Scarecrow Making Postponed

The scarecrow making and Trick-or-Treating on the Square in Leonardtown had to be postponed due to inclement weather.  It will now be held on Saturday, October 31, from 1:00-4:00 p.m.  From 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., the Southern Maryland Artisan Center is sponsoring “Scarecrow Making” on the Square. The cost is $8 per scarecrow and includes all supplies to make a life size scarecrow, perfect for fall decorating.

Between 3:00-4:00 p.m., children, accompanied by a parent or guardian, can dress up in their Halloween costume and walk around the Leonardtown Square “trick-or-treating” with participating downtown merchants. Bring a goodie bag for your candy and treats! This free, kid-fun activity with plenty of treats is sponsored by the Leonardtown Business Association. For more information, call the Commissioners of Leonardtown at 301-475-9791 or visit Leonardtown.somd.com.

Also, the Leonardtown Church of the Nazarene, the Church on the Square, is having a Fall Festival & Fun Fair on Saturday the 24th of October 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Crafts, food, candy, music, carnival games! All proceeds go to support their Youth Programs. Free Hot Chocolate outside and tons of fun inside! For more details or to volunteer, please contact Donna French at 301-351-9242.

Scarecrow Making And Trick Or Treat On The Square This Saturday!

Enjoy all the festivities of fall in Downtown Leonardtown on Saturday, October 24th, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. From 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., the Southern Maryland Artisan Center is sponsoring “Scarecrow Making” on the Square. The cost is $8 per scarecrow and includes all supplies to make a life size scarecrow, perfect for fall decorating.

Between 3:00-4:00 p.m., children, accompanied by a parent or guardian, can dress up in their Halloween costume and walk around the Leonardtown Square “trick-or-treating” with participating downtown merchants. Bring a goodie bag for your candy and treats! This free, kid-fun activity with plenty of treats is sponsored by the Leonardtown Business Association. For more information, call the Commissioners of Leonardtown at 301-475-9791 or visit Leonardtown.somd.com.

Also, the Leonardtown Church of the Nazarene, the Church on the Square, is having a Fall Festival & Fun Fair on Saturday the 24th of October 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Crafts, food, candy, music, carnival games! All proceeds go to support their Youth Programs. Free Hot Chocolate outside and tons of fun inside! For more details or to volunteer, please contact Donna French at 301-351-9242.

"Grandpa Joe and the Drinking Gourd" at Sotterley Plantation

Public libraries throughout Maryland are hosting events to celebrate this year's "One Maryland One Book" initiative. On Sunday, October 25th at 3:00 pm at Sotterley Plantation, the St. Mary's County Libraries have arranged for members of Accokeek Foundation's award-winning Museum Theater, Jarren Fonville and Anika Prather, to present, "Grandpa Joe and the Drinking Gourd," a special adaption by Anika Prather. Janice Walthour, President of the Unified Committee for Afro American Contributions (UCAC), will read excerpts from James McBride's novel, "Song Yet Sung", the 2009 selection for the One Maryland One Book state-wide read. The presentation will be held in the Barn at Sotterley Plantation, and tours of the newly restored Slave Cabin will follow the program. The United States Colored Troops Memorial Monument Committee will also offer a quick presentation to commemorate the event.

For more information about the event, contact Sotterley Plantation at 301-373-2280 or visit http://www.sotterley.com/, or contact the St. Mary's County Libraries at 301-475-2846 or visit http://www.stmalib.org/.

Holly Morris from Fox 5 News Promotes the Oyster Festival

This morning on Fox 5 News, Holly Morris visited the St. Mary's County Fairgrounds in Leonardtown to find out all about the St. Mary's County Oyster Festival!  She interviewed Bob Parkinson, King Oyster for 2009, and learned about oyster tonging from Captain Jack Russell, from the Chesapeake Bay Field Lab.  Then, Richard Peltz from Circle C Oyster Ranch in Ridge, gave a shucking demonstration and Dave Taylor, the event producer, talked about what's in store for the 2009 National Oyster Cook-Off.  Holly also watched as Chef Loic, the chef and owner of Cafe des Artistes in Leonardtown, prepared one of his delicious oyster recipes.  To view the video clips, click here!

Be sure to stop by the St. Mary's County Oyster Festival this Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18!  You don't want to miss the National Oyster Cook-Off or the U.S. National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest.  Take home some of the fun by purchasing an Oyster Festival Poster, designed by Samantha Gallagher, and an Oyster Festival Cookbook, both of which will be available for purchase in the Fair Stage Auditorium.  For more information on the Oyster Festival, visit the Oyster Festival website at http://www.usoysterfest.com/!

Ghosts of Sotterley Tours!

The year is 1812 and the war is on! Shots ring out both far and near, and the trees glow a burning orange. Is there nowhere safe? Deception abounds during this dramatic production; those you meet along the way are not as they appear. This year’s walking tours on the grounds of Sotterley Plantation, promises to be the spookiest ever.

The “Friends of Sotterley” acting troupe are taking this event to a whole new level. This year’s script, written by Morriah Cell and James LePore, has twists of intrigue and shock factor as never before. Under the direction of Dawna Diaz and the technical wizardry of Ming Diaz, the entire creative team offers a seemingly real-to-life (and death) exposure to Sotterley Plantation during this volatile time in history.

Weather permitting, guests are invited to take the chill off by a roaring bonfire and refreshments are available for purchase. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED! The cost is $13 per person. Group rates are available. Sotterley Members can come on Thursday night for $10 – yet another advantage of membership! Call 301-373-2280 to make your reservation at this Sotterley Plantation haunting or for further information. Visit http://www.sotterley.org/ for more details.

Spooky Fun at Camp Merryelande

Are you looking to have a spooky camping experience with your friends or family?  Camp Merryelande, located on St. George Island, is holding haunted weekends at Camp MD!  Every weekend from now until Halloween, Camp Merryelande has planned a variety of haunted activities to make your camping experience even more fun.  Set up your own spooky campsite or rent a cabin.  From 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., enjoy haunted hayrides where the woods and beach surrounding Camp Merryelande come alive!  After the last hayride on Halloween night, attend a costume party at the campground.

For more information, please contact Camp Merryelande at 301-994-1722, 1-800-382-1073, or visit http://www.campmd.com/.

Pumpkins for Pigs at HSMC

Before you visit Historic St. Mary’s City this fall, pack a pumpkin for the pigs.  Present your squash at the Visitor Center and receive $1 off one admission to the museum.  The plantation pigs love these big orange fall fruits, which often end up in the trash after serving ornamental purposes.  Retired jack-o’-lanterns are most welcome.  The carved grins and grimaces amuse the staff and the pigs, Rosemary, Maizie, Pumpkin, and Scarlet.  Visit the Plantation at 2:30 p.m. and share the pigs’ delight as they consume delectable donations.  One pumpkin per person, per visit please, through the 2009 season.

Don’t miss the new Plantation walking tour at 3 p.m.  Discover how the colonists handled illness and death 300 years ago, when the state of medical arts was a combination of superstition and science.  The tour is included with admission to the museum’s living history sites.

For more information about Historic St. Mary’s City, archaeology, or this event visit www.stamaryscity.org or call 240-895-4990 or 800-SMC-1634.

Winner Selected in 2009 St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival & U.S. National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest® Poster Contest!

In celebration of Maryland’s 375th birthday, the Lexington Park Rotary Club, in conjunction with the St. Mary’s County Division of Tourism and the St. Mary’s County Arts Council, sponsored a poster contest for the 2009 St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival and U.S. National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest. Budding artists and experienced professionals were invited to create a poster design that incorporated the
name of the event, the Rotary Club and Celebrate 375 logos.

The judges chose the design created by Samantha Gallagher from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Her design will be featured on posters to be sold during the St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival. She will also receive $500 and recognition during the Festival.  Gallagher will be presented with her prize on Saturday, October 17 at 2 p.m. at the Shucking Stand, right before the National Oyster Cook-Off Award Ceremony. She will also be signing the posters throughout the day on Saturday.

Samantha Gallagher’s winning design features a colorful style that captures the festive nature of the Oyster Festival. The poster shows the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge in the background with oysters and crackers surrounding the festival information.  Gallagher got her inspiration for the design from her travels from Pennsylvania back to St. Mary’s County. Gallagher lived in St. Mary’s County for most of her life, but moved to Pennsylvania last October. When asked about her inspiration for the poster design, she said, “For the past year I've made many trips back and forth from Harrisburg to St. Mary's to see family or participate in art shows. After a few hours of driving, as I cross over the Solomon's Bridge, I feel like I'm back home. The bridge is sentimental to me.  For [the oysters], the simpler the better.”

The St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival and U.S. National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest will be held on October 17 and 18 at the St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds in Leonardtown. For more information, log on to www.usoysterfest.com.

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/.