Wine, Art, and Music - May Leonardtown First Friday

Tonight, the streets of Leonardtown will come to life during the May First Friday!  Shops and restaurants in uptown and downtown Leonardtown will be open from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., and many of them will offer specials and fun events!

Wine

The Port of Leonardtown Winery will be holding its soft opening today from 12 p.m. until 9 p.m.!  Stop by for a tour of the winery, sample the wines, and buy some to take home with you.  Tours of the winery will run every half hour until 8:30 p.m.  The spring wine line-up includes Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay, McIntosh Run (semi-sweet apple wine), Breton Bay Breeze (semi-sweet white blend), Breton Bay Shoals (semi-sweet red blend), and Autumn Frost (sweet dessert-style wine from Vidal Blanc grapes).  For more information on the Port of Leonardtown Winery, visit their website at http://www.portofleonardtown.com/ or read their blog at portofleonardtownwinery.blogspot.com.

Make it a night of wine samplings by heading over to Quality Street Kitchen & Catering, located on Fenwick Street in downtown Leonardtown, for a wine tasting with "big red" wines from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m.  Tastings are $5 per person.

The Good Earth Natural Foods Company, located on Park Avenue in downtown Leonardtown, will have Melissa from Bacchus Imports in the store to sample a selection of Sustainable Wines.

Art
The North End Gallery, located on Fenwick Street in downtown Leonardtown, will be holding the Opening Reception for the exhibit "Coastal Colors," which will run from May 4 though May 30.  The show features the artwork of Tom and Kathleen Ball.  Tom is a photographer and Kathleen works with watercolors.  Visit the North End Gallery from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. during First Friday for the reception featuring these two local artists.  For more information, visit http://www.northendgallery.org/.

Continuing with the art theme, visit the Maryland Antiques Center complex, located along Route 5 in uptown Leonardtown next to the Port of Leonardtown Winery.  From 4 p.m. until 8 p.m., the Leonardtown Galleria (located inside the Maryland Antiques Center) will be holding a Pyrography (Woodburning) demonstration by Rose Beitzell.  Creek Side Gallery (also located in the Maryland Antiques Center) will be holding an art show entitled "Local Treasures," featuring the art of Calvert artist Sue Stevenson.

In the Maryland Antiques Center Building 2, the Craft Guild Shop is hosting their "Celebrate the Grape in style" exhibit, which will feature artisan Nancy Wiehe's collection of dazzling beaded stemware and wineglass markers.  Treadles Studio (located in the Craft Guild Shop) will be showing how wool becomes yarn and demonstrating the techniques of needle feathering.  Guests will be offered the opportunity to create their own coaster.

Music

Add some music to your evening at Fenwick Street Used Books & Music in downtown Leonardtown!  Yumi, whose musical talents span from funk and rock to traditional West African rhythms, will be performing.  Yumi has worked in various music capacities touring across the U.S. with many well-known R&B and Rap artists such as Morris Day, The Barkays, Atlantic Star, and Doug E. Fresh.  Peruse the shop's wide selection of books and music while enjoying the music of Yumi.  All purchases will be 10% off.

Then, enjoy fine French dining at Cafe Des Artistes, located on the corner of Fenwick Street and Washington Street in downtown Leonardtown.  Randy Richie will be performing on piano from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., and the special is Bouillabaisse, a celebrate seafood stew with shrimp, mussels, scallops, Seabass, clams and Hawaiian Marlin in a rich seafood broth.

For more information on all of the festivities going on during the May Leonardtown First Friday, visit http://www.leonardtownfirstfridays.com/!

Leonardtown First Friday and Valentine's Special

Leonardtown businesses will stay open late for the February First Friday on February 5.  From 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., browse historic Leonardtown's art galleries, restaurants, cafes, gift shops, antique shops, bookstores, and more.  Many of the shops and restaurants also showcase live music, local artists, and/or offer specials during First Fridays.  The event includes shops located in downtown Leonardtown as well as stores along Route 5 in the Maryland Antiques Center buildings, Breton Marketplace, and Leonardtown Shopping Center.

From now until February 5, participating businesses are accepting raffle tickets to enter to win a Valentine's Special - a Valentine's Get-Away Weekend Give-Away.  The giveaway includes one night’s stay at the Executive Inn and Suites in Leonardtown, dinner at Cafe des Artistes, lunch at the Vineyard Cafe and Tea Room, gift certificates from North End Gallery, Maryland Antiques Center, and Shelby’s Framing & Turning Leaf Gallery, and a weaving demonstration at Treadles Studio.  The winning name will be drawn during the February 5 First Friday. 

Pick up a free raffle ticket at one of these participating businesses: Arizona Pizza Company, Southern Maryland Artisans Center, Brewing Grounds, Cafe des Artistes, Church of the Nazarene, Colleen's Dream, College of Southern Maryland, Fenwick Street Used Books and Music, Good Earth Natural Foods, The Shops of Maryland Antiques Center, Creekside Gallery, Leonardtown Galleria, Vineyard Cafe and Tea Room, North End Gallery, Old Towne Crafters, On A Roll, Quality Street Kitchens, Shelby's Creative Framing, Treadles Studio, White Rabbit Children's Bookstore.

For more information, contact the Town of Leonardtown at 301-475-9791 or visit http://www.leonardtownfirstfridays.com/.

Join the party in Leonardtown this Friday, December 4th from 5 – 8 p.m.!

First Friday Town Celebration:

Visit Leonardtown this Friday, December 4th, for their holiday First Friday raffle! A Fuji Crosstown bicycle will be raffled off at 7:30 p.m. in Town Square. Santa will be on hand to draw the winning name! No purchase is necessary to register to win the bicycle, just stop in to any participating First Friday business to enter! Many shops, galleries and restaurants are offering specials unique to this “Holiday First Friday.” There will be live music, wine tastings, award-winning appetizers, Christmas caroling, and more! The galleries have special preview receptions for their featured artists, and most of the restaurants offer samples of their delicious menu items or a discount off their menu. Jump start your festive holiday season by visiting Leonardtown this Friday! To learn more about the specials, visit http://www.leonardtownfirstfridays.com/.

Christmas on the Square

Get into the holiday spirit at Christmas on the Square in Leonardtown!  On Friday, November 27, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., Leonardtown will be decorated with holiday lights and filled with the sounds of Christmas carols as the town kicks off the holiday season. 

There will be fun activities for everyone including sleigh rides, a live nativity at the Church of the Nazarene, costumed characters, horse & carriage rides, hay rides, fire truck rides, and of course…Santa’s arrival at 7 p.m. to light the Christmas tree!  The Leonardtown businesses will be competing in a window decorating contest, so the store windows will be filled with charming holiday decorations, and Kevin Thompson's Corner Kafe on Park Avenue will be decorated like a gingerbread house.

Love Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol?  Fenwick Street Used Books & Music will be holding readings of this timeless tale starting at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m.  The readings will be an abbreviated version of the story and will last approximately 30 minutes.  Dianna Diatz will also be performing in the store.

The raffle for the Fuji Crosstown Bike is still going on, so be sure to ask for a raffle ticket from each business that you visit in Leonardtown during Christmas on the Square.  Tickets are free.  The winner of the bike will be drawn during the December 4 First Friday.  

If you're planning to get started on your holiday shopping, then you don't want to leave home without your Discover St. Mary's County Card.  It's a great way to get special deals at participating businesses in Leonardtown.  To find out what Leonardtown businesses are offering, click here.

Tonight is the October Leonardtown First Friday!

Don't forget that tonight, October 2, is the October Leonardtown First Friday!  Join Historic Leonardtown's art galleries, restaurants, cafes, gift shops, antique shops, book stores and more as the town hosts a free evening of art, entertainment, and specials.  Many shops and restaurants offer live music or poetry readings.  The art galleries have special preview receptions for their featured artists, and msot of the restaurants offer samples of their delicious menu items or a discount off their menu.  The First Friday fun starts at 5 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m.

For information about all of the special and fun activities going on during this First Friday, be sure to visit http://www.leonardtownfirstfridays.com/.  Here, you will always find current information about the upcoming promotions being offered by Leonardtown businesses for First Fridays!

Fuzzy Farmer's Market

One First Friday event that you definitely don't want to miss is the Fuzzy Farmer's Market at the Southern Maryland Artisans Center from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. tonight (as part of the Leonardtown First Friday fun) and tomorrow, October 3 from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.  Visit this farmer's market of locally made products from sheep, goats, and alpaca including fleeces, wool, hand-spun yarns, hand-made shawls, scarves, and bags, goat's milk soaps, funky fiber art, and home textiles such as rag rugs and patchwork quilts.  Additional activities include a Knit In and collection baskets for hats, scarves, and gloves; raffles; and a Food Drive to benefit local shelters and the food bank.  The Chesapeake Spinners and Weavers Guild members will give demonstrations.  The event is sponsored by the Crafts Guild of St. Mary's County and the Chesapeake Spinners and Weavers Guild.  The Southern Maryland Artisans Center is located in the Maryland Antique Center Annex at 26005 Point Lookout Road.  For more information about the Fuzzy Farmer's Market, contact the Southern Maryland Artisans Center at 301-997-1644 or visit http://www.fuzzyfarmers.com/.