding ground for the next generation of filmmakers.

It’s also brought waves of Gen Z moviegoers — who already make up a promisingly robust percentage of frequent ticket buyers — into theaters. Summer has historically been dominated by legacy franchises, but “Obsession” may represent a sea change.

“If there’s a lesson from ‘Obsession,’ I think it’s about audiences,” says Peter Kujawski, chairman of Focus Features. “We have a generation that grew up online, approaches culture with

enormous curiosity and playfulness, and is far less concerned with where a filmmaker comes from than whether the story connects. They’re engaged, incredibly film-literate and eager to champion new voices and original stories.”

From YouTube to the multiplex Barker, who grew up in Mobile, Alabama, before moving to Los

Angeles at 18, says he feels as though he’s writing for his generation. The response to “Obsession,” he says, taps into a collective need.

“I get it because I think we’re a little tired of being at home. Our generation is the COVID generation,” says Barker.

(See OBSESSION 25)

Focus Features/AP

This image released by Focus Features shows Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston in a scene from “Obsession.”

Barker

Thursday July 30

CLASSES

Parsons Newman Lecture: “Witnessing Revolution” and “Cultivating Independence:” An expanded tour with Heritage Frederick’s Archivist Jody Brumage — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Join Heritage Frederick’s Archivist Jody Brumage on an in-depth, small group tour of our 250th focused exhibits! These connected exhibitions explore Frederick County’s role in the Revolutionary War and its place in an emerging nation, ranging from the colonial settlement of the county to the nation’s centennial celebration in 1876. Highlights include items from the family of Maryland’s first elected governor Thomas Johnson; the journals of prolific Frederick diarist Jacob Engelbrecht; and handwritten letters from John Adams, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Frederick’s own signer of the Declaration of Independence. Participants will have an up-close view of additional artifacts that reveal even more about the people and stories featured in the exhibits. Reservations required.

outreach@frederickhistory.org. www.cognitoforms.com/HeritageFrederick1/ParsonsNewmanLectureSeries2026May.

ESL High Beginner’s/Low Intermediate Conversation Classes — 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. We welcome adults who want to practice their English, hosted by the Literacy Council of Frederick County. Students will practice their speaking and listening skills with conversations guided by an instructor from the LCFC. Registration is required by the LCFC. 18 and older. 301-600-8200. tinyurl.com/muadtwev.

ETCETERA

2026 Exhibits at the Museum of Frederick History — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Museum of Frederick County History, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Take a deep dive into various topics that have defined Frederick’s history, as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and our County’s role in the Revolution. Featuring brand new exhibits: “Cultivating Independence: Frederick in the Revolution,” “Witnessing Revolution,” “All Saints Street: Avenue to the History of Frederick and Its African American Community,” “Growing Gold: A History of Frederick’s Goldfish Industry,” and returning favorites: “Etchison Connections,” “Timeless Toys,” “24 E. Church Street,” “Decorative Arts. See

our all new and renovated exhibits, March 7 through Dec. 12!

$10 adults, $5 seniors and students. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org. frederickhistory.org.

DCFS Family Support Specialist — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Need help navigating forms, benefits, or services? Representatives from the Frederick County Division of Child and Family Services will be onsite during open office hours to provide one-on-one assistance for those families with children ages up to 24 years. Stop by to ask questions, complete paperwork, or learn about available programs. No appointment required — just drop in and get the support you need. 301-600-7200. bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov. tinyurl.com/2etcb9mf.

Duplicate Bridge Pairs Games — noon to 4 p.m. at Church of the Transfiguration Memorial Hall, 6909 Maryland Ave., Braddock Heights. Looking for a competitive mind sport? Frederick Bridge Club’s ACBL sanctioned duplicate games allow you to hone your skills and meet other bridge enthusiasts. All are welcome. We host Pairs Games ($8) weekly on Monday (299 Limit and Open) and Thursday (Open). If you need a partner or want to brush up your skills, contact Membership Chair, Maria, at frederick@bridgewebsemail.com or check out our website. $8. frederick@bridgewebsemail.com. www.bridgewebs.com/frederick/home. html.

CCGS Research Thursday — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Carroll County Public Library, Westminster Branch, 50 E. Main St., Westminster. For ages 13 - adults. Volunteers from the Carroll County Genealogical Society are available to help with your family history research. Please contact volunteers at info@ccgsmd.org to schedule a time if you require CCGS staff assistance. 410-386-4490. ask@carr.org. ccpl.librarymarket.com/event/ccgs-research-thursday-300033.

A DNA Whodunit (ages 11-18) — 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. In this lab, learn to use DNA electrophoresis to solve a mock crime by comparing DNA samples from a crime scene with samples from suspects. Explore how scientists analyze genetic evidence by loading real DNA into a gel and observing how the glowing fragments separate into distinct banding patterns. This hands-on activity introduces the basics of DNA forensics, showing how DNA can be used as reliable evidence to identify

or rule out suspects in an investigation. 301-600-7000.

FAMILY

Summerfest Family Theatre: Guava Jelly — 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the Baker Park Band Shell, North Bentz and Second streets, Frederick. Known for their Caribbean influence and penchant for family fun, Guava Jelly infuses authentic rhythms and dynamic percussion into every show. Bridgette Michaels (lead singer/songwriter) transforms familiar songs into island inspired celebrations that will have all ages up and dancing. Dawn Madak’s (vocals/percussion) high energy performance creates an infectious groove that gets everyone moving to the beat. Let your worries drift away as Guava Jelly transports you to a sun-soaked Caribbean paradise through their vibrant, feel-good music. Bring a canned food item for the city’s Foodbank Program. 301-600-2841. celebratefrederick.com.

Mr. Lilo in Concert — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Carroll County Public Library, North Carroll Branch, 2255 Hanover Pike, Hampstead. For ages up to 10. Mr. Lilo invites you to sing, dance, jump, and play along with a rocking concert in English and Spanish! 410-386-4480. ask@carr.org. ccpl.librarymarket.com/event/mr-lilo-concert-296306.

Find Waldo Local 2026 — 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Curious Iguana, 12 N. Market St., Frederick. Continues daily through July 31. Where’s Waldo? In Downtown Frederick, of course! Celebrating its 14th year in July, Find Waldo Local has become a beloved summertime event in communities nationwide. This year, Candlewick Press and the American Booksellers Association are again teaming up with over 300 independent bookstores nationwide, including Curious Iguana, for some hide-and-seek fun designed to encourage residents to patronize their local businesses. There is no charge to participate, and the hunt begins July 1-31. 301-695-2500. curiousiguanaevents@ gmail.com. curiousiguana.com/event/find-waldo-local-2026/.

Tween/Teen Leadership Camp: Switch Party (Grades 5-12) — 10:30 a.m. to noon at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Join us every Thursday this summer for a Tween/Teen Leadership Camp and earn Community Service hours each week. Come celebrate the last day of Leadership Camp with games, snacks, activities and our last community service project.

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

Reading Buddies at the Library — 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Could your child benefit from a reading boost? We will be offering one-on-one literacy support for elementary students in a friendly, encouraging space. Readers will have a 15-minute session (first-come, first-served) to practice reading, build confidence, and strengthen skills like phonics, fluency, and comprehension. Take-home enrichment activities with a literacy focus will be available for all who stop in. 301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org/.

Family Night: Let’s Go Bananas! — 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Enjoy a night of games, crafts, and activities with our favorite yellow friends as we enjoy the movie “Minions” (2015 rated PG).

301-600-6329.

www.fcpl.org/.

MUSIC

Alive @ Five: Reverend Smackmaster & the Congregation of Funk — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Carroll Creek Outdoor Amphiteatre, between Market and Carroll streets, Frederick. Motown Soul grooves. Food, beer, wine, cocktails, mocktails. 21+ only, valid ID required. Drink tokens $7 each. $5 cash or credit.

downtownfrederick.org.

Friday July 31

ETCETERA

Fellowship Fridays — 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Veterans Service Center, 1750 Monocacy Blvd., Suite A, Frederick. Fridays through Dec. 25. A free hot breakfast each Friday which includes eggs, bacon, sausage, French toast, breads, muffins, fruit, juices, and Black Rifle Coffee Company coffee. Breakfast is open to all Active Duty, National Guard, Reservists, Veterans, Military Retirees, Law Enforcement, First Responders, and their families. Breakfast is followed by a non-denominational Bible study at 10:30 a.m. Attendance is not required to enjoy a warm breakfast with others who have served. info@veteranservicescenter.org. veteranservicescenter.org/events/.

2026 Exhibits at the Museum of Frederick History — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Museum of Frederick County History, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Take a deep dive into various

topics that have defined Frederick’s history, as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and our County’s role in the Revolution. Featuring brand new exhibits: “Cultivating Independence: Frederick in the Revolution,” “Witnessing Revolution,” “All Saints Street: Avenue to the History of Frederick and Its African American Community,”

“Growing Gold: A History of Frederick’s Goldfish Industry,” and returning favorites: “Etchison Connections,” “Timeless Toys,” “24 E. Church Street,” “Decorative Arts. See our all new and renovated exhibits, March 7 through Dec. 12!

$10 adults, $5 seniors and students. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org. frederickhistory.org.

Guided Exhibit Tours — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Experience the Museum of Frederick County History through a guided tour. Join the staff and volunteers who curated our 2026 exhibits as they explore our various galleries. Each tour is a unique experience based on the interests of the group and what special things staff wants to highlight that week. Descriptions of each week’s tour can be found on the Heritage Frederick website, which includes accessibility notes. Tours are included with admission! $5, $10. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org. frederickhistory.org/events/.

Curious Iguana Presents: Author Aggie Blum Thompson — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Frederick Book Arts Center, 127 S. Carroll St., Frederick. A thrilling evening with author Aggie Blum Thompson to celebrate her latest release, “The Neighbors Are Watching.” This story focuses on the “perfect” neighbors in the idyllic suburb of Eastbrook, Bethesda as they work together to expose a killer in their midst. Aggie will be joined in conversation by fellow thriller writer K.T. Nguyen. Following their discussion, Aggie will answer questions and sign books. Copies of “The Neighbors Are Watching” will be available for purchase at the event. 18 and older.

curiousiguanaevents@gmail.com. curiousiguana.com/event/aggie-blum-thompson/.

End Homelessness Night — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Harry Grove Stadium, 21 Stadium Drive, Frederick. Enjoy a Keys game and then fireworks afterwards. It’s also Christmas in July at the stadium. Buy tickets from Advocates for Homeless Families, Beyond Shelter, Rescue Mission or SHIP of Frederick County. All proceeds go toward helping the homeless in Frederick County.  $10. 301-606-3012. gabennett01@comcast.net.

Ghost Tours of Historic Frederick — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Brewer’s Alley Restaurant and Brewery, 124 N. Market St., Frederick. Take a remarkable journey through Frederick’s gruesome and bloody past. Nearly 300 years of war, executions and revenge. True documented stories of the “paranormal” with “Maryland’s Oldest Operating Ghost Tour!” Reservations recommended. $17 adult. 301-668-8922. info@marylandghosttours.com.

www.MarylandGhostTours.com.

FAMILY

Rube Goldberg Machine Engineering

(Ages 9-13) — 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Get creative with an engineering challenge! Learn about simple machines and then work together in teams to design and build a Rube Goldberg Machine. At the end of the program see all the machines either succeed or fail spectacularly! For tweens in grades 4-8. 301-600-7000.

Open Mic Night (For Kids) — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Dancing Bear Toys and Games, 15 E. Patrick St., Frederick. If your child wants to perform a song, talent or act (up to 10 minutes or less, must be appropriate) they are encouraged to come showcase their talent at the Bear! This is a drop-in event, no registration is required. 301-631-9300. info@dbeartoys.com. dbeartoys.com/event/open-mic/.

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” — 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Performing Arts Factory, 244B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Other Voices Theatre brings the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to life onstage this summer.  After having prophetic dreams, Joseph’s jealous brothers sell him into slavery in Egypt where, despite all the odds, Joseph’s dreams ultimately come true.

$28 adults, $24 seniors, students. 301-6623722. Artisticdirector@othervoicestheatre. org. www.othervoicestheatre.com.

FESTIVALS

129th Carroll County 4-H & FFA Fair — 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Carroll County Agriculture Center, 700 Agriculture Center Drive, Westminster. Continues daily through Aug. 8. Admission to fair is free, parking $5. These events have a fee to attend: Vintage Grain Trucks & Pickup Trucks Dirt Drag Racing 5 p.m. July 31; Wild West Night with barrel racing, and Little Kids on Foot Rodeo, Aug. 3; Salem Bottom Boys concert Aug. 4; Carroll County Cloggers and the horse pull Aug. 5; Market Steer Show, AMA motorcycle dirt track races, Aug. 6; “The Voice’s” Aubrey Nicoloe Aug. 7; car demolition derby Aug. 8. See website for full details and event ticket information. 410-848-3247. carrollcountyfair.com.

HEALTH

Adult & Me Yoga — 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Kentlands Mansion, 320 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. Join us for a fun, playful 45-minute yoga class designed for kids ages 3-7 and their grown-up! Build strength, balance, and connection through movement, games and relaxation. Registration cost is for one adult and one child. $32-34. 301-258-6425. Kentlands@gaithersburgmd.gov.

MUSIC

Brunswick Live! — 4 p.m. to 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/brunswick-live-2/2025-12-26/.

Bethesda’s Summer Concert Series — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Woodmont Triangle, 7900 Norfolk Ave., Bethesda. Every Friday, free outdoor concerts by some of the best bands in the DMV! Tables and chairs can fill up quickly, so be sure to arrive early to grab your seat. For the full summer lineup, please visit Bethesda.org. 301-215-6660. sparker@bethesda.org. www.bethesda.org/summer-concert-series/.

THEATER

“Grease” — 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theater, 05 Willowtree Plaza #A1, Frederick. Mainstage MusicalDinner & Show. Here is Rydell High’s senior class of 1959: duck-tailed, hot-rodding “Burger Palace Boys” and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking “Pink Ladies” in bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoking the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical. (*Contains adult language, themes and situations.)

$75. 301-662-6600. boxoffice@wayoffbroadway.com. www.wayoffbroadway.com/.

The Comedy Pigs at MET Comedy Night — 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Established in 1993, The Comedy Pigs are the region’s longest-running improv troupe. They are also a founding piece of the MET. Join them for a hilarious show filled with a series of fun short-form improv games. $17. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org. tinyurl.com/3huy7dbh.

Saturday Aug. 1

CLASSES

How To Be A Pet Parent! — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Join us for an introduction to what it takes to be a great pet owner! Emily Sewell, Registered Veterinary Technician, will share tips for owners from feeding to hygiene and everything in between!  301-600-6329. fcpl.org.

Meet the Krewe: Ghost Hunting Panel — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Frederick Community College, Conference Center Building, E138, 7932 Opposumtown Pike, Frederick. Meet Frederick’s very own paranormal/ghost hunting team. Actual footage, pictures, and audio of their investigations will be presented. Bring your questions and learn how you also can become a paranormal investigator.  301-846-2561. ILR@frederick.edu. tinyurl.com/MeetKrewe.

ETCETERA

Harpers Ferry Civil War — 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Cool Spring Battlefield , 1400 Parker Lane, Bluemont , Va. Join the Harpers Ferry Civil War Round Table at Cool Spring Battlefield for a guided tour. Professor Jonathan Noyalas will lead an approximately two-hour walking tour on the Battle of Cool Spring. The tour, in addition to focusing on the battle’s ebb and flow, will highlight the personal stories of the Union and Confederate soldiers engaged in the battle,

explore how the fighting on July 18, 1864, along the banks of the Shenandoah River impacted them, and examine how families who lost loved ones at the battle dealt with the tragic consequences of the battlefield. The tour route will cover about 1.5 miles so wear comfortable shoes. A golf cart will be available to transport those who need assistance. Reservations are required. $5 per person. 240-370-9173. paigehfcwrt@gmail.com.

Myersville Farmers Market — 9 a.m. to noon at Municipal Parking Lot, 301 Main St., Myersville. This market shares in the celebration of local products, fresh foods, and community. Saturdays through Oct. 31. myersvillefarmersmarket.com.

TalkTheater: CATF in Context — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at The Marinoff Theater, 62 W Campus Drive, Shepherdstown, W.Va. Who’s a sociopath? Guests TBA. 681-240-2283. nfo@catf.org. catf.org.

2026 Exhibits at the Museum of Frederick History — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Museum of Frederick County History, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Take a deep dive into various topics that have defined Frederick’s history, as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and our County’s role in the Revolution. Featuring brand new exhibits: “Cultivating Independence: Frederick in the Revolution,” “Witnessing Revolution,” “All Saints Street: Avenue to the History of Frederick and Its African American Community,” “Growing Gold: A History of Frederick’s Goldfish Industry,” and returning favorites: “Etchison Connections,” “Timeless Toys,” “24 E. Church Street,” “Decorative Arts. See our all new and renovated exhibits, March 7 through Dec. 12! $10 adults, $5 seniors and students. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org. frederickhistory.org.

Visit the National Road Museum and Trolley Station Museum — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at National Road Museum, 214 N. Main St., Boonsboro. Explore the history both the Historic National Road and the trolleys of central Maryland through this two-museum experience in Boonsboro! Donations appreciated. 240-769-0898. Director@NationalRdFoundation.org. nationalrdfoundation.org.

Frederick Farmers Market (new location!) — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Westside Regional Park, 632 Contender Way, Frederick. frederickfarmersmarket.com.

Foundations of Frederick Walking Tour

— 10:30 a.m. to noon at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Experience the history and beauty of downtown as knowledgeable guides share the fascinating stories that make up historic Frederick. 90-minute tours, reservations required. $5 to $12. 410-707-1105. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org. www.cognitoforms.com/HeritageFrederick1/WalkingTourTicketReservation.

The Potters’ Guild of Frederick Annual Brain Freeze Event — noon to 7 p.m. at Potters’ Guild of Frederick, 14 S. Market St., Frederick. Working together with South Mountain Creamery, The Potters’ Guild of Frederick will host its annual Brain Freeze,

an ice cream social with live music. The potters produce bowls for the event, and South Mountain Creamery provides the ice cream. All funds raised go to the Frederick Rescue Mission to support their work. Adult - $20; Kids 12 & Under - $10. 240784-0198. cassieterra@comcast.net. www.pottersguildoffrederick.com/prod.../ child-ticket.

Mugwort & Dreaming: Nighttime Retreat & Ritual with Frederick Dream Lab — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Fox Haven Farm & Retreat Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. A summer evening of gentle movement, herbal ritual and dreamwork as we gather to slow down, reconnect and embrace the richness of the season. As the sun sets and the fields settle into the quiet glow of late summer, this workshop offers space to reflect, restore, and nourish yourself in community. Register online. $57-$77. 301-418-8248. alecks@foxhavenfarm.org. foxhavenfarm.org.

Sky Stage Presents: Jazz Fest Pt. 2, featuring the Russell Kirk Ensemble, with Mike Kuhl — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at FAC’s Sky Stage, 59 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Alto sax and flute player Russell Kirk has curated a full evening of jazz with a twist, starting off with Mike Kuhl on percussion and electronics, joined by special guests. Then Kirk’s ensemble takes the stage. Joining Russell will be Theljon Allen on trumpet, Dan Ryan on guitar, and Roman Kirk on bass. All-ages venue (under 12 free), beer/wine for 21+ with ID.

$20 advance, $25 at the door. skystage@ frederickartscouncil.org. tinyurl.com/y54reav7.

Ghost Tours of Historic Frederick — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Brewer’s Alley Restaurant and Brewery, 124 N. Market St., Frederick. Take a remarkable journey through Frederick’s gruesome and bloody past. Nearly 300 years of war, executions and revenge. True documented stories of the “paranormal” with “Maryland’s Oldest Operating Ghost Tour!” Reservations recommended. $17 adult. 301-668-8922. info@marylandghosttours.com. www.MarylandGhostTours.com.

The Chuck Brown Go-Go BAND Live in Concert — 8:30 p.m. to 11:55 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. Join us for a special ONE-NIGHT ONLY show with THE famous CHUCK BROWN GO-GO BAND. For over a decade, this powerhouse ensemble has carried on the unmistakable sound of the late Chuck Brown —the man who created a genre by fusing funk, soul, and jazz into a heartbeat that never quits. Expect nonstop rhythm, blistering horn lines, and the kind of crowd energy that only go-go delivers. Doors open at 7 p.m. Advance ticket purchase suggested! $49 plus fees. 240-575-9755. info@rockwellbrewery.com. tinyurl.com/4yfpwuud.

FAMILY

Tradition Arts Day and 22nd Year Anniversary — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Taneytown History Museum, 340 E. Baltimore St., Taneytown. Watch traditions arts being made — woodturning, glass bead making,

rope making, chair caning, fiber work, tin smithing. History museum open with the 2026 exhibit of “We the People 250+ 17542026,” get a glimpse of Taneytown history, also participate in scavenger hunt, win prizes. Free hot dogs, chips, drinks from 1-3 pm. 301-639-8620. ehoover44@verizon.net. taneytownhh.org.

First Saturday Craft — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Dancing Bear Toys and Games, 15 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Join your friends at the Bear for a free craft to celebrate First Saturday using some of our favorite art supplies. Parent supervision is required. 301-631-9300. info@dbeartoys.com. dbeartoys.com/events/.

Solar Viewing & Night Sky — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Cunningham Falls State Park, 14039 Catoctin Hollow Road, Thurmont. Night sky viewing 9 to 11 p.m. With the Westminster Astronomical Society invites the public to two telescopic events! First, Solar Viewing will meet at South Beach parking lot at Cunningham Falls State Park (14274 William Houck Dr., Thurmont) to explore Earth’s closest star — the Sun. A few hours into the evening is the second event from 9 to 11 p.m. called Night Sky where visitors can meet at the Dam Overlook parking lot (14372 Catoctin Hollow Rd., Thurmont) to view constellations and planets. Events are weather dependent; check westminsterastro.org for updates.

Back to School Community Family Event — 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Spinners Pinball Arcade, 1301 W. Patrick St,, Frederick. Free admission, all-day arcade pass for attendees, free food and drinks. Voter information, civic education activities, learn how to navigate IEPs, 504s & FCPS resources. For kids and adults. Pre-register online. 240-285-7354. bjfull6358@gmail.com. www.eventbrite.com/e/back-to-schoolcommunity-event-tickets-1992396093349.

Explore Frederick City’s Oldest House — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, 1110 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. Travel back to colonial Frederick. Built in 1758 by German settlers, this sturdy stone farmhouse offers a glimpse of early American life before the American Revolution. Walk through thick-walled but spacious rooms, hear stories of early immigrants, and see how a Frederick County farm family lived more than two and a half centuries ago.

$8 over age 15. 301-663-3885. info@fredericklandmarks.org.

fredericklandmarks.org.

Creative Outlet for August — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Kids and their adults are invited to drop-in and get creative together in our family open studio to create an artist-inspired project! Experiment with printmaking on Styrofoam printing plates. Free, but donations encouraged. 301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/event/creative-outlet-08/.

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” — 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Performing Arts Factory, 244B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Other Voices Theatre brings the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to life onstage this summer.  After having prophetic dreams, Joseph’s jealous brothers

sell him into slavery in Egypt where, despite all the odds, Joseph’s dreams ultimately come true.

$28 adults, $24 seniors, students. 301-6623722. Artisticdirector@othervoicestheatre. org. www.othervoicestheatre.com.

FESTIVALS

Casey Cares 17th Annual 5k Run & 1-Mile Walk — 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, 1 Safari Place, Baltimore. Proceeds from the race will support programs for families with critically ill children. The chip-timed 3.1 mile run/1mile walk will be held at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Participants will receive a tech shirt, race bib and finisher medal. Awards for the largest team, most spirited team and top fundraising team, so share with your family, friends and sign up today!  317-205-4935. taylor@caseycaresfoundation.org.

caseycares.org/event/5k-runwalk/.

Indonesia Day — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Carroll Creek Amphitheater, Carroll Creek Linear Park, Frederick. An afternoon of music, dance, food and stories that highlight Indonesia’s many islands and cultures, while building understanding among neighbors in Frederick County. Hosted by the Indonesian Education & Cultural Network, the Asian American Center of Frederick and Downtown Frederick Partnership. 301-694-3355. cmkraham@aacfm.dorg. www.facebook.com/share/1Fyy98QV3F/.

Grace “Rocky Hill” Lutheran Church Strawberry Festival — 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Grace “Rocky Hill” Lutheran Church , 10825 Coppermine Road, Woodsboro. Join us for our famous yard sale building, delicious fried chicken platters, sandwiches, homemade soups, cakes, ice cream with strawberries and more. Music by 5.5 Men. Food service begins at 3 p.m., music at 3:30 p.m. 301-514-1297. grhchurch@gmail.com. gracerockyhilllutheran.com/Events.

GALLERY

Art Matters Artist Talk: Sarah Cairns and Ken Bachman — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at The Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Exhibiting artists Sarah Cairns and Ken Bachman will share their history as artists and the work in their exhibitions. 301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/event/art-matters-artisttalk-08/.

Exhibition Openings: Ken Bachman and Sarah Cairns — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. View exhibitions and meet the artists. New exhibitions are opening on Aug. 1 and can be viewed starting at 9 a.m. Beat the crowds and visit us earlier in the day. 301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/event/exhibition-openings-08/.

MUSIC

Saturday Live Acoustic — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Shab Row Stage, 100 N. East St., Frederick. Listen to local/regional acoustic musi-

cians perform behind the Frederick Coffee Co & Cafe. Relax in Adirondack chairs, smell the flowers, drink your coffee, enjoy a sandwich or muffin, and be entertained.   301-639-1050. todd@toddcwalker.com.

Frederick Ukulele Jam! — noon to 2 p.m. at Common Market Co-op, 927 W. Seventh St., Frederick. Join the monthly group ukulele jam on the first Saturday of each month! Bring your ukulele, a few copies of some songs you might like to play, and/or an ipad/tablet. We will take turns leading and suggesting songs for the group to play, songs can be of any genre. All ability levels and ages welcome! jeanne.rhodes@icloud.com. www.commonmarket.coop/classes-events/ frederick-ukulele-jam-5-3/2026-05-02/.

Cameron Molloy and the Drivin Wheel — 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Cactus Flats, 10026 Hansonville Road, Frederick. Variety of music. They will be playing quite a bit of Grateful Dead music since it will be Jerry Garcia’s birthday.

Buddy Guy 90 — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, W.Va. At nearly 90 years old, Buddy Guy stands as one of the most influential guitarists in American music. As a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a pioneer of Chicago’s explosive West Side sound, Buddy Guy remains a guiding force for generations of rock and blues legends. 21 and older. $96 and up. www.hollywoodcasinocharlestown.com/ entertainment.

OUTDOORS

Wildlife and Waves: Evening Kayaking on the Potomac — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Brunswick Family Campground , 40 Canal Road , Brunswick . Guided kayaking trip on the Potomac River during sunset! Evening is the perfect time to witness great blue herons, egrets, kingfishers, and the occasional eagle on the river. Paddlers will navigate mellow water stretches interspersed with three sets of mild rapids, the last being a Class II+ with wavy rapid fun! Only single kayaks are available to rent on this trip as the put-in requires double carrying the boats down a gravel hill. Must be over 12 years old and 90 pounds to go on this trip. RSVP required. $88. 301-834-9950. river@rivertrail.com. www.rivertrail.com/paddling/potomac-sunset-kayak-canoe/.

RECREATION

Frederick Keys vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks — 6 p.m. to at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium, 21 Stadium Drive, Frederick. General admission, reserved seating and field seating tickets. See website for ticket prices. mlb.com/frederick/schedule/2026.

THEATER

“High School Musical” One-Act Edition — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theater, 05 Willowtree Plaza #A1, Frederick. Disney Channel’s smash hit movie musical comes to life on your stage in Disney’s “High School Musical”! Troy, Gabriella and the students of East High must

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.

P.J.’s Roof ing Inc.

2025 WINNER FOR BEST ROOFING COMPANY

BOB HISTORY

2015-2025 – Winner, Roofing Co.

2015-2024 – 10x Winner Award, Roofing Company

2015-2019 – 5x Winner Award, Roofing Company 532 East Church Street, Frederick

WHEN DID YOUR BUSINESS OPEN?

I, Paul “PJ” Nicholson, founded PJ’s Roofing, Inc. with a truck, two helpers, and a stubborn work ethic in 2003.

WHAT SETS YOUR BUSINESS APART?

We strive to deliver an impeccable final product, outstanding customer service, and ample communication on each and every job. I’m proud and honored that PJ’s Roofing stands out as a favorite and trusted roofing contractor in MD & PA.

WHAT BUSINESS LEADER DO YOU ADMIRE?

I have always looked up to Roger Cline at Lifetime Tool & Building Products. Roger was a retired roofing company owner when I met him as I started my business. Roger taught me a lot about the roofing industry over the years. He has become a good friend as well. We talk a lot about struggles in life and in business that are run into, and I really appreciate his thoughts and advice.

WHY DID YOU CHOSE THIS PROFESSION AND WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

Roofing was supposed to be a summer job for me coming out of high school. I had no clue what I wanted to do out of school and stumbled onto a roofing position with a family friend. I started as a helper for a company in Damascus and absorbed as much as I could and eventually opened up PJ’s Roofing, Inc. I am most proud of seeing the company that my team has built up over the last 23 years. I am grateful for the team we have in place.

deal with issues of first love, friends and family while balancing their classes and extra-curricular activities.  Ticket includes your choice of an all-beef hot dog or pizza, served with potato chips. Full bar featuring cocktails and mocktails, beer, wine & spirits available for purchase.

$25. 301-662-6600. boxoffice@wayoffbroadway.com.

www.wayoffbroadway.com/.

Oh, Crit! the D&D Improv Show — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Oh Crit! is a completely improvised comedy show fused with tropes and game-like mechanics from the classic tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons. It’s a one-hour show crammed with audience participation, a wizard, death balloons, a 20-sided die, and a lot of laughs.

301-600-8200.

fcpl.org.

“Grease” — 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theater, 05 Willowtree Plaza #A1, Frederick. Mainstage MusicalDinner & Show. Here is Rydell High’s senior class of 1959: duck-tailed, hot-rodding “Burger Palace Boys” and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking “Pink Ladies” in bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoking the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical. (*Contains adult language, themes and situations.)

$75. 301-662-6600. boxoffice@wayoffbroadway.com. www.wayoffbroadway.com/.

Sunday Aug. 2

CLASSES

All-levels Yoga with Yogamour — 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at FAC’s Sky Stage, 59 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Join the Yogamour Team for another season of our all levels yoga classes in the open air venue at Sky Stage located at 59 Carroll Street in the heart of Downtown Frederick, most* Sunday mornings May 10-Sept 27. Please bring a yoga mat and water with you. Free parking at street meters on Sundays. $20 or $15 each with 10-class package. 301-662-4196. skystage@frederickartscouncil.org. yogamour.org.

Finding Your Roots: An Introduction to Genealogy — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Join Joe Ginorio from the Frederick County Genealogical Society to learn about genealogy resources and research tips for discovering your family history. 18 and older.

301-600-7250. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

ETCETERA

The Frederick City Market — 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Parking lot , 622 N. Market St., Frederick. Farmers and Artisans market. Real Food, Real Farmers and Local Artisans. A Frederick favorite since 2011! 240-291-8254. Info@frederickcitymarket. com.

www.frederickcitymarket.com. Sass Magazine’s BOSS Brunch and

Mastermind — 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Brewer’s Alley Restaurant & Brewery, 124 N. Market St., Frederick. Come hungry and leave inspired! We’re bringing together local entrepreneurs for a morning of food, strategy, and connection. Enjoy a full brunch buffet, your first mimosa included and the chance to network with other driven business owners in a relaxed, private setting. Also a guided mastermind session to help you break through business roadblocks, share ideas and gain fresh perspectives from fellow entrepreneurs. RSVP, 21 and older.

$57. 301-992-1594. shaylynn@sassmagazine.com. sassmagazine.com/event/boss-brunch-atbrewers-alley/.

One Vast Hospital: Downtown Frederick Walking Tour — noon to 1 p.m. at National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Downtown Frederick history is hidden around every corner. Explore downtown Frederick’s storied past with signature walking tours from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. Every Saturday and Sunday from April through September, walking tours of Frederick’s hospital sites will be available at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays and noon on Sundays. Walking tours last for an hour to an hour and a half. $15. 301-695-1864. melissa.winn@civilwarmed.org. civilwarmed.org/walking.

Duplicate Bridge Team Games — noon to 4 p.m. at YMCA of Frederick County , 1000 N. Market St., Frederick. Bridge is also a team event! Frederick Bridge Club offers the only ACBL sanctioned team games in the area on the first and third Sundays of the month. Please contact the director, Jim Cartlidge, at 301-606-2894, or at jacartlidge@comcast.net to reserve a table for your team or to join a team.  $10. 301-606-2894. jacartlidge@comcast. net. www.bridgewebs.com/frederick/home. html.

FAMILY

Family Volunteering Series: Improve Soil Health with Mini Changemakers — 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Fox Haven Farm, Retreat and Learning Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. Looking for a way to get your kids involved with serving our natural world? Fox Haven is teaming up with Mini Changemakers this summer to offer hands-on volunteering activities for families with kids of all ages. foxhavenfarm.org/events/.

Song Circle with Frederick Acoustic Music Enterprise — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. A song circle is a gathering of folks to make music together, to sing, play, and share songs. Bring your own acoustic instrument. You can also just sing or listen. 301-600-7560. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ song-circle-frederick-acoustical-music-enterprise-204035.

We Found Waldo Celebration! — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at C. Burr Artz Public Library, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Please note: Waldo hunters must turn in their passports to Curi-

ous Iguana by Aug. 1, by closing time, and must attend the We Found Waldo Celebration on Aug. 2, to be eligible for prizes. All ages can participate in Find Waldo, but all prizes are reserved for kids 12 and younger. Find all details about where to get your Waldo passport and begin the hunt here: https://curiousiguana.com/event/find-waldo-local-2026. 301-695-2500. curiousiguanaevents@ gmail.com. curiousiguana.com/event/we-found-waldo-celebration/.

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” — 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Performing Arts Factory, 244B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Other Voices Theatre brings the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to life onstage this summer.  After having prophetic dreams, Joseph’s jealous brothers sell him into slavery in Egypt where, despite all the odds, Joseph’s dreams ultimately come true.

$28 adults, $24 seniors, students. 301-6623722. Artisticdirector@othervoicestheatre. org. www.othervoicestheatre.com.

Explore Frederick City’s Oldest House — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, 1110 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. Travel back to colonial Frederick. Built in 1758 by German settlers, this sturdy stone farmhouse offers a glimpse of early American life before the American Revolution. Walk through thick-walled but spacious rooms, hear stories of early immigrants, and see how a Frederick County farm family lived more than two and a half centuries ago.

$8 over age 15. 301-663-3885. info@fredericklandmarks.org. fredericklandmarks.org.

GALLERY

Downtown Artwalk: Deborah Borth — noon to 4 p.m. at The Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Take a self-guided jaunt downtown and visit local galleries. At the Gift Gallery at the Delaplaine this month: Deborah Borth will feature her stained glass creations. This pop-up event supports the artist. 301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/event/artwalk08/.

MUSIC

Sunday Brunch Concert Series — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Shab Row Stage, 100 N. East St., Frederick. Enjoy live acoustic music at the prettiest music stage in Maryland. The Shab Row Stage is located behind the Frederick Coffee Co & Cafe.  Relax in Adirondack chairs, smell the flowers, feel the breeze, enjoy your coffee, muffin or sandwich, and relax to live acoustic music.   301-639-1050. todd@toddcwalker.com.

Porch Concert — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Harpers Ferry Bandstand, 580 Washington St., Harpers Ferry, W.Va. No tickets needed! Local musician and friend of ACMF Brian Ellsworth brings a selection of delightful brass works on a Sunday afternoon. Stop on by and get in the spirit for the first week of ACMF (Aug. 5-16). tinyurl.com/y4cbmy38.

MSO Lite: Music of Michael Jackson — 3

p.m. to 4 p.m. at Hub City Vinyl, 28 E. Baltimore St., Hagerstown. This performance features an MSO string quartet celebrating the music of Michael Jackson through dynamic arrangements of some of his most iconic songs. Blending the energy of pop music with the artistry of live strings, the program offers a fresh take on timeless hits that continue to bring generations together through music. All ages. $35. 301-797-4000. cdavis@marylandsymphony.org. www.marylandsymphony.org.

Summer Concert Series: Making Waves — 7 p.m. to at Baker Park Bandshell, Second and Bentz streets, Frederick. Decades, music from the ‘80s, ‘90s and beyond. In lieu of admission please bring a canned food donation to benefit the Frederick Housing and Human Services food bank. 50/50 raffle, food trucks.  301-600-2844. celebratefrederick.com.

RECREATION

Frederick Keys vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks — 3 p.m. to at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium, 21 Stadium Drive, Frederick. General admission, reserved seating and field seating tickets. See website for ticket prices. mlb.com/frederick/schedule/2026.

Monday Aug. 3

ETCETERA

Rise N’ Rally — 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Veterans Service Center, 1750 Monocacy Blvd., Suite A, Frederick. Start Mondays off strong with coffee and breakfast; sponsored by Black Rifle Coffee Co. — Fueling Active Duty, Veterans, LEOs, & First Responders. “Grab & Go” or stay and hang out with other Military, LEOs, & First Responders. katie@reforgeunited.org.

www.reforgeunited.org/vsc.

Duplicate Bridge Pairs Games — noon to 4 p.m. at Church of the Transfiguration Memorial Hall, 6909 Maryland Ave., Braddock Heights. Looking for a competitive mind sport? Frederick Bridge Club’s ACBL sanctioned duplicate games allow you to hone your skills and meet other bridge enthusiasts. All are welcome. We host Pairs Games ($8) weekly on Monday (299 Limit and Open) and Thursday (Open). If you need a partner or want to brush up your skills, contact Membership Chair, Maria, at frederick@bridgewebsemail.com or check out our website.

$8. frederick@bridgewebsemail.com. www.bridgewebs.com/frederick/home. html.

Mondays in Mount Airy — 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Railyard, 3 N. Main St. , Mount Airy. A weekly food truck event designed to support locally owned and operated food trucks as well as the businesses along Downtown Main Street. Continues Mondays through Sept. 28. Variety of food trucks participating. 301-807-4446.

www.mountairymd.gov.

Game Night at the Museum — 6 p.m. to at National Road Museum, 214 N. Main

(Continued from 19)

“I was fortunate enough to have all four years of high school experience. My brother, Riley, lost two years of that. We’re sick of the phones.”

Barker wanted to be an actor before he wanted to be a filmmaker. And while his early exposure to “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” at age 11, helped set him on a horror path, he didn’t begin that way.

“I was a huge Harry Potter fan growing up. Huge. I was obsessed,” Barker says, smiling. “I had all the wands. I would dress up.”

Barker attended film school in Los Angeles for a year, where he met Cooper Tomlinson, a co-star and producer on “Obsession.” The two soon forged their own path, though, on YouTube and TikTok. Their comedy sketch series, “That’s a Bad Idea,” found a footing online.

Barker wrote and directed the 2023 short “The Chair,” which attracted the interest of Tea Shop Productions. Producer James Harris approached Barker about a feature of “The Chair,” but he instead wanted to make a film — “Obsession” — that drew on many of the same ideas. Meanwhile, Barker also made an

WEDNESDAYS

$800 found-footage horror film, “Milk & Serial.” After failing to secure distribution, he simply uploaded to YouTube. It went viral and landed him an agent.

“Obsession” was selected to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, giving it an enviable platform. After a bidding war, Kujawski and Focus acquired it for $15 million.

“What stands out about Curry is that he isn’t working from an inherited playbook,” says Kujawski. “Whether you look at his earlier work or ‘Obsession,’ there’s a consistency of vision and a confidence in his storytelling that immediately sets him apart. He knows exactly what he wants to say while being absolutely committed to making every minute of his work as entertaining as possible, and he’s willing to take real risks in service of that vision.”

More ‘Obsession,’ but other projects first Barker’s swift but hard-earned rise has made him the poster boy for a new brand of filmmaker, one who has honed his craft as a digital creator and arrives with an established fan base. Jason Blum, the chief executive of Blumhouse Productions, has

CONCERTS ON PROMENADE

compared Barker and company to the 1970s wave of American auteurs, “making edgy movies that are connecting in theaters in a crazy way.”

“When you really step back, my journey is not really that different than Christopher Nolan or David Fincher or Steven Spielberg,” Barker says. “You can watch their early short films and see their work before they were given a chance. I think YouTube is just a path, a platform we can use now to show the industry what we’ve got.”

Now, Barker is one of the most indemand filmmakers in Hollywood. He has already shot his next feature, “Anything But Ghosts,” starring Aaron Paul and Bryce Dallas Howard, for Blumhouse. Two months ago, A24 announced that he will write and direct a reboot of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

All the attention has taken some getting used to. Filmmakers like Ari Aster and Zach Cregger and even Spielberg have reached out to compliment Barker on his film.

“That’s when you start to feel this impostor syndrome of like: What? It’s not that good,” Barker says, laughing. “All I see when I watch ‘Obsession’ is the problems.”

An “Obsession” sequel is, naturally,

a certainty. “A sequel isn’t hard for this movie,” grants Barker. He sketches out how new wishes by other characters on One Wish Willows could lead to entirely different stories, all revolving around some new vice: greed, fame, whatever.

But as much as it’s tempting to see “Obsession” as the product of Barker’s own wish, it’s more like the opposite. In the film, Bear’s profound mistake is putting off confessing his feelings to Nikki, thinking there’s plenty of time to do it. (The movie immediately cuts to a dead cat.) Barker, on the other hand, had no timidity about realizing his dreams. He wanted to make movies, so he did.

“Anyone that asks what advice you have for young filmmakers, I always say the same thing,” says Barker. “I went to a film school for a year out in L.A. and I watched people paralyze themselves with the pressure of: I’ve told people I’m a director so now I have to direct something that has to be good. If it’s not good, everyone’s going to judge me. The result of that thinking is two years on one short film.”

“You can’t put too much pressure on an idea,” adds Barker. “You just got to make it.”

St., Boonsboro. Bring your friends and your favorite games for an evening of fun while surrounded by local history!  The National Road Museum will provide the venue, the snacks, and the cleanup. Table reservations are available for anyone looking to ensure their game is played.  $8 advanced, $10 at the door. 240-769-0898. Info@NationalRdFoundation.org. nationalrdfoundation.org/event/game-nightat-the-museum/.

FAMILY

Storytime at the Park — 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Gathland State Park, 900 Arnoldtown Road, Jefferson. Join us for an all-ages, all-abilities story time at rotating parks! Ages 6 months and up, must be accompanied by a caregiver. Enjoy a nature-themed book and activity. Meet under the War Correspondents Arch in Gathland State Park.

SMRA.Interpreter@maryland.gov. dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/western/gathland.aspx.

Meet a Tree — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Gathland State Park, 900 Arnoldtown Road, Jefferson. Learn how to really “see” trees and improve your ability to identify and appreciate them. Meet at pavilion near War Correspondents Arch in Gathland State Park.

SMRA.Interpreter@maryland.gov. dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/western/gathland.aspx.

Preschooler/Kindergarten refresher camp: Camp Silver 2026 — 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library - Programming Room, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Sruthi, a rising Junior, is conducting a kindergarten readiness camp this summer. We’d love to welcome families with rising kindergarteners, kids who need a refresher, and want to learn something new to join. campsilver123@gmail.com. forms.gle/387eSbkp1AbVaU288.

Tuesday Aug. 4

ETCETERA

Community Veteran Engagement Board — 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Veterans Service Center, 1750 Monocacy Blvd., Suite A, Frederick. Calling all Frederick County Active Duty, National Guard, Reservists, Veterans, Military Retirees, and Family Members. The first Tuesday of every month the Frederick County Community Veterans Engagement Board holds it’s monthly hybrid meeting at the Veterans Services Center. Zoom Meeting ID: 856 4441 6235. Passcode: 6141950419. Learn what is happening in the Veteran-Sphere in Frederick County! 240-651-8889. chris.alley@gimv.org. www.facebook.com/people/Frederick-County-Community-Veteran-Engagement-Board/61584306376354/#.

Poetry Workshop: Straight from the Tortured Poets Department — 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Myersville Community Library, 8 Harp Place, Myersville . Come hang out with poet Jillian Stacia for a presentation and discussion of all things poetry and Taylor Swift. We’ll discuss various writing tips and strategies through the bejeweled lens of the world’s most iconic showgirl. Let’s get those creative sparks flying! For teens and adults. 301-600-8350. rkurtz@frederickcountymd. gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/.

FAMILY

Nature Prints Walk — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Greenbrier State Park, 21843 National Pike, Boonsboro. Take a walk partway around Greenbrier Lake and make unique prints of your discoveries to take home. Meet at the trail head near gazebo #1 in the day-use area of Greenbrier State Park.

SMRA.Interpreter@maryland.gov. dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/western/greenbrier.aspx.

Preschooler/Kindergarten refresher camp: Camp Silver 2026 — 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library - Programming Room, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Sruthi, a rising Junior, is conducting a kindergarten readiness camp this summer. We’d love to welcome families with rising kindergarteners, kids who need a refresher, and want to learn something new to join. campsilver123@gmail.com. forms.gle/387eSbkp1AbVaU288.

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 us to celebrate it while talking all things art, story, cosplay and culture! All materials provided, while supplies last. For grades 6-12. 301-600-7000.

A Quiet Hike — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Greenbrier State Park, 21843 National Pike, Boonsboro. Enjoy a “hidden gem” trail in Greenbrier on a quiet group hike. Meet in lower parking lot by boat launch ramp in Greenbrier Park. Hike will be on paved and natural trails, approx. 1 mile, beginner-friendly!

SMRA.Interpreter@maryland.gov. dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/western/greenbrier.aspx.

FESTIVALS

Frederick Police Invites Community to Celebrate National Night Out — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.. Three locations: Mullinix Park, 16 S. Bentz St.; Carrollton Park. 455 Center St.; and Hill Street Park, 100 Hill St., in Frederick. Giveaways, raffles, food, vendors, DJ, demonstrations, connect with neighbors and the Frederick Police Department, entertainment and more. Family friendly event.  frederickmdpolice.org.

Wednesday Aug. 5

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.

Psychic Development Series: Photo Reading — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Frederick Community College, Conference Center Building, E138, 7932 Opposumtown Pike, Frederick. In this series you’ll explore psychic development, mediumship, and spiritual healing. Learn to strengthen your intuitive abilities, connect with spiritual energies, and explore various forms of psychic perception. Through lectures and guided exercises, you’ll gain hands-on experience in communicating with spirit and facilitating healing.

$24. 301-846-2561. ILR@frederick.edu. tinyurl.com/Psychic31023.

ETCETERA

Go Team Therapy Dogs: an Adult Adaptive Program — 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Go Team is back with the dogs to enjoy. This program is intended for adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers.

301-600-8200. fcpl.org.

FAMILY

Junior Gardeners — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Is your child interested in learning how to care for a garden? Look no further! Join us for a fun morning of exploring, creating, and learning how to care for plants and gardens at the Emmitsburg Library. Ages  up to 12. 301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org/.

Preschooler/Kindergarten refresher camp: Camp Silver 2026 — 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library - Programming Room, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Sruthi, a rising Junior, is conducting a kindergarten readiness camp this summer. We’d love to welcome families with rising kindergarteners, kids who need a refresher, and want to learn something new to join. campsilver123@gmail.com. forms.gle/387eSbkp1AbVaU288.

FILM

Summer Classics Movie Series: “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967) — 7:30 p.m. to at Majestic Theater, 25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg, Pa. Spencer Tracy’s final film, with Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn in this comedy-drama. $10. 717-337-8200. gettysburgmajestic.org.

Thursday Aug. 6

CLASSES

ESL High Beginner’s/Low Intermediate Conversation Classes — 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. We welcome adults who want to practice their English, hosted by the Literacy Council of Frederick County. Students will practice their speaking and listening skills with conversations guided by an instructor from the LCFC. Registration is required by the LCFC. 18 and older. 301-600-8200. tinyurl.com/muadtwev.

ETCETERA

2026 Exhibits at the Museum of Freder-

ick History — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Museum of Frederick County History, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Take a deep dive into various topics that have defined Frederick’s history, as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and our County’s role in the Revolution. Featuring brand new exhibits: “Cultivating Independence: Frederick in the Revolution,” “Witnessing Revolution,” “All Saints Street: Avenue to the History of Frederick and Its African American Community,” “Growing Gold: A History of Frederick’s Goldfish Industry,” and returning favorites: “Etchison Connections,” “Timeless Toys,” “24 E. Church Street,” “Decorative Arts. See our all new and renovated exhibits, March 7 through Dec. 12! $10 adults, $5 seniors and students. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org. frederickhistory.org.

DCFS Family Support Specialist — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Need help navigating forms, benefits, or services? Representatives from the Frederick County Division of Child and Family Services will be onsite during open office hours to provide one-on-one assistance for those families with children ages up to 24 years. Stop by to ask questions, complete paperwork, or learn about available programs. No appointment required — just drop in and get the support you need. 301-600-7200. bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov. tinyurl.com/2etcb9mf.

Duplicate Bridge Pairs Games — noon to 4 p.m. at Church of the Transfiguration Memorial Hall, 6909 Maryland Ave., Braddock Heights. Looking for a competitive mind sport? Frederick Bridge Club’s ACBL sanctioned duplicate games allow you to hone your skills and meet other bridge enthusiasts. All are welcome. We host Pairs Games ($8) weekly on Monday (299 Limit and Open) and Thursday (Open). If you need a partner or want to brush up your skills, contact Membership Chair, Maria, at frederick@bridgewebsemail.com or check out our website. $8. frederick@bridgewebsemail.com. www.bridgewebs.com/frederick/home.html. Mike Kuster — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Tenth Ward Distilling Company, 55 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Mike Kuster is returning to Tenth Ward Distilling Company for a great night of country/ Americana music in 2026! Handcrafted cocktails, a laid-back atmosphere, and live original music from IMN Songwriter of the Year Mike Kuster, featuring songs like “Corn Fed” and other crowd favorites.

301-662-3355. mike@mikekuster.net. mikekuster.net/tour.

FAMILY

Summerfest Family Theatre: Theatricks presents Mark Lohr Classic Comedy Show — 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the Baker Park Band Shell, North Bentz and Second streets, Frederick. Mark uses the circus skills of juggling, plate spinning, hat tricks, and more to hilariously entertain the young and the young at heart. A smorgasbord of family fun guaranteed to leave the entire family rolling in the aisles! Mark has toured extensively with his unique blend of circus and slapstick comedy, wowing audiences wherever he goes! Bring a canned food item for the city’s Foodbank Program. 301-600-2841. celebratefrederick.com.

First Saturday is a day to show your love for local, with shops, restaurants, and galleries offering special events and one-of-a-kind experiences. This month, participating businesses will offer drinks and snacks from countries participating in the World Cup. Come to shop, explore and discover something new about our beautiful downtown. downtownfrederick.org