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HOLIDAYS IN FREDERICK Bring Magic and Cheer BY GARRETT JOHNSTON, PROGRAM COORDINATOR, CELEBRATE FREDERICK
Rediscover the wonder of Downtown Frederick by spending the holiday season here. With a range of family-friendly events from the Holiday Art Competition in November through Frederick’s Festival of Lights on Dec. 14, Celebrate Frederick is planning to bring some cheer to your holiday season. Celebrate Frederick is a private, nonprofit corporation that works in partnership with the City of Frederick “to plan and implement special events and activities to offer the community a shared cultural experience.” Its first holiday event is the Holiday Art Competition on Nov. 28. The essence of Frederick’s community spirit will be on display during this event at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Take in a delightful exhibit in the Gardner Gallery of original holiday artwork created by Frederick artists. From the exhibit submissions, judges will select the winning work of art to be featured for the 2018 “The Holidays” Event Series. A prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the winner, and the $100 Barbara Maghan People’s Choice award will be presented on the night of the competition. Enjoy free light hors d’oeuvres and wine while viewing the works on display. Next is the Scents and Sweets Competition on Nov. 29.The holidays bring out the creativity in all of us, so why not let the gingerbread structures and floral arrangements at this year’s Scents & Sweets competition inspire you? Floral designers will display some truly spectacular winter arrangements for the community to enjoy, and for those with a sweet tooth; local gingerbread architects will submit their confectionary creations. The community can choose their favorites, so make sure you stop by and vote. Historic Downtown Frederick comes alive with the Candlelight House Tours on Dec. 1 and 2. This self-guided walking tour takes visitors inside private homes elaborately adorned with holiday decor throughout Historic Frederick. Visitors are delighted year after year with the architectural nuances, decorations and historical significance of these magnificent homes. Serving as this year’s complimentary Hospitality Center, the William R. Talley Recreation Center at 121 N. Bentz St., holds just as much history as many of the homes
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on the tour. Warm up there with a cup of hot chocolate or cider or grab a light snack. The holiday spirit builds as the Kris Kringle Procession comes to downtown on Dec. 7. The parade begins at the corner of South Carroll and East Patrick streets in Frederick and ends in Baker Park with the lighting of the City Tree. The procession celebrates the small-town charm that makes Frederick so special during the holidays. Local children dressed as reindeer, snowflakes, angels, elves and gifts and other holiday-themed characters will accompany