72 HOURS May 14, 2026

MAY 14

BEYOND the GARDEN GATES

Private residences grant access to annual Frederick tour

KIDS EXPO

RAE BOYD COMES HOME

Frederick has been cheering for Rae Boyd all season — and now she’s bringing it home. The Walkersville High School alumna, who made it to the Top 11 on ABC’s “American Idol” this spring before being eliminated, will headline the inaugural SilverVox Film & Music Festival, running June 18 to 21 across the theaters, venues and streets of downtown Frederick. It will be her first major performance since her run on the primetime competition, where she wowed judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Meanwhile, the festival’s film program is no afterthought. SilverVox’s inaugural slate draws from two of the year’s most prestigious festivals. “Joybubbles” — Rachael J. Morrison’s Sundance documentary about Joe Engressia, a blind man who discovered he could hack the analog telephone system by whistling precise tones — screens as part of the program. So does “Their Town,” the SXSW standout directed by Katie Aselton, written by Mark Duplass and starring the couple’s daughter Ora Duplass in her feature debut. The marquee centerpiece is “Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror,” the acclaimed documentary about the cult classic, presented with filmmaker Linus O’Brien, son of “Rocky Horror Show” creator Richard O’Brien. That’s a lot of movie for one festival.

OPEN YOUR GARDEN GATES

Always wanted to peek over someone else’s garden wall? The Men’s Garden Club of Frederick and Celebrate Frederick have you covered. The Beyond the Garden Gates tour returns May 17 and 18, offering a self-guided look at 12 private gardens across Frederick, from a two-plus-acre yard with 29 dogwoods in bloom, a Japanese Koi pond and a saltwater pool to a minimalist fishpond garden designed for quiet evenings and lively parties. Also on the tour: the Federated Charities’ public parklet on South Market Street, home to an 1850s-era Leda and the Swan fountain — and many more inspiring gardens. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 the days of the tour. Day-of tickets are available at the Tour Hospitality Center at Frederick City Hall both days.

A CANNON CHANGES HISTORY

A receipt buried in the National Archives just rewrote what we knew about the American Revolution — and about a place right here in Frederick County. A researcher recently unearthed an 1781 document confirming that the Continental Army purchased cannons, not just cannonballs, from Catoctin Furnace. The discovery sets the stage for the eighth annual Maryland Iron Festival in Thurmont, which doubles as a launch of the yearlong celebration of the 250th anniversary of both the country and the furnace — founded, as it happens, in 1776. The free festival runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 16 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17, with village tours, food trucks, live music, a beer and wine garden, a makers’ market and a 2,800-degree molten iron pour at 1 p.m. May 16. Running alongside the festival are performances of “Iron Will,” an original play set during the lead-up to Yorktown.

STUDENT FILMS TAKE THE STAGE

Frederick Community College’s Film & Video Production program will give its emerging filmmakers a live audience on May 16, when the annual FCC Student Film Festival screens more than 20 short films and animations at the Jack B. Kussmaul Theater on the FCC campus. The show starts at 6 p.m. and is free, but tickets must be reserved via eventbrite.com. A note for parents: some films may contain content not suitable for young audiences.

YOUR INPUT WANTED

Downtown Frederick is asking the public to help shape what comes next for Carroll Creek Park. Downtown Frederick Partnership, in collaboration with the Ausherman Family Foundation and the City of Frederick, is hosting a community workshop May 19 at the Municipal Office Annex, 140 W. Patrick St., Frederick. The session runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and will give attendees a first look at survey data and draft design concepts, including possible landscape improvements and a shade structure for the amphitheater.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Share your community stories and events with us! Email 72 Hours editor Lauren LaRocca at llarocca@newspost.com.

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.

Lena A. Clark

Who Will Make Decisions for You? Avoiding Guardianship Through Proper Planning

Most people think Estate Planning is only about what happens after they pass away. In reality, one of the most important reasons to create an Estate Plan is to protect yourself during your lifetime. If you become unable to make medical or financial decisions and don’t have the proper documents in place, your loved ones may have no legal authority to step in. When that happens, families are often forced into a guardianship proceeding.

What Is Guardianship and Why Should You Avoid It?

Guardianship is a court process in which a judge appoints someone to make decisions on your behalf because you are no longer able to do so. While it can be necessary, it is rarely ideal. Your loved ones may need to hire an attorney, attend court hearings, and comply with ongoing court supervision. More importantly, the court (not you!) decides who will be responsible for your care and finances.

The Emotional and Financial Toll Guardianship proceedings often arise during already stressful situations, such as a sudden illness, accident, or cognitive decline. Families are left trying to navigate legal requirements while also dealing with fear, uncertainty, and emotional strain. On top of that, the financial burden can be significant, as legal fees, court costs, and ongoing reporting requirements can quickly add up. These costs can often be avoided with proper planning.

How Proper Planning Helps You Stay in Control

The good news is that most guardianship proceedings can be avoided with a comprehensive Estate Plan that allows you to choose who will act on your behalf and provide clear instructions for how your affairs are to be handled. Key documents include:

• A Financial Power of Attorney to manage your finances

• An Advance Medical Directive to outline your healthcare wishes

• A Revocable Living Trust to manage your assets seamlessly

Take

the First Step

No one expects to become incapacitated, but the reality is that it can happen at any time. Without a plan, your family may be left scrambling and forced into court. With a plan, they can act immediately and confidently. Estate Planning is more than just documents, it’s about maintaining control, protecting your independence, and providing clarity during difficult times.

If you are a Maryland or Virginia resident and want to ensure your family can act on your behalf without court involvement, call us at 301-414-8726 or schedule a consultation at www.lenaclarklegal.com .

EAT & DRINK

BY ALEXANDER DACY adacy@newspost.com

As Ahmed Hafid looked around the Golden Mile, he noticed a glaring omission in the area’s diverse food scene.

“There is no kabob place around here,” Hafid said. “There’s burgers, there’s Chinese, there’s a lot of other restaurants, pizza and stuff, but there’s no kabob here.”

Hafid, who has worked more than 25 years in the restaurant industry, wanted to change that.

He opened Kabob Boys in an unassuming strip mall off McCain Drive one year ago, serving the titular food along with other Mediterranean and Pakistani classics. Hafid takes orders and works in the open kitchen pressing the dough for naan, the traditional South Asian flatbread, while managing the business aspect. It’s a madeto-order, fast-casual operation, with food served on tray tables to make for a quick lunch or dinner. The menu is short but focused and fully halal, Hafid said. Many of the chicken dishes are among the most popular: the kabob, tikka and seekh kabob are highlights, Hafid said. The beef seekh kabob and lamb shish kabob are also customer-favorite grill items.

IF YOU GO

4 McCain Drive, Frederick 301-898-2032

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday; closed Monday Price: Menu items range from $3.50 for an individual chicken seekh kabob to $25 for kabob or chicken karahi

Popular Dishes: Chicken kabob, chicken tikka, seekh kabob (chicken or beef)

All kabob plates are served with rice, chana (a chickpea curry), a house salad, naan and yogurt dipping sauces.

Special dishes include butter chicken and kabob or chicken karahi.

“Very simple, very fresh to the customer,” Hafid said. “That’s our mission here.”

Kabob Boys

The chicken kabob platter is among the most popular dishes at Kabob Boys, served with rice, chana, a house salad, naan and yogurt dipping sauces.

Kabob Boys is a fast casual lunch or dinner option where customers can walk in and see owner Ahmed Hafid working both the cash register and in the kitchen.

Staff photos by Alexander Dacy

Kabob Boys sits in an unassuming strip mall on the Golden Mile but brings flavors of Pakistan and the Middle East to Frederick.

BY DARYL CAMPBELL

Special to The News-Post

Robert Van Dyk, known affectionately as “Bobcat,” is a familiar presence in the downtown Frederick open mic scene.

He’s often spotted with his djembe strapped to his back, moving from venue to venue with the quiet confidence of someone who knows where he belongs. A singer and songwriter as well, he’s someone I’ve heard perform many times over the years.

After not seeing him for a while, we reconnected and ended up having a long conversation about his journey through life with music as a person with special needs.

Tell us a bit about yourself!

My name is Robert Van Dyk. I was born in South Korea. I was adopted when I was five and came to the United States in 1988. I’m a person with special needs. There’s a lot of confusion about us and how we should be treated. I’ve been on medication off and on for thirty years, but it was never effective — other than side effects and making me feel high.

I chose to go off my meds and be homeless before I had a home again. I tried to start over with a new life without medication. A lot of people are judgmental about what they believe. I know more now about the reality of the situation, but at the same time, it’s like leading a double life — living in an environment where people don’t understand. It’s been stressful. I’m thankful I finally found my gift. It took a long time. I hoped and prayed it would get me somewhere.

I realize I can’t “fix” my

SONGS FROM THE TRON

Robert Van Dyk

diagnosis; it’s about learning from your mistakes. Not forgetting who you are, and still figuring out how to achieve your goals. Loneliness is still hard; I live alone. But I make the decision to keep learning about myself.

What role do you think music plays — or could play — in the special needs community?

I’d say it’s different for everybody. I like music, but it’s not a hobby for me. I’m still trying to figure out more things about myself. I’ve become a songwriter, and I was looking to record at my friend’s studio. Unfortunately, I didn’t stick to it. I had all the parts written out, though. I’m not really sure where music will take me. I’m not sure if it’s my calling or not.

Where do you see persons with special needs fitting into the big picture — either within Frederick or on a larger scale?

I can only share from my experience. It’s no gift being treated as someone with special needs. It’s a lazy environment, a helpless situation. It trains people to be spoiled. There’s a lot of favoritism. You’re expected to do what you’re told.

I’ve never liked or understood it. This is not how people should be treated. We’re not here for their dream. And medication isn’t always the answer.

What changes would you like to see take place?

I’m still trying to figure that out. I feel like I didn’t have a lot of space to figure out where I’m at in my journey. I need to get into a better environment so I can figure out how to take better care of myself. I have to be patient, but I can’t go

In what ways has music enriched your life? What have you learned from it?

Since I’ve been off my medication, I’ve discovered that my gift is being a drummer. It’s come so naturally.

I’ve realized that, wow, I really do understand music somehow — even though I never had lessons. I just feel it.

(Robert starts pounding out a rhythm, beating on his chest, almost beatboxing.)

You really have to have a passion for it. But it’s funny how I’ll understand this situation with music, but then I’ll be confused by another part of my life. That’s something I need to figure out. I need to be committed to figuring out how I’m going to get there, what I need to provide, and whether this is my journey.

Any final thoughts?

Yeah. When people are treated as special needs, you have no clue how to feel. When I get angry, people say, “Oh, it’s just the diagnosis.”

You can’t help them in that situation. All they think about is medication, so it’s back to square one — being confused. I never understood this.

They’re trained; they don’t have an actual understanding. We learn to grow up, but it’s not in the way they think we should; the way of their own understanding.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

through this another twenty years. It feels like an endless battle. How long it will take for me to get there, I can’t say. When you get stuck and confused, isolated for decades, it becomes a part of you . . . but the better I

get, the more I can plan for my next step. It’s different for everyone, and not everyone will have that kind of opportunity. I’ve seen how people get treated in daycares and group homes, which I’ve been in.

Author’s note: Daniel Van Dyk, Robert’s brother, offered thoughtful insight during our conversation as well. His perspective — shaped by years in music and creative work — deserves its own space. I plan to share his story in a future article.

Daryl Campbell, who performs as Daryltron, is based in Frederick.

Courtesy photo

Robert “Bobcat” Van Dyk

JB Photographers

Frederick’s Clustered Spires Chorus marks 30 years of harmony

BY J.D. VALDEPENAS

Special to The News-Post

Thirty years is a long time to keep a chorus together. For the Clustered Spires Chorus, a Frederick-based women’s barbershop group, the secret is simple: show up, sing hard, and take care of each other.

The group just celebrated its 30th anniversary with a Friends & Family Night at Trinity United Methodist Church in Frederick on April 6. That same week, they traveled to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where they competed in the 2026 Region 19 Convention and Competition hosted by the Upper Chesapeake Chorus.

The Clustered Spires Chorus is a chapter of Sweet Adelines International and has been chartered in Frederick since 1996.

“Part of the reason the Clustered Spires has been so successful for the past 30 years is the fun and welcoming culture it has created, maintained

and is known for,” said bass singer Valarie Gill, who has been with Sweet Adelines and Clustered Spires for over 20 years. “New members quickly feel comfortable and readily assimilate into the environment to which they can retreat on a regular basis.”

Despite their currently small size of 23 members, the Clustered Spires have performed all around Frederick. Their performances include singing the national anthem at Frederick Keys baseball games, caroling throughout the downtown area during the holidays, and private events. The chorus also boasts performances at the Weinberg Center for the Arts, the Frederick Festival of the Arts and the Pangea Festival. This summer, the chorus will once again be singing the national anthem at a Keys game.

“I love singing barbershop, and specifically with the Clustered Spires Chorus, because there is no greater feeling than ringing a chord through four-part barbershop harmony,” said

lead singer Adele Connelly, who has been a member of the Sweet Adelines for 15 years with most of that time spent with the Clustered Spires. “That harmony extends to the wonderful sisterhood we have in the chorus, where we truly care about each other and support each other through good times and bad.”

The chorus is currently under the direction of Robin Blythe, who has been with the Clustered Spires since 2004.

Blythe has lived many musical lives prior to her leadership role with the Clustered Spires. While her husband was stationed in Japan in the early 1980s, Blythe directed the Sweet Adelines’ Tokyo chapter. After that, she sang bass with the Metro Nashville Chorus, during which time she became a certified director within the greater Sweet Adelines organization. Upon moving to Montgomery County, Blythe joined the Maryland Harmony Chorus, eventually rising up to lead

the Dundalk Chorus for three years.

Blythe is also responsible for selecting the songs for the group’s setlist, with input from a music team. Songs are typically chosen based on the group’s performance ability, themes — such as holidays — and member availability. Due to the chorus’ relatively small size, the director must ensure that the songs chosen deliver a balanced sound that plays on the strengths of each singer.

“Barbershop harmony is a very different sound from other a cappella styles. We strive to have all of the singers match the sounds of their vowels by singing with the same pronunciation as the person next to them, on the same pitch with the same tonal quality,” explained management team leader and assistant director Marsha Adelson. “There’s also a huge focus on ‘telling the story’ of the song, reaching out to your audience through your expressions as you sing. We strive for

Clustered Spires Chorus, a Frederick-based women’s barbershop group, competes in 2026.

performs during the Christmas season in 2018.

what we refer to as ‘forward motion,’ a sense that the song is constantly moving along. This is very important in all a cappella singing because we don’t have any accompaniment to provide the beat or tempo.”

Adelson joined the Clustered Spires Chorus in the summer of 2018. She previously sang in the Rockville chapter of the Sweet Adelines and has been with them for nearly 26 years.

“Nothing gives me more joy than singing barbershop 4-part a cappella music and ringing chords!” said bass singer Laurie Boyer. “Barbershop music is arranged to enhance harmonics that give it a special overtone sound that makes the hair stand up on your arm!”

Boyer has been a member of Sweet Adelines for 30 years and the Clustered Spires for eight years.

Along with musical performance, members are required to participate in at least one of several operational task committees within the chorus.

“We have a management team that leads all administrative aspects of the chorus. We also have many committees where the various tasks and activities get done that keep our organization going,” Gill explained. “These include membership, costumes, music, fundraising and long-term planning.”

Above all, the Clustered Spires pride themselves on being a sisterhood. New members are welcomed with open arms while providing a safe space for those looking to venture into the world of a cappella singing. The all-women chorus consists of singers ranging from students to retirees, with a

IF YOU GO

The Clustered Spires Chorus rehearses every Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church in Frederick. Rehearsals are open to the public. For more information, including booking performances, visit clusteredspires.org. To learn more about Sweet Adelines International, visit sweetadelines.org.

variety of musical backgrounds. And for students looking to get their community service hours, singing with the chorus during the holidays may count toward their requirements.

“It’s important, especially for women, to be involved in organizations of any kind because we all need support, friendship, love, a show of appreciation and so much more,” Adelson said, reflecting on the impact that joining the Clustered Spires has had on her. “The friendships I have formed in 25 years of singing with other women have changed my life in so many positive ways!”

“What makes this chorus and Sweet Adelines so special is the camaraderie. When things get tough, our singing sisters are always there to lift our spirits with song,” added Boyer. “Music is special that way because when everything else is gone, there will always be music.”

J.D. Valdepenas is a senior at Pace University majoring in English language and literature. Along with writing about arts, culture and entertainment, she studied classical and medieval literature and Shakespearean drama.

Irish violinist will bring centuries of history to New Spire Arts

Gregory Harrington has played Carnegie Hall five times, performed at the White House and toured internationally. On May 15, he’ll bring his “Emerald Strings” concert to New Spire Arts in Frederick.

Born in Dublin, Harrington is known for bridging the precision of classical technique with the soul of Irish folk and contemporary music. “Emerald Strings” is part concert, part history lesson — spanning from the Irish Famine of 1847 to the present day, woven together with storytelling and elements of Harrington’s own artistic journey. The program moves

through Irish folk, Americana and contemporary works, with each piece folded into a larger narrative designed to be experienced as much as heard.

It’s an evening, as Harrington puts it, for cultural explorers — those who want music with context, and performances that linger long after the final note.

Tickets are $35 and are available at weinbergcenter.org, by calling 301-600-2828 or in person at the Weinberg Center box office, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. New Spire Arts is at 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

Courtesy photo

Gregory Harrington

Courtesy photo

Clustered Spires Chorus, a Frederick-based women’s barbershop group,

Maryland Iron Festival marks 250th anniversary of Catoctin Furnace — and a new discovery

A receipt buried in the National Archives in Washington, D.C., has upended what historians knew about Catoctin Furnace’s role in the American Revolution. A researcher recently unearthed the 1781 document confirming the purchase of cannons — not just cannonballs — from the furnace for the Continental Army.

“We knew Catoctin Furnace was founded in 1776,” said Elizabeth Comer, president of the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, “but until now we had no proof they made cannon. Researchers estimate only 1,000 cannons were available to help the patriots defeat the superior British firepower. Catoctin Furnace played a pivotal role in the revolution.”

The discovery sets the stage for the Eighth Annual Maryland Iron Festival, which kicks off a yearlong celebration of the 250th birthday of both the country and Catoctin Furnace. Founded in 1776, the furnace supplied cast iron artillery tubes, iron shot and shells as ammunition, and products such as cooking kettles to American Revolutionary forces. The free festival runs May 16 and 17 in the historic village of Catoctin Furnace.

This year the festival pairs with live performances of “Iron Will,” an

group — will present a program about the Maryland Mattrosses, who served as artillerists in the defense of Maryland against British attacks in early 1776. The program includes live historic weapons demonstrations at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. May 17.

The molten iron pour takes place at 1 p.m. May 16, when ironworkers heat ore to 2,800 degrees and pour it into molds for handmade iron tiles. Visitors can purchase molds to carve in advance and take home their own cast iron tile; see catoctinfurnace. org/mif for details.

Both days are family friendly, with village tours, food trucks, live music, a beer and wine garden, a makers’ market, kids’ activities, feats of strength, an antique car show and tours of the newly stabilized Ironmasters Mansion.

original play set during a pivotal moment in the Revolution as George Washington prepared to fight the British at Yorktown. Performances are at 7 p.m. May 14 through May 16 and at 5 p.m. May 17. Tickets are $25,

with senior and student discounts available, at catoctinfurnace.org/ theater.

Also new this year, the Chesapeake Independent Blues — a Maryland volunteer interpretive

The Maryland Iron Festival is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 16 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17 at Catoctin Furnace, 12610 Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont. Admission is free. “Iron Will” performances are at 7 p.m. May 14 through May 16 and 5 p.m. May 17; tickets are $25 at catoctinfurnace. org/theater. For the full schedule, parking and shuttle information, visit catoctinfurnace.org/mif.

Downtown Frederick Partnership to host Carroll Creek community workshop

Downtown Frederick Partnership, in collaboration with the Ausherman Family Foundation and the City of Frederick, is inviting the community to the Carroll Creek Refresh Community Workshop on May 19. The interactive session offers residents and visitors a direct role in shaping the future of one of Downtown Frederick’s most beloved spaces.

The workshop runs 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Municipal Office Annex, 140 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

Carroll Creek Refresh is a focused initiative designed to enhance, repair and thoughtfully improve Carroll Creek Park. By assessing current conditions and identifying priority needs, the project aims to develop design concepts — including landscape enhancements and a future shade structure for the amphitheater — that reflect how the community experiences and values the space.

“Community input is essential to en-

suring these improvements reflect the full range of community perspectives,” said Kara Norman, executive director of Downtown Frederick Partnership.

“Your thoughtful input will be invaluable in helping the design team make informed decisions that ensure Carroll Creek remains a vibrant, welcoming and well-maintained public space for everyone.”

Workshop attendees will get a first look at data gathered from the initial Carroll Creek community survey, explore draft concepts for park improvements and have an opportunity to share specific ideas on key elements such as plantings, hardscape and shade.

The West Patrick Street Public Parking Garage, located directly behind the Municipal Office Annex, will provide free parking for workshop attendees. On-street parking is also available. For more information, visit downtownfrederick.org.

Staff file photo by Clara Niel

Molten iron is poured into a variety of cast molds at the Maryland Iron Festival. The annual, twoday festival showcases the history of ironworking and the Catoctin Furnace.

Staff file photo by Ric Dugan

A large crowd gathers for Alive@5 at the Carroll Creek Amphitheater in 2024.

THE

FREDERICK MOM

The Frederick Mom’s recommendations for the weekend of May 15

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

Urbie’s Glow Night Pajama Party

6 to 9 p.m. May 15

Urban Air Adventure Park, 5830 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick Cost varies

Pajamas in public? For this event, it’s allowed! Friday Night Lights at Urban Air is getting a cozy upgrade with Urbie’s Glow Night Pajama Party! Kids: throw on your favorite pajama pants and get ready for a night of glowing lights, music, games, dancing, and nonstop adventure. DJ Urbie will be spinning a special playlist while the park transforms into the ultimate glow party experience! Tickets: UrbanAirFrederick.com.

Romeo & Juliet: Riotous Youth Showcase

7 p.m. May 15 and 16

Sky Stage, 59 S. Carroll St., Frederick Cost: Donate-what-you-can Frederick is celebrating Riotous Youth’s triumphant return to its theatre scene with Romeo and Juliet: A Riotous Youth Schowcase — their first offering since 2019. Join us in supporting the young theater artists (ages 9-15) performing all the roles in this 90-minute adaptation of Shakespeare’s beautiful comedy-tragedy about youth, agency and all-consuming love! Tickets available online.

Strawberry Festival

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 16

Moon Valley Farm, 9700 Gravel Hill Road, Woodsboro

Free

Reserve a ticket in advance for Moon Valley Farm’s annual Strawberry Festival this Saturday! Join for a pickyour-own experience of certified organic strawberries, plus enjoy food trucks, craft vendors, and more farm fun! Entry is free, but strawberries will be a separate cost from admission. If you can’t make it this Saturday, reserve your free ticket for Day 2 of the Strawberry Festival on May 23. https://hubs. la/Q049znyd0.

Brunswick Springfest

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 16

Downtown Brunswick

Free

Brunswick’s favorite spring tradition

is almost here, and SpringFest is shaping up to be an unforgettable day in Downtown Brunswick! From shopping artisan vendors and tasty food trucks to family fun and live entertainment, what’s not to love?! There will be art exhibits and a beer garden for the grown-ups! For the kids: pony rides, inflatables, and a face painter! Don’t miss it!

Skating in the Park

1 p.m. May 16

Baker Park, 902 Carroll Parkway, Frederick

Free

The Frederick Outdoor Skate Group is hosting a fun Skating in the Park event for all ages! Anyone looking to make use of those rollerskates that have been sitting in the corner collecting dust? Bring your skates, the family, and go skate in the park!

Crybaby Spring Fest

8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 17

Crybaby Cafe & Toy Library, 7 W. Main St., Middletown

$5/kid

Parents and little kids: This Sunday, check out Spring Fest at Crybaby Cafe. They’re teaming up with photographer, Pang, from Pangtography to offer Tintype photos for guests for $95/ea., as well as a build-your-own bouquet bar for $25/per bouquet. Additionally, there’s a color-a-flower bouquet craft for kids, inspired by Anna Bruder’s recent art installation, and is included with each child’s $5 play session.

Library Visit at SAMP

10 to 10:30 a.m. May 17

Sophie and Madigan’s Playground, 632 Contender Way, Frederick Free

Join Frederick County Public Libraries for a free story time at Sophie and Madigan’s Playground filled with rhymes, songs, lots of movement, and fun! All onsite at Frederick’s favorite castle playground!

Kids Expo

12 to 4 p.m. May 17

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

Bring the kids out to this great, free event by the Frederick News-Post at Harry Grove Stadium on Sunday! Learn about all the family-friendly activities and services that Frederick businesses have to offer. The first 350 kids will receive a goodie bag and event shirt. First 500 kids get a free pack of sports or Pokemon cards from Kevin’s Cards! The first 150 kids will receive a FREE general admission ticket to a future 2026 Frederick Keys season game! At the Kids Expo, enjoy the free Kids Zone, meet mascots Keyote from the Keys and Milkshake from Flying Cows, face painting, balloon artist, games, prizes and much more! The event is free, but register on EventBrite.com for a chance to win!

Yes, AND: Introduction to Improv! 1:20 to 2:30 p.m. May 17

Urbana Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick Free

For youth ages 13 to 25, check out this event! Professional improvisers and comedians will be at the Urbana Library to teach your teens and young adults how to improvise on the spot! 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

Moon Valley Farm

Moon Valley Farm will hold its annual Strawberry Festival.

GETAWAYS Does Albania live up to the hype?

BY NATALIE B. COMPTON

The Washington Post

SHKODËR COUNTY, Albania — The clips usually start with water, ice blue or aquamarine, always impossibly clear.

They may show a rippled lake surrounded by high-drama mountains or an immaculate beach decorated with neat rows of umbrellas. A drone shot may zoom across an empty shoreline.

There’s often a dare: Can you believe this is Albania?

I wasn’t sure I could.

Over the past five years, my Instagram feed has seen an increasing drip of Albania content. Friends, travel writers and strangers all insisted that it was the perfect “destination dupe” for Italy, Croatia or Greece. You could have the best of everything, they said — food, nature, nightlife — at a fraction of the cost and without the crowds. Here was the solution for Europe’s overtourism problem.

I wanted to believe, but it sounded too good to be true. So I was having mixed feelings as I began the Albanian leg of a Balkan road trip this summer.

My husband, Dan, and I had been on a hot streak since we picked up a camper van in Croatia. We spent a spectacular day on the island of Hvar floating in the sparkling Adriatic, eating seafood pasta and drinking local wine. We found quiet camping and great swimming on the Peljesac peninsula. We had been awestruck by Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor. What came next was completely unknown to us. Would Albania live up to the hype?

Glassy lakes and green hills

Our plan was to start in the north, but we weren’t sticking to a tight schedule.

The camper van allowed us to be flexible with our movements, so we made much of our itinerary on the fly. We had taken an inland route to start our trip in Shkodër County, a region famous for its mountains, lakes, farm stays and hiking, as well as its history; the city of Shkodër is recognized as one of the country’s most significant cultural centers. It was supposed to be much quieter than Albanian beaches in the south, where the majority of the country’s tourism is concentrated — like Italy’s Umbria region vs. Amalfi.

More than 11.6 million international tourists visited Albania in 2024, up more than 82 percent from 2019, according to the country’s Institute of Statistics. (Croatia still drew nearly twice as many visitors as Albania, Greece about three times as many and Italy roughly six times more.)

Officials are anticipating a higher num-

ber for 2025; they’ve already recorded almost 9 million foreign visitors between January and August.

The Tourism Ministry has said the country wants to emphasize sustainable tourism over mass tourism and is trying to balance private interests with public beach access. But development is booming, with major infrastructure projects, such as the new Vlora International Airport, which is scheduled to open to commercial flights this year, and Jared Kushner’s controversial luxury resorts.

There was no indication that we were in one of Europe’s next hot spots as we drove through Shkodër. In an expanse of farmland surrounded by dry, rocky hills, there were few other cars on the road and the occasional tractor. It felt more indicative of Albania’s complicated past; from the 1940s to the 1980s, the communist government largely banned contact with the outside world.

We rolled from paved road to gravel, weaving through countryside and villages, past tobacco farms and mosques until we reached Bujtina Rragam, a new guesthouse and restaurant I found on Google Maps that had promising reviews.

Beyond a dusty parking lot, we found

a few renovated stone buildings clustered around a manicured lawn; beyond a long deck with wooden tables and chairs, a view of a glassy lake and layers of green hills.

Our room was huge but cozy, with colorful local textiles, high wood-beam ceilings, a fireplace and a balcony. For $90 a night, our reservation also came with a lavish breakfast buffet. We had struck gold.

Opening up post-communism

We put our stuff down and followed a beautifully laid stone path to the water, where two men were finishing a deck. One of them was the hotel’s owner, Florian Ahmataj.

Not only had he built the deck, but Ahmataj had also done the construction for the rest of the property, from the stone paths to the wood-beam ceilings we had admired in our room. He’s a contractor in New York, where he has lived with his family since leaving Albania for the United States in 2004. The property, Ahmataj told me, was a love letter to his homeland.

“I am from here,” he said. “I had to do something for my country.”

Ahmataj told me that his ancestors had lived on the land for centuries, but it was only recently that he had the idea to transform it into a business.

Five years ago, he started noticing tourists coming to Albania. Sometimes, they would trickle over to his village; cyclists would stop by asking how to get down to the lake, but there wasn’t easy access. Ahmataj decided he would build a path, and a restaurant, and a hotel.

Now open a year, the restaurant, which serves traditional food, regularly gets packed between Albanian and foreign visitors, and the hotel is off to a strong start, Ahmataj said. He hopes that more people in the area will follow suit and start more tourism businesses, and that the local government will do more to support his vision. He recently installed some solar-paneled streetlights himself.

“I love when I see tourists coming to visit us,” he said.

We had planned to stay one night at Bujtina Rragam. But we couldn’t leave.

We extended another day, which gave us the chance to walk to Ahmataj’s cousin’s restaurant down the road for lunch. For about $40, we drank cold Korçë beers with a lavish spread of cheese,

Photos by Natalie Compton/The Washington Post

The author spent a third of her trip in Albania along the coast, and the rest inland exploring hill country and agricultural regions.

pickles, fried potatoes and crudités, plus sweet slices of watermelon and cups of espresso. The star of the meal was a fresh fish caught from the lake, where we took long swims each afternoon.

And unlike Lake Como, we had it all to ourselves.

Peek into a crowded future

The 186 miles from Shkodër to our beach destination were part easy highway, part hair-raising mountain roads. We had heard driving in Albania was not for the weak.

The U.S. Embassy notes that traffic-related accidents in Albania are higher than in other Eastern and Central European countries. The British government’s travel advice website is equally sobering: “Driving can be very hazardous and often aggressive and erratic.” It felt that way when drivers passed us on blind turns and cliffside roads.

But we made it to the coast and continued down toward the town of Himarë, which was supposed to be calmer than some of the bigger beach cities, such as Vlorë, Durrës or Sarandë.

As we drove along the highway, the Ionian Sea dazzled in the horizon. Above the shimmering water, there were cranes and construction sites for new residential communities, hotels and resorts. It was taking a toll on some visitors; hotel reviews in the area were peppered with construction noise complaints.

Pulling into Himäre was a shock to the system after our peaceful days in Rragam. The town’s shoreline was covered in symmetrical rows of umbrellas. Every other beach club had a competing playlist. There was traffic.

But like Instagram had promised, the actual beach was a dead ringer for parts of Italy or Greece; the water was strikingly clear, and the sun beds were plentiful.

Accommodations in town ranged from budget hostels to luxury hotels that cost hundreds per night. We checked in to a guesthouse in a hillside neighborhood that was a steep climb up from the main drag. Our room cost only $49 per night, but it was small, spartan and dark compared with the sunny photos I had seen online. On the plus side, it was a short walk from the beach.

The owner told us that most of her customers are European, but she hopes more Americans will come. In the meantime, a French family in the room next to ours would be staying for two weeks.

At dusk, the waterfront was teeming with families, couples and vendors. Tourists hauled backpacks and rolled luggage. People looked happy, despite the clashing sound of establishments blaring their own music. Boat tour salespeople angled for customers. There were mobile ATM vans, pizzerias, tourist shops, arcade games.

For dinner, we found a seafood restaurant in town with positive reviews online. The meal was mediocre, like a tourist trap

you would find in Split, Croatia, or Santorini, Greece.

A feast for two — for $60

We had gotten a tip about Livadhi Beach, which was still in the region of Himarë but allegedly less developed than the town proper and only a few miles north.

At Camping Moskato, only a parking lot separated us from the beach. We paid $35 to park our van under an olive tree, and we could walk to the ocean in under three minutes. It had clean showers, a laundry unit, and a restaurant where you could get coffee in the morning and draft beer in a frozen mug at night.

Owner Vasili Joshi told us that his family has owned the Moskato land for generations, but they only started using it commercially in the past decade. First, they used it as a parking lot for beachgoers. By 2015, he saw a huge uptick in visitors and decided to build out the campground. Developers saw the same potential.

Hotels have sprung up around the camp; a nearby luxury hotel runs for more than $300 per night during peak season. Beach clubs compete for space, and some reviews now complain that Livadhi is “very overrun by sun lounges.”

While Joshi says he has benefited directly from the growth of tourism, he also has concerns. He has seen prices skyrocket for locals and visitors alike; he’s worried about corruption and becoming too dependent on an industry that relies on

the whims of foreign travelers’ appetite for vacation. Mostly, he’s worried about being pushed out by the government or developers.

“Maybe one day they will come and say, ‘Yeah, we have a big project … and you have to go away,’” he said.

Before we left, Joshi sent us off with travel tips and a gallon of raki, Albania’s traditional liquor, that his mother had made.

We spent the afternoon hiking between stone beaches — one that took a decent trek to reach but felt like being on a secret island; no commercial sun beds, just a hut with grill going, serving cocktails.

Back near Livadhi, at Blue Bay Restaurant, we ate small, fried local fish; a salad of orange slices, olives and white onion; seafood pasta; and a plate of boiled wild greens called nena. Add the wine and a round of espresso, and it came out to $60, one of our most expensive meals — and still far less expensive than what I’ve encountered in Puglia, Italy; Mallorca, Spain; or even Malta. It was also one of our best.

More than a ‘dupe’

From Livadhi, we returned inland, driving past the city of Berat, known for its white Ottoman houses that line the Osum River, to spend the night camping at the lovely Alpeta Agrotourism & Winery in Roshnik. Then it was back to Tirana to return the van and stay at an airport

hotel — a harsh ending to our Balkan adventure.

A week wasn’t nearly enough. We never made it to the country’s tallest peaks, its most remote villages or even to one of the two “Blue Eye” springs — famous jewel-toned pools where icy water bubbles up from caves so deep divers still haven’t found the bottom. There are idyllic beaches you can reach only by boat and ruins older than Rome that we didn’t have time to see.

What we did find was more than a “dupe.”

When friends ask us about our trip to Albania, we don’t tell them it was like Italy or Greece.

We tell them about Bujtina Rragam: the pleasure of waking up in a rural village surrounded by mountains and farmland, and walking across the grass to a breakfast spread of fresh cheese, produce from neighboring farms, and chewy fried dough dipped in local honey and fig jam. How I had one of the most memorable swims of my life in a lake to ourselves.

We tell them about sharing the road with a goat herder and his flock. About white-knuckling the drive to the coast. About being dumbfounded by the color of the water at Livadhi Beach.

That we were most disappointed when we were surrounded by new hotels and beach clubs made in the image of other places. We were happiest when Albania felt like Albania.

Lunch at Blue Bay Restaurant and Bar, a short walk from Livadhi Beach in Albania’s HimarÎ region.

”Mechanics and Infrastructure” — through May 15, Links Bridge Vineyards, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont. Park of the vineyards Wine and Art Series. An exhibit of artwork by Gillian Collins. This is a unique and beautiful exhibit of paintings of mechanical systems. They are common devices and machines that surround us every day and upon which our modern lives are dependent — yet these things are rarely celebrated and go practically unnoticed. Collins brings a new attention and perspective to everyday hardware components. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 301-602-5733 or linksbridgevineyards.com.

”The Language of Glass” — through May 24, Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E, Bethesda. Works by the National Capital Art Glass Guild. Gallery hours are 3-8 p.m. Fridays, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays. 301-215-7990 or bethesda.org/gallery-b.

”Inspired by Claire” — through May 29, City Hall, 101 N. Court St., Frederick. Honoring the legendary fashion designer and Frederick native Claire McCardell (1905-1958). The artists are Colleen Clapp, Marion Griffin, Jane Dunsmore, Linda Moran, Karen Peacock, Mary Ryan Reeves, Cristy Stup and Sarah Hempl Irani. All art on display is for sale. Exhibit hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. frederickartclub.com.

”Portals & Sanctuaries” — through May 31, The Artists Gallery, 501 N. Market St., Frederick. Suzanne Lago Arthur’s solo exhibition is inspired primarily by her travels to Spain and Japan (defined as “Portals”) and the domestic interiors of her life (“Sanctuaries”), the latter painted mostly from direct observation which she considers a meditative practice. Many of the oil paintings have been painted in a limited palette which adds to the atmosphere of her work. Artists reception 3-4 p.m. May 28. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. 301-228-9860 or theartistsgalleryfrederick.com.

”Water & Vessels” — through May 31, NOMA Gallery, 437 N. Market St., Frederick. Water paintings by Caroline Mayer and ceramic vessels by Jennifer Bernhard. Hours are noon-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday.

”Rain & Shine” — through May 31, GALLERY 322, 322 N. Market St., Frederick. Exhibit features works that explore nature’s duality through artistic interpretations of shadow, reflection and renewal, celebrating the rhythm of the elements from quiet downpours to sun-drenched landscapes. Features regional artists Lissa Abrams, Michael Douglas Jones, Jan Kaufman, Linda Kirvan, Ann Schaefer, Anne Gibson Snyder, Russ Schofield, Tom Ritchie, and Homer Yost, along

The “INSPIRED! 2026 Art Show & Sale” runs May 2 to 31 at BlackRock Crnter for the Arts featuring work by some 40 artists. Shown here, “Inherited Boundaries,” by Tetiana Sulima.

with associate artists Carol Cowie, Deborah Lovelace Richardson, Jane Knighton, and Karen Winston-Levin. Hours are 4-7 p.m. Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. gallery322@gmail.com, gallery322.com.

”Diffused & Defined: Landscapes in Contrast” — through May 31, Eastside Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Sonja Mishalanie and Kathryn Phebus pair their artwork this month. This exhibition pairs two approaches to landscape: one atmospheric and softened, the other bold and vividly simplified. Together, the works explore how the terrain can be both felt and defined, inviting viewers to see landscape through shifting light, color, and perception. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. eastsideartistsgallery.com. ”INSPIRED!” Art Show & Sale —

ings were completed. 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.

”The Language of Flowers” — through June 28, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Acrylic and mixed media with enbroidery by Ali Wunder. Drawing from her collection of vintage and heirloom textiles, Wunder’s paintings include embroidery, fabric and pattern tissue, which she says are more than embellishment, they are a means of preserving not just beauty but belonging. 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.

”Invitation” — through June 28, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Paintings by Lorena Long, inspired by the poem by Mary Oliver, echoing its gentle call to pay attention. 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.

through May 31, BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. Award-winning painters, photographers, mixed media artists, ceramicists, fiber artists, and more! Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. 301-528-2260 or alog. org.

”Different Drummer” — through June 28, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Art exhibit by Ted Luck. Call 301-473-7680 or email gallery@frederickuu.org for gallery hours or to request and appointment to view the show.

”2 by 2” — through June 28, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. This watercolor series, by Scott Ponemone, of couples’ portraits began in 2017, continued through the COVID pandemic, and concluded in 2025 after 86 paint-

2026 National Juried Exhibition — through July 12, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Works in a variety of media. The Delaplaine’s annual juried show features works by artists from around the region and the nation. 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.

”Light & Shadows Provide Inspiration” — through July 28, Washington County Arts Council, 34 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. An exhibit by the Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association. Opening reception 4-6 p.m. May 30. Parking at the A&E parking deck, 25 Renaissance Way, Hagerstown. 11 a.m.7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Tuesday by appointment only. 301791-3132, washingtoncountyarts.com.

Courtesy photo

A mixed-media piece by Seth Kalish Essex.

Frederick Arts Council names winner of Flying Cows jersey design contest THEATER Ardeo Theatre Company presents ‘Who’s

The Frederick Arts Council and the Frederick Flying Cows held a public art contest to choose a jersey design for an upcoming basketball game — and Shreya Kumar came out on top.

Kumar’s design will be worn during the May 30 game. Submissions were accepted throughout the fall from all ages and were displayed along the upper halls of the Y Arts Center, 115 E. Church St., Frederick, and via an online platform.

A reception was held to announce the top winners and celebrate the many creative submissions from throughout the community.

Kate Marshall placed second and Daniel Keller placed third.

“We had an array of different jersey design submissions. The creativity that went into this project was incredible and we are very excited to see Shreya’s design come to life at the game on May 30th,” said Louise Kennelly, executive director of the Frederick Arts Council.

“This is exactly what Flying Cows basketball is all about — bringing the Frederick community into everything we do,” said Chris Jenkins, general manager of the Flying Cows. “Shreya’s design truly stood out. We’re excited to showcase her work on the court and celebrate the talent that makes this community so special.”

Tickets are available at goflyingcows.com.

Afraid of

Virginia Woolf?’

Ardeo Theatre Company will present the Tony Award-winning drama “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” directed by Suzanne Beal, from May 15 to 30 at Hood College.

Considered one of the greatest works of 20th-century American theatre, Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” depicts a bitter, middle-aged couple, George and Martha, who invite a younger couple over for drinks after a party. The raucous evening devolves into cruel psychological games, verbal sparring and the revelation of deep-seated resentments and illusions.

“For me, ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ is a play about love — destructive, dysfunctional, and fragile to be sure,” said Beal. “It is a play of emotional extremes and intellectual challenges. I feel so privileged to direct this production with a cast who so eloquently embodies both the pathos and humor at the heart of Albee’s monumental play.”

This will be Ardeo’s third main stage production. Founded in 2024 by Maryland-based theatre artists Gillian Shelly and Aaron Angello, a professor of theatre and English at Hood College, Ardeo aims to bring both classic and contemporary plays to Frederick and surrounding areas.

The cast features Aaron Angello as George, Gillian Shelly as Martha, Steven Todd Smith as Nick and Maureen O’Neal as Honey.

Tickets are pay-what-you-will with general admission seating and may be purchased at ardeoTheatre.org or in person at the box office one hour before performances.

The production has a runtime of approximately 2 hours 55 minutes with two 10-minute intermissions.

Some content may not be suitable for all audiences.

Performances are at 7 p.m. May 15, 16, 18, 22, 23 and 29, 1 p.m. May 17, 23 and 30 and 7 p.m. May 30 at the Avalon Theater, Tatem Arts Center, Hood College, 410 Hood College Drive, Frederick.

File photo by Harriet Wise Director and playwright Suzanne Beal.

Frederick Arts Council

Shreya Kumar wins for her jersey design for the Flying Cows.

American Idol star Rae Boyd to headline inaugural SilverVox Film & Music Festival

A Frederick native is coming home — and bringing some serious company with her.

American Idol breakout Rae Boyd is set to headline the inaugural SilverVox Film & Music Festival, scheduled June 18 to 21 across the theaters, venues and streets of downtown Frederick. It will be her first major performance since her star-making run on the primetime competition series.

Boyd will headline a music slate that will include additional acts to be announced, alongside a film program of 125 premieres and screenings and a lineup of industry talks and panels that signals SilverVox’s arrival as a serious destination on the national festival circuit.

THE FILMS

The festival’s film slate draws from the year’s most prestigious independent showcases.

“Joybubbles,” the Rachael J. Morrison documentary that premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition at Sundance 2026, screens as part of the program. “Their Town” — directed by Katie Aselton, written by Mark Duplass and starring Ora Duplass — brings its SXSW 2026 world premiere pedigree to Frederick.

THE MARQUEE: ‘STRANGE JOURNEY’ WITH LINUS O’BRIEN IN PERSON

SilverVox’s centerpiece screening is “Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror,” the SXSW-acclaimed documentary presented in arrangement with Bob Yari’s Magenta

Light Studios. Filmmaker Linus O’Brien, son of “Rocky Horror Show” creator Richard O’Brien, will attend for a live Q&A, followed by a screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

THE

TALKS

The festival’s industry programming will feature Pamela Nemoto, former Starz executive and programming veteran for Amazon MGM Studios, BBC Studios and HBO, on what streamers actually want in 2026; Cherry Graziosi, producer of “Knock Down the House,” the 2019 documentary chronicling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s insurgent congressional run, on finding lightning in a bottle; and Rich Daughtridge, president of the Independent Cinema Alliance and CEO of Warehouse Cinemas, on why the future of film belongs to the people who actually show up.

“This is what we promised: a festival where the industry gets honest and the artists get heard,” said Clark Kline, acting executive director of SilverVox. “Rae coming home, Andrea onstage, Sundance and SXSW films on our screens — Frederick is officially on the map.”

Tickets and full programming information are available at silvervoxfest.com.

FCC student film festival returns for fourth year

Frederick Community College’s Film & Video Production program will host the Fourth Annual FCC Student Film Festival at 6 p.m. May 16 at the Jack B. Kussmaul Theater, located in the Visual & Performing Arts Center on the FCC campus, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick.

Admission is free, but tickets must be reserved at eventbrite.com.

The festival showcases more than 20 original short films and animations created by FCC students as part of their coursework, offering emerging filmmakers a chance to present their work to a live audience of friends,

family and community members.

“We’re incredibly excited once again to give our students a platform to share their films with the community,” said Jason Santelli, FCC film and video production faculty lead. “This festival not only celebrates their creative achievements but also underscores the hard work and dedication they’ve poured into their craft.”

Note: Some films may contain content not suitable for young audiences. For more information, contact Santelli at jsantelli@frederick. edu or 301-846-2566.

Disney/Eric McCandless.File Rae Boyd performs during the final episode of “American Idol.”

April was a pretty good month. It lived up to its job of fostering showers, and things are greening and budding because of it.

Being National Poetry Month, readings abounded here in Frederick — at Artspiration Frederick, the Frederick Book Arts Center and other venues, I’m sure.

T.S. Eliot’s famous poem “The Waste Land,” though, laments, “April is the cruellest month.” Written in 1922, the earth and its people were finding and fighting their ways back to life through the numbing devastation left by WWI.

But then came May and, now as in the 1920s, we are almost commanded to flourish. We cannot avoid a sense of

Everyday Poetry

beginning anew, even more than during New Year’s in January. The azaleas are everywhere, and stunning peonies. Violas find their purples between tree roots. The roses trailing from the rock wall outside my windows grow more achingly lovely each day. And Alive @ Five begins its music on the Creek.

For me, though, the sweetest thing about May happens every time I look up. I see that fresh blue in the morning, feel that early sun touch my face and arms, and understand that any clouds still tarrying will be gone soon.

Sheryl Massaro is a Frederick poet and oil painter. She has authored three books of poetry, all available from amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, Artspiration Frederick and, with her art, from sherylmassaro.com. Her poetry is in lower case as a nod to equality, no letter being more important than another.

Frederick Arts Council seeks artists for Dairy Maid Building mural

The Frederick Arts Council is inviting artists to submit proposals for a site-specific mural on the historic Dairy Maid Building in downtown Frederick.

The mural will be painted on the corrugated steel rear wall of the building at 259 E. Seventh St., Frederick, measuring 17 feet wide by 13 feet tall and visible to pedestrians and passing traffic.

Artists and artist teams within an 80-mile radius are invited to propose designs for a bold, thoughtful mural that responds to Frederick’s character — its layered history, creative energy, agricultural roots and forward-looking spirit.

The Dairy Maid Building, once tied to everyday systems of nourishment and work, offers a powerful site for reflecting on how the past contin -

ues to inform the present. Proposals may be literal or abstract, historical or contemporary, symbolic or narrative. Artists are encouraged to consider how imagery, pattern and color interact with the corrugated steel surface, using its texture to enhance depth, rhythm and movement. Prior mural or large-scale public art experience is preferred.

Proposals will be reviewed based

on artistic excellence and originality, appropriateness for the site and material, feasibility and durability, and demonstrated ability to complete the project on time. Complete guidelines are available at frederickartscouncil.org.

Applications must be submitted via SlideRoom by June 5. For more information, contact info@frederickartscouncil.org.

Sheryl Massaro

“White Barn,” by Sheryl Massaro.

SHERYL MASSARO

BEYOND the GARDEN

Private residences grant access to annual tour

BY SHUAN BUTCHER

Special to The News-Post

For more than two decades, garden enthusiasts have had the chance to explore elegant, whimsical and inventive gardens nestled beyond the gates of private Frederick homes each spring.

The annual Beyond the Garden Gates tour, hosted by Celebrate Frederick, will return on May 16 and 17.

This year’s tour features nine private homes and three public spaces, coordinated in collaboration with the Men’s Garden Club. Founded in the early ‘90s, the club counts as many as 35 full-time members and supports community projects including Color on the Creek and Flowers Over Frederick. Here are a few of the gardens on this year’s tour.

JJ and CANDY GREENWAY

When JJ and Candy Greenway set out to address a drainage problem in their backyard, they ended up with something far more transformative. The full restoration, completed in 2024 by Oldetowne Landscape Architects, will be the couple’s first time on the garden tour, though they’ve appeared on the Candlelight House Tour twice before.

At the heart of the space is an Oregon Redwood pergola with lighting, ceiling fans and heat, framed by wisteria that climbs the sides for natural shade. Ironwork throughout — including railings and a circular gate crafted by Jared Herman — ties the design together with a shared radius and common theme. The overall effect, JJ said, is like “sitting in a forest glade.” Rath-

er than a traditional fence, the couple chose a natural boundary. “We didn’t want a physical fence,” he explains. “We didn’t want to be fenced in.”

The planting was designed with intention: a different species blooms every month from May through October, including four dogwoods, iris and hydrangea, with plants growing at different latitudes throughout the space. For JJ, the philosophy behind it is simple. “Home, indoors and outdoors, needs to be relaxing,” he said. “I don’t want to have to depend on having to go somewhere to be able to enjoy beauty.”

The garden has also become a destination for wildlife — a neighborhood fox, Baltimore Orioles and, at one count, 26 bird nests. “Build it and they will come,” JJ said. “There is a need for natural habitat.”

The Greenways regularly host gatherings here, and JJ is quick to offer one practical tip for anyone planning a similar space: include furniture in your budget. As for opening it to the public, the motivation is straightforward. “If we enjoy it so much, maybe other people will as well.” His hope is that visitors leave with ideas of their own — proof that, as he puts it, “you can have a backyard experience in the city. You can have a private space in a confined city.”

MICHAEL SMITH and BRIAN WARD

When Michael Smith and Brian Ward moved to their home in August 2015, the backyard held just three trees. A decade later, it has become something far more expansive. “There have been significant growth and additions to the backyard since then,” Smith said — an understatement for a space that now anchors his daily life.

Smith serves as secretary of the Men’s Garden Club, but his relationship with the garden is deeply personal. “I love spending time in the garden; it is therapeutic,” he said. “I am outside all the time. I love pulling weeds” — and he means it literally. “The satisfaction you get when you pull the whole thing, roots and all.”

The backyard is anchored by a tree theme that ties the space together, including a tree gate discovered in Adamstown. A nook tucked in the back of the yard features nest chairs and a unique water feature. “You can enjoy listening to the water and the birds chirping,” Smith said. “It drowns out the sounds of the city.”

The garden of JJ and Candy Greenway.

The garden of JJ and Candy Greenway.

The home of Carol Daign and Peter Kremers.

The garden of Michael Smith and Brian Ward.

GARDEN GATES

The back porch offers its own reward. “It has become an oasis. There is nature all over.”

Smith is intentional about the garden’s design — plants are chosen to ensure blooms throughout the season, labels are being added and thoughtful details draw the eye from one corner to the next. He’s learned through trial and error. “I killed so many plants in the beginning. You learn from your mistakes. You learn to read the labels and what zone to plant things in and what needs sun or shade.”

Featured on the garden tour in 2022, Smith hopes the space continues to invite curiosity. “I hope to share the beauty and what you can do with a garden.”

PETE KREMERS and CAROL DAIGN

Organizers of the garden tour wanted to open up the event this year, providing glimpses of urban gardens as well as suburban gardens. “We wanted to freshen it up a bit and expand the array of properties to see,” said Kremers.

Homes in Clover Hill and Yellow Springs are part of the tour. “It also provides an opportunity to see different scales.”

This mature garden, started in 2001, is making its first appearance on the tour — and it’s well worth the wait. “It is an amalgamation of ideas,” said Kremers, inspired in part by Finnish sauna houses after the couple hosted an exchange student from Finland.

Natural rock winds through the property, surrounding a pool and pond complete with a rock bridge.

London Plane, River Birch and Crape Myrtle trees provide year-round interest throughout the space.

“The River Birch and Crape Myrtle are interesting year round because of the bark,” Kremers notes. Sculpture by Toby Mendez and metalwork by Tom Beckley add artistic punctuation, alongside raised vegetable gardens that round out this thoughtfully layered landscape.

SUSAN and TOM KLOC

Tom and Susan Kloc have called this home since 1999. When the Men’s Garden Club reached out about joining the tour, Tom said it “gave me motivation to finish up a project” — and the result is a thoughtfully layered space that reflects years of personal history and intentional design.

The backyard is anchored by two White Birch trees, with Ginkgo, Magnolia and Dogwood also on display. Among the more personal touches are day lilies Tom dug up from the family home in New York, originally planted by his grandfather. A 2021 deck renovation, executed in partnership with Poole’s Stone & Garden, introduced stone columns that elevate the patio and double as pedestals for flower pots. Railings were left off by design to preserve sightlines. A bubbling rock water feature attracts birds, uplighting carries the ambiance into the evening and a natural fence and green border provide privacy — all arranged around what Susan describes as an “outdoor rooms” philosophy.

At the heart of it all is a simple belief Tom holds about outdoor spaces: “Yards are to be enjoyed, not burdensome. They should be relaxing.”

The Beyond the Garden Gates tour draws over 800 visitors over the course of the weekend and has raised thousands of dollars for local garden clubs and beautification projects around Frederick.

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

IF YOU GO

The Beyond the Garden Gates tour runs 1 to 5 p.m. May 16 and 17, rain or shine. Frederick City Hall, 101 N. Court St., Frederick, serves as the hospitality center, with information, restrooms and light refreshments available. Tickets are $30. For a full listing of gardens or to purchase tickets, visit celebratefrederick. com.

Photos by Shuan Butcher

The garden of Michael Smith and Brian Ward.

The home of Carol Daign and Peter Kremers.

The garden of Susan and Tom Kloc

The garden of Michael Smith and Brian Ward.

ENGAGE WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES AND SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER YOUR FAMILY:

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: Run the Frederick Keys bases (2:00pm)

Photo Ops with Keyote (Frederick Keys) & Milk Shake (Flying Cows)

2026 Design An Ad Winners Gallery

All winning ads will be displayed in our Design An Ad gallery. A program of The Frederick News-Post & Newspapers in Education.

Touch a Truck by Frederick County Fire Rescue Frederick County Public Libraries Book Mobile Caricatures & Face Painting ($) Free onsite Balloon

Summer Summer Adventures Adventures

Start Here!!! Start Here!!! AND ZIPLINE PARK

Climb, swing, and ZIP through the trees on 16 different highropes courses with 8 difficulty levels

$20 OFF TICKETS with code: FNP20

Local Mentions

SUNDAY CASH BINGO - MAY 31FREDERICK ELKS LODGE

(and the last Sunday of most months)

289 Willowdale Dr

$25 in Advance - email or call 301-662-2201

x27 to reserve $30 at the door

Doors open at 11:30 Games begin at 1:00

Also bingo every Tuesday - doors open at 11:00, games start at 12:30 KMCNITT53@AOL COM

2026 TRUE NORTH VBS

June 22 - 26, 2026

9 a.m. to Noon

Buckeystown United Methodist Church 3440 Buckeystown Pike Buckeystown, MD 21717 FREE Music, lessons, prayer, games, crafts, mission support, snacks https://vbspro events/p/3816df

CASH BINGO

Benefit St Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Burkittsville, MD

Friday, May 15, 2026

Doors open 5:30pm Bingo starts 7:00pm

$25 per person 20 Games + Specials + Raffle

Event held at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, 401 Central Ave , Brunswick MD For info. call 301-473-5299

HENRY'S BLACKTOP PAVING, LLC

301-663-1888 • 301-416-7229 henrysblacktoppaving @gmail com

Call for FREE est MHIC 3608

JOHNSVILLE RURITAN SPRING SHOW

May 16 & 17, 2026

Garden Tractor Pull

Saturday, 9:00 a m

Sunday, 1:00 Elvis

Sunday at 2:00 Cake and Pie Auction

50/50 Drawing

Fried Chicken Platters both days Sandwiches available

SHREDDING EVENT

Jefferson Ruritan Club

Saturday May 16, 2026 9am – 12 noon

Please note : ONLY PAPER shredding

Limit 5 boxes of paper per person All-Shred Truck on grounds Cash or check donation 4603B Lander Rd, Jefferson MD 21755

PIT BEEF OR PULLED PORK BBQ SANDWICH PLATTERS

Jefferson Ruritan Club Sat 5-23-26; 4-7 pm Beef or Pork on Kaiser Roll; Au gratin Potatoes; Baked Beans, Coleslaw, & Drink

$20 per platter; $14 Sandwich only Eat in or Carry out

Pre-order before 5/20/26; Call 301-834-6165 4603B Lander Rd , Jefferson, MD 21755

SPRING BINGO

Sat. May 16, 2026

Designer purses, cash, gardening/ plants Carroll Manor Fire Co Aux 1809 Ballenger Creek, Point of Rocks Station

Doors open: 5PM

Bingo begins: 7PM Tickets: $40 Call 301-874-5642 www.carrollmanorfire.org

Sold separately Special games, tip jars and food No food or drinks allowed to be brought in.

STRAWBERRY FEST

Sat., June 6, 2026

11 a m to 2 p m

Buckeystown United Methodist Church 3440 Buckeystown Pike Buckeystown, MD Free event

Strawberry creations, craft sales, games and live music https://buckeystownumc org

WEEKLY BINGO

Every Friday Night

Doors open @ 5 p m , Bingo starts @ 7 p.m. Bonanza, Early Bird, Regular, Specials, Jackpot! Small Jackpot-$500 Big Jackpot-$1500 Great Food!

Thurmont Event Complex 13716 Strafford Drive Thurmont, Maryland Thurmont Community Ambulance Service, Inc

Farm Items & Equipment

BARLEY AND WHEAT STRAW

round bales orchard grass hay, revere seed corn, soy beans, grass seeds, 301-606-9221

Yard Sales

CRESTWOOD VILLAGE Neighborhood

Annual Yard Sale

Crestwood Blvd and New Design Road Frederick, MD

May 16, 2025, 8am to 12noon Rain or Shine

Signs will be posted in Crestwood Retirement Village! Variety of items for all ages!

GARAGE/ YARD SALE May 16 & 17 • 8a-3p

Some antique furn , baby items, +size clothing, piano music, suitcases, HH & more 7 Monocacy Court Walkersville, MD

SUPER SIDEWALK SALE

400 blk of Willow Ave Fri 5/15 & Sat 5/16 • 10a-4p rain date: 5/22 & 5/23

Tons of Stuff! jewelry, tools, sports cards, furn , HH, kitchenware, servers, China, collectibles, antiques, garden, fashion, clothing, new items & so much!

shots,purebred,$600, 301-360-1401 jonezy546@gmail com GOLDEN RETRIEVER PUPPIES

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

Hauling needs • Dump trailer available for rent

Services Services

A BETTER BATH REMODEL

CLASSES

Garden Talk: Companion Planting — 6:30 p.m. to at Mount Airy Community Garden , 714 Rising Ridge Road, Mount Airy. The Town of Mount Airy hosts, led by Master Gardener Diane Bayless. Companion planting is a time-tested gardening practice that pairs certain plants together to improve growth, reduce pests, and make better use of garden space. In this talk, gardeners will learn how plants can support each other naturally, from attracting beneficial insects to improving soil health. Discover practical combinations you can use in your own garden to grow healthier, more productive plants while reducing the need for chemicals.

301-829-1424. dheartley@mountairymd. gov. www.mountairymd.gov.

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 to a conversation class 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. 18 and older. Registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/42wsztha. 301-600-8200. www.fcpl.org.

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.

Go Team Therapy Dogs: Adaptive Adult Program — 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. The dogs want to come back and have some fun with their human friends! Join us for more pets and love from

Go Team Therapy Dogs! This program is for adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers. 18 and older. 301-600-8200. www.fcpl.org.

Wish the FAC a Happy Birthday and Share Your Arts Testimony! — noon to 2 p.m. at Frederick Arts Council, 115 East Church Street, Frederick. In celebration of the Frederick Arts Council’s 50th anniversary, we are documenting testimonies from those whose lives are made better by the arts and the work of the Frederick Arts Council. 301-662-4190. info@frederickartscouncil. org. www.eventbrite.com/e/fac-filming-for-anniversary-reel-tickets-1988939407308?aff=oddtdtcreator.

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.

Booked for the Summer: A Book Fair for Adults — 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Attaboy Barrel House, 24 S. Wisner St., Suite 110,, Frederick. The flowers are blooming, the trees are spreading leaves, and the sun’s rays are starting to sizzle; time to book your summer reading plans! Curious Iguana will have the hottest books for the summer, while Attaboy will have the drinks to cool you down. The Ekiben food truck will also be on-hand with the best bites. 21 and older. curiousiguanaevents@gmail.com. curiousiguana.com/event/summer-bookfair-2/.

Writing Workshop with Niki Gjoni — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Dive into creative writing with this workshop led by Author Niki Gjoni. All materials provided while supplies last. For grades 6-12.  301-600-7000. fcpl.org.

Frederick Filmmaker Meet Up — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Vanish, 1009 W Patrick St., Frederick. Monthly networking group meeting

on the second Thursday of each month at locations in the Frederick area. Join the community to chat about your current and upcoming projects, scout talent for your team, and enjoy food and drink available for purchase from Vanish. Enter through 1065 W. Patrick St. fallingsquares@gmail.com. www.facebook.com/ groups/2330506870666939/.

FAMILY

Family Fun: R.E.A.D. with WAGS for Hope — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Practice your reading skills with patient and adorable Reading Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) from WAGS for Hope! For children grade K-5. 301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org/.

FESTIVALS

Catoctin Furnace Outdoor Theater Festival — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Catoctin Furnace, 12610 Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont. Join us for theater under the stars at four nightly performances of “Iron Will,” a tale of American colonists and enslaved African Americans who are both fighting for their freedom. Walk through the quaint village of Catoctin Furnace as the play unfolds. Combine it with a trip to the Maryland Iron Festival during the day on May 16 and 17.  $25. 443-463-6437. ecomer@catoctinfurnace.org. catoctinfurnace.org/theater/.

GALLERY

Brunswick Arts Council Unveils New Public Art Installation — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Martin’s Creek Municipal Parking Lot, 100 E. Potomac St., Brunswick. Brunswick Arts Council is pleased to invite you to the opening of a new public art installation in downtown Brunswick. Join us for the art unveiling and an opportunity to meet the artists. Join us afterwards for a reception at Lockhouse Gallery and a soft opening reception at Messy Bee Studio. brunswickmdartscouncil@gmail.com. www.brunswickmdartevents.org/.

MUSIC

Westminster Ringers — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Tom’s Creek United Methodist Church, 10926 Simmons Road, Emmitsburg. A Maryland community handbell ensemble will be in concert. Free. 443-280-3279. jcoleman0501@gmail. com. www.tomscreekumc.com. FCC Jazz Ensemble I Spring Perfor-

mance — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Frederick Community College, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick. You’re invited! Under the direction of Anita Thomas, this ensemble features classic jazz tunes played by students of all ages. Jazz afficionados and novices alike will enjoy this entertaining performance. Join us to celebrate music with family, friends and community guests during this special evening concert. Light refreshments available following the performance. Register today for free tickets at https://FCC2026JazzOne.eventbrite. com.  301-846-2566. mgersten@frederick.edu. FCC2026JazzOne.eventbrite.com.

THEATER

“Every Brilliant Thing” — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. At once a transcendent coming-of-age tale and a call to reach out to each other, “Every Brilliant Thing” is a warm-hearted, hilarious, heart-wrenching play about how depression can affect a family, and the lengths we will go for those we love. ASL interpreted performance May 22. $15-$36. 301-694-4744. contact@ marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org/every-brilliant-thing/.

Friday May 15

CLASSES

Care Academy Hands-On Skills for Family Caregivers — 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Public Safety Training Facility, 5370 Public Safety Place, Frederick. Join us to learn essential safety skills to protect you and your loved one. The session includes demonstrations and guidance on safe transfers (wheelchair, bedside commode, walker, Hoyer lift use); home safety and fall prevention; Hands-Only CPR and the Red Folder Program. Pre-register, space is limited! 18 and older.

301-600-1234. CaregiverSupport@FrederickCountyMD.gov. www.frederickcountymd.gov/caregiver.

Adult Adaptive Program: Go Team Therapy Dogs — 11 a.m. to noon at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Join us as we welcome the Go Team Therapy Dogs back to the Brunswick Library! We invite all adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers to join us for this fun, sensory event. 18 and older. 301-600-7250. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Brain Boost: A Class Act: Public Speaking

101 — noon to 1 p.m. at Cowork Frederick, 122 E. Patrick St., Frederick. A free lunch and learn! Learn to speak with confidence and clarity in just 30–40 minutes! Walk through organizing your ideas, engaging your audience, managing nerves, and using tone, pace, and body language to make every presentation memorable. RSVP required.

301-732-5165. heycowork@coworkfrederick.com.

coworkfrederick.com/events/brain-boost-aclass-act-public-speaking-101/.

ETCETERA

Bike to Work Day — 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at More than 100 pit stops located across the metropolitan Washington region, . Join thousands of area commuters for the 25th annual free event celebrating bicycling as a fun, low-cost, healthy, and environmentally friendly way to get around! The first 18,000 to register and attend one of the pit stops will receive a free commemorative purple Bike to Work Day 2026 T-shirt.   800-745-7433. ridematching@mwcog.org. www.biketoworkmetrodc.org/.

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/.

Common Grounds: Coffee with Constituent Services — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Frederick 50+ Community Center, 1440 Taney Avenue, Frederick. Meet with Frederick County Government representatives to share ideas and learn about services. 301-600-6083. ConstituentServices@FrederickCountyMD.gov. www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/ConstituentServices.

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.

Bikes for the World — 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at

Brook Hill United Methodist Church, 8946 Indian Springs Road, Frederick. Continues 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 16. Collecting used bikes to be shipped around the world to those that need them. Note: A suggested $10/bike donation helps us complete our mission of supplying donated bicycles to families overseas. Receipt provided for all material and cash donations.  301-662-1727. bhcommunication@bhumc.org. bikesfortheworld.org.

The YAAC Show — 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Y Ausherman Arts Center, 115 E. Church St., Frederick. The YAAC Show is a bi-monthly, live talk show produced by the creative team at the Y Arts Center. An evening of inspiration, entertainment and community connection — powered by the YMCA’s Arts and Humanities initiatives. Every other Friday at 5:30 pm. This week’s guests: Brain Dead Live Concert Promoters and Frederick Roller Derby. Musical Guest — Edward! $10 at the door, free for YMCA members. 301-663-5131. jslaughter@frederickymca.org. www.frederickymca.org.

Relay For Life of Frederick County - 30th Anniversary celebration — 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Frederick Community College, 7930 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick. Fighting cancer takes many things like research, free rides to chemo and lodging near hospitals, and our 24/7 helpline. But we can’t do any of that without you. Family-friendly event with games, a silent auction, a moving luminaria ceremony where you can celebrate or remember a loved one lost to cancer and of course join us for our opening ceremonies where we will kick off our celebration! Register and/or donate online. 410-547-2142. karen.wolcott@cancer.org. www.relayforlife.org/frederickmd.

The B-Street Band (Springsteen Tribute) Live in Concert — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. The most requested Bruce Springsteen Tribute! The B-Street Band is the longest running tribute band in the world starting their 44th year and is still the hardest working and the most requested Bruce Tribute. All ages, no cover. Beverages and food will be available for purchase. 240-575-9755. info@rockwellbrewery.com.

FAMILY

Yard Sale to Benefit American Cancer Society — 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Wolfsville Ruritan Club, 12708 Brandenburg Hollow Road, Myersville. Our first yard sale of 2026 and the storage shed is full! Household, dishes, decor, books, toys, clothes, and so much more. 240-409-2230. bv0586@aol.com.

Walking in Watkins Park — 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Watkins Park, 615 Center St., Mount Airy. Get exercise, fresh air and friendly conversation during a monthly walking group, hosted by the Mount Airy Branch of the Carroll County Public Library. Also June 12, July 10, Aug. 7, Sept. 18 and Oct. 16. Pre-registration is required.  410-386-4470. ccpl.librarymarket.com.

By Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe

Frozen: The Musical — 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theater, 05 Willowtree Plaza #A1, Frederick. Princesses Anna and Elsa grow up sheltered inside their castle. When Elsa is crowned queen, the magical powers she’s desperately tried to conceal from her sister take control, and she flees into the mountains. As winter descends, Anna sets off on a journey to find Elsa and bring her home, with the help of hardworking ice harvester Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a happy-go-lucky snowman named Olaf. $75. 301-662-6600. boxoffice@wayoffbroadway.com. wayoffbroadway.com.

“Romeo & Juliet”: A Riotous Youth Showcase — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Sky Stage, 59 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Celebrate Riotous Youth’s triumphant return to Frederick’s theater scene, their first offering since 2019. Join us in supporting the young theater artists (ages 9–15) performing all the roles in this 90-minute adaptation of Shakespeare’s beautiful comedy-tragedy about youth, agency and all-consuming love! Admission is pay-what-you-will. 301-305-1405. christinem@esptheatre.org. tinyurl.com/md5ybtak.

FESTIVALS

Thurmont Main Street Art and Wine Stroll — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Thurmont Main Street, 11 Water St., Thurmont. Join us for Northern Frederick County’s best party. Wow! Do we have a lineup for you for our Summer Thurmont Main Street Art & Wine Stroll! 20 artists & artisans, 10 wineries, brewery, & distilleries! This Art & Wine Stroll is themed “Preakness” so where your best Preakness Hat garb & stroll around Main Street visiting some of the best artists around, food trucks, wineries, breweries, & distilleries. Judging at 8:30 at 10 Tavern for 1st thru 5th place for Best Preakness Hat Look! 240-741-2600.

mlittle@thurmontstaff.com. thurmontmainstreet.com.

Party in the Park for Ukraine — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Fireman Pavilion, Gettysburg Rec Park , 545 Long Lane, Gettysburg, Pa. The public is invited to raise funds for camouflage netting for the war front. Goodwill donations are asked and a silent auction of items from Ukraine and American-made goodies will be offered. We will offer a word on our present and past support for Ukraine along with refreshments, games, and a craft for kids. This event is sponsored by the Emmitsburg-Gettysburg Support Coalition for Ukraine, a group of area citizens affiliated with several churches and with Emmitsburg’s Sister City in Lutsk, Ukraine. Victory ribbons are provided for donors!  301-447-2690. cathybodin34@gmail.com.

Catoctin Furnace Outdoor Theater Festival — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Catoctin Furnace, 12610 Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont. Join us for theater under the stars at four nightly performances of “Iron Will,” a tale of American colonists and enslaved African Americans who are both fighting for their freedom. Walk through the quaint village of Catoctin Furnace as the play unfolds. Combine it with a trip to the Maryland Iron

Festival during the day on May 16 and 17.  $25. 443-463-6437. ecomer@catoctinfurnace.org. catoctinfurnace.org/theater/. FILM

“O Pioneer” Film Screening + Virtual Live Discussion with Filmmakers — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. “O Pioneer,” a made-in-WV film. Engage live with the filmmakers (via Zoom). Support Shepherdstown’s Appalachian Heritage Festival. This documentary follows three West Virginians — a blacksmith, a seamstress and a hospital chaplain — as they creatively navigate hardship and call us to champion the pioneer within. Paywhat-you-can, suggested $20 but any amount welcome. Advance reservations highly recommended. 304-876-3704. Contact@OperaHouseLive. com. shepherdstownoperahouse.thundertix. com/events/259903.

GALLERY

Artist Talk with Pop-Up Book Artist

Shawn Sheehy — 6:30 p.m. to at Frederick Book Arts Center, 127 South Carroll St., Frederick. A free talk with Chicago based Artist and Paper Engineer of pop-up books

Shawn Sheehy.Sheehy’s presentation spans 30 years of his work as a book artist, frequently peering through the lens of ecosystem advocacy. His widely-collected artist books are pop-up catalogs of flora and fauna that consider such concepts as creature interdependencies, resource use and evolution. Rendering dry ecological concepts in pop-up form—and illustrating them with beguiling images—results in content that literally jumps off the page. 301-228-9816. contact@frederickbookarts. org. www.facebook.com/share/1JA484aDLN/.

MUSIC

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/.

Stages at New Spire Arts: Gregory Harrington — 8 p.m. to at New Spire Art Stages, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick. An enchanting night of Irish music. Led by acclaimed violinist Gregory Harrington, Emerald Strings brings Ireland’s musical soul to the stage with an evening of classical elegance and Celtic tradition. Blending iconic violin works with traditional Irish melodies and modern arrangements, this live Irish music concert offers a moving, richly textured experience for fans of both classical and folk music.

$35. 301-600-2868. dyoung@cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org/shows/gregory-harrington/.

The Wallflowers — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, W.Va. Rock ‘n’ roll is often hard to define, or even to find, in these fractured musical times. But to paraphrase an old saying, you know it when you hear it. And you always hear it with the Wallflowers. For the past 30 years, the Jakob Dylan-led act has stood as one of rock’s most dynamic and purposeful bands. 21 and older.

$47 and up. 240-405-2135. siena.maroonpr@gmail.com. www.hollywoodcasinocharlestown.com/ entertainment.

THEATER

“Every Brilliant Thing” — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. At once a transcendent coming-of-age tale and a call to reach out to each other, “Every Brilliant Thing” is a warm-hearted, hilarious, heart-wrenching play about how depression can affect a family, and the lengths we will go for those we love. ASL interpreted performance May 22.

$15-$36. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org/every-brilliant-thing/.

“The Ballad of Emmett Till” — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Other Voices Theatre Holiday Double Feature, 224B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Based on a true story of Emmett Till, a young black teenager from Chicago and his trip to the Mississippi Delta in 1955, whose untimely death was the catalyst for the Civil Rights movement.

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

www.OtherVoicesTheatre.org.

Oh Crit! at MET Comedy Night — 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Roll for initiative! Oh Crit performs improv comedy fused with Dungeons & Dragons! Join them as they embark on an adventure of twists and turns, bizarre characters, and occasional epic failure … all with the help from you and the whim of an unforgiving 20-sided die.

$15. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org. ci.ovationtix.com/35900/production/1250428.

Saturday May 16

CLASSES

Beekeeping 101: Practicing Hands-On Hive Care with Nicole Huff — 10 a.m. to noon at Fox Haven Farm & Learning Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. This immersive Beekeeping 101 series offers a comprehensive journey into the world of honeybees, blending history, hands-on learning, and practical hive management for beginners.Throughout the course, you will learn how to:

$250. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm. org.

foxhavenfarm.org/events/beekeeping-101practicing-hands-on-hive-with-nicole-huff/.

ETCETERA

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.

Pa Palooza — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at HeartFields Assisted Living at Frederick , 1820 Latham Drive, Frederick. Join us at HeartFields Assisted Living at Frederick for a community pet event benefiting Frederick Health Hospice. Connect with fellow pet lovers while supporting a meaningful cause. Enjoy a pet photobooth with Paws Up Photography, pawdicures with The Paw Pad, hospice therapy dogs, raffle drawings, pup cups, and local vendors. 301-663-8800. jminnick@seatonseniorliving.com. www.heartfieldsatfrederick.com.

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

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.

Civil War Walking Tour — 10:30 a.m. to noon at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Explore what it was like to live in Frederick during the Civil War. Stories include the last Confederate invasion of the North, the ransom of Frederick, and the Battle of Monocacy. Tour starts at the Museum of Frederick County History, 24 E. Church St. Reservations required. $5 to $12. 410-707-1105. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org. www.cognitoforms.com/HeritageFrederick1/WalkingTourTicketReservation.

Crimson & Cream Bingo Fling — 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at William Talley Recreation Center, 121 North Bentz Street, Frederick. B-I-NG-OOOO! Mark your calendars and come join us for an afternoon of Bingo with a twist. Bring your own everything (BYOE) and let’s have some fun with this classic game played to your favorite songs.  $45. deltafcac417.fcacmd@gmail.com. Cruise-In for Local Charities — 4 p.m. to at At Home Store, 1811 Monocacy Blvd., Frederick. Attendance at this event is free. All participants are encouraged to bring their vehicles and a chair to relax and connect with fellow automotive, truck and Jeep enthusiasts. The atmosphere will be one of camaraderie and enjoyment among those who share a passion for vehicles. This event is made possible thanks to the sponsorship of FREDNECK 4X4 and MY Tires.

Adaptive Prom! “Casino Royale” — 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Rock Creek School, 55B W. Frederick St., Walkersville. In Partnership with “Our Dream Pursuits,” get ready to dance the night away at our Adaptive Prom! Put on your suit or your favorite

dress, do your makeup and your hair and come have the opportunity to experience prom! Dance the night away with our DJ, enjoy light refreshments, play a variety of games and snap a picture at our photo booth. This event is geared towards individuals with disabilities. $20. 301-600-2936.

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.

Mike Westcott and Band Live in Concert

— 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. Mike Westcott and his band deliver a high energy, blues, rock, hard rock, classic rock guitar driven show performing original and cover songs. For music links and to follow the band goto MikeWestcott.com. Drinks and food available. $10. 240-575-9755. info@rockwellbrewery.com. tinyurl.com/nhhjb4nd.

FAMILY

Yard Sale to Benefit American Cancer Society — 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Wolfsville Ruritan Club, 12708 Brandenburg Hollow Road, Myersville. Our first yard sale of 2026 and the storage shed is full! Household, dishes, decor, books, toys, clothes, and so much more.

240-409-2230. bv0586@aol.com.

“Junie B. Jones The Musical” — 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theater, 05 Willowtree Plaza #A1, Frederick. Theater For Young Audiences (Ages 3 and up). It’s Junie B.’s first day of first grade, and a lot of things have changed for her: Junie’s friend, Lucille, doesn’t want to be her best pal anymore and, on the bus, Junie B. makes friends with Herb, the new kid at school. Also, Junie has trouble reading the blackboard and her teacher, Mr. Scary, thinks she may need glasses. Throw in a friendly cafeteria lady, a kickball tournament and a “Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal,” and first grade has never been more exciting.

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

Antietam Station Open House — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hagerstown Model RR Museum Inc. at Antietam Station, 17230 Sharpsburg Pike, Sharpsburg. There will be several operating model train layouts in various model scales, as well as wooden train sets for younger kids to play with. The station also has exhibits of railroad history and you may get to see real trains from Norfolk Southern pass the station.  Admission is free (donations welcome) and the station is handicap accessible. 301-964-0469. bblairwilliamson@aol.com. www.antietamstation.com.

Explore Frederick’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. 301-456-4912. boycerensberger@gmail.com. fredericklandmarks.org.

Frozen: The Musical — 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theater, 05 Willowtree Plaza #A1, Frederick. Princesses Anna and Elsa grow up sheltered inside their castle. When Elsa is crowned queen, the magical powers she’s desperately tried to conceal from her sister take control, and she flees into the mountains. As winter descends, Anna sets off on a journey to find Elsa and bring her home, with the help of hardworking ice harvester Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a happy-go-lucky snowman named Olaf.

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

“Romeo & Juliet”: A Riotous Youth Showcase — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Sky Stage, 59 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Celebrate Riotous Youth’s triumphant return to Frederick’s theater scene, their first offering since 2019. Join us in supporting the young theater artists (ages 9–15) performing all the roles in this 90-minute adaptation of Shakespeare’s beautiful comedy-tragedy about youth, agency and all-consuming love! Admission is pay-what-you-will. 301-305-1405. christinem@esptheatre.org. tinyurl.com/md5ybtak.

FESTIVALS

The Maryland Iron Festival Celebrates 250! — at Catoctin Furnace, 12610 Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont. Join us for a patriotic weekend of family fun, tours of the village, food trucks, live music, a beer and wine garden, a makers’ market, kids’ activities, an antique car show, and the exciting 2,800-degree molten iron pour at 1 p.m. on Saturday. You can purchase molds to carve in advance and take home your own cast iron tile. For the full schedule and information about parking and shuttle service, go to our website. A celebration like this only happens once every 250 years! 443-463-6437. ecomer@catoctinfurnace. org. cactoctinfurnace.org/mif/.

Shepherdstown Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at War Memorial Building, 102 E. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. Annual self-guided walking tour of 15+ private gardens. Walk along the streets and back alleys of a town established in 1730, where you will see a variety gardens, watch plein air artists in action, and enjoy a traditional tea with sweets and savories at the 1868 War Memorial Building. $30 advance, $35 day of tour. 304-8763323. info@shepherdstowncommunityclub. org. www.shepherdstowncommunityclub.org/ back-alley-garden-tour-tea.

Gaithersburg Book Festival — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm, 506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. A celebration of great books and great writing that has made its mark as one of the nation’s top literary events. More than 100 best-selling and award-winning authors who will participate in talks and panel discussions, interactive writing workshops, a Children’s Village, book sales, author signings and more. Admission and shuttles from Shady Grove Metro and Montgomery County Fairgrounds are FREE. 301-258-6350. gbf@gaithersburgmd.gov. www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org.

Moon Valley Farm Strawberry Festivals — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Moon Valley Farm, 9700 Gravel Hill Road, Woodsboro. A trio of spring events celebrating peak strawberry season with a rare offering: the only Certified Organic pick-your-own strawberries in the region! The festivals will take place on May 16 and 23. Guests will enjoy harvesting organic strawberries straight from the field alongside a festive lineup of food trucks, local partner farms, artisan craft vendors, bouncy houses and family-friendly activities. See website for pre-registration (required) and details. $10. 301-298-9130. support@moonvalleyfarm.net.

tinyurl.com/3682ubtd.

Quad State Pickle Fest — noon to 8 p.m. at Washington County Agricultural Education Center, 7313 Sharpsburg Pike, Boonsboro. Continues 11 a.m.-6 p.m. May 17. Featuring 20+ pickle vendors, 150+ unique pickle flavors, live music, pickle contests and games for all ages, pickle fries, pickle jewelry, pickle beer. Advance ticket sales recommended. $17.34 and up. quadstatepicklefest.com.

Loco-for-Local Celebration! — noon to 3 p.m. at The Common Market Co-op, 5728 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick. Celebrate the incredible local businesses and neighbors who make our co-op thrive. Live music, sample from local vendors, complimentary ice cream, raffle prizes and giveaways. 301-663-3416. arobinson@commonmarket. coop.

www.commonmarket.coop/classes-events/ loco-for-local-celebration/.

Loco-for-Local Celebration! — noon to 3 a.m. at Common Market Co-op, 5728 Buckeystown Pike Unit B1, Frederick. At our Route 85 location, celebrate the incredible local businesses and neighbors who make our co-op thrive. Live music, food samples, complimentary ice cream, raffle prizes and giveaways, more. 301-663-3416. dmarcello@commonmarket. coop.

www.commonmarket.coop/classes-events/ loco-for-local-celebration/.

Pickleball Block Party — noon to 4 p.m. at Frederick Church of the Brethren, 201 Fairview Ave., Frederick. Grab your friends, bring the family, and join us for an afternoon of fun at our Pickleball Block Party! Whether you’re a seasoned player or have never picked up a paddle, there’s something for everyone — yard games, sample a variety of pickles, food truck on-site. 301-662-1819. info@fcob.net. fcob.net/events.

Catoctin Furnace Outdoor Theater Festival — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Catoctin Furnace, 12610 Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont. Join us for theater under the stars at four nightly performances of “Iron Will,” a tale of American colonists and enslaved African Americans who are both fighting for their freedom. Walk through the quaint village of Catoctin Furnace as the play unfolds. Combine it with a trip to the Maryland Iron Festival during the day on May 16 and 17.  $25. 443-463-6437. ecomer@catoctinfurnace.org. catoctinfurnace.org/theater/.

GALLERY

“Blossoming Creativity” Pop Up Art Gallery at Brunswick Spring Fest — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Steadman-Keenan American Legion building, 18 S. Maple Ave., Brunswick. The Brunswick Arts Council presents a new pop up art exhibition “Blossoming Creativity” for Brunswick Spring Fest. This one-day exhibit will feature a variety of art, from paintings and drawings to sculpture and textiles, all created by 20 local artists in the Brunswick area. brunswickmdartscouncil@gmail.com. www.brunswickmdartevents.org/home.

MUSIC

Celtic Harp Trio — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. Enjoy the musical stylings of the celtic harp, flute and violin. 301-600-7560.

frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/celticharp-trio-187000.

Anderson Brothers play Richard Rodgers with Adam Moezinia — 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, 25100 Ridge Road, Damascus. Virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone, Grammy-winning Juilliard graduates Peter and Will Anderson will be joined by acclaimed guitarist Adam Moezinia in exploring the life and works of the iconic Richard Rodgers, the most successful Broadway composer of all time.  301-717-6055.

jeanmhampton@gmail.com. www.stannesdamascus.org.

Kurt Crandall & True Story - Live Blues Music — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. If you saw them perform at the Opera House last year, you know Kurt Crandall and True Story bring it all: talent, skills, and great blues musicians. Doors open 7 p.m. Beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks for sale during the performance (ID required for beer & wine purchase, no outside food or drinks please). $20 advance, $25 door. 304-876-3704. Contact@OperaHouseLive.com. OperaHouseLive.com.

THEATER

Frederick Playwrights Circle — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 West Patrick St., Frederick. A safe place for playwrights at all career levels to share and discuss their work. A positive, supportive environment for theatre storytellers seeking community. Meets biweekly. 301-694-4744. fredplaywrights@gmail.com.

“Every Brilliant Thing” — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. At once a transcendent coming-of-age tale and a call to reach out to each other, “Every Brilliant Thing” is a warm-hearted, hilarious, heart-wrenching play about how depression can affect a family, and the lengths we will go for those we love. ASL interpreted performance May 22. $15-$36. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org/every-brilliant-thing/.

“The Ballad of Emmett Till” — 8 p.m. to 10 a.m. at Other Voices Theatre Holiday Double Feature, 224B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Based on a true story of Emmett Till, a young black teenager from Chicago and his trip to the Mississippi Delta in 1955, whose untimely death was the catalyst for the Civil Rights movement. $28 adults, $24 seniors, students. 301-6623722. Artisticdirector@othervoicestheatre. org. www.OtherVoicesTheatre.org.

Oh Crit! at MET Comedy Night — 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Roll for initiative! Oh Crit performs improv comedy fused with Dungeons & Dragons! Join them as they embark on an adventure of twists and turns, bizarre characters, and occasional epic failure … all with the help from you and the whim of an unforgiving 20-sided die.

$15. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org. ci.ovationtix.com/35900/production/1250428.

Sunday May 17 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.

Drag Brunch - “Talk Derby To Me” — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Maryland Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. The Divas have arrived and they are bringing the best queens to The Maryland Theatre Ballroom for Talk Derby to Me. Enjoy craveable brunch dishes with refreshing cocktails to keep you fueled for what promises to be jaw-dropping performances. Dance the day away with DJ Sidekick, and our Divas - Araya Sparxx, Miss Gay Maryland 2025 Ivanna Rights, Madison St Lawrence, Amethyst Diamond, & Shirley Goodness and Mercy! Grab your best Derby hat, bring your appetite, and join us for a fabulous day of dancing, laughter, and all things fierce! Doors open at 10:30 a.m., ages 21 and older.

$39 and up. 301-790-3500. boxoffice@ mdtheatre.org. www.mdtheatre.org/drag-brunch-derby.

Yes, AND: Introduction to Improv! (Ages 13-25) — 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Professional improvisers and comedians are here to teach YOU how to improvise on the spot! If you’re a fan of Smosh, Dropout, and more; this is the workshop for you! Intended for teens and emerging adults ages 13-25.

301-600-7000.

fcpl.org.

Film Screening: “What’s the Rush? A Film About Biodiversity” — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. An inspiring 45-minute video presentation from Professor Doug Tallamy of Homegrown National Park. Learn how biodiversity is declining and what you can do to help, including simple, effective ways to create habitat and support wildlife. 18 and older. 301-600-7250. www.fcpl.org/calendar.

Travel Talk: Unexpected Adventures in Puerto Rico — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E Green St, Middletown Branch Library. Join Jaime from Terrapin Travel for a fun, honest, and informative look at what happens when travel plans … don’t go as planned. Learn practical strategies for navigating major travel disruptions. If you’ve ever worried about travel going off script, this session will show you how a detour can become an adventure in disguise.

301-600-7560.

frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/travel-talk-194354.

Zion Church and Cemetery History

Speaker Series: “Frederick Welcomes Lafayette, A Journey Back to 1824” with Jody Brumage — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Zion Church and Cemetery (a property of Frederick County Landmarks Foundation), 8998 Urbana Church Road, Frederick. In December 1824, residents from across Frederick County were in a frenzy preparing for the arrival of a hero of the American Revolutionary War. At the request of a local committee of invitation, the Marquis de Lafayette, then the last surviving general from the Revolutionary War, added Frederick to his crowded itinerary as he made his farewell tour across the United States. Arriving on December 29, 1824, Lafayette and his entourage traveled through the Frederick County communities of Ridgeville and New Market before entering Frederick in the midst of cannon fire and church bells ringing. His next 36 hours were filled with balls, parades, speeches and meetings with Frederick Countians high and low, creating memories that have persisted through two centuries and many generations 301-266-3229. info@fredericklandmarks. org. www.fredericklandmarks.org.

The History of the Middletown Volunteer Fire Company — 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Middletown Volunteer Fire Company Activity Building , 1 Fireman’s Lane, Middletown. Join the Middletown Valley Historical Society when Brian Beaulieu, Executive Board Member of the MVFC, will present the

History of the Middletown Volunteer Fire Company. He will describe the Fire Company’s progression from 1803 until today.Fire service in the area dates back to at least 1803, although the department was not officially founded until January 26, 1894.  Records indicate that a major fire in 1892 at the old tannery made clear the need for organized fire protection in Middletown.  After Brian’s talk, around 3:30 pm, guests and children are invited to visit the Middletown Volunteer Fire Station where he will showcase some of the Company’s special fire equipment from the past and present.  Refreshments served at both locations.    301-371-6410. fboesch@erols.com. www.middletownvalleyhistoricalsociety. org/.

ETCETERA

National Day of Prayer National Event — 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at National Mall, Washington, D.C.. in 2026, the National Day of Prayer Task Force will commemorate two historic milestones: 250 years of prayer in America and 75 years of prayer for America. Join with others from every state to give thanks and praise to God for 250 years of His divine providence for the United States. This date coincides with the historical May 17, 1776, day of fasting and prayer declared by the Continental Congress. Sign up at freedom250.org. freedom250.org.

Face of America’s Annual Bike Ride — 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Tom’s Creek United Methodist Church, 10918 Taneytown Pike, Emmitsburg. This is a Tom’s Creek tradition to host a rest stop for our wounded warriors. The bikers are greeted with applause, waving banners and flags, snacks and beverages. 443-280-3279. jcoleman0501@gmail.com. www.tomscreekumc.com.

Face of America Annual Bike Ride — 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Tom’s Creek United Methodist Church, The Promised Land, 10918 Taneytown Pike, Emmitsburg. Join us! This is a Tom’s Creek UMC tradition to host a rest stop for our wounded warriors. The bikers are greeted with applause, waving banners and flags, and snacks and beverages. 443-280-3279. jcoleman0501@gmail.com. www.tomscreekumc.com.

Coffee & Classics — 9 a.m. to noon at Mechanics On Wheelz, 10601 Old National Pike, New Market. Classic car cruise-in limited to vehicles 1990 & older on black top. Coffee, donuts, music, corn hole, third Sunday of the month. 240-801-3600. tmfo48@verizon.net. www.mechanicsonwheelz.com.

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.

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 302-606-2894 or jacartlidge@ comcast.net to reserve a table for your team or to join a team. $10. 301-606-2894. jacartlidge@comcast. net.

jacartlidge@comcast.net.

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.

Benefit Concert for Community Living Inc. — 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery, 8411 Broadband Drive, Unit K, Frederick. Concert Fundraiser for Community Living Inc at Rockwell Brewery featuring The Northside Blues and Rock Band. Donations accepted for this benefit concert.

northsidebluesandrock.com.

Ernie Bradley and Grassy Ridge — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cactus Flats, 10026 Hansonville Road, Frederick. Bluegrass music.

Mount Olivet Cemetery History And Mystery Tour — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 515 S. Market St., Frederick. Discover Frederick’s past as we navigate through the labyrinth of graves, crypts and monuments of Historic Mount Olivet Cemetery. Tour includes intriguing facts about the cemetery’s origin, tombstone design, grave robbing, mass graves, plus stops at other distinctive burial plots, including Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War. Tour concludes with a visit to the Key Memorial Chapel. Reservations required. (This is not a ghost tour.)

$17 for adults. 301-668-8922. info@MarylandGhostTours.com. marylandghosttours.com.

FAMILY

Explore Frederick’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. 301-456-4912. boycerensberger@gmail.com. fredericklandmarks.org.

Rohrersville Cornet Band Spring Concert — 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Rohrersville Band Hall, 4315 Main St., Rohrersville . 189 years of band history, 250 years of American Independence. By our calculation, that means the band has been in existence

for about 75% of the American National experience. Celebrate at our Star-Spangled Spring Concert. A mix of Patriotic and Americana band music will be performed for your enjoyment by the country’s second oldest civilian band. Light refreshments at intermission, free admission but donations gladly accepted.   301-471-9867. ronmoss11@hotmail.com.

FESTIVALS

The Maryland Iron Festival Celebrates 250! — at Catoctin Furnace, 12610 Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont. Join us for a patriotic weekend of family fun, tours of the village, food trucks, live music, a beer and wine garden, a makers’ market, kids’ activities, an antique car show, and the exciting 2,800-degree molten iron pour at 1 p.m. on Saturday. You can purchase molds to carve in advance and take home your own cast iron tile. For the full schedule and information about parking and shuttle service, go to our website. A celebration like this only happens once every 250 years! 443-463-6437. ecomer@catoctinfurnace. org. cactoctinfurnace.org/mif/.

Shepherdstown Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at War Memorial Building, 102 E. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. Annual self-guided walking tour of 15+ private gardens. Walk along the streets and back alleys of a town established in 1730, where you will see a variety gardens, watch plein air artists in action, and enjoy a traditional tea with sweets and savories at the 1868 War Memorial Building.

$30 advance, $35 day of tour. 304-8763323. info@shepherdstowncommunityclub. org. www.shepherdstowncommunityclub.org/ back-alley-garden-tour-tea.

James Shaull Wagon Train Arrival — noon to at National Road Museum, 214 N. Main St., Boonsboro. The annual parade of horse-drawn wagons, carriages, and stagecoaches arrives in Boonsboro around noon. Volunteers from around the area begin their journey in Clear Spring on Friday and follow the Historic National Road through Hagerstown to Boonsboro over the course of three days. Experience the sights and sounds of the National Road’s heyday as the procession passes the museum! The procession comes to its end in Shafer Park, behind the museum buildings, where you can see the horses and wagons up close. 240-769-0898. nationalrdfoundation.org.

Kids Expo — noon to 4 p.m. at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium, 21 Stadium Drive, Frederick. Learn about the family-friendly activities and services that Frederick has to offer. First 350 kids receive a shirt and goodie bag; meet Keyote and run the Frederick Keys bases; meet Milkshake the Flying Cows mascot, demonstration, more! The event is free, but register now for a chance to win a prize basket valued at over $500.  tinyurl.com/yc3sskta.

Catoctin Furnace Outdoor Theater Festival — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Catoctin Furnace, 12610 Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont. Join us for theater under the stars at four nightly performances of “Iron Will,” a tale

of American colonists and enslaved African Americans who are both fighting for their freedom. Walk through the quaint village of Catoctin Furnace as the play unfolds. Combine it with a trip to the Maryland Iron Festival during the day on May 16 and 17.  $25. 443-463-6437. ecomer@catoctinfurnace.org. catoctinfurnace.org/theater/.

FILM

Film Screening — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Join us for an inspiring 45-minute video presentation from Professor Doug Tallamy of Homegrown National Park. Learn how biodiversity is declining and what you can do to help, including simple, effective ways to create habitat and support wildlife. This program supports By the People: Civic Engagement for All, an FCPL initiative to foster civic knowledge and participation in the Frederick County community. 18 and older. 301-600-7250. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/holdbird-city-event-189156.

MUSIC

Calvary UMC 2025-2026 Community Concert Series: The Anderson Brothers Play Gershwin — 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church, 131 W. Second St., Frederick. Identical twin brothers Peter and Will Anderson are some of the most extraordinary jazz woodwind players today. Juilliard School graduates, they’ve performed with notable jazz orchestras, including Wynton Marsalis, headlined at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, and many more. Join Peter and Will (saxophones, clarinets, flutes) and guitarist Adam Moezinia for a wonderful afternoon of jazz favorites: “Rhapsody in Blue,” “Summertime,” “I Got Rhythm,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” and more in a show chronicling Gershwin’s musical journey. 301-662-1464. jsummers@calvaryumc.org. www.CalvaryUMC.org/concerts.

Wildwood Summer Concert Series: Rockville Swing Band — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Wildwood Park, 400 Park Ave. , Mount Airy. Kick off the Wildwood Summer Concert Series with a performance from the Rockville Swing Band! This unique group performs contemporary jazz big band arrangements as well as traditional swing charts from the Golden Era. BYO seating. 301-829-1424. nhernandez@mountairymd.gov. www.mountairymd.gov.

THEATER

“The Ballad of Emmett Till” — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Other Voices Theatre Holiday Double Feature, 224B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Based on a true story of Emmett Till, a young black teenager from Chicago and his trip to the Mississippi Delta in 1955, whose untimely death was the catalyst for the Civil Rights movement. $28 adults, $24 seniors, students. 301-6623722.

Artisticdirector@othervoicestheatre.org. www.OtherVoicesTheatre.org.

Monday May 18

CLASSES

Mini Gardens: Adaptive Adult Program — 11 a.m. to noon at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. Join the Frederick County Master Gardeners and plant a mini garden to take home and enjoy. This is an adaptive program designed for adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers. 301-600-7560. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Junk Journaling Workshop — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Junk journaling is a creative form of journaling done using everyday materials — especially items that might otherwise be thrown away. You can use receipts, magazine clippings, packaging, books pages, stickers, scraps of lace, ribbon, or fabric, whatever materials are available to you. Basic materials (small journals, glue, paper, etc.) will be provided for anyone new to the hobby, but experienced junk journal-ers can feel free to bring your own supplies! 18 and older. 301-600-7200. bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

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.

Tuesday May 19

CLASSES

LinkedIn Success — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Vet-

erans Service Center, 1750 Monocacy Blvd., Suite A, Frederick. Learn the foundations and how to make LinkedIn work for you and your career! 18 and older, pre-registration required. 240-651-8899. info@veteranservicescenter. org. veteranservicescenter.org/events/.

ETCETERA

Adult Adaptive Program: Let’s Get Moving — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Join us for an hour of body movement activities led by Brunswick local Bastian Browning. Let us warm up our muscles and loosen up our joints together in a safe and relaxed environment. We welcome all adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers for this fun, movement program. 18 and older. 301-600-7250. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/roomhold-adaptive-movement-adults-190773.

FAMILY

Teen - Ready, Set, Grow Plant Studio (Ages 9-18) — 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Spring is for Planting! Learn how to properly plant vegetables and flowers into the garden and earn Community Service hours. This hands-on activity will take place in the Library Garden, but we will meet in the library. Be sure to wear old shoes! If it rains, we will have a craft night inside the library. 301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

FESTIVALS

New Windsor Fire Department Carnival — 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at New Windsor Fire Department, 101 High St., New Windsor. Continues daily through May 23. Food, rides, family fun, nightly music: Morning Sky on May 19; Firemen’s Parade, music by Rich Fehle on May 20; Kittyback’s high-energy country-rock on May 21; country and rock hits with Brickyard Road on May 22; and Payload on May 23. Dining platters in air-conditioned social hall 5:30 to 8 p.m. nwfd10.org.

Wednesday May 20 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.

Antiques and Collectibles: Just the Basics, Please — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Collecting is a popular and fascinating hobby. In this presentation we’ll look at aspects of collecting that anyone new to the field will want to know, including a bit about the history of collecting in the U.S., some useful basic terminology, common types of evaluation for antiques and collectible items, and criteria that are commonly used to assess their value. We’ll also talk about collecting tips from the experts and find out about valuable resources for your collecting education, both online and through the collections of the State Library Resource Center. 18 and older. 301-600-7200. bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

ETCETERA

My Plate Bingo: An Adult Adaptive Program — 11 a.m. to noon at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Join Christina Fritz from Weis and learn about food groups and healthy food choices while playing “plate bingo.” This program is for adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers. Ages 18 and older.

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

Artist Meet & Greet @ Frederick 50+ Center — 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Frederick 50+ (Senior) Center, 1440 Taney Ave., Frederick. Meet and Greet with Mike Legenzov, landscape artist. Enjoy the skies, forests, waterways and vistas of our earth.  301-600-3525. virtualseniorcenter@frederickcountymd.gov.

GALLERY

Photo Print Swap — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Meet up with area photographic artists and collect some new works of art! Mingle and meet new photo friends, chat about your work and processes, and trade some photographs. Prints should be unframed, no larger than 12x12 inches, must be your original work, and can be any photographic medium, including digital, darkroom, and alternative photography methods.

301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/event/photo-print-swap/.

Thursday May 21

CLASSES

LinkedIn Success — 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Veterans Service Center, 1750 Monocacy Blvd., Suite A, Frederick. Learn the foundations and how to make LinkedIn work for you and your career! 18 and older, pre-registration required. 240-651-8899. info@veteranservicescenter. org. veteranservicescenter.org/events/. Talley Talk: Composting — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Talley Rec Center, 121 N. Bentz St., Frederick. Composting is the natural aerobic (with oxygen) decomposition of organic matter into nutrient rich soil.

We collect food scraps from your home or business weekly and get them into the composting process and out of the landfill. Why compost? Come find out with Compost Crew. 240-344-8760. hadkins120@gmail.com.

Spring Flourish Event — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Visitation Hotel, 211 E. Church St., Frederick. Flourish is a women’s leadership gathering designed to encourage and equip women in their work and leadership. This spring’s theme, “Creativity as a Calling,” explores what it means to lead and serve from the truth that God is our Creator. Featuring an interactive keynote experience with speakers from the Museum of the Bible (Washington, D.C.), attendees will leave with practical insights they can apply in their everyday work. Ten percent of proceeds support Faith House at the Frederick Rescue Mission. 18 and older, pre-registration required. $40. 240-310-5166. spaul@cornerstoneforwomenleaders.com. www.cornerstoneforwomenleaders.com/ flourish.

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 to a conversation class 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. 18 and older. Registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/42wsztha. 301-600-8200. www.fcpl.org.

Frederick County Civil War Roundtable Meeting and Presentation — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Dr. Brian Jordan will present “Marching Home,” last meeting of this season. The Civil War visited unprecedented violence on the United States. That violence was also inscribed on the bodies and minds of the nearly 2 million men who donned Union blue between 1861 and 1865. How did Union veterans make sense of their physical, psychological and emotional wounds as the nation plunged into the years of Reconstruction? How did the politics of the postwar years complicate their reintegration to civilian life and personal healing? Why were so many veterans so unwilling to let go of the war and its legacy, and what urgent messages do those ex-soldiers have for us today? Brian Jordan will explore these questions in his talk. Books will be available for purchase and signing for $25 each (cash/check/PayPal accepted). 18 and older.

$5 suggested fee for non-members, free for members. gldyson@comcast.net. www.frederickcountycivilwarrt.org/.

ETCETERA

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.

Business and Brews — 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Cowork Frederick, 120 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Want to connect with other local freelancers and small biz owners, but not fond of “networking”? Join us for this fun networking event with a twist! Limited to 20 people. 21 and older. $30. 301-732-5165. heycowork@coworkfrederick.com. coworkfrederick.com/business-brews/.

Teen Library Council (TLC) ages 11-18 — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Tweens and teens, grades 6 through 12, meet to collaborate with each other and teen librarians on upcoming library events and to plan teen-led projects. This month will feature a therapy dog, provided by the Wags for Hope volunteers, whose pets bring comfort and joy to the lives of others.

301-600-7000.

FAMILY

Family Fun: STEM Night — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Stop by the Emmitsburg Library for some STEM-tastic fun. STEM related stations will be set up for hands on fun and experimentation. Age group: Elementary. 301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

FILM

Classic Film Series: “Pride and Prejudice” (2005, PG) — 7:30 p.m. to at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Joe Wright’s “Pride & Prejudice” offers a fresh and visually stunning adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel. Set against the backdrop of Georgian England, the film captures the wit, romance, and societal pressures of the time through the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. With sweeping cinematography and standout performances — especially from Keira Knightley —the film reinvigorates a literary classic for modern audiences. $7. 301-600-2868. dyoung@cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org/shows/pride-and-prejudice-1955-movie/.

THEATER

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Avalon Theater within Hood College’s Tatem Arts Center, 410 Hood College Drive, Frederick. Considered one of the greatest works of 20th-century American theater, Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” is a 1962, Pulitzer-prize winning play depicting two couples gathering for drinks. What begins as polite conversation quickly spirals into something darker. Secrets, illusions and emotional warfare collide with razor-sharp

wit. As the games intensify, the line between truth and fiction blurs, leaving no one unscathed. Admission is pay-what-youwill.

771-212-9234. info@ardeotheatre.org. www.ardeotheatre.org/events/ardeo-theatre-presents-edward-albees-whos-afraidof-virginia-woolf-2026-05-15-19-00.

Friday May 22

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.

Northside Blues and Rock Band — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Monocacy Brewing Company, 1781 N. Market St., Frederick. Listen to some awesome music as you sip an excellent beverage. Listen to tunes by artists such as Bad Company, Linda Ronstadt, Van Morrison, Stevie Ray Vaughn, the Doobie Brothers, Eagles, Joe Cocker, Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Neil Young and many more. northsidebluesandrock.com.

The Gayle Harrod Band Live in Concert — 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. Get Ready Frederick!! Trust us when we say that this band brings IT!! Belting out Blues, Soul, R&B Motown and original music. This is a night you don’t want to miss! This type of band doesn’t come to the area that often, so when they do, you should make sure you catch them! Food, cocktails, wine, cider and of course awesome beer! $15. 240-575-9755. info@rockwellbrewery.com. tinyurl.com/28vm6dy4.

Event Onsite classes Over 75 vendors Saturday, June 13 9am-4pm Sunday, June 14 10am-3pm