72 HOURS October 2, 2025

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OCTOBER 2

Hannah Ponce

New Market country singer rises to local fame

BRUNSWICK CELEBRATES ITS ROOTS

The narrative of American industry often gets reduced to nostalgia, but Brunswick’s Railroad Days on Oct. 4 and 5 manages to honor history while celebrating the living, breathing community that grew from those B&O Railroad roots. As one of the historic railroad’s key hubs, Brunswick could easily lean into dusty displays and sepia-toned reminiscence. Instead, the two-day festival throughout town prioritizes local performers, artists and artisans — the contemporary talent that gives this railroad town its current pulse. Model train displays will satisfy the history enthusiasts, of course.

FREDERICK’S STORY GETS THE DOCUMENTARY TREATMENT

Most cities talk about their comeback narratives. Frederick gets a nationally broadcast documentary. “InSpired,” produced by the Emmy Award-winning and Frederick-based 3 Roads Communications, chronicles Frederick’s evolution from suburban flight and devastating floods to its current status as a thriving cultural hub. The Weinberg Center will host a watch party gala at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 6 to celebrate the film. What makes this particularly compelling is the framing: Frederick’s story positioned as America’s story, with local resilience serving as a microcosm for national urban revitalization. The forthcoming public TV broadcast means Frederick’s transformation will be witnessed by audiences well beyond the city limits. Tickets are $50 through weinbergcenter.org or 301-600-2828 for the gala and film screening.

WHEN PREVENTION ISN’T ENOUGH

Robert Collin’s “The Climate Adaptation Generation: A Blueprint for the Future” — awarded Best Climate Change Book in the U.S. for 2025 — operates from a premise that might make some environmentalists uncomfortable: What if we can’t prevent the worst of climate change? The Frederick resident and former environmental studies professor argues that focusing on adaptation isn’t defeatist but pragmatic. He offers solutions that are implementable now, rather than waiting for institutional changes that get mired in politics. His examples are specific and local: The Mount Airy boy who died recently in a storm drain, for instance, might have been saved by a safety grate and larger culvert. Frederick could expand tree canopies, restore Monocacy River wetlands and upgrade stormwater systems. Collin sees the 2035-2050 window as critical, arguing that climateresilient infrastructure isn’t just about saving money but creating conditions for communities to flourish. It’s a shift from apocalyptic hand-wringing to practical engineering, and for a species that adapted to ice ages and tropics, perhaps that’s the more human response.

BAROQUE MUSIC CROSSES OCEANS

The Handel Choir of Baltimore will bring18th-century music from both sides of the Atlantic to Frederick Presbyterian Church at 4 p.m. Oct. 5, and the programming reveals something about how cultural exchange worked centuries before globalization became a buzzword. Mexican and Cuban Baroque works alongside selections from Handel’s Messiah, performed with period instrument reproductions, demonstrate that New World composers were in active dialogue with European masters. Since 1935, the Handel Choir has balanced canonical masterpieces with music new to aud iences, recently celebrating their 90th season with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and a performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis featuring Baltimore’s largest period instrument orchestra. The Frederick concert is free, but a $15 donation is suggested. Frederick Presbyterian Church is at 115 W. Second St. Email hello@handelchoir.org for details.

EVENTS AT

SAY HELLO TO HOOD!

Biology and STEM Experience Day

Wednesday, Oct. 8

Fall Open House

Saturday, Oct. 25 or Nov. 22

Register and view more events for prospective students and families at hood.edu/visit.

COMMUNITY EVENTS Free and open to the public.

Recital featuring violinist Eunice Kim and pianist

Xiaohui Yang

Sunday, Oct. 5, 3-5 p.m., Coffman Chapel

Commemorating 250 Years of Independence in the Americas: Shared Struggles of the Western Hemisphere with Dan Cozart, Ph.D.

Monday, Oct. 20, 7-8:30 p.m., Beneficial-Hodson Library and Learning Commons, 2nd floor

Biobeers Networking hosted by The Hood College Graduate School

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 6-8 p.m., Whitaker Campus Center

Hood Talks: Mindful and Intuitive Eating with Joanna Eaton, RDN

Thursday, Oct. 23, noon-1 p.m., pre-registration required to receive Zoom link

An Evening with Hill Harper

Friday, Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m., Hodson Auditorium in Rosenstock Hall

As part of the Black Student Union 51st anniversary celebration, join award-winning actor, best-selling author, entrepreneur and philanthropist Hill Harper for a lively evening of conversation, featuring a keynote speech, Q&A and book signing. Sponsored by the Hanson Lecture Series through the Foundation for Enhancing Communities.

FOR KIDS

Fall Family Weekend Movie Night: “Madagascar”

Friday, Oct. 3, 8 p.m., Hodson Auditorium in Rosenstock Hall

Fall Family Weekend Morning Story Time

Saturday, Oct. 4, 10-10:30 a.m., Beneficial-Hodson Library and Learning Commons, 2nd floor

Safe Harvest Trick-or-Treating

Thursday, Oct. 23, 4:30-8:30 p.m.

A family-owned restaurant is on a mission to popularize traditional Korean foods

Sun Hee Chung and her husband, Sang Ho Jung, hope their restaurant allows people to enjoy and become familiar with authentic Korean food.

The couple, both originally from Korea, have owned Sogongdong Tofu House for five years. The restaurant, located inside the H Mart in Frederick, previously belonged to a family member until they took over.

As Korean culture has become popularized globally through music and movies, Chung said more people have come to the restaurant seeking out certain dishes.

“We’re grateful. Now, people are more recognizing the food and the culture and everything, and they seem to notice more,” she said, adding that people have started to ask about the difference between various foods.

Having the restaurant inside the grocery store means more foot traffic from shoppers, Chung said.

One of their iconic offerings — and one of Chung’s favorites — is the hot stone bowl bibimbap. Chung said this dish represents the culture well.

The bowl consists of a rice base, which crisps up on the sizzling stone, mixed vegetables and marinated beef, topped with a fried egg and mixed with a homemade gochujang chili paste.

“It has all the vegetables differently [seasoned] ... all together in one hot stone, so it gives more of a harmony, I think, and visually, it looks nice,” Chung said.

Seasoned with sesame oil and salt, the dish is light and not greasy, she added.

Many of the restaurant’s dishes can be made gluten-free or vegetarian for those with certain dietary restrictions.

Some of the store’s other popular menu items include soondubu jjigae, which is a soft tofu stew, and tteokbokki, simmered rice cakes in a sauce.

“That’s my main goal,” Chung said. “When people ask for bibimbap, they don’t ask me the question, ‘What’s in it?’ They already know.”

SOGONGDONG

TOFU HOUSE

1063 W. Patrick St., Frederick (inside H Mart) 240-220-8191

Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily

Price: Menu items range in price from $10 for boiled or fried dumplings to $27.99 for beef short ribs

The owners recommend: The Hot Stone Bowl Bibimbap, a combination of rice, mixed vegetables, marinated beef, a fried egg and a homemade gochujang chili paste.

Staff photos by Ric Dugan
Sang Ho Jung, left, and Sun Hee Chung, owners of Sogongdong Tofu House, which is located inside the H Mart in Frederick.
The Hot Stone Bowl Bibimbap at Sogongdong Tofu House.

Find your ‘style story’ at Foundry Outpost

It’s hard to miss the 60-foot-long American flag gathered and draped from the wall at Foundry Outpost on East Patrick Street. Prior to the store’s July 31 opening, hanging the flag presented quite the logistical challenge for owner Yvette Freeman. She worked with a friend using multiple ladders to ensure the sea of fabric didn’t touch the ground.

But there was never any question of the flag’s belonging in the store.

The flag was a gift from her father, Joe, when she was 21 — the same year she lost him.

“A little black dress goes with everything and can be dressed up or down,” she explained. “You can wear sneakers or heels or boots, pull your hair in a ponytail or curl it all up. It’s always in. It’s iconic. For me, the Chesterfields are the little black dress.”

Freeman is passionate about connecting clients with items they love in order to help them build, as she puts it, a “style story.” Every item in the store has been lovingly selected by Freeman, and each holds some meaning or significance.

I can tell you the story of literally every item in every store,” she said. “I buy the things that I love.”

IF YOU GO

“[That flag] meant so much to him,” Freeman said. “I remember the day he gave it to me and the expression on his face and the importance of the flag.”

He told her he wanted her to always have the flag with her wherever she was. “I’ve carried it from home to home and apartment and tiny home and wherever I was, and then the store that I consider home. Frederick is my home store.”

Foundry Outpost on East Patrick Street is the second location for Freeman’s antique business. Foundry has been at its Lucketts, Virginia, location for more than 10 years, located next to the Old Lucketts Store. That store holds many of the larger pieces of furniture, like her signature Chesterfield sofas, while the Frederick location focuses on smaller inventory, including menswear, accessories and other treasures she has amassed in her travels.

Freeman credits her father with instilling in her a love of all things vintage and antique — in addition to the flag and her particular love for cars.

“I grew up going to estate sales and auctions with him and watching him mix the craziest things together and make things for our home,” Freeman said. “He is my greatest inspiration.”

The name Foundry is also a nod to him. She remembers a building he worked in had once been a foundry, and the word was still etched above the entryway.

Because his engineering work required so much mental concentration, he loved to work with his hands as a form of stress relief. She remembers that he loved to find an unsightly or worn-out piece of furniture at an estate sale and work on it in his shop until he’d restored it to beauty.

He also taught her to think about styling a house as she would a closet, starting with the decor equivalent of a little black dress.

Freeman maintains a warehouse within a mile of each location so she can refresh the offerings as needed. She credits her tiny but mighty team with running operations in such a way that allows her to travel between locations and, of course, go treasure-hunting on the road.

For the first 8 to 10 years in the antique and vintage business, she was able to source from the UK and France because shipping costs were friendlier for small businesses. Now she travels domestically in her trusty van, named “Big Frank.”

“People will write in and be like, ‘Hey, we live in this town and we have the largest ball of twine. Do you want to come?’ Heck yeah, I want to come! So I get in Big Frank and I roll to the town with the biggest ball of twine and pick through people’s barns and garages and their grandmother’s attics,” Freeman said.

One of her favorite destinations for this type of travel is Round Top, Texas. While the town is small, it hosts a large antique and vintage show a few times a year, drawing collectors and artisans from all over the world.

“It’s the most talent that I’ve ever seen in one place,” Freeman said. “In Round Top, you can’t stumble five feet and not run into someone who makes something amazing or collects something amazing for you to see or curates something that they love for you to shop.”

While she has experienced vintage and antique businesses across the U.S. and abroad, she says their common thread is the passion behind them. She finds that passion particularly exemplified in Frederick, where the prevalence of small businesses and brick-and-mortar shops downtown reflect the courage and resilience of entrepreneurs to follow their own passions and share them with the community.

Finding Frederick was love at first

sight for Freeman, who did not hesitate to jump on the opportunity when her storefront location became available.

Foundry has received a warm welcome from the community.

“The grand opening was fantastic. The people of Frederick have been wonderful — welcoming and friendly and coming over,” Freeman said. “I had a neighbor bake cookies, which was really thoughtful.”

She hopes that Foundry will be a resource not just for finding special pieces to take home but for learning to build a style story. She loves to advise when people have questions or want her opinion on a style conundrum. Even when people are not actively shopping but simply want to browse after a stressful day, she welcomes them to consider the store as a refuge. She actually considers a visit like that to be one of the highest of compliments.

“What I want you to understand is that your story is what matters — that is, if you put baby powder in your hair

and you didn’t wash it or you washed it, it’s your story,” Freeman said. “Don’t filter it out. Don’t be so focused on making it work for everyone else. Make it work for you.”

Meanwhile the grand old flag presiding over the store serves as a reminder of the power of honoring one’s story. It also honors the memory of someone whose own passion lives on in his daughter, the treasures she has found, and the many lives and homes that are enriched because of Foundry.

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.

Yvette Freeman
Foundry Outpost opened on East Patrick Street in Frederick in July.
Foundry Outpost is at 118 E. Patrick St., Frederick.

Less is More: Joss Stone brings her stripped-down tour to Strathmore

“Oh, you’re in your car? I’ve done many an interview in my car. I’m actually hiding in the top of my house right now, away from my screaming children downstairs. Isn’t it crazy how we just double-do everything? It’s a mad world we’re living in, isn’t it?”

Those are the first words that Joss Stone says. The conversation was scheduled as an audio-only adventure. But then, with a jolt of shock, the singer appears on an iPhone screen, ready to talk about anything and everything. As in. Every. Thing.

It’s great because talking to Joss Stone isn’t just all you think it might be — insightful, whimsical, vulgar, honest — but it’s also all you hope it might be — caring, funny, chaotic, lovely.

One minute, she wrestles with identifying herself as sexist while pondering life on the road.

“My lovely Cody,” she explains in a way that sounds like the definition of someone thinking out loud. “He’s a stayat-home dad now because basically, it came down to who can make the most amount of money, and that was me. He’s an amazing dad, but I guess sometimes I am sexist, because I genuinely feel like women should not leave their children. I know men feel it, too, but with us, it’s like, your body hurts. It’s almost like Mother Nature did not set us up for this, but society has put us in this position. I’m just glad I’ve got this guy that’s super secure and he’s not emasculated by it.”

The next, she expresses frustration with an idea for an album that remains in limbo.

“I had a whole plan,” the singer says half-deflated. “It included three people, and that is why it hasn’t happened. Three specific people. They’re all producers in their own right. I wanted to write it with one guy, then cut it live with another guy, and then give that to another guy who produces club music. They could then bring what we do into this world. They were like, ‘That’s so dope. I love that idea.’

“But when it came down to it, individually, each of them said, ‘No, no, no. I can do it all,’” she reveals with exasperation before offering a chuckle. “I’m like, ‘f— hell, the egotistical male ego!’ I still really want to do it; I just need to find people that can put their ego to one side. I also need to find people who love collaboration.”

Collaboration is at the heart of Stone’s current tour, aptly titled Less Is More, a nod not only to a track that first appeared on her 2004 sophomore set, “Mind Body & Soul,” but also to the format of the show — a show that will make a stop at the Music Center at Strathmore on Oct. 9.

Gone are the flashy production and outsized sounds of horns, keyboards and drums that fans found on her 20 Years of Soul tour in 2023. In their place is a stripped-down setting that leans heavily on acoustic guitar, a smattering of bass and, if she has her way, a handful of backup singers that help her scratch the harmony itch she so helplessly adores while on the road.

It isn’t the first time Stone has taken this approach to touring — he spent a good part of 2024’s second half presenting her songs in such a format — but by the time she wraps up dates in February 2026, the Grammy Award-winner admitted she’ll be on to something new. What that “something new” could be

IF YOU GO

Joss Stone will perform at 8 p.m. Oct. 9 at The Music Center at Strathmore, 301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $29-$89. See strathmore.org, or call 301-581-5100.

isn’t limited to her shelved idea involving three other producers. In fact, with the arrival of her fourth child, daughter Nalima, earlier this year, her next venture could be anything from crafting a disco record to … running a salon?

“I have a friend that runs a salon,” Stone reflects, “and it’s super creative and it makes people happy for a living. She goes there at nine o’clock in the morning and comes home at five at night. That’s such a dream.

“Why can’t I have a job where I can just get everyone to come to me without having to leave my home,” she adds, then asks with a wry grin. “I know it just doesn’t work like that, and this is the path I’ve chosen, so I know I need to

count my blessings. But I go away for a week and I feel that pull towards my baby. I used to take my kids with me, but it isn’t until you have a toddler on a tour bus that you realize how stupid that is. When they actually start to toddle, it becomes entirely unsafe.”

Perhaps a bit more benign than a roving tour bus that doubles as a (shaky) platform on which kids learn to walk? A disco album.

Verifying reports that surfaced earlier this year, the singer confesses that after swimming in the waters of soul, rock, R&B and reggae, the next genre she tackles might just harken back to the days of bellbottoms and rollerskates.

On a surface level, the inspiration behind the idea comes strictly from her kids. They love to dance, and sometimes, specifically as they awake to begin the day, Stone happily commences a morning dance party to get everyone started off on the right foot.

Wading deeper into the singer’s psyche, however, reveals something a bit more profound about the potential of her next possible project.

“I just want it to be freeing, and I think that’s what disco music should be,” she says. “At this time in my life, I’m 38 and I have four children. It’s like, ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff.’ Let it go, have a dance, and don’t worry about it. Dance it out.

“I know it’s a hard day,” she continues with a sense of perseverance creeping into her voice. “You have had many already, and you’re going to have many, many more. Let’s just go. Let’s free ourselves and enjoy the moments that we have.”

OK, but does that include moments at the salon?

“I do cut people’s hair,” she says, laughing. “I like to help people feel better about themselves. I love baking cakes for people. I love making people feel good. So, if you can have that as your job, that’s great. That’s very happy-making.”

She pauses for an eternity of thought.

“They say if you’re depressed or you’re spiraling, there’s a really good tip, and that’s to do something for someone else,” she concludes. “The second you start doing that and start making that part of your life — part of your regular life — you will be happier and so will the person you’re helping. It doesn’t have to be the singing life.” She smiles. “It could be anything.”

Ars Gratia Populi will perform inside Frederick chapel

As part of Calvary UMC’s Community Concert Series, the a cappella group Ars Gratia Populi will perform a free concert in Frederick, open to the public.

Doors will open at 2:30 p.m., and the show will begin at 3 p.m. Oct. 5 at Calvary United Methodist Church, 131 W. Second St., Frederick.

Hailed by choral titan Michael McGlynn (founder of Anúna) as “a dynamic and brilliant group of singers with a strong sonic vision,” Ars Gratia Populi (Latin for “art for the people’s sake”) is a vocal ensemble founded in 2023 by All-Ireland champion singer Kevin Elam to explore the interplay between art music and folk music in an a capella setting.

The group’s name, which is a play on the well-known maxim ars gratia artis (“art for art’s sake”), represents their view that art derives its meaning not from itself, but from the positive reaction it can create in the human mind and soul.

Learn more about the group at kevinelammusic.com/agp.

Email concert coordinator Joyce Summers at jsummers@calvaryumc.org for more information.

Courtesy photo
The a cappella group Ars Gratia Populi will perform a free concert in Frederick.

THE

FREDERICK MOM

The Frederick Mom’s recommendations for the weekend of Oct. 3

Activities to do with the kids this weekend, courtesy of The Frederick Mom. Fall Fest at Summers Farm

1 to 9 p.m. Oct. 3; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 4; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 5

Summers Farm, 7503 Hollow Road, Middletown

Cost varies

If you didn’t get a chance to visit Summers Farm for its Flower Festival, the time to go is this week. Fall Fest is back and your ticket includes a wagon ride to the pumpkin patch and access to the farm with over 45 attractions. They have giant slides, oversized jumping pillows, mazes, ziplines, mini golf, corn pits, rubber duck races, pig races, obstacle courses and more. The corn maze this year features Washington Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin’s iconic jersey. Enjoy all the fall classics like barnyard animals, games and apple cider slushies. Local beer and wine are available, and food and drinks are sold osite until 6 p.m. Plenty of shaded seating is available. This particular Saturday, catch magician Tim Hall performing at 1:30 and 4 p.m. and stay for fireworks at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday nights in October. summersfarm.com.

•••

Taylor Swift Cookie Cake Class

6:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 3

The Dessert Depot, 1502 S Main St., Mount Airy

$60/person

This Friday evening, “sprinkle it off” and decorate a 10” chocolate chip cookie cake at The Dessert Depot. Dress sparkly and channel your inner superstar! This Taylor Swift-inspired decorating class will have you creating show-stopping cookies. All supplies provided and no experience is needed. This class is for adults and kids ages five and older. thedessertdepot.com. •••

Myersville Music & Trolley Festival

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 4

Doub’s Meadow Park, Wolfsville Road, Myersville Free

This Saturday, enjoy a day out at the park! The Myersville Parks and Recreation Committee presents the 2025 Myersville Music and Trolley Festival — a free, townwide celebration for the whole family. Join the community for a

day of fun with lots of free activities: the train, live music, facepainting, character drawing, a bounce house and more! Stop by the Myersville Library from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Trolley Talks and set aboard the trolley while learning its history. From 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. meet and take a photo with your favorite Police Pup and enjoy a few crafts.

•••

Gravity Social Race & Fall Fest

Noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 4

Old Harmony Farm, 4125 Coxey Brown Road, Myersville Free

Something different to check out: How about a Dual Slalom Bike Race! The 13th annual Gravity Social Bike Race & Fall Festival is happening this Saturday. This event is family-friendly, free to spectate, and features head-tohead mountain bike racing for all ages and skills — plus local food trucks, live music, bonfires and overnight camping available. With over 150 racers to cheer on, from kid striders to pros ... it’s not an event you want to miss! Cheer on exciting fun races like open enduro,

e-bikes and unicycles. Lots of food, coffee and dessert trucks plus beer from Olde Mother Brewing. BYO blankets and chairs. The first race begins at noon!

Apple picking at Catoctin Mountain

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 4 and 5

Catoctin Mountain Orchard, 15036 N. Franklinville Road, Thurmont $3/person; kids 3 and under are free

Every Saturday and Sunday in October, Catoctin Mountain Orchard is hosting a fun experience for the whole family. Join the farm to make memories on a wagon ride to pick from a wide variety of apples right off the tree. Last wagon leaves at 3 p.m. Kids will love the tractor-themed playground on the farm and parents will love shopping at their Market full of fresh produce, flowers, pies, pints of ice cream, toys and books, and their signature apple desserts. Take a picture in front of their iconic pyramid of pumpkins. Check in at the white trailer and purchase a bag to pick apples. Choose from ½ a peck, a peck, or ½ a bushel. Cash only; ATM is onsite.

Fall Fest at Rose Hill Manor Park

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 4 and 5

Rose Hill Manor Park, 1611 N. Market St., Frederick Free

Frederick County Farm Museum presents its two-day Fall Fest at Rose Hill Manor Park on Saturday and Sunday. Come out for this annual family-friendly, free event featuring agricultural demonstrations, food, hay rides, crafts, and more! Be sure to complete the Agriculture Olympics with the University of Maryland Extension Office of Frederick County. On Sunday, the Farm Museum will host the Kids’ Pedal Pull at 1 p.m.

Brunswick’s Railroad Days

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct 4 and 5 Downtown Brunswick, 1 W. Potomac St., Brunswick Free admission

Celebrate the charm of Brunswick and its railroad history at this two-day, free festival for the whole family. Walk the streets of downtown Brunswick for the town’s 42nd annual Railroad Days. Explore model train exhibits and demos in Legion Hall, arts and crafts vendors, delicious food, live music and a beer garden in Square Corner Park. Check out the Kids Zone (located behind the American Legion) with inflatable bouncy houses, a petting zoo, balloon artist, pony rides, and a trackless train. For a fee, take a 45-minute round-trip MARC train ride to the Shenandoah Junction through scenic Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on both days. Train tickets are sold at eventbrite.com; search “Brunswick Railroad Days Train Rides.”

Hops & Paws for a Cause

Noon p.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 5

Prospect Point Brewing, 5500a Jefferson Pike, Frederick Free

It’s the pawty of the year! If your family is thinking about adopting a pup, this is the event for you. This Sunday, join Frederick’s beloved unofficial mascot, Tootsie, from Dog Friendly Frederick at Hops & Paws for a Cause — a fundraiser benefiting PetConnect Rescue. Start with morning off with puppy yoga by Jenuine Yogi, shop some “pawsome” vendors, enjoy live music, great beer and food trucks onsite, plus enter raffles and giveaways. And most importantly, visit with adoptable dogs and meet your future best friend. Prospect Point Brewing is home to two playgrounds for kids to play with tons of nearby picnic tables and seating for families.

TIFFANY MAHANEY
Courtesy of Social Gravity
Gravity Social will host its Race & Fall Fest on Oct. 4.

Historic Pine Grove Cemetery is a community collaboration

Pine Grove Chapel looks deceptively peaceful. The quaint stone building on South Main Street in Mount Airy overlooks a rolling, gravestone-lined hill and peaceful paths that encircle a grand Wye Oak tree.

Now all is at rest, but it was not always so.

In 1863, the now lovingly manicured lawn was overrun with the footsteps of Union Soldiers, and smoke filled the air as pork and beans cooked in a large kettle on an open fire. Company K of the New Jersey Regiment was barracked in the chapel for four months during the Civil War.

Initially, the school that operated out of the chapel basement tried its best to continue its task of education in the chaos. One day, as the story goes, a drunk soldier on horseback disrupted the school day, leaving both teacher and pupils thoroughly shaken. The reality of being roommates with a regiment of soldiers prompted the school to pause operations until the end of the war.

Today, signage and monuments out front and artifacts preserved inside speak to the chapel’s place in the town’s history, but the property maintains an active and significant role in the community’s present and future as well.

Pine Grove Chapel began as Ridge Presbyterian Church, built on land do-

and artifacts

nated in 1846 by one of Mount Airy’s founding families, Henry and Eliza Bussard. The main level functioned as the church, while the basement level was a school.

After the tumultuous hosting of the New Jersey Regiment, the building underwent repairs, reopening in 1867.

The Pine Grove Cemetery Company was founded in 1894, an organiza-

tion that still runs the property today. Difficult years lay ahead for the chapel, however. Church and funeral services ceased in 1908, and for the next few decades, the property fell into disrepair.

Photos by Erin Jones
Pine Grove Chapel and Cemetery in Mount Airy. Pine Grove Chapel began as Ridge Presbyterian Church, built on land donated in 1846 by one of Mount Airy’s founding families, Henry and Eliza Bussard. Monuments
preserved inside speak to the chapel’s place in the town’s history.

In 1933, the Cemetery Company resumed operations, raising funds and making much-needed renovations. The following year, the company gained official ownership of the property from the local Presbytery and was dedicated as a nondenominational chapel, which remains its designation to this day.

According to the company’s website, the pulpit, flooring and even benches are original to the property. A Bible given in 1850 is still a treasured artifact.

The chapel is still in use occasionally for services, and the cemetery holds historic graves along with ongoing current burials and space for future internments.

“We’re blending the new with old … as times go on, it changes, but we all blend it together really nicely,” said Matthew Heard, president of the Pine Grove Cemetery Company.

Every aspect of the organization is volunteer-run, from the property’s upkeep to the coordination with bereaved families in the event of an internment.

The company is currently fundraising for a new fence and a columbarium, an upright memorial that can hold cremated remains.

In addition to the eight volunteers that make up Pine Grove Cemetery Company, community members also take part in caring for the property.

For example, Eagle Scouts identified and marked where veterans are laid, laying wreaths as part of the national participation in Wreaths Across America and flags on Memorial Day.

Heard said another scout identified 10 to 12 monuments that needed to be cleaned, and then undertook the task of cleaning them for an Eagle Scout project.

Heard also steps in to clean the graves, taking care to use products that won’t damage the stone but instead protect the monuments from further damage.

“The end product is beautiful,” Heard said. “It’s amazing what a little cleaning can do.”

In addition to caring for the graves, the Pine Grove Cemetery Company is committed to being proactive in its preservation of the chapel. Reinforcing the integrity of the masonry is a priority, for example.

“There’s a couple of little issues, but definitely nothing bad ... we’re in the process of touching up [the mortar] over the course of time,” Heard said. “Thankfully, right now it’s standing tall and looking good.”

For a donation, the chapel can be used for services today, though there is neither air conditioning nor heat in the space. Heard is the point of contact for requesting use of the chapel.

“I enjoy helping out the families and helping out with the different events that are there,” Heard said. “It’s a labor of love.”

In addition to Pine Grove, Heard is a member and past president of the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company, an auxiliary with the VWF, and works as delivery manager at the Mount Airy Post Office. He was

inducted into the Mount Airy Hall of Fame earlier this year.

For the dedicated volunteers like Heard, taking care of Pine Grove Cemetery goes beyond preserving the history. It’s also about maintaining a cultivating space for the community to gather, reflect and honor those lost.

“The biggest thing is that it’s a place to support our loved ones that we lost in the past. It’s a gathering place,” Heard said. “Pine Grove is a lovely place for you to come and visit your loved ones and show support for the ones that passed before us.”

While the chapel crowns the peak of the hill, a newer piece of history commands the valley of the cemetery. The impressive Wye Oak, encircled by a gravel pathway, sheltering a single bench beneath its branches. In 1977, the Mount Airy garden club planted the tree, then a small sapling from the Eastern Shore. Now deeply rooted, the height and span of its branches are vast. While the chapel bears witness to the past, the tree casts a shadow over the future plots — now a serene, grassy hill.

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.

”Frida” — through Oct. 6, City Hall, 100 N. Court St., Frederick. In collaboration with Centro Hispano de Frederick’s Anos Dorados (Golden Years) program.

30 Frida Kahlo-inspired portraits created by senior participants in the program. City Hall hours 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

centrohispanodefrederick. org or cityoffrederickmd.gov.

”Experience the Creativity” — through Oct. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Work in a variety of media from members of the Olney Art Association. Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. 301698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Contemporary Kumiko” — through Oct. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. The work in this exhibition is inspired by Kumiko, a Japanese art form established in the Asuka era (600–700 AD). These intricate pieces made of wood, fabric, gold leaf, and paper are part of David Gootnick’s work which introduces Kumiko to the broader audience. Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MondaySaturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Contemporary Innovations: Erin Fostel — A Room of Her Own” — through Oct. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Fostel’s charcoal and graphite drawings are focused on the bedroom as a unique place where a sole woman occupant can be free of the objectification and expectation imposed upon her most anywhere else. The work acknowledges each woman through representation of her space, rather than her body. Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MondaySaturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Seven Ideas About Paradise” — through Oct. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. This immersive experience in mixed media work by Julie

Courtesy of NPS

The Canal Town Partnership will present an open house viewing of Garnet Jex paintings of Harpers Ferry will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 4 at Camp Hill-Wesley United Methodist Church, 601 Washington St., Harpers Ferry, W.Va. Garnet Jex was an artist and designer for the U.S. Public Health Service in the 1930s who remained active through the 1950s. He especially loved painting landscapes and historic scenes along the Potomac River and the C&O Canal. In 1960 Jex donated 17 paintings of Harpers Ferry to the town, and he helped hang them at Camp Hill Church in the upper town area. They recently returned to the church after being shown in various regional venues and museums. This open house will offer a rare opportunity to view the paintings in their longtime home. Docents will be available to answer questions and offer information about Jex and his art. Shown here, “One of the Last Steam Locomotives,” by Garnet Jex.

Maynard takes inspiration from various mythological vantage points to explore the idea of paradise and humanity’s preoccupation with it. Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

“Bio-Translations” — through Oct. 26 at Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Work by Craig Cavin. Call 301-4737680 for gallery hours or for an appointment to view the show.

Frederick County Art Association 2025 Exhibit — through Jan. 5,

Thursday, OcT. 2, 2025 | 72 HOURS

2026, Frederick Health — Crestwood, 7211 Bank Court, Frederick. Works in oil, watercolor, mixed media and photography by some of Frederick County’s most talented artists. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240-2151460 or frederickhealth.org/ crestwood.

”Five Chicks With Brushes” — Oct. 4-26, Links Bridge Vineyards, Tasting Room, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont. An exhibit of artwork by a group of local artists called the Hands of the Artists. The artists are Sandy Cook, Pam Herrick,

Ann Lundahl, Robin Seidel and Stephanie Torres. The exhibit features a variety of still life and landscape paintings, many of which celebrate local Maryland scenes. Artists reception 1-4 p.m. Oct. 5. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends or by appointment. 301-4662413.

”If These Walls Could Sing ... “ — Oct. 4-26, Eastside Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Featuring local artists Sonja Mishalanie and Kathryn Phebus, in a tribute to the role music plays in the creative process. Hours are Saturday and Sunday noon

to 5 p.m. eastsidearts313@gmail.com.

”Futurity Dredge” — Sept. 29 through Oct. 31 at Vault of Visions Art Gallery, 1 N. Market St., Frederick. Featuring artwork by James Connors, whose work invites viewers to experience drawing not only as a visual act but as a deeply spiritual practice of perception, transformation and creation. Connors explores the ways in which organic textures, machinic forms and intuitive mark-making reveal a state of unending birth. Reception and artist talk at 2 p.m. Oct. 5. 240-315-5483.

Catching Up to Climate Change Author and environmental expert details how the nation — and Frederick — can adapt

As climate change continues its march, it may be time for a shift in approach. Rather than working to slow the progression of climate change, the moment could be right to think about ways to adjust to its impacts.

So says Robert Collin, a Frederick resident and former professor of environmental studies who asserts that more — and more serious — climate disturbances are all but inevitable.

How does the world, Frederick included, protect itself from more powerful storms, more intense heat waves, and other disruptions? Collin contemplates this question and many more in his new book, “The Climate Adaptation Generation: A Blueprint for the Future.” The book was developed to help younger generations meet change with change, detailing efforts big and small that can safeguard local populations against the brunt of global warming.

“The Climate Adaptation Generation” was released in July by Environmental Policy Press and was awarded the Best Climate Change Book Award in the United States of 2025.

Collin spoke recently with 72 Hours to discuss climate change and local actions that could pay dividends sooner rather than later.

What gave you the idea to write this book?

Probably around 2035 to 2050 is the range when we’ll start to feel the real tipping point of climate change. If we hit the year 2050 and we can’t reverse the temperature change, then what do we do? That’s what I’m talking about in my book. We’re a smart species. We adapt and survive. We adapted to migration, we adapted to ice ages, we adapted to the tropics. So I’m focused on that and I’m looking at land, air, water, the ecosystem.

My book is not designed to scare anyone or blame anyone. It’s a realistic blueprint for a future we can attain beginning now.

In your opinion, is Frederick more prepared, as prepared or less prepared for climate change compared with similarly sized cities?

feres with their daily focus. This arises as a salient issue for constituencies that can vote.

Is it possible to guesstimate when these kinds of adaptations might need to start being developed in earnest?

For medium-sized U.S. cities, Frederick is generally as prepared as most. But most cities aren’t very well prepared. They are now moving in that direction, though, and so is Frederick. The city is poised to do more.

Why do you think people should shift from a “prevention” mindset to one of adaptation?

I think an adaptation mindset is better because it can be implemented now with results that most people can agree with. Prevention will follow that, but that requires big institutional changes that become politicized and are difficult to implement.

Adaptation can really save lives. Recently there was a child in the DMV area who died tragically in a storm drain during a flash flood. That might have been prevented with a safety grate and a bigger culvert. School training in flood avoidance could have helped in cases like the recent tragedy in Texas where a flash flood killed people who weren’t prepared. What are some specific examples of the kinds of adaptations that can be made on a larger scale, including

right here in Frederick?

Infrastructure is the front line of climate adaptation for now. This includes elevating roads near flood zones, upgrading stormwater systems, using more porous surfaces in things like paving, and hardening the power grid. Here in Frederick, other examples include expanding tree canopies. Tree canopies play a surprisingly powerful role in mitigating climate change, both directly by reducing greenhouse gases and indirectly by cooling and protecting ecosystems. We can also create and restore wetlands along the Monocacy River and support regenerative farming practices — and on a much larger scale than we do now. There is not a lot of political will in the U.S., at least at the highest levels of government, for climate change legislation. How big of a problem is this for adaptation efforts?

Political can take many, many forms. Courts and legislation don’t always capture the will of the people. About 70% of the global population has climate anxiety, with 45% saying it inter-

The sooner these adaptations begin, the more ready we will be for the new wave of climate impacts. My personal view is these adaptations need to be aggressively pursued to the point of being standalone programs, not just add-ons to development or permitting requirements.

With a climate-resilient infrastructure, families will feel secure knowing their homes, schools, businesses, and houses of worship are protected from floods and storms. That is a condition for flourishing, not just saving money. With nature-based solutions, communities enjoy greener, cleaner and more beautiful spaces while staying safe from both floods and heat. Health tends to be better and property values often increase.

Generally, there is a universal political and social will to flourish; no one is against that. If the impacts of climate change get in the way of that ability to flourish, people will want them dealt with as soon as possible.

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

Courtesy photo
Frederick author Robert Collin.

Poe fans will celebrate the master of macabre

Frederick might be Maryland’s most haunted city, but there’s one ghost of a literary icon that has had a different Maryland city by the throat for nearly 200 years, much to the delight of those who live there.

And every year on the weekend closest to the anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s mysterious death in Baltimore, there in front of the small rowhouse he once lived in on Amity Street, a festival rises up to honor the master of mystery and maven of the macabre himself, gathering the legions of modern Poe enthusiasts still happily mesmerized by his sorrowful poems and tales of horror and fright.

The annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival and Awards will land on Baltimore like a stately raven on a bust of Pallas, turning Charm City into a Mesmeric Metropolis for three days with more Poe-themed festivities, performances, exhibits and experiences to see and do (or eat and drink) than can possibly be done in one weekend.

From Oct. 3 to 5, attendees will gather to share in a mutual obsession about all things Poe in the town that claimed his life but that also lays claim to his memory like no other place does.

“This is the beginning of the Halloween season, so everybody’s starting to get into that spooky mood,” said Enrica Jang, executive director of Poe Baltimore, the organization that hosts the festival and manages the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum. “What’s really fun about Poe folks is that it’s just a great opportunity to do the Halloween thing but it’s also a great opportunity to do that fun Victorian mourning or the Gothic costumes, and it’s a lot of fun to just be in that crowd.”

With so much to take in, and in various parts of the city, Jang emphasized that at its baseline, it’s a free and open street festival at the museum featuring a main stage with an eclectic and odd lineup of performances, vendor stalls, workshops, food and beverage tents, and ongoing tours of the museum. So that’s the place to start.

On Saturday at the festival grounds, there will even be a costumed POErade

where participants will dress up in their finest poetic apparel and follow in procession throughout the festival.

Jang said despite the gothic and grotesque aspects of Poe, the festival is truly for everyone and is a familyfriendly event.

To illustrate the point, she highlighted the very popular coffinmaking workshop onsite — for families. Not to be outdone, a local funeral home, Poverty Ridge Bros. Fine Funerary Services, will also be one of the vendors (spoiler: it’s performance art). Between that and the Charm City Ghostbusters, curiosity cabinets, apothecaries and booksellers offering quaint and curious volumes of forgotten lore, there’s a lot for kids, as well as kids at heart, to enjoy.

This year’s festival also commemorates the 176th anniversary of Poe’s mysterious death in Baltimore, as well as the 150th anniversary of the Poe monument in the cemetery at Westminster Hall, where his grave also lies. A new exhibition at Westminster tells the story of the historic monument itself, and among the many paid experiences offered by the festival, attendees can sign up for a bus tour to some of the notable locations that follow the mystery of Poe’s still unexplained death.

Quoth the raven ...

There’s one more anniversary the festival is commemorating this year that’s likely more famous than Poe himself. It’s been 180 years since the poet breathed immortal life into “The Raven” as that messenger of death from “Night’s plutonian shore” with his poem about the persistence of a bird squawking a single word, “nevermore,” to a tortured soul grieving the loss of his true love, thus cementing it into the permanent collection of pop culture for eternity.

An offsite excursion from the festival will take visitors to a 20-foot mural of the poem, on display in the aptly named Raven Room at the Carroll Mansion on Lombard Street. Alongside it, the famed collection of 26 steelengraved plates by French illustrator Gustave Doré depict the story of the poem, a work the artist himself only completed just before his death. Also at Carroll Mansion are two other

exhibitions, “Poe, Revolution, and the Marquis de Lafayette,” new this year, and the popular “Poe Death Exhibit.”

For those looking for a deep dive into the history and the academia of Poe, they’re sure to find it with tables by the likes of the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore or the Enoch Pratt Free Library, which houses a substantial archive of Poe’s manuscripts, letters and personal effects. But kitschy merchandise, souvenirs, interactive mysteries and rousing performances of song, poetry, comedy and Poe’s stories will abound, with RavenBeer and food from Annabel Lee’s Tavern among other suppliers to be available as well.

For most of the attendees, that seesaw between earnest and curious reflection on the works of Poe to playful cosplaying with the enduring iconography of what those works have inspired is a welcome part of the same whole.

Jang said what’s cool about a festival like this, centered so exclusively around the legacy and cultural impact of one literary master like Poe, is that pretty much everyone at the event is starting from a place of shared interest.

“[If] you’re coming to the festival, you probably really like Poe already, and you immediately have something in common with anybody who’s there,” she said, which she described as a kind of balm for some of the tensions today. “There’s so much that’s just so divisive right now in our daily lives, so it’s such a special thing to just be drawn to something where everybody has something that they like in common.”

Baltimore’s affinity for Poe

And that affinity, those commonalities, run deep in Baltimore. Despite Poe spending his life dwelling in various cities up and down the MidAtlantic, Baltimore has put all its chips in being the Poe city people know about. As Jang tells it, just as Poe sought refuge and independence from his foster father, and found it among his blood relatives in Baltimore, the city ultimately became the place that wanted him the most as well, a cultural embrace that seems to be baked into the DNA of the place and its people.

From the 1875 effort of school children in Baltimore to raise “pennies for Poe” in order to furnish him a

proper headstone to the city’s NFL team claiming the Raven as their team name and mascot — to restaurants, breweries and theater companies named after him or a figure from his works, the festival is really a family reunion of sorts, the collective expression and celebration of what already exists in Baltimore: a Poe obsession that lives at the heart of the city’s identity and culture.

Perhaps it’s reciprocal. Though Poe was born in Boston, considered himself a Virginian gentleman, and lived in cities including Philadelphia and New York, it was Baltimore he later claimed as the place of his birth. And more to the point, it is the only place he died. This is a significant detail in consideration of the nature of his stories, such as “The Facts in the Case of M Valdemar,” as one isn’t always guaranteed a single death.

Baltimore’s claims to Poe outshine other cities. As Jang, with audible mischief in her voice, put it, “Well, we do have the body. So there’s that. We actually have the guy.”

And the body they do, indeed, have, though with a monument instead of a sepulcher in this veritable kingdom by the sea. To a man, it appears that the body shall have the heart of Baltimore in return, and the Int’l Poe Festival … evermore.

Joseph Peterson counts public libraries, public lands and places where local community is fostered among his favorite kinds of places.

Wikimedia Commons
A photo of Edgar Allan Poe, probably taken in June 1849 in Lowell, Mass.

TICKET to the

ARTS

COMMUNITY CONCERT SERIES

presented by the Music and Arts Ministry of Calvary United Methodist Church

Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. doors open at 2:30

Calvary United Methodist Church 131 West Second Street • Frederick, MD 21701

Ars Gratia Populi

NEW MUSIC IN A NEW WORLD

SUNDAY OCTOBER 12, 3P.M. KUSSMAUL THEATER, FREDERICK COMMUNITY COLLEGE

All-American themed program featuring works by Copland, Barber, and Dvořák, with guest narrator John Wilkins.

For tickets and information, visit fredericksymphony.org or call 301-685-3585.

A vocal ensemble founded by All-Ireland Champion Kevin Elam, Ars Gratia Populi explores the interactions between art music and folk music in an a cappella setting. Enjoy a wonderful afternoon of musical artistry in Calvary UMC’s visually inspiring sanctuary.

Hannah Ponce’s life changed significantly on Sept. 20, 2024. That evening, she was at The Great Frederick Fair to see country music star Riley Green in concert.

Just before heading to the fairgrounds, she stopped by the Dollar General to get a sharpie and a blank poster board to make a sign to bring to the show. On it, she wrote “Let’s Sing ‘You Look Like You Love Me’” — one of Green’s songs that he wrote and performed with Ella Langley.

During the show, Ponce got pulled out of the crowd and onto the stage to sing the duet.

“I wasn’t even nervous,” Ponce said. “Time just stopped for me. I was living my best life.”

The next day, when Ponce was at another store, she was recognized by a cashier who had attended the concert. That led to her being invited by Drew Phelps at WFRE to perform during “Party in the Park,” part of Celebrate Frederick’s annual Frederick’s Fourth celebration at Baker Park.

To put on a show, she had to put together a friend. She rounded up two members from Frederick and one based in Thurmont. The band includes Tyler Richmond (lead guitar), Joey Kolega (guitar and vocals), Kevin Etzler (drums) and Stefan Sandman (bass).

“We only got together the week before the concert,” she said, but they clicked immediately. “Right now, I have my guys.”

Prior to getting onstage to sing with Green at the fair, Ponce’s only experience with this sort of thing was singing The Star Spangled Banner publicly. “I was known as the National Anthem girl,” she said. She performed the anthem at the fairgrounds as well as at rodeos at the J Bar W Ranch in Union Bridge.

Singing has always been a part of her life, and she always wanted to be a singer, from as far back as the age of 3. Her mother plays piano and sings, and her sister sings as well. While in school, the 2023 Linganore High School graduate didn’t participate in any organized music program, but she sang in church. After she was too old to participate in Vacation Bible School,

HANNAH PONCE New Market country

Ponce continued to help direct the music for it. She also joined the praise band at Walkersville United Methodist Church.

“My faith and growing up in church laid the foundation,” she said. “It always came back to music. It has always been an outlet for me. I am the happiest when I am singing.”

When she was 14, Ponce auditioned for “The Voice” but was too young and was encouraged to come back when she was older. She hasn’t ruled that out as a possibility.

Last year, for Ponce’s 19th birthday, her parents got her an acoustic guitar, athough there was some concern that it might just gather dust. After the night at the fair, that all changed.

A few months later, her parents also paid for guitar lessons as another gift. Ponce only started learning the guitar in January, but once she figured out some basic chords, it came naturally to her.

“You can always get better,” Ponce said. “I am working on trying to pick more than just strum, and I also don’t want to think so hard about it.”

Ponce recently purchased a new Yamaha guitar, one that gave her confidence, she said. She takes it everywhere, including on a recent trip to the beach. She has learned about 180 songs, she estimates, five of which are her own.

Her first song, “Redbird,” is about her grandmother.

“I lost my grandma a year and a half ago. During that time, I kept seeing red birds, and they reminded me of her,” Ponce said. “Music is so peaceful to me. It grounds me.”

Ponce also enjoys partnering with others to write music, saying, “It’s always better when you get three or four brains together.”

Her musical influences include everyone from Dolly Parton and Miranda Lambert.

“I could do any genre, but country is my roots,” she said.

As she learns to work specific gigs and appeal to all audiences, she learns from watching how other musicians perform, as well as how they interview.

“Watching performances and interviews of the musicians I aspire to be has helped me tremendously in creating my own style,” she said. “The more you listen to artists, the more it broadens your horizon.”

Hannah Ponce Courtesy photos

country singer rises to local fame after taking the stage with Riley Green

The quick rise this past year has surprised Ponce.

“I don’t want to rush it,” she said. “I want to enjoy the ride.”

In addition to the performances with her band, Ponce is performing a lot of solo shows, too, incorporating covers and originals.

“My friends, family, and boyfriend constantly show up to all of the shows I play.”

She still gets nervous but believes there is something bigger planned for her.

By day, Ponce works as a receptionist at S&K Roofing, but Nashville is her goal. She is planning a trip there this year and hopes to record some music there. Right now, she is booking everything herself, but that might change at some point, too.

Living on a horse farm in New Market, the fair and rodeo were regular activities for Ponce and her family. She has two

grown Quarter Horses and one pony, and she would run barrels at the rodeo. One of Ponce’s goals is to ride in on Ginny, her 16-year-old horse, and sing The National Anthem at one of her performances.

“I am working on that,” she said. “I think that would be so cool.”

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

UPCOMING SHOWS

Oct. 4 — Fall Festival, 13001 Creagerstown Road, Thurmont

Oct. 11 — The Bullpen, 11037 Liberty Rd Suite A, Frederick Oct. 17 — The Derby, 83 Old National Pike, New Market Oct. 18 — North County Supply Co., 16663 Old Emmitsburg Road, Emmitsburg For more dates and information, see hannahponce.com.

‘East of Wall’: True grit with a touch of Tinseltown

Set in South Dakota near the picturesque Badlands and the nondescript town of Wall with its tacky tourist trap Wall Drug, “East of Wall” is like one of the difficult horses at the center of its story: hard to get a handle on. At least initially. An evocative opening montage lays out an expansive western landscape across which a teenage girl rides. Interspersing equestrian scenes with less glamorous shots of trashed trailers, the rhythm of cinematic images gives way to seemingly random cellphone videos, made for TikTok, that we gradually learn are the marketing tools of its central character. She’s a kind of horse whisperer — some call her a witch — named Tabatha Zimiga, which is also the name of the actress who plays her (a nonprofessional, like many in this docufictional feature debut of writer-director Kate Beecroft).

Tabatha is a trainer and trader of horses that no one else wants or sees the potential in. She has insight and a generosity of spirit that she also brings to bear on the large, unruly brood of young people who live with her: her biological children Stetson (Stetson Neumann), a speech-delayed 3-year-old; teens Skylar (Wyatt Mansfield) and Porshia (Porshia Zimiga); as well as several other stray adolescents she has taken in.

With half of her head shaved and the other half cascading peroxide-blond locks that fall past her Madonna lip piercing and elaborate neck tattoo, Tabatha is a kind of cow-punk earth mother. Her performance, along with that of her real-life daughter Porshia — a wild-child rodeo prodigy whose relationship with her mother propels this loosely fact-based nouveau western — is a feat of mesmerizing offhandedness.

At times, the mother and daughter’s naturalness only makes the trained actors in the cast stand out like sore thumbs. Scoot McNairy is fine as Roy, a wealthy cowboy businessman who’s come from Fort Worth seeking redemption for past sins and healing of family trauma. Roy recognizes Tabatha’s gift for

reading horses and pressures her to sell her ranch so he can harness her horse-reading magic at the auction houses. But Jennifer Ehle, as Tabatha’s skeptical, weatherworn mother Tracey, sounds overly mannered and actorly at times, especially when Beecroft gives her lines like this to say to Roy (spoken between long drags on an ever-present cigarette and sips of housemade peach moonshine):

“Don’t step on the necks of my girls when you’re trying to reach for that honor you’re talking about.”

Beecroft’s screenplay — which the actor turned filmmaker wrote after moving in with Tabatha and Porshia, off and on, for three years — is not as strong as her visual storytelling. Some of her dialogue trips over its own bootlaces.

At times, the narrative can also feel like eavesdropping on group therapy. One scene in particular features

several women — Tabatha, Tracey and others, with Porshia hiding in the shadows to listen in — sitting around a campfire. Confessions of partner abuse and the revelation of two violent Zimiga family secrets, one of which Beecroft has been dropping hints about since the beginning of the film, lend the story a gloss of melodrama. It feels out of place against what is otherwise the film’s refreshing naturalism.

It also seems a potential missed opportunity that Beecroft makes no inference about the ready availability of firearms, though both skeletons in the Zimiga family’s closet involved guns. Perhaps paradoxically, that is to the film’s credit: “East of Wall” does not judge its subjects in any way.

The film’s message — that, unlike her horses, Tabatha can’t be bought — lands with an effective, if predictable punch. Yet there’s also something a little too tidy about

the way Beecroft ties up all the emotional threads. One early scene features a speech therapist (Cheryl Walker) counseling Tabatha about Stetson’s development. The boy’s delays, the therapist tells her, could be the result of a chaotic home life.

And, wow, is Tabatha’s life a shambles, in almost every way. It’s a chaos, however, that feels like life, not cinema. If “East of Wall” celebrates anything, it’s a kind of beautiful anarchy.

Why, then, does the movie have to end on such a note of Hollywood happily-ever-after? It resonates with a tinny clang, doing a disservice to the symphonic mess that came before.

Rated R. Contains coarse language throughout, frequent smoking, vaping and drinking (some involving teens) and mature thematic material. 97 minutes.

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Tabatha Zimiga as Tabatha, Porshia Zimiga as Porshia in “East of Wall.”

Local Mentions Local Mentions Local Mentions

7TH ANNUAL HARVESTFEST ARTISAN AND CRAFT FAIR

SAVE THE DATE Sat Oct 25, 10a-7p Sun Oct 26, 9a-1p St John Regional Catholic School Gym at St Katharine Drexel Catholic Church 8414 Opossumtown Pike Frederick, MD 21702 Participant inquiries and additional info: https://www saintdrexel org/ event/harvestfest-2024/

A CHARACTER LUNCH

You & your children can have lunch and meet with your 4 favorite friends from down under and the happiest place on earth

Sat. Oct. 11 • 11a-1p

Adults/ Children 2 & older: $14 00 2 & under: Free Lunch provided Bring your camera

CATOCTIN GAS AND STEAM ENGINE

October 4-5 • 8-5 pm

Wolfsville Ruritan Park, 12708 Brandenburg Hollow Rd, Myersville, MD 21773

Tractors, Food, Vendors

CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ORCHARD

Available in our Market: Apples: Gala, Honeycrisp, Blondee, Sweet Mia & SummerSet Red & Prune Plums, Pears, Free Stone Yellow & White Peaches, Kiwi Berries, Concord Grapes, Sugar Cube Cantaloupe Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Cabbage Peppers: Green, Banana, Cubanelle, Jalapeno & Chili Peppers Kale, Cauliflower & Broccoli

HENRY'S BLACKTOP PAVING,

LLC

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

MEAT BINGO

Occtober 25, 2025

$40 Admission Includes 6 Card pack And Meal 20 Games

10 Games for Meat Packages Worth $150+ 10 Games for $100 Cash Doors open @ 5:30 Games start @ 7 p m Woodsboro Volunteer Fire Co 2 South Third St , Woodsboro, MD For reservations and info Call Nancy at: 240-405-2068

SLIPPERY HAM & TURKEY POT PIE CARRYOUT and country ham sandwiches Woodsboro Lutheran Church 101 S Main Street Sat, October 25, pickup from 11 am - 2 pm Quarts $9, sandwiches $5 Baked goods available For orders, leave message @ 301-271-3309

Pre-Order: www carrollmanorfire org Call 240-446-5706 Carroll Manor Fire Co Point of Rocks Fire Station SOUP & SANDWICH SALE

BUFFET DINNER

Mt Airy VFC Auxiliary Fri, Oct 03, 2025 4-7p or until sold out Eat in or Carry-out Fried Chicken, Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Cole Slaw, Green Beans, Buttered Corn, Baked Apples, & Stewed Tomatoes

Adults: $18; Children 6-12: $8 00 Under 5 is FREE; ($2 extra for carry-out)

Mt. Airy VFC Reception Hall

1008 Twin Arch Rd, Mt Airy Credit or Debit Cards Accepted

CASH BINGO

Benefit St Paul's

Evangelical Lutheran Church, Burkittsville, MD

Friday, Oct 3rd, 2025

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

$25 per person

20 Games + Specials + Raffle

Bake Table Available

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

Grab & Go Soups, Sandwiches, Deviled Eggs, Chicken Salads, Potato Salad & Macaroni Salad Fresh Baked Fruit Pies, Apple Cider Donuts, Apple Dumplings Homegrown Flower Bouquets, Mums & Hanging Baskets Pumpkins, Gourds, Mini Hay Bales & Indian Corn

Specialty CMO Ice Cream, Apple Cider Slushies, Jams & Jellies 301-271-2737

Open Daily 9am-5pm 15036 North Franklinville Rd Thurmont MD www catoctin mountainorchard com

DRIVE-THRU DINNER AND BAKE SALE

St John's Lutheran Church of Creagerstown 8619 Black's Mill Road

When: October 18th from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Menu: Fried Chicken, Green Beans, Pepper Slaw, Biscuit, and a Piece of Cake for $15

Bucket options:

• 8 pieces: $10

• 12 pieces: $15

• 16 pieces: $20

Deadline for Orders: October 12

Apple butter will also be available : $4/Pint; $7/Quart

Orders can be placed by contacting Carmi Sayler at 301-401-0633, leaving a message on the church phone at 301-8985290, or texting 240-529-7471

Maximum 150 players Snacks and beverages available for purchase NO Outside food or drinks allowed

SCENIC VIEW ORCHARDS

Bi-Color Sweet Corn Tomatoes, Nectarines, Ginger Gold, Gala, Honey Crisp, Apple Cider, Bartlett, Seckel & Magness Pears, Plums, Melons, Eggplant, Kennebec Potatoes, Beans, Onions, Cole crops Cucumbers, Squash Honey, Jams, Jellies 16239 Sabillasville Rd Sabillasville MD 21780

Open 10:00-5:00 Daily 301-271-2149 scenicvieworchards com Frederick Farmers Market 1215 West Patrick St Every Saturday 10-1:00 YMCA Farmers Market 1000 North Market St Every Tuesday 3:30-6:30

SLIPPERY

CHICKEN & HAM POT PIE SALE

Johnsville United Methodist Church

$9 00 per quart

Pre-Orders due Saturday, October 4

Call Karen @ 410-775-7627

Pick up Saturday, October 11

Between 1-3pm at Parish Hall Cash or check only Bake Table items for sale! Johnsville UM Church 11106 Green Valley Road (Rt 75) Between Union Bridge & Libertytown

Pre-order by 10/01/2025

Pick-up Friday 10/03/2025 9:00 a m -12:00 p m 301-874-2368 All freshly made onsite 8" subs: $8 00 Cold Cut, Ham & Cheese Turkey & Cheese, Chicken Salad & Country Ham

Sandwiches: $6 00 Chicken Salad & Country Ham Crab Cake Sandwich: $9 00 (fried or uncooked) By the lb: chicken salad $12; sliced country ham $12 Soup: Bean & Cntry Ham, Chicken Corn, Vegetable, bowl $4.00 / qt $8.00, Maryland Crab bowl $5/qrt $9 Bake table and goodies available! Carroll Manor Fire Co

Pick-up at: 2793 Adams St, Adamstown, MD

SOUP AND SANDWICH SALE

Jefferson Ruritan Club Sat. Oct. 25th; Pick-up 11am – 2pm Beef Veg, Bean w/Country Ham, Chicken Corn Soup - $8/Qt Country Ham Sandwiches - $4 50 ea Homemade Apple Dumplings - $5 ea MUST PRE-Order by 10/22/25 Call (301) 473-7986 or

Local Mentions

SPORTSMAN’S BINGO

Sat, November 8, 2025

DOORS OPEN 5:00, BUFFET 6:00

GAMES BEGIN 7:30

NEW MIDWAY VOL FIRE CO

20 Games (10 Games paying $200 Cash, 10 Games for Guns), 50/50, Money Jars, Gun Jars

$40/Person includes Buffet Dinner

Tickets: Buddy 301-271-4650 or Nick 301898-7985

VIGILANT HOSE

COMPANY NEW YEAR'S EVE BINGO

17701 Creamery Road, Emmitsburg, MD

Wednesday, 12/31

Doors Open @ 5:30pm Games @ 8pm

All Inclusive 9 pk/$50 for 30 games incl 2 $2000 Jackpots

6 SPECIALS @ $500 each

All other games $300/Incl Dinner Platter!

Reserved seating if tickets purchased by 12/12

Tickets purchased after 12/12 will be $60

No checks mailed after 11/28

For info: Pam @ 240-472-3484

Reserve right to change payouts if 200 are not sold

WALK TO CONQUER CHILDHOOD CANCER

Sunday, Oct 5, 2025 • 2PM Old National Pike District Park, Mt Airy, MD

Join us as we walk to raise money for pediatric cancer research Register / Donate at www kylescrusaders com

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

WINTER PANSIES

THAT LAST ALL SEASON!

Beautiful PA Mums & Pumpkins of all shapes & sizes! BIG Choice- Many Varieties! Only at DR Virts

800 Petersville Rd, Brunswick, Md 301969-6115

Come on down and see me! Cash & Cards

Child Care/Home Care

CHILDCARE - MIDDLETOWN,

MD (SPECIAL)

INDOOR/ OUTDOOR YARD SALE

Saturday Nov 1, 2025

8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Lewistown Vol Fire Dept 11101 Hessong Bridge Road

Reservations call Karen @ 301-639-7770

Indoor space is limited

Wanted to Buy Services Services Yard Sales Local Mentions

*BEFORE 1995* FIGURES,VEHICLES, CLOTHING, ACCESSORIES

$CASH PAID$ ANY CONDITION CALL: (315)-920-2292 OR EMAIL: Wantedoldtoys@yahoo.com

COMICS AND COOL STUFF

Buying Comic Book Collections, Antiques, Vintage & Modern Toys, Funko Pops, Pokemon, G I Joe, Star Wars, Records, Thundercats, Transformers, Video Games, He-Man, Lego, Hot Wheels, Power Rangers, Barbie, Trains 300 E. High St, Carlisle 717-210-1192

Kiddies World Daycare presents a unique opportunity for its TODDLER slots, offering six weeks of FREE daycare for new fulltime enrollments One FREE week each month for the first six months!!!!!!! Limited slots available Call for additional details

BLADEN LANDSCAPING & TREE SERVICE

• Tree and Stump Removal

• Tree Lot Cleaning

• Hauling

• 24-Hr Emergency Storm Damage Service Call for a FREE Estimate TODAY 301-370-5856

Lic #1079

LANDSCAPING Leave the hard work to us! Spring Cleaning, Mulching, Mowing Hardscaping Call J & R Cornerstone at 301-473-0449 Expecting calls any time! FREE ESTIMATE

Thursday Oct. 2

ETCETERA

Bootique: Halloween Costume Drop Off — at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 East Moser Road, Thurmont. Do you have gently used Halloween costumes or accessories just gathering cobwebs in your closet? Donate them to the library for our upcoming Bootique! We’re accepting costumes for all ages and sizes — infants to adults, spooky to silly.   301-600-7200.

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

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.

Teen Time: Board Games (ages 11-18) — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Play games and make board game crafts at the library! This program is for teens in 6th through 12th grades (ages 11-18). 301-600-7250.

FAMILY

Gaver Farm Fall Fun Festival — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Gaver Farm, 5501 Detrick Rd, Mount Airy. 7-acre corn maze, giant slides, ropes courses and new bee line zip line. Farm animal petting area, free hay rides, lively chicken show, photo centers, pick-your-own pumpkins with 45 varieties, newly expanded apple orchard. Food includes apple cider donuts, cider slushies and more, farm market. 301-865-3515. office@gaverfarm.com. gaverfarm.com.

Musical Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Music, movement and stories for the whole family. Designed for babies of all ages with a caregiver. 301-600-7200. bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Spooky House Design (families, ages 6 and up) — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. One Spooky House entry per person or team. House must specify entry category: Children, Teen or Team. House can be any theme as long as it is family friendly (themes can be a favorite scene from a book, movie, television show, musical, time in history, etc.) Entries must be no larger than 16” x 12” x 12”. Attach the entry form to the back of your House. Houses will be displayed in the branch until Oct. 31. 301-600-7560. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

FESTIVALS

Fall Festival — at Summers Farm, 7503 Hollow Road, Middletown. For over 29 years, Summers Farm has been the go-to destination for fall fun in Frederick County. With 45+ exciting activities, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! 301-304-3031. info@summersfarm.com. www.summersfarm.com/fall-festival.

FILM

Rebel with a Clause and Virtual Zoom with Film’s Star & Director — 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. Rebel with a Clause (2025). Starring: Ellen Jovin. Director: Brandt Johnson. Live Q&A afterward with filmmaker Brandt Johnson and and star Ellen Jovin via Zoom. $13 std/$11 seniorstudents. 304-876-3704. Contact@OperaHouseLive.com.

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.

“Bat out of Helloween: Celebrating Meat Loaf and Rocky Horror” — 7:30 p.m. at The Maryland Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. This concert is the only authentic reimagining of the legendary Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman songbook performed brilliantly by world-class alumni of Meat Loaf’s official band — the same musicians who brought his musical visions to life both in the studio and on stages around the world. Caleb Johnson returns with the band, having established his legitimacy as the premier lead vocalist for this timeless music through his powerful interpretations and furiously electrifying stage presence. 301-790-2000. boxoffice@mdtheatre.org. www.mdtheatre.org/celebrating-meat-loaf.

THEATER

“The Shark Is Broken” — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Preview Sept. 11; ASL interpreted performance Sept. 19. It’s 1974 and the hit movie “JAWS” is being filmed. Well, it would be, if the prop shark wasn’t a mechanical mess. In this laugh-out-loud comedy, testy, feuding costars Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider take center stage as booze flows, egos clash and tempers flare. The actors pray for an end to the shoot, not knowing it will change their lives forever. $15-$36. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org/the-shark-is-broken/.

Friday Oct. 3

ETCETERA

Open Coworking Day — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cowork Frederick, 120 E .Patrick St., Frederick. Experience the community of Cowork Frederick and the concept of coworking for the day with a pay-what-you-want Day Pass. Test drive what it’s like to work alongside other remote workers, freelancers, and small biz owners. Pre-registration required. 301-732-5165.

heycowork@coworkfrederick.com. coworkfrederick.com/open-coworking-day.

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.

Mount Airy Vol. Fire Co. Open House — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company , 702 North Main St., Mount Airy . Educational demonstrations, apparatus displays, refreshments, goody bags for kids, fire prevention and safety information. New to this year’s event Stop the Bleed, taught by Shock Trauma. 301-829-0100. www.mavfc.org.

Barnyard Band & Booze — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Green Meadows Petting Farm, 10102 Fingerboard Road, Ijamsville. Last evening concert of the season (rain or shine) with featured band Sticktime and The Who’s Your Daddy

Horns, beginning at 6 p.m. Various breweries, distilleries, wineries, food and more. Enjoy an adult beverage purchased from one of our vendors. The Animal Barn will also be open. Bring your blankets, chairs & friends. $15 to $18, credit only, for ages 2 and older. 301-865-9203. info@greenmeadowsevents.com. greenmeadowsevents.com.

Ghost Tours of Historic Frederick — 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at Brewer’s Alley Restaurant and Brewery, 124 N. Market St., Frederick. Take a remarkable journey through Frederick’s gruesome and bloody past. Nearly 300 years of war, executions and revenge. True documented stories of the “paranormal” with “Maryland’s Oldest Operating Ghost Tour!” Reservations recommended. $17 for adults. 301-668-8922. info@MarylandGhostTours.com. marylandghosttours.com.

FAMILY

Taylor Swift Cookie Cake Class — 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Dessert Depot, 1502 S. Main St., Mount Airy. “Sprinkle it off” and decorate a 10-inch chocolate chip cookie cake at The Dessert Depot. Dress sparkly and channel your inner superstar! This Taylor Swift–inspired decorating class will have you creating show-stopping cookies. All supplies provided and no experience is needed. This class is for adults and kids ages 5 and older. $60 person. thedessertdepot.com.

Free Movie Night at Hood College: Madagascar — 8 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. at Hodson Auditorium at Rosenstock Hall - Hood College , 401 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. As a part of Fall Family Weekend, Hood College is hosting a free movie night on campus. Enjoy a free screening of Madagascar (2005), open to all members of the Frederick community. 301-696-3750. events@hood.edu.

FESTIVALS

Fall Festival — at Summers Farm, 7503 Hollow Road, Middletown. For over 29 years, Summers Farm has been the go-to destination for fall fun in Frederick County. With 45+ exciting activities, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! 301-304-3031. info@summersfarm.com. www.summersfarm.com/fall-festival.

The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, 203 N. Amity St., Baltimore. This three-day celebration features Poe-themed performances, exhibits, tours and special guests, with the free outdoor street festival taking place Oct. 4 & 5, in the shadow of Poe House on Amity Street. Festivalgoers will enjoy vendors, booksellers, music, family-friendly activities, poetry, and art. Many programs require tickets or advance registration. 410-462-1763. contact@poefestinternational.org. poefestinternational.org.

GALLERY

Countryside Artisans Fall Studio Tour — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Various artisan studios within 30 miles of Sugarloaf Mountain. Spend the day in the country! Meet the artists, see where they work, and learn about their mediums. Follow our map (see website) to reach each unique destination as you explore the beauty of Maryland’s countryside.

301-337-1745. sugarloafquilting@gmail.com. www.countrysideartisans.com.

MUSIC

Finger Eleven — 7 p.m. at Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg, Va. Finger Eleven rocks the Tally Ho with smash hits like “One Thing,” “Paralyzer” and “Slow Chemical.” Opening acts include Alien Ant Farm (“Smooth Criminal”) and BRKN Love. $48$113. 703-975-4463. jack@tallyhotheater.com. tallyhotheater.com/tm-event/finger-eleven/. 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

“The Shark Is Broken” — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Preview Sept. 11; ASL interpreted performance Sept. 19. It’s 1974 and the hit movie “JAWS” is being filmed. Well, it would be, if the prop shark wasn’t a mechanical mess. In this laugh-out-loud comedy, testy, feuding costars Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider take center stage as booze flows, egos clash and tempers flare. The actors pray for an end to the shoot, not knowing it will change their lives forever. $15-$36. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org/the-shark-is-broken.

The Comedy Pigs at MET Comedy Night — 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s Key Stage, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Join MET’s longest running improv team, The Comedy Pigs, for a night full of laughs! The Comedy Pigs perform on the first Friday and Saturday of each month. The Comedy Pigs specialize in short-form improv, similar to what you’d see on the TV Show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” $15. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org.

Saturday Oct. 4

Rocky Ridge Volunteer Fire Co. Cruise-In Car Show — 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rocky Ridge Volunteer Fire Co. Activities Building, 13516 Motters Station Road, Rocky Ridge. Go ahead and get those motors runnin’ and head out on the highway to this annual car show. People’s Choice Best of Show Award. No required entry fee, but donations appreciated! Door prizes, 50/50, music, free entry for spectators, breakfast and lunch available for purchase, basket raffles (sponsorships available), games of chance. 301-271-7780. rockyridgevfc.com/cruise-in-car-show.

CLASSES

Goat for the Soul, Goat Yoga at the Farm — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Goat for the Soul, 10209 Fountain School Road, Union Bridge. Join us at the Farm for goats, yoga and fun! All ages welcome! Purchase tickets at https://goatforthesoul.com/schedule-%26-registration. $27. 240-405-2208. christy@gvalleye.com. goatforthesoul.com.

Do you want to eat more locally produced food while supporting your regional economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions? Buying directly from the producers, farmers and processors in your community is a smart choice all year round.

FUN FOR EVERYONE

Farmers’ markets are more than just a place to shop; they’re lively community hubs. Many host exciting events, especially in the summer months, such as live music, hands-on workshops, cooking demonstrations and tastings.

CELEBRATE LOCAL FLAVORS

Discover the finest tastes in your area and connect with organic food producers and artisans. From juicy heirloom

tomatoes and succulent berries to craft beers and local honey, each visit to a farmers’ market is a chance to delight your taste buds and meet the passionate people behind these exceptional products.

SHOWCASING EXPERTISE

Farmers’ markets offer countless benefits: they support young farmers, energize communities and help people reconnect with their food. Behind the colorful stalls filled with fruits, vegetables, meats and other delicacies stand inspiring individuals. These dedicated farmers and artisans cultivate, process and share more than just food; they embody the land, culture and values of their communities.

BRUNSWICK

FARMERS' MARKET

Shop local produce, honey, meats, wine, flowers, plants, crafts and more while enjoying live entertainment and a rotating cast of food trucks

Second & Last Fridays April-October 4-7pm

Two gift cards awarded on opening day (Apr. II} and each Last Friday market.

Freedom Bang Class — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Freedom Bang is a pre-choreographed fusion of boxing, HIIT, hip hop, world dance, optional weighted gloves and just a touch of attitude. Offering a wide range of intensity options to help you customize your workout. 18 and older. 301-600-8200. www.fcpl.org.

Conversation Class for English Language Learners — 10:30 a.m. to noon at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Adults who want to practice their English are welcome to a conversation class hosted by the Literacy Council of Frederick County. Participants will practice their speaking and listening skills with conversations guided by an instructor from the Literacy Council of Frederick County. 18 and older. 301-600-7250.

Forage Your Own Gin with McClintock

Distilling — 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Fox Haven Farm & Retreat Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. In this immersive experience, you’ll be transported through the history and art of distilling. Then get hands-on to create your very own recipe! A local distiller from McClintock will introduce the art of gin-making through the centuries. You will have the opportunity to sample many styles of craft gins and spirits. Create your very own gin to take home and enjoy. 21 and older. Pre-registration required.

$65. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm. org. foxhavenfarm.org.

Untold History: Scandalous, Tragic, and Unusual Stories from Burkittsville’s Past

— 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at South Mountain Heritage Society, 3 E. Main St., Burkittsville. There are many stories from Burkittsville’s long history, some better known than others. This special walking tour will reveal forgotten stories from Burkittsville’s past, some funny and scandalous, some tragic and humanizing, and others just plain unusual! What links these stories together is their power in connecting us to the past and the many generations that have called Burkittsville home over its long history.

240-818-1610. southmountainhs@gmail.com.

ETCETERA

Annual Gigantic Used-Book Sale — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at South Mountain Heritage Society, 3 E. Main St., Burkittsville. Thousands of newly-donated books will be available for sale at the annual Gigantic Used Book Sale at South Mountain Heritage Society. 240-818-1610. southmountainhs@gmail.com. www.southmountainheritage.org/events. html.

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

Frederick Book Arts Center October First Saturday Open House: Manhole Printing — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Frederick Book Arts Center, 127 South Carroll St., Frederick. Join us for October’s First Saturday where an old favorite will be returning to FBAC. Manhole printing on shirts is back. 301-228-9816.

corrine.wilson@fredbookartscenter.org. Mindfulness in the Garden — 10 a.m. to noon at University of Maryland Extension Office, 330 Montevue Lane, Frederick. Experience the healing power of the garden and plants. Learn the benefits of plants to your wellbeing and then walk in the demonstration garden for mindfulness activities. 301-600-1596. arembold@umd.edu. bit.ly/FCMG25-Mindfulness.

Foundations of Frederick Walking Tour — 10:30 a.m. to noon at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Experience the history and beauty of downtown as knowledgeable guides share the fascinating stories that make up historic Frederick, Maryland. Tour starts at the Museum of Frederick County History, 24 E. Church St. Reservations required. $5 to $12. 410-707-1105. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org.

Mike Taber Memorial Ride — noon to 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 13025 Greensburg Road, Smithsburg. A memorial ride in memory of Mike Taber. Registration is at noon with kickstands up at 1 p.m. The ride ends at 3 p.m. with a food truck. Rain date is Saturday, Oct. 18. The ride begins at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 13025 Greensburg Road, Smithsburg. The event is open to motorcycles, cars and bicycles. $25. 240-405-2173. prjulie@verizon.net. www.facebook.com/StPaulsGreensburgMD.

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.

Brunswick Railroad Days After Party — 6 p.m. at Upstairs at Smoketown, 223 W. Potomac St., Brunswick. Live music by Cazhmiere (7-10 p.m.), food truck, photo booth, raffles, special edition beer release. Tickets sold online only.

$16.55 general, $26.90 VIP seating.

Fall-Tastic Community Craft swap — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 South Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Refresh your stash with a craft supply swap. Donate your new or gently used craft supplies to the Emmitsburg Senior Center or Emmitsburg Library during the week of the swap (Sept. 29-Oct. 2). Donations accepted until 3 p.m. Oct. 2. On the day of the swap, you can “shop” for any of the supplies you want. You do not need to donate any supplies to shop. 301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

Murder & Mayhem Walking Tours — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. There’s plenty of ghost tours to be found this time of year, but ours is spooky AND true! Delve into the true crime stories that haunt the streets of Frederick. From burglaries and brawls to bootlegging and bedaubing (vandalism), Frederick’s history is full of all things macabre — and we’re here to share them with you! This tour discusses violence and crime and is recommended for visitors age 12+. Pre-registration required. $12 adults, $10 ages 60+, $8 ages up to 12. 410-707-1105. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org.

FAMILY

Family Apple Picking Fun — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Catoctin Mountain Orchard, 15036 N. Franklinville Road, Thurmont. Every Saturday and Sunday in October. Take a wagon ride to pick from a wide variety of apples right off the tree. Last wagon leaves at 3 p.m. Tractor-themed playground; market full of fresh produce, flowers, pies, pints of ice cream, toys and books, and their signature apple desserts. Take a picture in front of their iconic pyramid of pumpkins.

$3 person, kids 3 and under free.

Saturday Morning Story Time at Hood College — 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Beneficial-Hodson Library and Learning Commons Reading Porch - 2nd Floor, 401 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. Join us on the second floor Reading Porch of the Beneficial-Hodson Library for a fun-filled morning of zebra-themed stories for the whole family. Each family will receive a raffle ticket upon entry for a chance to win one of the featured books. 301-696-3750. events@hood.edu.

Gravity Social Race & Fall Fest — noon to 8 p.m. at Old Harmony Farm, 4125 Coxey Brown Road, Myersville. Something different to check out: How about a Dual Slalom Bike Race! Family-friendly, free to spectate, and features head-to-head mountain bike racing for all ages and skills — plus local food trucks, live music, bonfires and overnight camping available. With over 150 racers to cheer on, from kid striders to pros … it’s not an event you want to miss! Cheer on exciting fun races like open enduro, e-bikes and unicycles. Lots of food, coffee and dessert trucks plus beer from Olde Mother Brewing. BYO blankets and chairs. The first race begins at noon!

Creative Outlet — First Saturday — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Kids and adults are invited to drop-in and get creative together on art activities at family tables! Each session features a themed activity. Boo! Make a Halloween house! Please, no large groups. Free, donations encouraged. 301-698-0656. jclark@ delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/programs. Trail of Jack-O-Lanterns with Trick or Treating — 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Green Meadows Petting Farm, 10102 Fingerboard Road, Ijamsville. Admission includes our Trail, fire pits, fun farm show, and our Animal Barn (open 6 to 9 p.m.), trick-or-treating for children from 7 to 8 p.m. The Trail closes at 9 p.m. Bring your children (and your adults) in costume to add to the fun!  Available for purchase will be night hayrides, pumpkin flashlights, Trick-or-Treat bags, glow necklaces, and more! Gates open 5:30 p.m. Last admission is 8:30 p.m.  $16 (credit) for 2 and older (babies free). 301865-9203. info@greenmeadowsevents.com. greenmeadowsevents.com.

FESTIVALS

Fall Festival — at Summers Farm, 7503 Hollow Road, Middletown. For over 29 years, Summers Farm has been the go-to destination for fall fun in Frederick County. With 45+ exciting activities, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

301-304-3031. info@summersfarm.com. www.summersfarm.com/fall-festival.

Fall Fest — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rose Hill Manor Park, 1611 N. Market St., Frederick. Join

the Frederick County Farm Museum for a fall festival including agricultural demonstrations, food, hay rides, crafts, and more! Be sure to complete the Agriculture Olympics with the University of Maryland Extension Office of Frederick County. On Sunday the Farm Museum will host the Kids’ Pedal Pull at 1 p.m. 301-600-2936. fcprmarketing@FrederickCountyMD.gov. bit.ly/FCPRFallFest.

Brunswick Railroad Days — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Downtown Brunswick, 1 W. Potomac St., Brunswick. Continues Oct. 5. Explore model train exhibits and demos in Legion Hall, arts and crafts vendors, food, live music and a beer garden in Square Corner Park. Check out the Kids Zone (located behind the American Legion) with inflatable bouncy houses, a petting zoo, balloon artist, pony rides, and a trackless train. Admission is free.

Farmer ChuckBone’s Pumpkin Patch Fall Events — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Farmer ChuckBoone’s Pumpkin Patch, 6269 Ed Crone Lane, Frederick. Open weekends through Nov. 2. Pick-your-own pumpkins, hayrides, petting zoo, barrel train rides, gravel pit, pig races, nature trail, corn maze, slides, farm-related activities for kids, more. $7. 240-220-0675. decrone@comcast.net. www.farmerchuckbone.com.

Emmitsburg Fall Fest — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 South Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Join us at the library to celebrate the beautiful season of fall! There will be activities and fun for the whole family including local vendors, a Frederick County Dairy Princess Leah Spurrier and more. 301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

Taste of Bethesda — 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. at Woodmont Triangle, Norfolk Ave., Bethesda. Bethesda’s famous food and music festival brings 50 restaurants and four stages of entertainment to Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle. Each year, more than 40,000 attendees sample the delicious restaurants, enjoy the live entertainment and visit the kid’s corner for face painting and arts and crafts. 3016720008. jliu@bethesda.org. www.bethesda.org.

The Black Cat Ball, Mesmeric Masquerade — 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Wesminster Hall & Burying Ground, 519 W. Fayette street, Baltimore. The Black Cat Ball is the Official Party of the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards. $125 to $200, 21 and over. contact@ poefestinternational.org. poefestinternational.com/the-black-cat-ball.

FILM

Myersville Music & Trolley Festival: Trolley Talks — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Myersville Community Library, 8 Harp Place, Myersville. Drop in to learn the history of Trolley Car #150 with the president of the Hagerstown & Frederick Railway Historical Society. Talks will be held in the Community Room, where trolley-related artifacts will also be on display. 301-6008350. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

“Rocky Horror Picture Show” — 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at The Capitol Theatre, 159 S. Main St., Chambersburg, Pa. The Halloween season is not complete for many adults without this annual interactive movie event featuring the popular 1975 horror/musical comedy (R). Dress as your favorite RH character and join in on the Costume Parade at 9 p.m. before the movie. Participation Prop

Bags will be available for sale until they run out on a first-come, first-serve basis. Outside props are NOT ALLOWED. 18 and older. $14. 717-263-0202. vperry@thecapitoltheatre.org. www.thecapitoltheatre.org.

GALLERY

Open House Viewing: Garnet Jex Paintings of Harpers Ferry — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Camp Hill-Wesley United Methodist Church, 601 Washington St., Harpers Ferry, W.Va. The Canal Town Partnership will present an Open House Viewing of the Garnet Jex paintings. 304-433-1260. ccraig@laurellodge.com. Countryside Artisans Fall Studio Tour —

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Various artisan studios within 30 miles of Sugarloaf Mountain, . Spend the day in the country! Meet the artists, see where they work, and learn about their mediums. Follow our map (see website) to reach each unique destination as you explore the beauty of Maryland’s countryside. 301-337-1745. sugarloafquilting@gmail.com. www.countrysideartisans.com.

Art Matters Artist Talk: Julie Maynard and David Gootnick — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Solo exhibition artists Julie Maynard and David Gootnick will present the work in their exhibitions.  301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/programs.

OCTOBER 11 & 12, 2025 9:00am - 5:00pm

MUSIC

E5CAP3: The Journey Tribute — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Capitol Theatre, 159 S. Main St ., Chambersburg, Pa. E5C4P3 has been thrilling crowds for 32 years by re-creating an early ‘80s Journey spectacle! With a “Steve Perry”-style vocalist, Jason Kelty, the band faithfully performs all the greatest hits plus fan-favorite album cuts with polish and passion. $39, Seniors $34, Military and 1st Responders $30, 18 and under $29. 717-2630202. vperry@thecapitoltheatre.org. www.thecapitoltheatre.org.

Didgeridoo and Gongs: An Evening of Exploration and Relaxation — 7:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at The Center, 28 E. Sixth St., Frederick. Experience a one-of-a-kind event featuring two powerful and positive forces: the Aboriginal Australian instrument, the Didgeridoo, and Planetary Gongs. Soak in these two ancient sonic relatives as they connect to share their potent vibrations and elemental origins. Join Michael and Maren of The Center . Sound . Mind . Body along with Frederick newcomer and Didgeridoo Maverick, Pitz Quattrone, as they perform together to create rare and astonishing music. Attendees are sure to remember this unique and significant gathering.  $30. 301-857-8784. thecenterfrederick@gmail.com. www.thecenterfrederick.com.

Brahman Noodles: Night of the Grateful Dead — 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. The Brahman Noodles will be with their full band doing selections

from the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia and the The Dead eras and so much more! Come in Dead attire, and bring your dancing shoes and boogie to Night of The Grateful Dead Electric!! Advance tickets recommended. $15 advance/$20 door. 304-876-3704. contact@operahouselive.com.

FJS Allstars — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at FAC’s Sky Stage, 59 S. Carroll St., Frederick. The Frederick Jazz Society kicks off their jazz series with a special evening celebrating the golden era of hard bop with a program similar to Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. The FJS Allstars band is comprised of Justin Fenn on trombone, Ian Livingston on trumpet, Darryl Brenzel on sax, Peter Heiss on guitar, Eric Byrd on piano, Dylan Stoddard on bass and Ray Canton on drums. $25. skystage@frederickartscouncil.org. www.frederickjazzsociety.org.

THEATER

“Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress” — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.and 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Morris loves space adventures, painting and especially the bright tangerine dress in his classroom’s dress-up center. But when others question his choices, Morris must find the courage to stand tall in who he is. With the help of his vivid imagination – and the roar of space tigers –he shows everyone that bravery means being true to yourself. All ages. $17-$20. 301-6944744. contact@marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org/morris-micklewhite-and-the-tangerine-dress.

Morris Micklewhite Tangerine Dress and the

Based on the Book by Christine Baldacchino and Isabelle

“Alice in Wonderland” — 2 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Second show at 6 p.m. Experience the magic of “Alice in Wonderland” brought to life in a vibrant, family-friendly ballet by Loudoun Ballet Performing Arts Company. This full-length production reimagines Lewis Carroll’s timeless tale with dazzling choreography, whimsical costumes, and theatrical storytelling that captivates all ages. Follow Alice as she chases the White Rabbit, sips tea with the Mad Hatter, and confronts the Queen of Hearts in a journey that’s as imaginative as it is unforgettable.

$30 for adult, $25 for child. 703-771-3200. loudounballetperformingartsco@gmail.com. weinbergcenter.org.

“The Shark Is Broken” — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Preview Sept. 11; ASL interpreted performance Sept. 19. It’s 1974 and the hit movie “JAWS” is being filmed. Well, it would be, if the prop shark wasn’t a mechanical mess. In this laugh-out-loud comedy, testy, feuding costars Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider take center stage as booze flows, egos clash and tempers flare. The actors pray for an end to the shoot, not knowing it will change their lives forever. $15-$36. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org/the-shark-is-broken.

The Comedy Pigs at MET Comedy Night — 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s Key Stage, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Join MET’s longest running improv team, The Comedy Pigs, for a night full of laughs!

The Comedy Pigs perform on the first Friday and Saturday of each month. The Comedy Pigs specialize in short-form improv, similar to what you’d see on the TV Show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” $15. 301-694-4744. contact@ marylandensemble.org.

Sunday Oct. 5

ETCETERA

Blessing of the Animals — 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at YMCA - Natelli Family Y, 3481 Campus Drive, Ijamsville. Living Grace Lutheran Episcopal Church in Urbana will be blessing pets and other animals at the pavilion at the far end of the parking lot. Animals of all sizes will be blessed. The blessing is part of the commemoration of  the Feast of Saint Francis which is Oct. 4. 240-285-9758. pastor@livinggraceurbana.org. livinggraceurbana.org.

Frederick Plant and Seed Swap — noon to 5 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery Riverside, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. Come swap or just browse. 301-372-4880. matt@rockwellbrewery.com.

Travel Talk: Croatia by Sea — 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library , 31 E. Green St., Middletown. Join Jaime for a travel talk that brings the magic of Croatia’s coast to life through the lens of a small-ship cruise itinerary. Journey through Dubrovnik, ibenik and Split, exploring medieval architecture, hidden coves and local culture along the way. Learn highlights and insider tips. 301-600-7560. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

BAER EXPRESS TOURS

* DUTCH APPLE DINNER THEATRE OCT. 8. * Show “A Chorus LIne $129

Greendragon Farmers Market & Shady Maple Smorgasboard Oct. 10 $98

* DUTCH APPLE DINNER THEATRE Oct. 20 “ The Carpenters” $149

Magic & Wonder *Winter Wonderland* Lancaster, Pa * Dec. 4 $141

AMERICAN MUSIC THEATRE

Dec. 5, 16 *Show Deck The Halls $127

HOLIDAY LIGHTS in COASTAL VIRGINIA BEACH Dec 11-14 Call for Details

DUTCH APPLE DINNER THEATRE Dec.17 * Show *Holiday Inn* $129

Wicked * Hippodrome Theatre* Baltimore, MD Dec.30 $187

COLLETTE 2026 TOURS AZORES * APRIL16-28,2026

EXPLORING SOUTH AFRICA, VICTORIA FALLS, AND BOTSWANA* June 11-25,2026

ALASKA DISCOVERY LAND & CRUISE* August 12-23, 2026

ENCHANTING CHRISTMAS MARKETS * DECECMER 1-9, 2026

Malenfant

Kyle’s Crusaders Walk to Conquer Childhood Cancer — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Old National Pike District Park, 12406 Old National Pike, Mount Airy. Mark your calendars for Oct. 5 and join Kyle’s Crusaders in the fight against childhood cancer. This annual walk is held in memory of Kyle Addington, honoring his legacy by raising critical funds for pediatric cancer research — a field that receives less than 4% of federal funding. $25 suggested donation per participant. 301471-7455. kylescrusaders99@gmail.com. www.kylescrusaders.com.

L’Arche presents the Let It Shine Extravaganza! — 2 p.m. at JBK Theater at Frederick Community College, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick. A variety show featuring individuals with and without intellectual disabilities! Doors open at 1:30 p.m. for this family friendly event. Come early to bid on raffle items and get to know our community! $10 suggested donation but the event is free & open to all! All gifts support our community home and inclusive social programs. Visit www.larchefrederick.org/lis2025 for all the information you’ll need!

$10 suggested. 240-698-0424. meganguzman@larchefrederick.org. www.larchefrederick.org/lis2025.

Mount Olivet Cemetery History And Mystery Tour — 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 515 S. Market St., Frederick. Discover Frederick’s past as we navigate through the labyrinth of graves, crypts and monuments of Historic Mount Olivet Cemetery. Tour includes intriguing facts about the cemetery’s origin, tombstone design, grave robbing, mass graves, plus stops at other distinctive burial plots, including Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War. Tour concludes with a visit to the Key Memorial Chapel. Reservations required. (This is not a ghost tour.) $17 for adults. 301-668-8922. info@MarylandGhostTours.com. marylandghosttours.com.

FAMILY

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

Car Show — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Hagerstown Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 11507 Robinwood Drive, Hagerstown. A family-friendly event featuring classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. The event will include live music and food. Special guest: John Earnhardt will emcee the event. Immediately following the car show, a movie of car racing in the ‘50s and ‘60s with the Earnhardt family will be shown. Admission is free, and there is no registration fee to enter a vehicle. 301-733-4411. hagerstownadventist.org.

“Stories in Stone” — 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Walkersville Branch Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Join local historian Chris Haugh for a fascinating journey through the rich history of Frederick’s Mount Olivet Cemetery. Hear captivating stories of the remarkable individuals buried there and uncover the hidden tales that shaped our local heritage! 18 and older. 301-600-8200. www.frederickcountymd.gov.

Frederick in the Civil War: A Bus Tour of the Historic City — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Step back in time aboard a vintage 1966 double-decker bus for a fascinating one-hour journey through Downtown Frederick, exploring the city’s critical role in the Civil War and the evolution of battlefield medicine.

$39, also includes admission to the museum. 301-695-1864. chris.reed@civilwarmed.org. marylanddoubledeckers.com/.

FESTIVALS

Fall Fest — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rose Hill Manor Park, 1611 N. Market St., Frederick. Join the Frederick County Farm Museum for a fall festival including agricultural demonstrations, food, hay rides, crafts, and more! Be sure to complete the Agriculture Olympics with the University of Maryland Extension Office of Frederick County. On Sunday the Farm Museum will host the Kids’ Pedal Pull at 1 p.m. 301-600-2936. fcprmarketing@FrederickCountyMD.gov. bit.ly/FCPRFallFest.

Farmer ChuckBone’s Pumpkin Patch Fall Events — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Farmer ChuckBoone’s Pumpkin Patch, 6269 Ed Crone Lane, Frederick. Open weekends through Nov. 2. Pick-your-own pumpkins, hayrides, petting zoo, barrel train rides, gravel pit, pig races, nature trail, corn maze, slides, farm-related activities for kids, more. $7. 240-220-0675. decrone@comcast.net. www.farmerchuckbone.com.

Hops & Paws for a Cause — noon to 5 p.m. at Prospect Point Brewing, 5500A Jefferson Pike, Frederick. It’s the pawty of the year! If your family is thinking about adopting a pup, this is the event for you. Join Frederick’s beloved unofficial mascot, Tootsie, from Dog Friendly Frederick at Hops & Paws for a Cause — a fundraiser benefiting PetConnect Rescue. Start with morning off with puppy yoga by Jenuine Yogi, shop some “pawsome” vendors, live music, beer and food trucks on site, plus enter raffles and giveaways. Visit with adoptable dogs and meet your future best friend. Prospect Point Brewing is home to two playgrounds for kids to play with tons of nearby picnic tables and seating for families.

GALLERY

Countryside Artisans Fall Studio Tour — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Various artisan studios within 30 miles of Sugarloaf Mountain, . Spend the day in the country! Meet the artists, see where they work, and learn about their mediums. Follow our map (see website) to reach each unique destination as you explore the beauty of Maryland’s countryside. 301-337-1745. sugarloafquilting@gmail.com. www.countrysideartisans.com.

Downtown Artwalk: Beth Higgins — noon to 4 p.m. at Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Take a self-guided jaunt downtown and visit local galleries! At the Delaplaine, Beth Higgins will feature mixed media arts.  301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/programs.

Reception for Fives Chicks with Brushes — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Links Bridge Vineyards, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont. A reception for the five artists involved in the

“Fives Chicks with Brushes” exhibit will be held in the Tasting Room. The “Five Chicks,” Sandy Cook, Pam Herrick, Ann Lundahl, Robin Seidel, and Stephanie Torres,  will be present to greet visitors. Light refreshments will be served, and wine is available for purchase. The exhibit is a collection of painting by the five local artists.  301-602-5733. linksbridgevineyards@gmail.com. linksbridgevineyards.com/pictures.

James Connors Artist Talk — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Vault of Visions Art Gallery, 1 N. Market St., Frederick. Vault of Visions Art Gallery’s exhibition “Futurity Dredge” features the work of artist James Connors. The exhibition will run from Sept. 29 through Oct. 31, with a public reception and artist talk scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. 240-315-5483. emma@vovgallery.com.

MUSIC

Ars Gratia Populi — 3 p.m. to 4:40 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church, 131 W. Second St., Frederick. A vocal ensemble founded in 2023 by All-Ireland Champion Kevin Elam. The group explores the interactions between art music and folk music in an a cappella setting. 301-662-1464. jsummers@calvaryumc.org. www.CalvaryUMC.org/concerts.

Handel Choir of Baltimore: Baroque and Beyond — 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Frederick Presbyterian Church, 115 W. Second St., Frederick. A selection of 18th century music from New Spain, Italy and England. Attendees can look forward to a chamber group of period instruments, which are reproductions of the ancient instruments familiar to these baroque masters. 703-600-9751. hello@handelchoir.org. handelchoir.org.

Telebillies — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cactus Flats, 10026 Hansonville Road, Frederick. Country music.

THEATER

“Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress” — 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Morris loves space adventures, painting and especially the bright tangerine dress in his classroom’s dress-up center. But when others question his choices, Morris must find the courage to stand tall in who he is. With the help of his vivid imagination – and the roar of space tigers – he shows everyone that bravery means being true to yourself. All ages. $17-$20. 301-694-4744. contact@ marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org/morris-micklewhite-and-the-tangerine-dress.

“The Shark Is Broken” — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Preview Sept. 11; ASL interpreted performance Sept. 19. It’s 1974 and the hit movie “JAWS” is being filmed. Well, it would be, if the prop shark wasn’t a mechanical mess. In this laugh-out-loud comedy, testy, feuding costars Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider take center stage as booze flows, egos clash and tempers flare. The actors pray for an end to the shoot. $15-$36. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org/the-shark-is-broken.

Monday Oct. 6

CLASSES

History 101 — 7 p.m. at Various locations in Mount Airy, . Hosted by Mount Airy Historical Society, continues daily through Oct. 9. Oct. 6 at Pine Grove Chapel, with Chris Haugh. Oct. 7, 7 p.m., at the fire house, Park Ranger from Monocacy Battlefield. Oct. 8, 6:30 p.m. at the public library, James Rada, the work of Daughters of Charity as Civil War nurses. Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m., library, Betsy Estilow, the legacy of Civil War medicine.  mountairymd.gov.

ETCETERA

Mortician AMA (Ask Me Anything) — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at C. Burr Artz Library, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Join mortician Celeste Stanley Gordon from Rollins Life Celebration Center and ask questions about her job. 301-600-1630. espangler@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Press Paws! Therapy Dogs For Teens (ages 11-18) — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Teens: relax and relieve stress by spending time petting an adorable dog friend! Therapy dogs are provided by the Wags for Hope volunteers, whose pets bring comfort and joy to the lives of others. For grades 6-12. 301-600-7000.

FAMILY

Family Storytime with the Vigilant Hose Company — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 South Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Join us for a special story time featuring a visitor from the Vigilant Hose Company as we observe Fire Prevention Week. Enjoy music, stories, and more! Designed for ages 0-5 with a caregiver. 301-600-6329. cdillman@frederickcountymd.gov. www.fcpl.org.

Baby Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Songs, stories and play for babies and their grownups. Designed for up to age 24 months with a caregiver. Afterwards, we offer a “stay and play” for all to enjoy.  301-600-7200. bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Little Adventurers — 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 South Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Children learn and explore through hands on activities using science, technology, engineering, art and math concepts at the library. Caregivers are encouraged to connect with children and participate in the activities. 301-600-6329. cdillman@frederickcountymd.gov. fcpl.org. FILM

“InSpired” Watch Party Gala — 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. The Weinberg screening of “InSpired” marks the documentary’s World Premiere. “InSpired” focuses on the unique history of Frederick, from native inhabitants through the end of 2024, with a particular emphasis on how the city rebounded from suburban flight and two consecutive

Brunswick, Maryland

ask about local utility rebates that may be available^^

floods to the thriving entity it is today. Placed in the context of national events, Frederick’s story is America’s story. Produced by Emmy Award-winning 3 Roads Communications, “InSpired” will be broadcast nationally on Public TV in 2025. $50. 301-600-2868. dyoung@cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org/shows/ inspired-watch-party-gala.

MUSIC

Live Music Mondays: Freddie Long — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Simple Theory Wine Co., 37 N. Market St., Suite 200, Frederick. Over the past two decades, Freddie Long has cultivated local musical roots into an act recognized throughout the eastern U.S. and beyond. The singer/songwriter that calls Frederick County home has garnered numerous music awards, opened for many major national acts, had music licensed and aired internationally, and secured corporate promotional partnerships, all in addition to recording three full albums of original material and playing thousands of shows up and down the eastern half of the US. Free to attend, but reservations recommended. simpletheorywines.com/events/live-musicmonday-freddie-long-2.

Tuesday Oct. 7

CLASSES

Chinese for Beginner Level 2 — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Frederick County Public Libraries, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick.

Understand the history and structure of the Chinese language. Learn basic greetings and self-introduction. Learn phrases for numbers, family, shopping and more. 301-600-1630. mtong@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Personal Self Defensive Tactics — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Frederick Community College, Conference Center, E138, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick. Rape/robbery/assault is not a selective crime, it has no regard for age, race, or social status. In this class, you will learn basic common-sense rules that can be used to protect yourself before, during, and after an attack. Research shows that educated citizens are best equipped to protect themselves. The class has been described by some students as an insurance policy you never want to have to use but which is comforting to have. The class is designed for all ages and is strictly classroom based; this is not a physical class. 18 and older. Pre-registration required. $34. 301-846-2561. ILR@frederick.edu. tinyurl.com/ILR83728965.

ESL High Beginner’s Conversation

Classes — 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 East Moser Road, Thurmont. 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. Please note, registration is required by the Literacy Council of Frederick County. 301-600-7200. bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com.

Align and Restore Yoga — 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at The Center Frederick, 28 E. Sixth St., Frederick. A slow flow gentle practice to engage the parasympathetic nervous system with breath control, body scans, and ending with an extended savasana that includes the rejuvenating practice of yoga nidra (yogic sleep) on heated floors. All levels welcome. 18 and older, pre-register. $20. 301-305-0693. parkerpsyd@gmail.com. www.thecenterfrederick.com.

Mini Pumpkin Arrangement — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 South Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Create a mini pumpkin arrangement using fresh and dried flowers from the Teen Library Garden. We will have statice, strawflowers, zinnias, celosia and other wonderful flowers to choose from to create a beautiful mini arrangement. 301-600-6329. www.fcpl.org.

Sacred Sisters: Honoring Gaia — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Give Rise Studio, 125 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Join us as we attune to the wisdom of Gaia. Together, we’ll make space to honor our grief for the earth, give voice to our prayers, and root into her steady presence. Through grounding practices, song, and co-creative art rituals, we’ll remember our interconnectedness with all of life and the power we hold to shape our world. $25 - $45. 503-957-4207. amandaluciaart@ gmail.com. themind-bodyway.com.

ETCETERA

Manga and Anime Club (ages 11-18) — 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. New to Anime

and Manga? Longtime fan? Either way join us to celebrate it while talking all things art, story, cosplay and culture! Each month features a different craft. September’s featured craft is chibi perler beading! Materials provided, while supplies last. For teens in grade 6-12. 301-600-7000.

Weekly Tuesday Night Bingo — 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at New Windsor Fire company , 101 High St., New Windsor. Weekly Tuesday Night Bingo. Doors open at 5 p.m. Games start at 7 p.m. Food and drinks available. 410-635-6373.

d_pstrine@msn.com. nwfd10.org.

Yarnia, A Fiber Arts Social Club — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. Love yarn, crafts, and creativity? Bring your projects and supplies, connect with fellow knitters, crocheters, needleworkers and fiber artists, and enjoy an hour of creativity and community. Beginners and experts alike are welcome — share tips, learn new skills, and get inspired. sblumenauer@frederickcounty.gov. fcpl.org.

FAMILY

Preschool Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Songs, stories, and fun for preschoolers and their grownups. Designed for ages 3-5 with a caregiver. 301-600-7200.

bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov.

SUNDAY, NOV. 2

Viva Frederick this weekend for First Saturday! Head downtown for a day of shopping, dining, art and cultural celebrations. After the Hispanic Heritage Festival on Carroll Creek, make your way to Olde Mother Brewing Co for Uptown Salsa Night!

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