72 HOURS May 15, 2025

Guitars Girls

southmountainspringfestival.com

IT’S STRAWBERRY PICKIN’ SEASON!

There’s profound simplicity in the ritual of strawberry picking — fingers stained crimson, the earthy perfume of warmed fruit and the peculiar satisfaction of selecting each berry at its peak ripeness. This quintessential spring activity transcends mere harvest; it’s an immersive agricultural education, an Instagram-worthy excursion and, perhaps most importantly, a connection with local food sources. Local farms have transformed this agricultural necessity into experiential entertainment, complete with live music, artisanal refreshments and community gathering spaces. Whether visiting Mayne’s Tree Farm in Buckeystown, Glade Link Farms in Keymar, or Moon Valley Farm’s Strawberry Festival (May 17 and 24), you can engage with the rhythmic poetry of agricultural labor. And bring the kids!

LOCAL AUTHOR FEATURED IN “CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL”

Annette M. Clayton, Middletown’s prolific children’s author, proves that sometimes the most profound human connections arrive on four paws. Her story “The Gentleman Cat,” featured in the forthcoming “Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from My Cat” (May 20), chronicles how a foster cat named Milton transformed a grieving widower’s isolated existence. The author, whose own pandemic-adopted cat Marshmallow provided crucial emotional support for her children, champions animal adoption as a pathway to mutual healing. Her forthcoming works include a chapter book series featuring a puppy and “Papa and Pearl,” a picture book addressing divorce through a father-daughter relationship.

BASEBALL NOSTALGIA AT THE LIBRARY

The crack of the bat, the smell of leather gloves — baseball’s sensory landscape captivates generations of Americans, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic region where the sport’s roots run deep. On May 18, the C. Burr Artz Public Library will celebrate America’s pastime. This compelling panel doesn’t just showcase authors — it excavates the cultural archaeology of baseball, examining how the sport has shaped regional identity and personal narrative. Attendees will experience firsthand accounts from those who played under pressure and those who’ve dedicated their careers to documenting the game’s subtle poetry. For more information, contact Derek Gee at dgee@frederickcountymd.gov.

FCC FILM FEST ROLLS OUT THE RED CARPET

The next Spielberg or Zhao might be emerging right here in Frederick. On May 17, Frederick Community College’s Film & Video Production program will host its third annual Student Film Festival in the Jack B. Kussmaul Theater. This free showcase features more than 20 original short films and animations, each representing the distinctive aesthetic fingerprints of FCC’s emerging filmmakers. While admission is free, tickets should be reserved through Eventbrite.

EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION

Katie Powderly recognizes what she calls “The Taylor Swift Effect” — the transformative moment when young girls envision themselves commanding a stage, guitar in hand. Through her Red-Wing Blackbird Records initiative Guitars for Girls, Powderly orchestrates cultural change, one guitar at a time. May brings two fundraising events: a concert featuring The Fly Birds and Katie Powderly + The Unconditional Lovers at Olde Mother Brewing Co. on May 16 and a music-inspired, flash tattoo fundraiser at Classic Electric Tattoo on May 18. Funds raised will purchase instruments for young women in Frederick County and beyond. Stop by to help give a gift that will last a lifetime.

EAT & DRINK

Pick your own strawberries in Frederick County

BY TIFFANY MAHANEY

Special to The News-Post

Pick-your-own strawberries is one of spring’s most popular activities. But what is it about wanting to head to a farm and sweat in the fields picking fruit?

It’s an experience that people flock to do at least once to check out the hype, or they schedule it as a yearly tradition.

The first time I went strawberry picking, I brought my family to frolic with me, including two toddlers. I envisioned the experience would give my kids an opportunity to learn about agriculture and where our food comes from, allowing them an afternoon to gain a strong appreciation for our hard-working farmers.

Instead, truthfully, my 5- and 3-yearold just loved being outside with their best buds: us parents. We were doing something together, and when you’re little, that’s what children love the most. They ate as they picked. Their clothes, fingers and faces all temporarily stained dark pink. They were proud of their collection of their favorite red fruit. The cardboard container given to us at check-in was filled to the top. We talked less about agriculture and more about what recipes to tackle when we got home with our five pounds of strawberries. (Spoiler alert for everyone except parents of toddlers: No strawberry crumb bars or fresh strawberry sorbet was ever made, as kids have a special talent for eating strawberries by the hundreds at every meal.) We had a lot of fun, even with the heat.

I will say, when we revisited another farm a few years later for round two, our pre-teens absorbed more about harvesting this time. They didn’t throw or drop the strawberries into the bucket as they picked; they set each berry down gently, learning they’re pretty fragile fruit. They didn’t pull on the berry but learned to break the stem with their thumb and pointer finger about an inch up from the berry. The staff at the farm also taught us that you pick strawberries when they are fully colored, and that’s because strawberries don’t continue to ripen after being picked.

Most of us weren’t raised on farms, and few of us have space to grow our own gardens. The only way to gain these experiences and knowledge is to visit a farm, get dirty, and pay for the fun.

Past learning, you might have noticed strawberry picking is quite the popular photo opp. Some will come to a farm in a white, square-neck maxi dress with eyelet puff sleeves, pick their hearts out in their espadrille platform sandals, and have a blast with their friends while doc-

umenting their experience in the fields — all while looking stunning. Not the worst idea, really, seeing as most farms in Maryland are tucked below beautiful mountains that lay perfectly centered for someone’s photo backdrop. Imagine an afternoon gathering fresh strawberries but also getting a little photo shoot thrown in the mix.

Even better, a lot of farms know the crowds are coming. So “U-Pick Season” only means these farms are ready to provide you with more than the empty containers for picking.

Some farms turn the season into a festival. Think live music, food trucks onsite, and picnic benches and umbrellas out to encourage your stay. We’ve enjoyed fresh strawberry slushies, a quick blanket picnic under the trees, and walking through the market browsing all the packaged goods and fresh produce.

Whether it’s the memories you’re seeking with your family and friends or you just enjoy the freshest fruit around, pick-your-own strawberry season is here, and it couldn’t be more recommended. If you don’t need further convincing, let’s break down when to go, where to pick, and what to expect.

WHEN TO GO

Only Mother Nature is in charge of the harvest forecast, but we do know the season begins with the ripening of the strawberries and they will be available to pick around the middle of May. Keep an eye out for each farm’s announcement of their Opening Day. You can sign up for their newsletters or check their social media pages.

WHERE TO PICK

Here in Frederick and the counties that surround us, we have some great spots where you can plan a pick-yourown strawberries experience.

Mayne’s Tree Farm

3420 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown 301-662-4320 maynestreefarm.com

Known for their holiday supply of fresh Christmas trees, Mayne’s Tree Farm is also one of Frederick’s top places to visit for strawberry picking. Mayne’s has always been a familyfriendly farm, hosting seasonal events for all ages to enjoy. Centrally located right in Frederick, Mayne’s is a great farm to visit in order to grasp the hype behind pick-your-own experiences.

Glade Link Farms

12270 Woodsboro Pike, Keymar 301-898-7131

gladelink.com

Butler’s Orchard (Montgomery County)

22222 Davis Mill Road, Germantown 301-428-0444

butlersorchard.com

Since 1950, Butler’s Orchard has been providing the community with family-friendly fun on their 300 acre farm with pick-your-own fruits and vegetables experiences, a Farm Market, and popular special events throughout the year. Butler’s welcomes kids to their roam their playground, jumping pad, slides, and much more! It’s way more than just strawberry-picking here.

Larriland Farm (Howard County) 2415 Woodbine Road, Woodbine 410-442-2605

pickyourown.com

At Glade Link Farms, you can pick your own fruits, vegetables, and gorgeous flowers! There’s a beautiful gazebo on site to rest before or after you fill up one of their iconic white buckets full of strawberries. So many generations have enjoyed picking at this locally-owned/operated business of 50+ years.

Strawberry Festival at Moon Valley Farm

Dates: May 17 and May 24 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

9700 Gravel Hill Road, Woodsboro moonvalleyfarm.net

Reserve your tickets to attend the 2nd Annual Strawberry Festival at Moon Valley Farm on May 17 or 24 to pick-your-own certified organic strawberries! Expect food trucks, local artisan vendors to shop, and a 30-minute farm tour of this firstgeneration farmer’s incredible land and work. The event is free to attend, but please register for the fun at moonvalleyfarm.net.

Baugher’s Orchard (Carroll County)

1015 Baugher Road, Westminster 410-848-5541

baughers.com

This pick-your-own orchard is a crowd favorite location. With tractor rides, a corn pit, ice cream, and a petting zoo, you can see why families come to Baugher’s every year to pick strawberries! They grow over 20 acres of strawberries for the public. It’s a must visit destination in the spring!

Larriland Farm has made strawberry season a full day of fun! Pack your own picnic or enjoy the food trucks parked nearby and relax at one of their shaded picnic tables while live music plays. The popular strawberry slushies are sold inside their market where you can buy all kinds of produce and homemade goods. There’s an enclosed bee hive on display and really cute photo ops in the fields!

WHAT TO EXPECT

Farms encourage visitors to call before you arrive for the most up-to-date picking availability and for any weather updates.

Closed-toe shoes are best to wear on working farms. Comfortable clothing that covers your legs is also recommended for anyone who could be allergic to any possible poison ivy growing around. Don’t forget to wear a hat, sunscreen and bug spray. I’ve even seen seasoned-pickers bring their own stool to sit on while picking and a hand towel to cover the container of freshly picked berries to protect them from the direct sunlight.

While there’s no price tag on experiences with your kids or friends, it’s worth noting pick-your-own crops usually charge by the container size, not by the pound. Different sized containers can be purchased on-site; you don’t need to bring your own basket. If you miss this spring harvest, summer’s cherries will soon ripen, followed by blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, and the season ends in fall with apples and pears through the month of October.

Strawberry season is truly one of May’s greatest gifts, so get out there and let the pick-your-own memories commence.

Tiffany Mahaney

Tiffany Mahaney picks strawberries with her kids at Larriland Farms in Woodbine.

Hero’s chicken carbonara is ‘a diamond that’s hidden’

Hero’s owner Elsa Torres immigrated to the United States 36 years ago from Honduras.

After 23 years of working as a chef and dreaming of owning her own restaurant, Torres opened the Italian restaurant in Frederick in 2020.

“We came into this restaurant business with our greatest expectations,” said Adrian Reyes, an administrator at Hero’s who interpreted Torres’ answers from Spanish to English in an interview on April 4. He said Torres came “into this business in Frederick to conquer everybody’s love from the bottom of their hearts from every single person.”

Torres said the menu, full of pizza, pastas and sandwiches, “is very spectacular. It’s all fresh and it’s very high quality.”

“Everything is really, really good because we take care of ourselves and we get the best for our customers,” she said. “So, when they come, it’s not just so they can come in here and eat and leave. They can have that great experience and they can think to themselves, ‘I’d come here again.’”

WHAT’S GOOD?

Know of a great restaurant, bartender, food truck or farmers market? Found a new favorite dish or mocktail in your neighborhood? Let us know! We are always looking for people and places within our community to feature in our Eat & Drink section. Email

72 Hours editor Lauren LaRocca at llarocca@ newspost.com.

Torres said she doesn’t worry about how much money she brings in, and that she “cares more about the workers themselves. This is honest, and this is true.”

Hero’s signature dish is an “exquisite” chicken carbonara pasta with linguine, bacon and grilled chicken.

“We’re mainly known [for] and we mostly sell pizza,” Torres said. “However, we do have a really large menu with a variety of different things to try out, and they’re really good food too. The pasta here is excellent.”

Reyes said Torres would “love for people to know” about the other items on the menu, and said she hopes more people would recognize that.

Torres said she primarily worked with Italian food after immigrating to the United States. In Honduras, she was an elementary school teacher.

She said the chicken carbonara was “like a diamond that’s hidden” among other items on the menu.

Pamela Lopez, a manager at Hero’s, said Torres is “strong enough to take on a responsibility that normally is in a man’s world.”

“It can really inspire another woman to say, ‘I can do this,’” she said.

Torres said she “gives a lot of thanks to God” for giving her the opportunity to open the restaurant and for “opening that door.”

She said the staff members at Hero’s “are my family. That’s how I see them.”

— Esther Frances

HERO’S

193 Thomas Johnson Drive, Frederick herosmenu.com

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 3 to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday

Price: Appetizers between $10.95 and $13.95; salads between $8.95 and $16.95; pasta between $14.95 and $22.95; pizza between $12.95 and $16.99.

Elsa Torres recommends: The chicken carbonara.

Staff photos by Katina Zentz

From left to right: Pamela Lopez, Adrian Reyes, Jose Ivis Hernandez, Elsa Torres, Jose Sanchez, Henry Hoes. Employees at Hero’s poses at the restaurant in Frederick on April 4.

The signature dish for Hero’s, the chicken carbonara, is shown at the restaurant in Frederick on April 4.

BOOKS

Author Mark Opsasnick will be in New Market to talk about his latest book on Jim Morrison

BY COLIN MCGUIRE Special to The News-Post

Mark Opsasnick has been writing books for decades, but arguably his most passionate subject about which to write is Jim Morrison and The Doors. His latest book, “Orange Brick In The Warm Sun: Jim Morrison in D.C.” came out in 2023 and it chronicles where the singer hung out while living in Alexandria, Va., during his high school years.

Opsasnick will be at 5 West Cafe in New Market on May 17 to discuss the book, the band and everything in between.

We caught up with him recently to talk about his research, his passion for Morrison, how the latest book came together, if he would want to write about anyone else and, of course, what’s next.

From what I read, this is not your first book on Jim Morrison?

That’s correct. I’ve written nine books. Most of them are on Washington D.C.-area culture and music. The first book I did on Jim Morrison was called “The Lizard King Is Here: The Life and Times of Jim Morrison in Alexandria, Virginia.” That came out in 2006. That book came to me because I had been a huge Doors fan since 1972 when I was 10 years old. I never knew he had spent his teen years in Alexandria, Va. I found out about that in college and through the years, it kept sticking with me. I thought, “How does a kid, a teenager in Alexandria, Va., become a rock ‘n’ roll icon in Los Angeles with The Doors? There has to be a story there.”

How long did it take you to get everything together for that first book?

It took me three years to research that first book. I interviewed all of Jim Morrison’s high school friends. There was a guy who ran the alumni division of George Washington High School in Alexandria and he put me in touch with about 60 people, including 15 of Jim Morrison’s closest friends in high school. I was looking for what inspired him to be a performing artist with The Doors because he never sang in a rock and roll band as a teenager. He was heavily inspired by literature and poetry. He was very much a different individual in high school. He was a loner.

So, how did this latest book come about?

The pandemic came around and I still keep in touch with a few of Jim Morrison’s high school buddies. I had lunch with them and we were talking about

Courtesy photo

to be famous one day. I don’t know what I’m going to be famous for, but when I am, I’m never going to give any of you the time of day because I don’t even like any of you.” He also said at the peak of his popularity he’d fake his death and move to Africa and nobody would ever hear from him again.

Through your research, did you find if Morrison had an affinity for the Maryland/D.C/Virginia area? Did he like it? Did he ever want to come back?

Nope. Here’s the thing. He never voiced an opinion on anything like that to anybody. He never made any reference to D.C. except in that poem, “As I Look Back.” In “Orange Brick In The Warm Sun,” I do list the six concerts The Doors did in the D.C./Baltimore area. They did play the Alexandria Arena in August of 1967, right after “Light My Fire” went to No. 1. Is there another band or artist or band you feel like you have as much interest in as you do Jim Morrison and The Doors?

Mark Opsasnick

all the information about what Jim Morrison did while he was in Washington, D.C. There was a whole separate life there. So, we talked about that, I got home, got my notes together and came up with a nice, little book on where Jim Morrison hung out in Washington, D.C. It broke down into five main destinations — art galleries, book shops, libraries, movie theaters and nightclubs. Of the four night clubs, three were actually beatnik coffee houses. At one of them, a place called Coffee And Confusion — that’s where he got on stage and gave his first poetry recital. It all led to “Orange Brick In The Warm Sun: Jim Morrison in D.C.” It came out in late 2023, and the title comes from a line in a Jim Morrison poem, “As I Look Back.” I tried to take a different and unusual angle looking at the life of a young Jim Morrison. Was there a point where you started to see him as just a regular person through your research? You get to the human side of him and not the rock star side of him. Did the aura he had go away for you?

Absolutely. Excellent point. Excellent question. People don’t really understand the Jim Morrison story. I’ve also talked to individuals who knew him in Los Angeles and they all say the same things — everything about Jim Morrison has been greatly embellished. In that movie, “The Doors,” they paint him as a drunk or someone who was stoned 24 hours a day, but they say that wasn’t Jim Morrison at all. The teenager Jim Morrison never did any drugs. This was 1959 to 1961 in Alexandria, Va. Very conservative. Heavily military. All of Jim Morrison’s closest friends came from military families. His friends told me they only knew of once or twice where he would drink an occasional beer in D.C.

He was a quiet, loner type who had some outbursts. People followed Morrison; Morrison didn’t follow anybody. He never really had an ambition to be a performer. Two things in high school that he told people. One, he’d tell people he hated rock and roll music. The other thing was, he’d say, “You think you’re popular, you think you’re cool, but I’m going

No, not at all. I’m a huge music fan. I love The Beatles, I love Frank Zappa. But the thing with The Doors is I was fascinated with the fact that Jim Morrison spent time in Alexandria as a teenager. I know my high school years were very formative for me, so I kept thinking, there has to be something in Alexandria that pushed him in the direction he went. I had loved The Doors for 30 years before I wrote this book. It just sticks with me that I can go to Alexandria, Va., and I can go to the house he lived in at the time — which I did do and made friends with the current owner. I have a pretty strong connection. I was never able to see The Doors play live, but I can walk the streets he had walked and talk to the friends he had.

Is there another Doors book idea you might want to pursue?

Yeah, good question. I’m taking the revised version of “Lizard King” and a revised version of “Orange Brick” and putting them together with a third project I’m working on. This is going to draw criticism from Doors fans, but I don’t care — based on what his high school friends have told me, on each album The Doors made with Morrison, they believe there are two songs that they believe are directly influenced by living in Alexandria, Va. They cite examples and they stick out. It’s going to be a lengthy essay. I know there’s no conclusive proof that these are references to Alexandria, but I’m going to make the case that they are and if you think otherwise, you’re going to have to prove it to me.

Downtown Frederick Partnership announces Alive@Five lineup

Alive@Five is a summer-long fundraiser for Downtown Frederick Partnership, featuring 21 weeks of live music along scenic Carroll Creek Park in downtown Frederick. All proceeds from the event benefit DFP, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing, promoting and preserving the vitality, livability and diversity of downtown Frederick.

The series began May 8 and continues through Sept. 25 every Thursday at the Carroll Creek Amphitheater from 5 to 8 p.m.. All happy hours are 21+ events (valid ID required), and admission is $6 per person per event.

Alive@Five features $6 craft beverages from local makers, including beer from Brewer’s Alley and specialty cocktails made with spirits from McClintock Distilling Co., Tenth Ward Distilling Co. and True Standard Distilling. Wine from Atomic 97 is also available. Be on the lookout for special Tap Takeovers by other downtown breweries throughout the season. Purchase tokens onsite and exchange them for one of the week’s craft beverage selections.

MJH@MJHALLPHOTO

Alive@Five is a summer-long fundraiser for Downtown Frederick Partnership, featuring 21 weeks of live music along scenic Carroll Creek Park in downtown Frederick.

Additionally, a rotating schedule of local food trucks and downtown restaurants will bring a variety of culinary options each week. Purchases can be made directly from each food vendor. Find the weekly lineup at downtownfrederick.org/aliveatfive.

2025 SEASON LINEUP

May 15 — Melissa Quinn Fox (Modern Country)

May 22 — Shake the Room (Totally ‘90s)

May 29 — Poehemia (Celtic Rock)

June 5 — Dan McGuire Group (Party Rock)

June 12 — Nick Frey & The Sons of Thunder (Folk, Blues & Soul)

June 19 — Ahzay & The Squad (Hip Hop and R&B)

June 26 — Four Star Combo (‘50s Rockabilly)

July 3 — Honest Lee Soul (Funk & Soul)

July 10 — Oasis Island Sounds (Steel Drum Calypso)

July 17 — Justin Trawick & The Common Good (Bluegrass Pop)

July 24 — 8 Ohms (Groovy Funk)

July 31 — Marshal Fuzz (Melodic Grunge)

Aug. 7 — Guys In Thin Ties (‘80s Anthems)

Aug. 14 — Enslow (Indie Pop Era)

Aug. 21 — Tom Starr Band (‘70s

Dance & Disco)

Aug. 28 – Wild Planes (Hard Rock)

Sept. 4 — Freddie Long Band (All The Hits)

Sept. 11 — Crash The Limo (Millennial Mixtape)

Sept. 18 — Edwin Ortiz y La Mafia Del Guaguanco (Salsa, Merengue & More)

Sept. 25 — Sticktime & The Who’s Your Daddy Horns (Legendary Classics)

Every morning before Alive@Five, enjoy free fitness and wellness classes in the amphitheater. Yoga with Sol Yoga begins at 7 a,n,, with additional wellness classes offered throughout the season. Find individual class listings at downtownfrederick.org/events. In the case of inclement weather, Alive@Five may be canceled. For real-time updates, visit the event page at downtownfrederick.org/aliveatfive or follow DFP on Facebook and Instagram @DwntwnFrederick.

THE FREDERICK MOM

The Frederick Mom’s recommendations for the weekend of May 16

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

The Frederick Mom’s recommendations for the weekend of May 16

Friday Night Laser Tag

5 to 8 p.m. May 16

Adventure Park USA, 11113 W. Baldwin Road, Monrovia

$45 (up to 4 people)

The ultimate laser tag showdown is happening Friday nights at Adventure Park USA! Gather your family and gear up for an adrenaline-packed evening with friendly competition to conquer their 2-story laser tag arena under neon lights! Price includes a cheese pizza for dinner. Additional players cost $11.75 per person. Reservations required through adventureparkusa.com.

Tape Town Car Racing

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. May 17

Brunswick Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick Free

For our kids who love playing cars and trucks, this is the event to check out! Saturday morning, the Community Room at the Brunswick Library is being turned into a “tape town,” a maze of tape creating racetracks, dead ends, and parking lots to push toy cars around. This program is designed for kids ages 3 to 10 with their caregivers and free for the public to join!

Handbell Choir Performance

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. May 17

Middletown Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown

Free

The Handbell Choir from Frederick Community College will be performing Saturday morning at the Middletown Library for all ages to enjoy! Featuring dance-inspired favorites from around the globe, these “Toe Tapping Tunes” are all played just on handbells! Think waltzes, a bit of ragtime, a polka or two, Baroque, a little Broadway, some classical medleys, and more.

Prospect Point Turns 3

11 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 17

Prospect Point Brewing, 5500 Jefferson Pike, Frederick Free

up your hair, grab your leg warmers, and have a night of old school fun. Reserve your tickets at teeter-tots.com.

Storytime at the Castle 10 to 11 a.m. May 18

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

Frederick’s favorite magical playground is hosting a monthly story time with FCPL filled with rhymes, songs, lots of movement, and plenty of outdoor fun for the whole family! Visit Sophie and Madigan’s Playground this Sunday at 10 a.m. or any of the other Sundays listed here at the same time: April 13, May 18, June 15, July 20, Aug. 17, Sept. 21, and Oct. 19.

Kids Expo

12 to 4 p.m. May 18

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

This Sunday, it’s the Kids Expo at Nymeo Field! Engage with a ton of local businesses and learn about the family-friendly activities and services they offer. Enjoy a free Kids Zone, face painting, fun demonstrations, and kids can run the bases! Meet Keyote from the Frederick Keys and Milkshake from The Flying Cows. The first 250 kids will receive a goodie bag and event shirt. All kids will receive a free general admission ticket for a future 2025 season Keys game. Lots of giveaways, so register for a chance to win on eventbrite. com.

One of Frederick’s most family-welcoming breweries is celebrating their third anniversary this Saturday, and the whole gang is invited! For the kids, there’s a playground on-site, a lot of outdoor running space (so bring a football to toss), and free popsicles passed out at 1 and 3 p.m. Jenn’s Uncommon Critters will be there from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. showing everyone their adoptable lizards and other furry animals. Enjoy live music, the views and the brews! Two food trucks will be there or bring your own picnic. Plenty of seating, but guests can also bring lawn chairs and a pop-up tent.

Sprummer Fun Fest: Carnival of Colors

2 to 7 p.m. May 17

Sri Bhaktha Anjaneya Temple, 4143

Ayodhya Way, Ijamsville

$8/person, free for kids under 3

Check out this colorful fundraising fes-

tival at the Hindu Temple this Saturday to celebrate “sprummer” (spring and summer)! Enjoy vibrant colors, water games, kites, fireworks, traditional live music, an epic DJ, face painting, delicious street food and many surprises for all ages! Ticket includes a color pack! Reserve your spot at sbat.org. •••

Babies in the 80s Family Party 5 to 7:30 p.m. May 17

Teeter Tots Music ‘n Motion, 5500 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick $25/child, parents are free Saturday evening, head to the FSK Mall and show your kids what the 80s were like at this family retro party at Teeter Tots! Dress up as Madonna, Marty McFly, or a Cabbage Patch kid and dance to kid-appropriate 80s jams. Enjoy some totally awesome 80s-themed crafts, costume contest, and throwback snacks like bologna sandwiches and Kool-Aid. Tease

Piggy Yoga

6:30 to 8 p.m. May 18

Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch, 6521 Holter Road, Middletown

$35/adult, $20/child

Animal lovers and wellness enthusiasts, get ready for the most adorable yoga class ever! Try a 90-min. yoga session with instructor Cindy Burdette and have curlytailed piggies as your mat companions. Stretch, breathe, and giggle by the pond as piglets waddle their way through your Sunday moment of zen. Bring your own yoga mat and water bottle. Adults 21+ can bring wine for post-yoga relaxation. Head to jumbos.org to sign up.

Tiffany Mahaney is at least a fifth-generation native to Frederick County, and she now proudly raises her own family here. She is the owner of The Frederick Mom on Instagram. Follow her @thefrederickmom.

TIFFANY MAHANEY

Tiffany Mahaney

Adventure Park USA offers laser tag.

A taste of the classics: Chocolate for book lovers

BY JENNIFER LEE

Special to The News-Post

Who doesn’t love savoring the taste of handmade chocolate while reading a favorite book? Or, better yet, unwrapping a chocolate bar that tells of classic tales?

Geri E. Gallas, owner of Open Book Chocolates, whose office is based in Frederick, has figured out how to bring classic stories alive one bite at a time with her literary-based chocolate bars.

Open Book Chocolates is a small, Maryland-based, woman-owned business that specializes in handmade, bean-to-bar, fair-trade chocolate bars and sets fire to ordinary chocolate with literary-inspired flavors.

“From the bilberries Jane Eyre gathers on the heath to the ever-present tea shared by Holmes and Watson, [Open Book Chocolates’] flavors embody the stories, characters and themes of … the classics,” the company states on its website.

idea through a Kickstarter campaign in 2017. She continued with five more fundraising campaigns through Kickstarter to add more flavors to the growing literature classic chocolates and plans to launch another campaign in the fall.

“I’ve never seen a chocolate company that has a theme like this before,” she said, “and I had noticed that there are a lot of independent bookstores who carry chocolate bars. So the idea of combining literature and chocolate just clicked into place.”

IF YOU GO

Geri E. Gallas will speak about her chocolate-making process at 1 p.m. May 18 at Walkersville Public Library. Artist Brenda Silberman, who creates bookish art, and bookbinder Kerry Springle will also be at the event to talk about their trades.

Gallas graduated from New York University’s Gallatin School of Independent Study, where she created her own major: a cross-cultural study of storytelling within film, literature, graphic novels and other media.

“Classic literature from around the world is a passion of mine,” Gallas said.

Additionally, Gallas has published two historical graphic novels, “The Poet and the Flea,” about the poetpainter William Blake, and “The Plague and Doctor Caim,” about a 17thcentury plague doctor.

“I’ve always dreamed of being a writer and illustrator. Unfortunately, there’s not much money in the comic book world — not enough to live on — so I decided to start my own creative small business,” Gallas said. She started the company in 2017.

Gallas has been telling stories through words and images as long as she can remember. Having written, illustrated and self-published her first graphic novel in high school, dreams started to take shape, but she didn’t know then that it would be shaped like chocolate wrapped in book covers.

“I wanted to create a small business that combined my love of classic literature with a really unique craft chocolate,” Gallas said. “Over the years, I’ve learned so much about bean-to-bar chocolate and have so much fun spreading joy through our chocolate bars.”

She funded this wildly creative

Gallas handles every aspect of the business, from creating recipes to designing the packaging to managing the social media accounts.

“I do all the graphic design myself and have so much fun selecting the public domain illustrations [many from first editions of the books] and colors for each unique flavor.”

Gallas even wraps her own chocolates. She uses beautiful, printed envelopes that are lined with foil inside, so it’s easy to slide the chocolate bar into the envelope and seal it up.

She sells the page-turning chocolates in the Open Book Chocolates online store and at in-person events throughout Maryland and Virginia, on top of handling wholesale orders from approximately 50 independent bookstores and gift shops across the country.

“I’ve always been a very creative person and wanted to start a small business where I could really utilize my creativity,” Gallas said.

A self-taught business owner, she has learned a lot from internet research, from other small businesses, and through a lot of trial and error.

She features flavors such as Alice in Wonderland, made of candied rose petals in milk chocolate that tells the story of the Queen of Hearts, and The Raven, a dark chocolate infused with violet — “Lenore’s color, scent and soul.”

Open Book Chocolates currently offers 16 flavors and is in the process of developing another, The Maltese Falcon. This will be brandy and coffee in dark chocolate.

“I’m also thinking about doing a flavor for ‘The Odyssey’ in the near future,” Gallas said, “as well as adding a Spanish-language novel and a Japanese-language novel to

our flavors.”

Gallas has plans to grow but wants to remain a small business. Eventually, Gallas would like to open a brick-and-mortar store.

All of Open Book Chocolates’ bars are made in Reston, Va., at River-Sea Chocolates, a fellow small business. Gallas comes up with all the flavors for the chocolate bars,

then works with River-Sea to perfect them.

“I learn so much about chocolatemaking every time I talk with Krissee and Mariano, the wonderful owners of River-Sea Chocolates,” Gallas said.

Open Book Chocolates has a number of chocolate testers before finalizing the flavors, which includes the folks at River-Sea Chocolates, herself, her parents and her fiancé Phil.

“Some flavors have been very easy to finalize,” Gallas said.

“Others take a lot of experimenting, especially The Count of Monte Cristo. It took us many kinds of mushrooms before we found porcini was the perfect match.”

Open Book Chocolates’ customers keep Gallas inspired and motivated.

“I really enjoy doing in-person events, where we can interact oneon-one with customers,” Gallas said. “We’ve had so many lovely and enthusiastic customers who are thrilled by our literary-inspired chocolate.”

Courtesy photos

Open Book Chocolates pairs literary classics with flavorful bars.

Open Book Chocolates pairs literary classics with flavorful bars.

”The Sincerest Form: Master Art Copyists” — through May 11, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. Special project featuring the work of regionally based artists officially authorized as “master copyists” by the National Gallery of Art, creating on-site new copies based on MFA collection, Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. May 10, 1-3 p.m. Master Art Copyists close-out ceremony and panel discussion; free, light refreshments. 301-739-5727 or wcmfa.org.

“Into the Bittersweet Wood” — through May 16 at Hood College Tatem Arts Center Gallery in Frederick. MFA thesis exhibition by Annie Boyer. Reception from 4 to 6 p.m. May 10. hood.edu.

Wine and Art Series Exhibit:

“Spring Flowers” — through May 17, Links Bridge Vineyards, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont. Artwork by artists from the Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association. The exhibit collection is a potpourri of painting by multiple artists who were inspired by spring flowers. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 301-466-2413 orlinkdsbridgevineyards.com.

Painterly Monotypes & Etchings — through May 23, Waldo’s & Co., 17 Lincoln Square Basement, Gettysburg, Pa. Hand pulled monotypes and etchings by Dorothea Barrick. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays. 717-4296040.

”May Brushstrokes” — through May 25, GALLERY 322, 322 N. Market St., Frederick. Featuring a collection of captivating works by local artists, this exhibit features artists Lissa Abrams, Michael Douglas Jones, Jan Kaufman, Linda Kirvan, Ann Schaefer, Anne Gibson Snyder, Russell Schofield, Tom Ritchie and Homer Yost, along with associate artists Carol Cowie, Deborah Lovelace Richardson, Jane Knighton and Karen Winston-Levin. Fridays 4-7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays noon to 5 p.m. gallery322@gmail. com.

”Interpretations” — through June 1, Eastside Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Featuring artworks by two visual storytellers: Watercolors by Vicki Clarkson and colored pencil by Lis Zadravec. Artist talks: Vicki Clarkson at 3 p.m. May 10, Lis Zadravec at 3 p.m. May 25. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Links Bridge Vineyards will host an exhibition of plein air artwork from the Annual Maryland Iron Festival. Over the course of the weekend of May 17-18, visitors to the Catoctin Furnace can observe iron pouring, blacksmithing and plein-air artists at work. The plein-air artwork will be moved to Links Bridge Vineyards in Thurmont immediately following the festival. For the following two weeks, May 24 to June 1, the paintings will be on display in the Tasting Room. Shown here, “Ruins of Ironmaster’s Masion,” by An Xiao, painted at the 2024 Maryland Ironworks Festival.

703-537-6345 or www.lisarts.com, eastsideartistsgallery.com.

”Old Gods” — through June 29, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Sumner Crenshaw’s paintings pull from mythological and folkloric imagery to explore the inner psyche. The artist brings to life figures from many pantheons, including Greek, Irish, Welsh, Norse, and Persian traditions. Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”SILVER: A Journey Through Space and Time” — through June 29, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Multidimensional digital art and animation photography by Dan Silver. Fusing colorful animated loops and photography in collaboration with technology, Silver finds the process forms the journey of his art, continually inventing a new creative communication between mediums. Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Hinterland” — through June 29, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. This series of paintings reflect upon DeAnna Boyer’s relationship with and understanding

of nature, inspired by time spent sketching and observing various biodiverse ecosystems from the Appalachian Mountains to the Burren National Park in Ireland. Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Tea and Tranquility: Savoring the Beauty of Small Moments”

— through June 30, Frederick 50+ (Senior) Center, 1440 Taney Ave., Frederick. Jamie Moore is a food, lifestyle and fine art photographer based in Frederick County. Her work will be on display at the Rosemary & Thyme Gallery in the Frederick 50+ Community Center. Hours are 8:30 am. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. 301-600-3525. www. essentialquince.com.

National Juried Exhibition — through July 13, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Features works in a variety of media by artists from around the region and the nation. Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. 301-6980656 or delaplaine.org.

Cumberland Valley Photographers Exhibit — through July 27, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. Juried, annual

exhibition showcasing artists of the Cumberland Valley region. 301-7395727 or wcmfa.org.

Crestwood Gallery Summer Exhibit — through Sept. 5, Frederick Health Crestwood Building, 7211 Bank Court, Frederick. See original works of art, including oil, watercolor, mixed media and photography from some of Frederick County’s most talented artists. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240215-1460 or frederickhealth.org/ crestwoodart.

“SHROUDED: CYANOTYPES” — May 11 through June 29 at Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Work by Jillian Abir MacMaster. For gallery hours, call 301-473-7680 or visit frederickuu. org.

Iron Works Festival Plein Air Artists Works Exhibit — May 17 to June 1, Links Bridge Vineyards, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont. See the works created by plein-air artists during the Iron Works Festival (May 17-18) at Catoctin Furnace. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 301-466-2413 orlinkdsbridgevineyards.com.

”Faces and Whatever” — June 5 through July 1, Washington County Arts Council, 34 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Penny Knobel-Besa exhibits her unique photographic style. Opening reception 5-7 p.m. June 5. Virtual exhibit online.

Use the A&E parking deck at 25 Renaissance Way. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. 301-791-3132, washingtoncountyarts.com.

Art Exhibit — June 6 to 29 at TAG/ The Artists Gallery, 501 N. Market St., Frederick. Featured artists are Colleen Clapp and Rhonda J. Smith exhibiting large-scale cold wax and oil paintings and linoleum prints. The artists focus on the natural world as seen through the lens of Japanese aesthetics. 301-228-9860.

”The Art of Overcoming: Healing Through Creativity” — Sept. 4-30, Washington County Arts Council, 34 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Opening reception 5-7 p.m. Sept. 4. In conjunction with Washington Goes Purple. Hours 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. 301-791-3132, www. washingtoncountyarts.com

Courtesy photo

The MET presents ‘Clyde’s’: a powerful tale of second chances

BMA to present ‘Black Earth Rising’ exploring ties between contemporary climate crisis and colonialism

On May 18, the Baltimore Museum of Art will open “Black Earth Rising,” an exhibition that examines the connections between the climate crisis and colonialism through profoundly beautiful works by contemporary African diasporic, Latin American and Native American artists.

Organized by celebrated curator and writer Ekow Eshun, the exhibition features some of today’s most acclaimed artists, including Firelei Báez, Alejandro Piñeiro Bello, Frank Bowling, Teresita Fernández, Todd Gray, Sky Hopinka, Wangechi Mutu, Yinka Shonibare and Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. Together, their works highlight the ways that artists of color are engaging with the splendor of nature as a means of liberation and reclamation, while also offering audiences opportunities to consider the historical trajectory of today’s climate crisis.

“Black Earth Rising” is a ticketed exhibition organized as part of the BMA’s Turn Again to the Earth initiative, which explores environmental issues through a range of exhibitions and programs, as well as sustainability planning. It will remain on view

The

Firelei Báez, “Convex (recalibrating a blind spot).”

through Sept. 21.

“Black Earth Rising” emerges from the concept of the “Plantationocene,” developed by scholar Donna Haraway and anthropologist Anna Tsing, which suggests that our human-made climate crisis can be traced to the 1500s. The 16th century was marked by a rise in forced migration and labor, plantation agriculture, and global commerce as European powers settled the New

World. These currents helped establish the foundation for the ongoing decimation of Native lands and ecosystems, the extraction of natural resources, the creation of unsustainable commercial practices and the social, political and environmental inequities that plague communities across the globe. Against this backdrop, “Black Earth Rising” positions artists of color as central to our understanding of climate

change. The paintings, sculpture, film and works on paper created by the featured artists grapple with the impacts of cultural displacement and the legacies of slavery, and at the same time, many of these artists find healing, liberation and transcendence in nature.

In this way, artists are uniquely positioned to shift the direction of environmental conversations — by both reflecting on the persistent ramifications of colonialism and celebrating the power of nature to offer experiences of extraordinary beauty, joy and respite. The artworks in the show are as vividly colored, dynamic and ecstatic as they are thoughtful and moving. They inspire optimism even as we confront the history and future of climate change.

“‘Black Earth Rising’ brings together artists exploring questions of history, power, climate crisis and social and environmental justice — and who are doing so through artworks of powerful insight,” guest curator Ekow Eshun noted.

The BMA is located at 10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore. See artbma.org for more information.

The Maryland Ensemble Theatre presents “Clyde’s,” by Lynn Nottage. From the writer of “Sweat and Intimate Apparel,” “Clyde’s” is set in a truck stop sandwich shop offering its formerly incarcerated kitchen staff a shot at redemption. Even as the shop’s callous owner tries to keep them down, the staff members learn to reclaim their lives, find purpose, and become inspired to dream through their shared quest to create the perfect sandwich.

“Putting on a show about the often forgotten parts of our social landscape and giving people second chances is something I would, of course, jump at,” said director Rikki Howie. “To direct a show where you see people rebuilding their lives, one sandwich at a time, is both powerful and deeply meaningful. It’s a story that resonates on so many levels.”

The cast features MET Ensemble members Rona Mensah as Clyde and Ray Hatch as Montrellous. They are joined by Nadia Palacios as Rafael, Gifty Amponsem as Letitia, Sean Besecker as Jason, Ayanna Fowler as Swing (Clyde/Letitia), Shaunghnessy Swails as Swing (Rafael/ Montrellous), and Dominic Keene as Understudy (Jason).

“Clyde’s” opens May 16 and runs through June 15. Preview night is on Thursday, May 15, with tickets discounted to $15. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sundays. The show runs approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes. ASL interpretation is available on May 23. Audio description services can be arranged through the box office.

Tickets range in price from $15 to $36. Pay What You Will tickets, starting at $7, are available for each performance while supplies last. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 301-694-4744, online at marylandensemble.org, or in person at the MET at 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

Gabriella Mendes

Courtesy the artist and Pace Gallery, New York

Alejandro Piñeiro Bello, “Viajando En La Franja Del Iris.”

Baltimore Museum of Art

Guitars for Girls

BY ERIN JONES

Special to The News-Post

“The Taylor Swift Effect.” Coined by musician and Red-Wing Blackbird records founder Katie Powderly, the phrase describes the growing phenomenon of young girls being able to envision themselves as guitar players and bandleaders.

Seeks to empower young female musicians Guitars for Girls

It’s a feeling of empowerment that Powderly didn’t often see modeled growing up, but one that she is determined to bestow on a new generation of female musicians.

Guitars for Girls is an initiative that seeks to break down barriers that may prevent girls from being able to learn the guitar. Two upcoming local fundraising events will raise funds to purchase a guitar for one worthy recipient in Frederick County and, Powderly hopes, one additional guitar for a girl in greater Appalachia.

Olde Mother Brewing Co. will host a fundraising concert for all ages, featuring The Fly Birds, followed by Katie Powderly + The Unconditional Lovers from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. May 16.

Classic Electric Tattoo will host a flash tattoo fundraiser from noon to 8 p.m. May 18, featuring a selection of predrawn music-inspired tattoos at affordable prices. The proceeds will go towards Guitars for Girls.

Powderly shares more below about her journey, and her vision to put guitars in the arms of young female musicians. Answers have been edited for length or clarity.

Can you tell me more about the formation of Red-Wing Blackbird Records? What is the significance behind the name?

A new college grad, I founded RedWinged Blackbird Records in 2011 while living in Wisconsin. The business was an independent record label for releasing my music, starting with my 1st LP, Slips of the Tongue (2012.)

At the time, I often meandered a nature preserve called Cherokee Marsh. The calls of the male red-winged blackbirds struck me as such harbingers of spring, especially living in such a brutal northern climate. Their song felt like a promise of good things to come, like warmth and sunshine.

So I named my company after their company.

Shortly after starting my business, I left Wisconsin for a life on the road as a touring musician.

After two years of hard travel, I settled in Frederick, where I’ve been loosely based since 2013.

Then suddenly life changed for all of us in 2020. Somewhere amid the turbulence and divisiveness of politics and the pandemic, I remember thinking to myself a lot “somebody should do some-

thing.” I felt a sense of impending doom. “Somebody should do something to give us something to look forward to.” We felt so divided as a nation. “Somebody should do something to help us focus on connection and the things we have in common, rather than our differences.”

The future felt uncertain. “Somebody should do something to leave a meaningful legacy for upcoming generations.” I’m embarrassed to say it took me a couple years before I had the epiphany that I was “somebody.” I should do something.

So I stopped externalizing responsibility and got to work.

In 2021, I transitioned the business to Maryland and rewrote my business plan and mission statement to reflect my personal and professional growth since its inception 10 years earlier. Red-Winged Blackbird Records transformed from a record label into an independent arts organization devoted to the preservation of traditional American roots music, like my father and grandfather played. This was a way of honoring our country’s, and my family’s, distinct musical heritage.

We accomplish that mission with a three-pronged approach: honoring the past through education, creating connection and community through live events in the present, and leaving something for future generations in the form of legacy projects: musical recordings, video, photographs, gig posters, etc. We also invest in future generations of American roots music via one of our cornerstone projects, Guitars for Girls.

In an unpredictable and constantly changing political landscape, it’s important to me to wake up every day and provide a sense of hope and to participate in creating a world I want to keep living in.

To me that looks like a world in which people from different backgrounds come together to enjoy live music from living songwriters and musicians who carry on the traditions of the past while leaving behind something we can be proud of.

That also looks like a world in which girls front our own bands, write our own songs, and play our own instruments. A world in which diverse voices are brought to the foreground of the musical landscape, and are entrusted to carry on the important traditions of American folk music.

What inspired you to begin the Guitars for Girls initiative? What has been a highlight for you since you began this project?

I first conceptualized Guitars for Girls and shared the idea publicly back in 2011. At the time, I had a lot in motion — releasing my first album, touring, and

Sean Reel Photo & Video

Katie Powderly, founder of Guitars for Girls.

leaving Madison as my home. I was in a major season of transition, personally and professionally.

I took initial steps, hashing out the concept and even hiring someone to design a logo, but ultimately didn’t have the bandwidth to execute it fully. Projects like this are a lot more work than they seem from the outside, and I wanted to do it right. So I decided to wait until the time felt right.

That time is now. Last year, I privately funded the project’s first effort by gifting a guitar to a radiant young girl named Andy M., originally from Kentucky. Andy had shared that her only musical options at school were band or orchestra. She was playing violin in the orchestra, but what she really wanted was to learn guitar and write her own songs.

Andy shared some of her poems and writings with me, and I was astonished. They were more impactful than songs grown men were sharing with me. She clearly had a gift and was willing to work hard at it. I wanted her to have the opportunity to cultivate that from a young age. So when she was 11, I shipped her an acoustic guitar of her own.

This year, I’m drawing on the support of our broader community to widen the impact of Guitars for Girls. I know we can touch so many more lives collectively than I ever could on my own.

How do you think the guitar can empower young women? Can you tell me more about your own journey to this realization?

There’s something powerful and inherently brave about mustering the discipline to learn or write a song, espe-

cially teaching that song to a band, and then getting up in front of people to perform it. The kind of confidence that takes doesn’t just stick to the stage. It spills over into every corner of your life, When you perform, you have to get comfortable making mistakes in front of people. You have to learn how to source your self-esteem from somewhere deeper than perfection. There will be brutal gigs. Songs you later regret. Moments you forget the words or realize you were way off-key. You will look back at your early efforts and cringe. That’s an unavoidable part of it. But it’s a crucial stage in growing, not just as an artist, but as a person.

Eventually, it teaches you to be comfortable being seen, to take up space, and to say what you want to say …

When it comes to girls specifically, this is huge. Culturally, we still don’t teach girls it’s okay to be loud the way we just expect boys to be loud. We don’t teach them to take up space, lead, fail publicly, or make mistakes out in the open. We still teach girls to be polite, to be pretty, to be accommodating, which makes me want to puke. While traits like polite, pretty, and powerful aren’t mutually exclusive, we need to examine where we place our emphasis and what we truly value when teaching the next generations.

Playing an instrument, especially the guitar, can flip that script. It gives a girl the chance to feel the elation and pride of overcoming difficulty. Even without ever stepping on a stage, the simple act of practicing, persisting, and watching yourself improve builds a deep sense

The Fly Birds will share the bill with Katie Powderly + The Unconditional Lovers at Olde Mother Brewing Co. on May 16.

of self-trust. It teaches you that you can tackle something challenging and come out stronger on the other side. If a girl decides she does want to write songs, lead a band, or perform publicly, all the better, but personal enjoyment and private victories are just as powerful.

I didn’t grow up seeing girls my age doing that, and I think that’s part of why it took me so long to realize I could. But once I did, I never looked back. Writing songs, leading bands and rehearsals, playing both great and terrible gigs, all of it has made me basically impervious to the fear of failure. When I’m on a mission, I don’t really care what people think. That’s healthy. I’m not afraid to try something and have it not work. I’ll learn from it, pivot, or improve. And that kind of resilience, that grit, has served me in every part of my life, especially as an entrepreneur.

That’s what I want for the next generation of girls. Not just to play guitar, but to come into a sense of self that the process of mastering it helps unlock. To build a confidence through music that stays with them for life, whether they are ever on a stage or not.

When did you get your first guitar and how has that instrument shaped your formation as a singer and songwriter? Is there a guitar in your past (or present) that holds a special place in your heart?

I didn’t start playing guitar until I was about 20, when my dad passed down his 1970s Yamaha acoustic to me. He’d finally bought his dream guitar, a Martin D-18. The moment I got my hands on that Yamaha, I learned three chords

and wrote three songs. Then I snuck into an open mic underage and performed them.

It took years before I had the epiphany that I could write my own songs, play guitar and front a band myself.

That first night at the open mic, a group of older bluegrass musicians approached me and asked if I’d borrow an upright bass from one of them and join their band as their bass player and harmony singer. As the daughter of a flatpicking guitar player and a Scruggsstyle banjo player, bluegrass was in my blood from the beginning. I said “yes” without hesitation.

Not long after, I booked us a Tuesday night residency at a little bar called The Up North — mainly to get free beer. What used to be their slowest night of the week became their busiest. I played those weekly Tuesday night gigs for almost 10 years. But there was a tradeoff. That commitment didn’t leave much time for me to develop my guitar playing or carve out my own voice as a songwriter. Eventually, I made the hard decision to leave the bluegrass band to focus on building something of my own. That choice led me to write, record and produce my first full-length album, “Slips of the Tongue.”

Even though I now play a 1969 Gibson Country & Western named Emmylou, that old Yamaha still holds a special place in my heart. It connects me to my dad, who used to play songs for me on it when I was a kid. Now I play and sing those same songs back to him. We have come full circle. In many ways, my dad handing me that guitar was like giving me a key. It opened the door to a life I had not yet envisioned for myself.

What advice do you have for young girls who are early in their music journeys?

Don’t try to imitate anyone else. Find out who you are, and be that. In full saturation. When in doubt, get quiet and listen to that inner voice telling you who you are and what you were put here to do and say. Not everyone will like you, but you will earn your own respect which is the most priceless thing of all. Somewhere in that process you will become a true artist.

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

The Blackest Crow Studio

Innovative guitar virtuoso Luca Stricagnoli will play New Spire Arts

New Spire Arts welcomes one of the world’s most inventive and captivating acoustic guitarists, Luca Stricagnoli, for a one night only performance at 8 p.m. May 16.

With nearly a million online followers and over 100 million video views, Stricagnoli has stunned audiences around the globe with his genre-defying re-imaginings of rock classics and his mastery of custom-built instruments like the Reversed Triple Neck Guitar and Soprano Guitar.

His performances are as much visual spectacle as they are musical feat, combining lightning-fast fingerstyle technique with a flair for innovation and showmanship.

Stricagnoli’s rise to international fame includes appearances in over 20 countries, performances for high-profile events like Formula 1 and PUBG Mobile, and features in Guitar World, NME and Der Spiegel. American audiences were first introduced to his talents through International Guitar Night tours, where he quickly became a fan favorite and record-setting merch seller.

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

Courtesy photo

Luca Stricagnoli will play New Spire Arts.

Summer Movie Guide

Here’s what’s coming

to

theaters and streaming

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MAY MOVIE RELEASES

May 16

“Final Destination: Bloodlines” (Warner Bros., theaters): It’s been 25 years since the “Final Destination” franchise kicked off and they’re still finding new horrifying ways to kill off their characters.

“Hurry Up Tomorrow” (Lionsgate, theaters): The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) plays a fictionalized version of himself in this phycological thriller about an insomniac musician from Trey Edward Shults, co-starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.

“Love” (Strand Releasing): This Norwegian film about two healthcare workers discussing relationship philosophies closes out Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Sex, Dreams, Love” trilogy.

“Sister Midnight” (Magnet Releasing, theaters): This black comedy about an unhappy arranged marriage and a series of chaotic events was a Cannes selection in 2024.

“The Ruse” (Seismic Releasing, theaters): This thriller centers on a caregiver and the mysterious patient she’s caring for in a remote home on the sea.

May 23

“Lilo & Stitch” (Disney, theaters): This live-action re-imagining of the 2002 classic about orphaned Hawaiian sisters who unknowingly adopt an alien was directed by “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp. Sydney Agudong, who plays the older sister Nani said, “The beauty of this movie is that it highlights the idea of Aloha and Ohana and the family dynamics that happen here along with the aliens and the Hawaiian roller coaster ride.”

ing): This riveting two-part documentary about the life of Paul Reubens was crafted from some 40 hours of interviews and thousands of hours of archival footage.

“Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): A Parisian bookseller gets invited to the Jane Austen Writers’ residency in this contemporary Austen-inspired romantic comedy written and directed by Laura Piani.

“Fear Street: Prom Queen” (Netflix, streaming): Prom queen candidates begin to vanish in this latest Fear Street installment, set in 1988.

“The Last Rodeo” (Angel Studios, theaters): Neal McDonough plays a retired cowboy who decides to return to the ring in a bid to pay for his son’s medical bills.

May 30

“Karate Kid: Legends” (Sony Pictures, theaters): Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio unite for the newest Karate Kid film, set three years after “Cobra Kai” and focusing on a new kid, Li, played by Ben Wang. “It kind of harkens back to the previous entries in the franchise,” Wang said. “It’s a kid who is a fish out of water who comes to a new city and has to face down bullies.”

“Bring Her Back” (A24, theaters): “Talk to Me” filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou return with this creepy new movie about death, resurrection and the arrival of an adopted kid who is not quite right. Sally Hawkins plays the mother.

“The Phoenician Scheme” (Focus Features, theaters): Benicio del Toro stars as one of the richest men in Europe, and father to nine sons and one daughter (Mia Threapleton), in Wes Anderson’s newest film featuring a typically starry ensemble including Tom Hanks, Michael Cera, Scarlett Johansson, Riz Ahmed and Benedict Cumberbatch.

“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (Paramount, theaters): Nothing ever really ends in the land of franchise filmmaking, but the “final” in the title suggests this could actually be Tom Cruise’s last ride as Ethan Hunt. Even if it isn’t, audiences can trust it’ll be full of death-defying spectacles worthy of the big screen.

“Fountain of Youth” (Apple TV+, streaming): Natalie Portman and John Krasinski play siblings on a dangerous quest for the fountain of youth in this globetrotting adventure from Guy Ritchie.

“Pee-Wee As Himself” (Max, stream-

“The Kingdom” (Metrograph, theaters): This Cannes breakout is about a teenage girl who goes on the run with her estranged mob boss father one summer in Corsica.

“Ghost Trail” (Music Box Films, theaters): Jonathan Millet directed this revenge thriller about a Syrian man in France who is in pursuit of the man who tortured him at an infamous military prison.

“Tornado” (IFC Films, theaters): Kōki, Jack Lowden, Takehiro Hira and Tim Roth star in this revenge thriller set in 1790s Britain.

CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ORCHARD

Local Mentions Local Mentions

2025 BIG MONEY CASH BASH Sat May 17, 2025

Thurmont Community Ambulance

Thurmont Events Complex Building 13716 Strafford Drive, Thurmont, MD 21788

Bring Your Lawn Chairs & Canopy

Gates Open 10:00 a m Food, Can Beer, Wine Coolers and Soda included 12:00 - 5:00 p m NO COOLERS ALLOWED

Drawing beings 11:45 a m • Winner Every 5 Minutes

Must be off premises by 8:00 p m $20 00 Per Person

No patrons under 18 - ID Required - Must present ticket to enter gate No pets except service animals NO CARRYOUTS ALLOWED Ticket holder can win multiple prizes PHOTO

CARNIVAL

301-748-5359 or 301-271-3820 or Any Friday Night at Complex 5:00 p m -10:00 p m

Thurmont Ambulance Company

CA$H BINGO

Sat, May 17th

Doors: 4:30pm Games: 6:00pm $25 for 20 Games

Wolfsville Volunteer Fire Department For info: 301-293-4374

CARNIVAL

Thurmont Ambulance Company

MAY 27 - 31, 2025

Pre-Sale Ride Tickets

$20.00 nightly

6:00 p m to 10:00 p m

Nightly Entertainment:

Tue 5/27: Honky Tonk Twins

Wed 5/28: Catoctin

Mountain Boys

Thu 5/29: Taylor Brown w/Elvis Show

Fri. 5/30: Full Effect

Fireworks at 10 p.m.

Sat. 5/31: Border Line

Rides by Snyder's Attractions

Rides req. 32" in height.

Tickets Available at:

Thurmont Kountry Kitchen,

Direct 2 U Gas Station, Weis Grocery, Woodsboro Bank, Thurmont or Any of functions at Thurmont Event Complex

MAY 27 - 31, 2025

Pre-Sale Ride Tickets

$20.00 nightly 6:00 p m to 10:00 p m

Nightly Entertainment:

Tue. 5/27: Honky Tonk Twins

Wed 5/28: Catoctin

Mountain Boys

Thu 5/29: Taylor Brown w/Elvis Show

Fri. 5/30: Full Effect

Fireworks at 10 p.m.

Sat 5/31: Border Line

Rides by Snyder's Attractions Rides req. 32" in height.

Tickets Available at:

Thurmont Kountry Kitchen, Direct 2 U Gas Station, Weis Grocery, Woodsboro Bank, Thurmont or Any of functions at Thurmont Event Complex 301-748-5359 or 301-271-3820

Games / Raffles

Thurmont Event Complex 13716 Strafford Dr , Thurmont, MD 21788

CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ORCHARD

Available in our Market:

Strawberries, Blueberries, Red Raspberries, Blackberries

Evercrisp Apples, Pink Lady, Fuji & Gold Rush Bananas, Clementines, White & Red Seedless Grapes, Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Red & White Onions, Celery, Asparagus, Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Cabbage, Red & Green Peppers, Spring Onions, Radish, Baby Carrots, Pre Made Food Items, Fresh Baked Fruit Pies, Apple Cider Donuts, Fresh Apple Cider, Flower Arrangements, Hanging Baskets, Potted Flowers, Succulents, Vegetable Plants & Much Much More! Fruit Slushies, Jams & Jellies 301-271-2737

Local Mentions

Available in our Market: Strawberries, Blueberries, Red Raspberries, Blackberries Evercrisp Apples, Pink Lady, Fuji & Gold Rush Bananas, Clementines, White & Red Seedless Grapes, Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Red & White Onions, Celery, Asparagus, Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Cabbage, Red & Green Peppers, Spring Onions, Radish, Baby Carrots, Pre Made Food Items, Fresh Baked Fruit Pies, Apple Cider Donuts, Fresh Apple Cider, Flower Arrangements, Hanging Baskets, Potted Flowers, Succulents, Vegetable Plants & Much Much More! Fruit Slushies, Jams & Jellies 301-271-2737

Open Daily 9am-5pm 15036 North Franklinville Rd Thurmont MD www catoctinmountain orchard.com

HENRY'S BLACKTOP PAVING, LLC

301-663-1888 • 301-416-7229 henrysblacktoppaving @gmail com Call for FREE est. MHIC 3608

MOTHER’S DAY SALE ON MAY 9 & 10!

10% OFF all Hanging Baskets! Potted flowers, veggie plants, herbs Free Gift wrapping on potted plants! Local Produce: Rhubarb, Asparagus, Tomatoes, etc 10 – 6 Daily, Closed Sunday 11434 Keymar Rd Woodsboro, Md 21798 240.439.9401

PAPER

SHREDDING EVENT

Jefferson Ruritan Club

Saturday May 17, 2025 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

TRIPLE 7 BINGO

Sat. May 17th 21 Games

Cash, Designer Purses, Filled Longaberger Baskets Carroll Manor Fire Company 1809 Ballenger Creek Pike Point of Rocks Station

Doors Open: 5PM

Bingo: 7PM

Tickets: $40 301-874-5642

Sold separately: Special Games, Tip Jars and Food www carrollmanorfire company.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

Yard Sales

CRESTWOOD VILLAGE

Neighborhood

Annual Yard Sale

Crestwood Blvd and New Design Road Frederick, MD May 17, 2025, 8am to 12noon Rain or Shine

Signs will be posted in Crestwood Retirement Village!

Variety of items for all ages!

WELLINGTON TRACE COMMUNITY YARD SALE

May 17th • 8AM to 3PM

6400 Tennison Drive, Frederick Come and See us!

furniture and decor, household and kitchen items, toys and games, clothes (all sizes), shoes, baby items, wedding items, antiques, books and soooo much more Sellers will be at the pool and throughout the neighborhood!

MOVIES

(Continued from 21)

of underdogs, and Sonny Hayes in his later years having one more chance to try to do something he was never able to do, which is win a race in F1,” Kosinski said.

“M3GAN 2.0” (Universal, theaters): The creepy, dancing doll is back — as is an even more dangerous version on a killing spree who she has to stop. Any questions?

“Sorry, Baby” (A24, theaters): One of the big breakouts from this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the debut feature of writer-director-star Eva Victor follows Agnes, a grad student, in the aftermath of a sexual assault. “I wanted to make a film that was about feeling stuck when everyone around you keeps moving,” Victor said. “I really think the thing it’s about is trying to heal and the the slow pace at which healing comes and how it’s really not linear and how there are joys to be found in the every day and especially in very affirming friendships and sometimes, like, a sandwich depending on the day.”

JULY MOVIE RELEASES

July 2

“Jurassic World Rebirth” (Universal, theaters): Filmmaker Gareth Edwards (a

“Jurassic Park” superfan and the director of “The Creator”) is ushering in a new era of Jurassic movies and harkening back to the Steven Spielberg originals in this film with Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey. Much about the film is being kept top secret, but Edwards said David Koepp’s script read like a love letter to Spielberg’s early work. “It’s basically a mission story where these military types go to this island to get this DNA, then there’s a twist,” Edwards said. “This family ends up involved and it becomes a story of survial. It’s like one giant roller coaster ride and once it gets going, it sort of doesn’t stop.”

“The Old Guard 2” (Netflix, streaming): Charlize Theron is back with her immortal team for a new mission. KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari and Luca Marinelli also reprise their roles.

“40 Acres” (Magnolia, theaters): Danielle Deadwyler and Michael Greyeyes lead this post-apocalyptic thriller about a plague that has caused worldwide famine.

July 10

“Brick” (Netflix, streaming): In this German horror, a couple wakes up to find they’re trapped in their apartment.

July 11

“Superman” (Warner Bros., theaters): James Gunn is ushering in a new era of Superman, with a fresh face in David Corenswet and the promise that he’s a different Superman than what audiences have seen before. Gunn told the AP that this is, “a Superman that’s both more grounded in his own personality and his relationship, which is much more complex than has been in the past. And then also the big magic world of Superman being in the world of the DCU with flying dogs and robots and giant monsters.” There’s romance with Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane, and a “pretty scary” Lex Luthor in Nicholas Hoult. “He’s actually going to kill (Superman),” Gunn said. “And that’s cool to see.”

“Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): Actor Embeth Davitz directs and stars in this critically acclaimed adaptation of Alexandra Fuller’s bestselling memoir of growing up on a farm in the former Rhodesia before and after the 1980 election, as the colonial system crumbles. The story is told through the eyes of 8-yearold Bobo (Lexi Venter).

“Tyler Perry’s Destination Wedding” (Netflix, streaming): Madea goes to the Bahamas.

“Skillhouse” (Fathom, theaters): 50

Cent stars in this horror about influencers who are lured into a “content house” and forced to compete in deadly challenges.

July 18

“I Know What You Did Last Summer” (Sony Pictures, theaters): Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprise their roles from the 1997 slasher in this new installment featuring an eerily similar situation and a cast of pretty young up-and-comers including Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King and Tyriq Withers.

“Smurfs” (Paramount, theaters): Rihanna produced and stars as Smurfette in this new musical adventure. “There’s a purity to to the Smurfs mythos,” said Nick Offerman, who voices Papa Smurf’s brother Ken. “That, I think, is what makes their appeal so timeless. They’re a benevolent group of wee blue villagers who, you know, want to love one another and and lead productive lives while fending off the world’s forces of evil, usually represented by the machinations of some some wizards out for ill gotten gains.”

Thursday May 15

CLASSES

Tree Planting Opportunities Workshop — 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Frederick Community College Conferance Center, 7932 E Opossumtown Pike, Frederick. The workshop is targeted to people who are interested in planting trees on their property or at their community. The program will provide information on how to plant and care for trees and shrubs and the many cost incentive programs available to lower your final cost for tree planting. Representatives will be on hand to answer questions and talk to you about implementing a planting program on your property. Registration fee includes lunch and handouts. For more information or to register, visit frederick.forestryboard. org. Ages 21 and older. $20. 301-473-8417. dakota.durcho@maryland.gov. frederick.forestryboard.org.

Onsite Digital Learning — 10 a.m. to noon at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Need help with your devices, or would you like to discover the basics of browsing the web, setting up an email or writing a resume? We are here to help. Laptops provided. Join us at the Thurmont Regional Library this month. For seniors. 301-600-7200. bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Parsons Newman Lecture: Restoring Historic Structures, with Brien Poffenberger — 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Lecture starts at 6 p.m. Brick and stone masonry has changed little over the past 6,000 years. The basic construction of your garden wall would be familiar to the folks who built the Pyramids or the Great Wall of China. And yet, there are things going on in historic masonry that escape our notice. How does water move through a wall? Are all bricks created equal? How do masonry techniques “date stamp” a building? Why is the mortar in my stonework turning to dust? (And what do I do about it!) This presentation will cover the basics

of historic masonry, how to maintain it, and – when necessary – what to know about repairing it. Brien Poffenberger is owner and president of Gruber-Latimer Restoration, a historic masonry company that specializes in 18th and early 19th century brick and stone work.  410-707-1105. outreach@frederickhistory.org.

Maryland Writer’s Association- Teen Writer’s Club — 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg. Calling all young writers ages 12-17! We’re inviting Teens to practice the craft of writing, share their work, and enjoy the wonderful world of writing. Stop by for activities and discussion with other teen writers. www.marylandwriters.org. 301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

ETCETERA

Bike to Work Day 2025 — 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at More than 100 Pit Stops Located Across the Metropolitan Washington Region, 777 North Capitol St. NE, , DC. Join thousands of area commuters for the free 24th annual 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 red Bike to Work Day T-shirt.     800-745-7433. ridematching@mwcog.org. www.biketoworkmetrodc.org.

Veteran Bus Trip to Gettysburg National Military Park — 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at departs from Walkersville Fire Hall, 79 W. Frederick St., Walkersville. This trip is for any Veteran, and their guest, at no charge. Brown bag lunch provided. Seating is limited. Register by calling Kathy Sixx at 301-606-2150 or the Walkersville Town Office at 301-845-4500. Sponsored by the Town of Walkersville and the Veterans Committee.

2025 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. See our all new and renovated exhibits, now through Dec. 13. Free admission

on Wednesdays.

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

Tween Decorate a Tote Bag! (Ages 9-13) — 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Express your style! Use fabric paint, patches and markers to create a one-of-a-kind tote — perfect for books, school or everyday use. Tote bags provided, supplies limited, ages 09-13.

301-600-7200.

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

Teen Time: Coding With Drones (ages 1118) — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Practice basic coding skills with drones! This program is for teens in 6th through 12th grades (ages 11-18).

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

Frederick County Civil War Roundtable Meeting and Presentation: “Civil War in the West Photo Extravaganza” — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick. The Civil War was the first war to be extensively photographed and, for the first time in history, the public was exposed to real-life images of the gruesome toll of battle. Today, historians, teachers and preservationists use these photographs to better understand American history and to restore battlefields. Although the majority of these photos were taken in a few eastern states, western Civil War sites were extensively covered as well. Through then-and-now techniques, tight details and several other approaches Garry Adelman will tell the story of the Civil War in the West in his signature energetic manner. From Charleston to Chattanooga, Port Hudson to Pensacola, and from Savannah to Nashville, Shiloh, and the Shirley House, explore the War in the West and the photos that defined it. free for members, $5 suggested fee for non-members. gldyson@comcast.net. www.frederickcountycivilwarrt.org.

FAMILY

Musical Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Music, movement, stories and more. 301-600-7200. bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Pajama Storytime — 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Enjoy music, stories, and more! Designed for kids up to age 5 with a caregiver. 301-600-6329. cdillman@frederickcountymd.gov. www.fcpl.org.

MUSIC

Live Jazz at the Cocktail Lab — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Tenth Ward Distilling Co., 55 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Get swanky with us every Thursday night for live jazz and your favorite craft cocktails. 21 and older. 301-360-5888. monica@tenthwarddistilling.com. tenthwarddistilling.com.

FCC Jazz Ensemble I Performance — 7:30 p.m. to at Frederick Community College, Visual & Performing Arts Center, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Parking Lot 9 , Frederick. 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. Light refreshments available following the performance. Register online for free tickets.

301-846-2566. mgersten@frederick.edu. FCC2025JazzOne.eventbrite.com.

Friday May 16

CLASSES

Frederick Community College Information Session — 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at C. Burr Artz Public Library, 110 E.t Patrick St., Frederick. Join us for an  information session  about educational opportunities

through Frederick Community College. Plan to speak with an Admissions representative to get answers to your questions. For teens and older.

eschenkelberg@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

American Red Cross Virtual Volunteer Information Session — noon to 1 p.m. at Virtual, Frederick. Learn about positions at the Frederick blood donation center, with disaster action teams and much more. Learn first-hand from volunteers and staff what it means to be a Red Cross Volunteer. The open house will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. You can join with or without video through your phone or computer. Pre-register for more information. Register at redcross.org/volopenhouse and meeting information will be sent to you upon registration. 410-913-9154. kristi.giles@redcross.org. redcross.org.

ETCETERA

Go Team Therapy Dogs: A Sensory Program for Adults with Developmental Disabilities — 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 to join us for this fun, sensory event. 18 and older.

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

Guided Exhibit Tours — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Experience the Museum of Frederick County History through a guided tour. Join either archivist Jody Brumage or curator Amy Hunt as they explore the exhibits. Each tour is a unique experience based on the interests of the group and what special things staff wants to highlight that week. Descriptions of each week’s tour can be found on the Heritage Frederick website, which includes accessibility notes. Tours are included with admission.

$5, $10. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org. frederickhistory.org/event-calendar.

FAMILY

“Bleeding Kansas “ — 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W German St, Shepherdstown, W.Va. This powerful drama is set in the Kansas territory in 185556, where George and Kitty Clarke have set out to start a new life as farmers. In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed settlers in the new territory of Kansas to vote to determine if the new state would be slave or free. As voter fraud turned into political violence, the threat of bloodshed became all too real to even those who wanted no part of the issue. Advance ticket purchase encouraged. Beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks for sale during the performance (ID required for beer & wine purchase, no outside food or drinks please). Play is recommended for ages 11 and up.

$20 advance, seniors, students//$25 standard at the door. +1(304)876-3704. Contact@operahouselive.com.

Special National Comedy Event at Sky Stage — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at FAC’s Sky Stage, 59 S. Carroll St., Frederick. As seen on NBC, CBS, and more, don’t miss national

touring comic Lucas Bohn live at Sky Stage. Lucas has performed with comedy legends Jimmy Fallon, Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Larry the Cable Guy, and more. His 2nd live comedy special went viral with over 50 million views and can be found on SiriusXM, Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora. He will be joined by two of the DMV’s best comics: Jared Stern and Laurent Amzallag. $20. 301-662-4190. skystage@frederickartscouncil.org. www.skystagefrederick.com.

FESTIVALS

Thurmont Main Street Art and Wine Stroll: Sip Stroll and Be Happy — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Thurmont Main Street, Thurmont. Stroll Main Street and meet local artisans and business owners while sampling wines from local vineyards! Enjoy delicious foods from downtown restaurants and food trucks. May is Preakness Hat Night. August is Hippie Night. 240-741-2600. mlittle@thurmontstaff.com. thurmontmainstreet.com.

MUSIC

Mamma Mia - The Party! — 7 p.m. to at The Maryland Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. You’ll be shouting, “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” during this night of non-stop fun! Join us for an unforgettable evening filled with all things Mamma Mia (and ABBA). Slip on your disco boots, grab your flared pants, and dance the night away with DJ and emcee Ryan Smetzer, a mouth-watering Mediterranean menu, specialty drinks, Mamma Mia on the big screen, and local actors looking for the Dancing Queen! $45 - $51. 301-790-2000. boxoffice@mdtheatre.org.

Luca Stricagnoli — 8 p.m. to at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Luca Stricagnoli is widely considered to be one of the most unique guitarists in the world. His creative style, which led him to invent instruments like the reversed triple neck guitar and the reversed slide neck, vastly contributed to the modern evolution of acoustic guitar. With over 200 million views of his music videos, Luca redefines musical innovation and has captivated audiences worldwide. $35. 301-600-2828. bhiller@cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org/shows/luca-stricagnoli.

“Songs for a New World” — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Performing Arts Factory, 244 B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Other Voices Theatre presents. Lyrics and music by Jason Robert Brown. Directed by Ashley Gerhardt. Music direction by Marci Shegogue $21.50 - $25. 301-693-9772. artisticdirector@othervoicestheatre.org. www.othervoicestheatre.org.

Live Music at the Cocktail Lab — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Tenth Ward Distilling Co., 55 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Every Friday in the Cocktail Lab we’ll be servin’ up our deliciously wild concoctions and some sweet tunes to get your weekend started off right. 21 and older. 301-360-5888. monica@tenthwarddistilling.com. tenthwarddistilling.com.

THEATER

“A Second Helping” The Church Basement Ladies Sequel — 6 p.m. to at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick. The ladies are back and funnier than ever. “A Second Helping” picks up the story in 1969 with a changing world. As Vietnam War protests swell and women everywhere demand equal pay for equal work, the ladies in the church basement kitchen face changes of their own. From the matriarch to the mom-to-be, the women find strength in each other as they deal with the changes from below the House of God. Friday and Saturday evenings and matinees on the first, third and fifth Sunday, through May 24. Tickets vary. 301-662-6600. WOB@wayoffbroadway.com. wayoffbroadway.com.

“Bleeding Kansas” Play Performed by Town Run Theater Co. — 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W German St, Shepherdstown, W.Va. This powerful drama is set in the Kansas territory in 1855-56, where George and Kitty Clarke have set out to start a new life as farmers. In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed settlers in the new territory of Kansas to vote to determine if the new state would be slave or free. As voter fraud turned into political violence, the threat of bloodshed became all too real to even those who wanted no part of the issue.

$25 general, $20 seniors, students. 304-8763704. Contact@OperaHouseLive.com.

Saturday 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 flow yoga classes in the open air venue. Every Saturday, May through September. Please bring a yoga mat and water with you. Parking is available on street or in the city parking garage.

$20 drop in, $150 for 10 class pass. 301662-4190. skystage@frederickartscouncil.org. yogamour.org.

CPR and First Aid for Pets — 9 a.m. to noon at The Monroe Center, 200 Monroe Ave., Frederick. Learn what to do in an emergency situation with your pets, who to call for emergency care, and basic first aid and CPR skills. Learn chest compressions and basic CPR skills for animals. First aid will focus on wound care and controlling bleeding, pet vital signs, pet health assessment, and basic medical emergencies for pets. Instructors will observe students, provide feedback, and guide them through hands-on skills learning. Pre-registration required. $75. 240-629-7907. healthcarecareers@frederick.edu.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) — 10 a.m. to noon at University of Maryland Extension Office, 330 Montevue Lane, Frederick. Manage pests with ecosystem-based methods to minimize the use of pesticides. Learn how to identify, prevent and manage plant problems using biological control,

habitat changes and cultural habits. 301-600-1596. strice@umd.edu. bit.ly/FCMG25-IPM.

English-Spanish Conversation Hour / Hora de Conversación Inglés-Español — 1 p.m. to 3:05 p.m. at C. Burr Artz Public Library, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick. ¡Bienvenidos! Welcome! Join us for a fun and friendly hour of language practice and cultural exchange. Whether you’re a native English speaker looking to brush up on your Spanish, or an ESL learner eager to practice English, this group is for you! 18 and older. eschenkelberg@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

ESL Conversation Class — 10:30 a.m. to noon at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. 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 Literacy Council of Frederick County 301-600-7250.

ETCETERA

McDaniel College Commencement: Graduate Ceremony — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Baker Memorial Chapel, McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster. Master’s degrees are awarded to the McDaniel College Class of 2025. Tickets are required to attend the ceremony.

Magic of Science Fair and Family Festival — 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Towson University in Northeastern Maryland, 510 Thomas Run Road, Bel Air. A day filled with hands-on science, exhibits, games, vendors, raffles, food trucks, and fun! 410-417-7116. info@discoverycentermd.org. www.magicofscience.org.

“Frederick History 101” Walking Tour of Mount Olivet (1900s-Present) — 9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 515 S. Market St., Frederick. Award-winning local author and historian Chris Haugh leads participants on a 1.3 mile walking tour of historic Mount Olivet Cemetery. This version will focus on outstanding citizens and events of the 1900s to present such as banker Joseph D. Baker, fashion designer Claire McCardell, Hood College president Joseph Henry Apple, inventor Harry Lebherz and those buried under the World War II Memorial among several others. Participants will traverse various parts of the cemetery for this 2-hour experience. (bathroom break included). (NOTE: Meet at the World War I Gazebo in middle of Areas T, U, S) $20. 240-285-8519. calicojac@comcast.net. www.HistorySharkProductions.com.

Myersville Farmers Market — 9 a.m. to noon at Municipal parking lot, 301 Main St., Myersville. Saturdays through Oct. 25. myersvillefarmersmarket.com.

Monthly Collection for Little Sisters of the Poor. — 10 a.m. to noon at In front of , 114 E. Second St., Frederick. St. John’s Council #1622, Frederick, is serving as the hub location for councils in Western Maryland every third Saturday for the monthly KofC Maryland State Program to provide material support to the Little Sisters of the Poor’s St.

FAMILY

Happy MOO-ther’s Day — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Black Rock, 3002 Black Rock Road, Myersville. Have you visited the Myersville farm with Highland cows yet? Take mom for a one-hour experience on the farm where you meet these hairy animals, brush them, feed them treats, then take photos with an adorable Highland calf in front of a Mother’s Day backdrop. You and the kids can then make a flower pot craft making it a great time. Grab your tickets at blackrock-farm.com. $15 person.

blackrock-farm.com.

Tape Town Car Racing (ages 3-10) — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Calling all car and truck fans! We’re turning our Community Room at the library into a tape town with roads, racetracks and all things transportation. Have fun pushing cars and trucks around this cool maze of tape. Bring your imagination and good car pushing skills! This program is for children ages 3-10 with their caregivers.

301-600-7250.

frederick.librarycalendar.com.

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

frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Ice Block Sledding — 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Watkins Park , 615 Center St., Mount Airy. One of the Town of Mount Airy’s most popular events is back this year! A fun winter meets spring event with several giant blocks of ice that participants can ride down a hill by the softball field. Be sure to bring a towel to sit on while sledding. 301-829-1424. parksmanager@mountairymd.gov. www.mountairymd.gov.

“Bleeding Kansas “- — 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W German St, Shepherdstown, W.Va. This powerful drama is set in the Kansas territory in 1855-56, where George and Kitty Clarke have set out to start a new life as farmers. In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed settlers in the new territory of Kansas to vote to determine if the new state would be slave or free. As voter fraud turned into political violence, the threat of bloodshed became all too real to even those who wanted no part of the issue. Advance ticket purchase encouraged. Beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks for sale during the performance (ID required for beer & wine purchase, no outside food or drinks please). Play is recommended for ages 11 and up.

$20 advance, seniors, students/$25 standard at the door. 304-876-3704. Contact@operahouselive.com.

FESTIVALS

Car Show and Strawberry Festival at Harmony Church Of The Brethren in Myersville — 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Harmony Church of the Brethren, 3924 Brethren Church Road, Myersville. Fun for the whole family. Trophies for five places. Registration is donation based. Come join us and have strawberries and cake with ice cream.

Barbecue with fresh cut fries will also be onsite for purchase. Cake auction at 2 p.m. to conclude the festivities.  301-524-4536. Vandelden21@aol.com.

Johnsville Ruritan Spring Show — 9 a.m. to at Johnsville Ruritan Club, 11136 Green Valley Road, Union Bridge (Johnsville). Continues May 18. Garden tractor pull 9 a.m. May 17. On May 18, Elvis music at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. bake sale auction, 3 p.m. 50/50 drawing. Fried chicken platters and sandwiches available both days.  410-775-2774.

Gaithersburg Book Festival — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm, 506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. A free annual celebration of great books and great writing that has made its mark as one of the nation’s top literary events. This year’s festival features more than 100 bestselling 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.

The Maryland Iron Festival — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Catoctin Furnace, Thurmont. Visit the quaint ironmaking village of Catoctin Furnace for two days (May 17-18) of food, games, music, crafts and a 2,800-degree molten iron pour. The festival is held at the restored stone iron furnace that once made cannons for George Washington. Come celebrate the 250th year of our country and Catoctin Furnace!  240-288-7396. ecomer@catoctinfurnace.org. catoctinfurnace.org/mif.

HEALTH

Period. Program. For. Tweens. (ages 8-13) — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Celebrate and learn about all things period. Ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask, learn about menstruation books, and design your own period product pouch. All things ... period. This program is designed for tweens ages 8-12 and is for tweens who are soon to or have recently experienced menstruation. Caregivers are welcome to join us, but we do ask that this be a tweencentered program. 301-600-7250. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

MUSIC

Hand Bell Choir Presents “Toe Tapping Tunes, Songs from World of Dance” — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Middletown Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. A lively handbell performance featuring dance-inspired favorites from around the globe. This concert is sure to get your toes tapping! The full FCC handbell choir will be performing at this event!

301-600-7560. aknight@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Skatt Daddy — 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Cactus Flats, 10026 Hansonville Road, Frederick. Broad music selection.

“Songs for a New World” — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Performing Arts Factory, 244 B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Other Voices Theatre presents. Lyrics and music by Jason Robert Brown. Directed by Ashley Gerhardt. Music direction by Marci Shegogue $21.50 - $25. 301-693-9772. artisticdirector@othervoicestheatre.org. www.othervoicestheatre.org.

PERFORMER

Ballet and All That Jazz Spring Recital — 10 a.m. to at The Maryland Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Shows also at 1:30 and 7 p.m. Featuring our youngest to most advanced dancers. The Senior and Junior company, along with Tap Troupe and Tap Company at BTJ will debut their dances in all three shows. New for 2025: Groups of 8 or more can now purchase tickets online. Ticket information online. 301-790-2000. boxoffice@mdtheatre.org. www.mdtheatre.org/batj-spring-recital.

THEATER

“A Second Helping” The Church Basement Ladies Sequel — 6 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick. The ladies are back and funnier than ever. “A Second Helping” picks up the story in 1969 with a changing world. As Vietnam War protests swell and women everywhere demand equal pay for equal work, the ladies in the church basement kitchen face changes of their own. From the matriarch to the mom-to-be, the women find strength in each other as they deal with the changes from below the House of God. Friday and Saturday evenings and matinees on the first, third and fifth Sunday, through May 24. Tickets vary. 301-662-6600. WOB@wayoffbroadway.com. wayoffbroadway.com.

“Bleeding Kansas” Play Performed by Town Run Theater Co. — 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W German St, Shepherdstown, W.Va. This powerful drama is set in the Kansas territory in 1855-56, where George and Kitty Clarke have set out to start a new life as farmers. In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed settlers in the new territory of Kansas to vote to determine if the new state would be slave or free. As voter fraud turned into political violence, the threat of bloodshed became all too real to even those who wanted no part of the issue.

$25 general, $20 seniors, students. 304-8763704. Contact@OperaHouseLive.com.

Sunday May 18

CLASSES

Boys of Summer: Local baseball in the Mid-Atlantic — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at C. Burr Artz Public Library, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Panel of former professional baseball players and baseball author enthusiasts will be here to promote their books and talk about their love of baseball, either by playing it or appreciating it when growing up. 301-600-1368. mmannix@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com. Meet the Author: Nilah Magruder — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020

Amelung St., Frederick. Interested in creating your own graphic novel? Author and illustrator Nilah Magruder, who will be sharing about her creative process for her latest work, “Creaky Acres.” Following her talk, she will answer questions and sign books. 301-600-7000. rbichefsky@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

ETCETERA

Big Country Breakfast Buffet — 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Co. Reception Hall, 1008 Twin Arch Road, Mount Airy. An all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet including a make-your-own waffle bar. $15 adults, $9 ages 6 to 12, ages 5 and under free with paying adult. 301-829-0100. maxleander@mavfc.org. www.mavfc.org.

Face of America Annual Bike Ride — 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Tom’s Creek United Methodist Church, 10918 Taneytown Pike, Emmitsburg. Join us at The Promised Land, 10928 Taneytown Pike, Emmitsburg, for this 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.

Pop Up Vendor Event — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Home of Everything Frederick, 401 N. Market St., Frederick.  Different businesses and nonprofits will be set up at outside if weather permits - otherwise inside. 240-357-0226. dani@promocircus.com.

Book-ish: A Craft-Recycling Art, and Chocolate Afternoon — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Bookbinder Kerry Springle will show us clever and artful uses for recycled books, and Open Book Chocolates will speak about their process of making chocolate to match such literary classics as Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” Additionally, meet artist Brenda Silberman (whose art was featured in the display case in April) to learn how she creates her own bookish art. 18 and older. 301-600-8200. www.fcpl.org.

Bingo 4 Pitties — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Frederick Elks Lodge, 289 Willowdale Drive, Frederick. Prizes, concessions and raffles. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. Bingo starts at 2 p.m. Benefits Perfectly Paired Pitties Rescue.  $40 advance, $45 at the door. 301-3796201. jeanniecampbell1136@gmail.com. www.perfectlypairedpitties.org.

History of Old National Road — 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. Take a journey on the historic road that runs through Middletown, Frederick and over 25 other Maryland towns. Bob Savitt, from the Middletown Valley Historical Society, recounts the National Road’s colorful history, which includes trips by Andrew Jackson, Lafayette, and Harry Truman (driving his own car!), the construction of America’s first macadam roadway, and amusing encounters along its winding, hilly path. Often called “The Main Street of America,” the road opened the west to many of our country’s early pioneers. 301-371-6410. fboesch@erols.com.

Author Presentation for Nilah Magruder’s New Graphic Novel “Creaky Acres” — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Interested in creating your own graphic novel? Listen to author & illustrator Nilah Magruder who will be sharing about her creative process for her latest work. Following her talk, Nilah will answer questions and sign books. Copies of “Creaky Acres” will be available for purchase at the event.  240-575-4496. curiousiguanaevents@gmail.com. curiousiguana.com/event/authorpanel.

Tour Schifferstadt Architectural Museum — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, 1110 Rosemont Avenue, Frederick. Step back (way back!) in Frederick’s history to see how the pioneering Brunner family lived in the 1750s. You can do that at the Schifferstadt — Frederick’s oldest intact house, built in 1758. You can see how German engineering and home design came to Colonial America. Guided tours explain the features and tell the history of the family and their home.

$8 adults, under 12 free. 301-663-3885. boycerensberger@gmail.com. fredericklandmarks.org.

One Vast Hospital: Civil War Walking Tour in Downtown Frederick — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Join NMCWM docents for a walking tour focused on the city’s role as a makeshift hospital in the final months of 1862, every Saturday and Sunday from April through September. Tickets include admission to the museum. too. Tickets are free for museum members, but you must still reserve your spot. Reservations will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis. $15. 301-695-1864. chris.reed@civilwarmed.org. www.civilwarmed.org/weekendtours.

Jackson Chapel UMC Presents “Revelation of Hope” — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Jackson Chapel United Methodist Church, 5609 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick. Jackson Chapel UMC will be the host site for “The Revelation of Hope - Understanding The Prophecies of the Bible” series. This will be a 5-day teaching, May 18-22. Free Event for the whole community. 301-694-7315.

jacksonchapel@comcast.net. www.jacksonchapelumc.org.

FAMILY

Happy MOO-ther’s Day — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Black Rock, 3002 Black Rock Road, Myersville. Have you visited the Myersville farm with Highland cows yet? Take mom for a one-hour experience on the farm where you meet these hairy animals, brush them, feed them treats, then take photos with an adorable Highland calf in front of a Mother’s Day backdrop. You and the kids can then make a flower pot craft making it a great time. Grab your tickets at https://www.blackrock-farm.com.

$15 person. blackrock-farm.com.

“Bleeding Kansas “ — 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W German St, Shepherdstown, W.Va. This powerful drama is set in the Kansas territory in 185556, where George and Kitty Clarke have set

out to start a new life as farmers. In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed settlers in the new territory of Kansas to vote to determine if the new state would be slave or free. As voter fraud turned into political violence, the threat of bloodshed became all too real to even those who wanted no part of the issue. Advance ticket purchase encouraged. Beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks for sale during the performance (ID required for beer & wine purchase, no outside food or drinks please). Play is recommended for ages 11 and up.

Contact@operahouselive.com.

FESTIVALS

The Maryland Iron Festival — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Catoctin Furnace, Thurmont. Visit the quaint ironmaking village of Catoctin Furnace for two days (May 17-18) of food, games, music, crafts and a 2,800-degree molten iron pour. The festival is held at the restored stone iron furnace that once made cannons for George Washington. Come celebrate the 250th year of our country and Catoctin Furnace!  240-288-7396. ecomer@catoctinfurnace.org. catoctinfurnace.org/mif.

MUSIC

“Songs for a New World” — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Performing Arts Factory, 244 B S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Other Voices Theatre presents. Lyrics and music by Jason Robert Brown. Directed by Ashley Gerhardt. Music direction by Marci Shegogue $21.50-$25. 301-693-9772. artisticdirector@othervoicestheatre.org. www.othervoicestheatre.org.

GreenSpring Presents “Music is His Forte — Alexander Kordzaia, Concert Pianist” — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 10621 Old Frederick Road, Thurmont. Step into a world of musical brilliance with the sensational Georgian-born concert pianist Alexander Kordzaia! His remarkable virtuosity and charismatic personality will shine in a concert that will inspire and captivate. This is a musical experience you will never forget! Followed by a reception hosted by the St. Paul’s Utica Women’s League. Admission is free, with a free-will offering collected to support the GreenSpring Foundation’s Music Education programming and concerts. 804-353-7001. academy@greenspringmusic.org. www.greenspringmusic.org.

Rohrersville Band Spring Concert — 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Rohrersville Band Hall, 4315 Main St., Rohrersville. The Rohrersville Cornet Band will open its 188th year with a Spring Concert, honoring the group’s beloved director emeritus, Richard Haynes, who passed away on Feb. 25. Selections will include many of his favorite tunes from his 82 years of service to the band. 301-471-9867. ronmoss11@hotmail.com.

“More out of Four” — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 703 W. Patrick St., Frederick. The National String Symphonia concludes its 12th season featuring a quartet of works that began as string quartets. Many composers have paid tribute to the composers and works they most admired by arranging their smaller scale

works into larger orchestral pieces. Also, many composers chose to expand their own quartets for larger ensembles.  (Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” is among the best known examples.) With works over a period of 200 years, from Purcell to Mahler, we will explore some of the best examples of making “more out of four.”  $35 general admission; $15 students. 240428-0739. administrator@nssorchestra.org. nssorchestra.org.

Emmitsburg Community Chorus spring concert — 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. at Homewood at Crumland Farms (chapel), 7407 Willow Road, Frederick . The Emmitsburg Community Chorus will perform its final concert of the 2025 spring season at the chapel in Homewood at Crumland Farms. Under the direction of Peggy Flickinger, the 28-voice group is accompanied by pianist Lisa Mattia. jnbgraham@gmail.com. www.facebook.com/share/16ggVXnNiy.

Ben Folds and the Howard County Youth Orchestra — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. The Merriweather Arts and Culture Center presents a special evening of live music featuring internationally acclaimed artist Ben Folds with the Howard County Youth Orchestra.

$25-$75 (premium seating).

THEATER

“A Second Helping” The Church Basement Ladies Sequel — 12:30 p.m. to at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick. The ladies are back and funnier than ever. “A Second Helping”

picks up the story in 1969 with a changing world. As Vietnam War protests swell and women everywhere demand equal pay for equal work, the ladies in the church basement kitchen face changes of their own. From the matriarch to the mom-to-be, the women find strength in each other as they deal with the changes from below the House of God. Friday and Saturday evenings and matinees on the first, third and fifth Sunday, through May 24. Tickets vary. 301-662-6600. WOB@wayoffbroadway.com. wayoffbroadway.com.

Monday May 19

ETCETERA

Mondays in Mount Airy Weekly Food Truck Event — 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Railyard, 3 N. Main St., Mount Airy. This community event is designed to support locally owned and operated food trucks as well as the businesses along Downtown Main Street.

301-829-9660.

Food Truck Mondays — 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at New Market Grange #362, 14 South Alley, New Market. First and third Mondays through August.

301-799-9168. Hollar50@myactv.net.

Bar Bingo — 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Frederick Eagles, 207 W. Patriick St., Frederick. Get your packets for $12, which includes 7 games. Happy hour 5 to 7 p.m. Bingo starts at 7 p.m.

301-663-6281. FrederickAerie1067@gmail.com.

you can plant something in! This program is for teens in 6th through 12th grades (ages 11-18).

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

Death Cafe in the Garden — 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Fox Haven Farm and Retreat Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. Join us for a unique and thought-provoking event that provides a safe and open space by Open Minds, Inc (501c3) to discuss death, dying and end-of-life care while surrounded by the beauty of nature. 240-605-2947.

heronontheriver@gmail.com.

FAMILY

Musical Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Music, movement, stories and more. 301-600-7200.

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

Elementary Explorers: Sprout Shelters — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Participate in a variety of experiences related to science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. This program is designed for children in grades K - 5 and their caregivers. 301-600-7200.

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

Tween Pressed Flower Frame (Ages 9-13) — 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Thurmont Re-

gional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Design your own pressed flower frames, perfect for decorating your space or gifting to a friend. Learn how to arrange dried flowers in an acrylic frame for a stunning botanical display! Supplies limited. 301-600-7200. bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Pajama Storytime — 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Enjoy music, stories, and more! Designed for kids up to age 5 with a caregiver. 301-600-6329. cdillman@frederickcountymd.gov. www.fcpl.org.

MUSIC

Live Jazz at the Cocktail Lab — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Tenth Ward Distilling Co., 55 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Get swanky with us every Thursday night for live jazz and your favorite craft cocktails. 21 and older. 301-360-5888. monica@tenthwarddistilling.com. tenthwarddistilling.com.

Tom Chapin — 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Temple Isaiah, 12200 Scaggsville Road, Fulton. With 26 recordings and hundreds of songs in his repertoire, Tom Chapin will serve up a tasty mix of story songs, ballads, comedic and political songs, family music, singalongs, old-time folk classics and a favorite song or two by his late brother, Harry. Chapin accompanies himself on guitar, banjo and autoharp.

$30 for adults, $15 for children age 10 and

younger. 443-540-0226. uptownconcerts@gmail.com. uptownconcerts.com.

Friday May 23

ETCETERA

2025 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. See our all new and renovated exhibits, now through Dec. 13. Free admission on Wednesdays.

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

Guided Exhibit Tours — 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Experience the Museum of Frederick County History through a guided tour. Join either archivist Jody Brumage or curator Amy Hunt as they explore the exhibits. Each tour is a unique experience based on the interests of the group and what special things staff wants to highlight that week. Descriptions of each week’s tour can be found on the Heritage Frederick website, which includes accessibility notes. Tours are included with admission.

$5, $10. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org. frederickhistory.org/event-calendar.

MUSIC

Next Level Slackers — 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Cactus Flats, 10026 Hansonville Road, Frederick. Variety of music.

Onilu Percussion Ensemble with Joe Chambers and Kevin Diehl — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Frederick YMCA Arts, 115 E. Church St., Frederick. Onilu is an ensemble utilizing the extensive family of drummed and tuned percussion instruments to create beautifully composed and arranged small ensemble music. Contrary to the stereotype of modern percussion ensembles as esoteric or academic pursuits, Onilu — the Yoruba word for drummer — creates music that reaffirms the powerful social and sacred musics made in African diasporic communities and across cultures since the beginning of human time. $30. 301-466-8176. admin@pointofdeparture.org. www.pointofdeparture.org/FEMA.html. Live Music at the Cocktail Lab — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Tenth Ward Distilling Co., 55 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Every Friday in the Cocktail Lab we’ll be servin’ up our deliciously wild concoctions and some sweet tunes to get your weekend started off right. 21 and older. 301-360-5888. monica@tenthwarddistilling.com. tenthwarddistilling.com.

THEATER

“A Second Helping” The Church Basement Ladies Sequel — 6 p.m. to at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick. The ladies are back and funnier than ever. Friday and Saturday evenings and matinees on the first, third and fifth Sunday, through May 24. Tickets vary. 301-662-6600. WOB@wayoffbroadway.com. wayoffbroadway.com.

Ride Local. Ride Together.

Tour de Frederick Saturday, June 7th 2025

Walkersville Fire Hall

Get ready for a cycling event like no other! Whether you’re a seasoned rider of just out for a fun day with the family, Tour de Frederick has a route for you.

• Scenic rides for all skill levels (10 miles, 31 miles, 62 mile3s, and 100 miles)

• Family-friendly options

• Post-ride celebration with food, music & beverages

• Proceeds support The Rotary Club of Carroll Creek and The Boys and Girls Club of Frederick County

Join hundreds of cyclists for an unforgettable day on the road - and help us make a difference in our community.

Register now at: http://www.tourdefrederick.com/Account/Register Pedal with purpose. Ride with us.