Sample Craft Brews during BeerFest this Sunday

The Beer Festival is this Sunday, May 22, at Historic St. Mary’s City from noon until 6 p.m.!  Activities include music by GeeZer and 25th Hour Band; special tours of the Van Sweringen’s Ordinary exhibit (one of the first taverns of the colony); and a beer-making demonstration by local home brewers, the Hollywood Hopheads. There will also be a demonstration of a cider press with information on the history of cider in the colony.

Visitors will have the opportunity to sample local cuisine (provided by Bear Creek Barbeque and Canards) while tasting the offerings of craft brewers, including Redhook, Widmer Bros., Kona, Goose Island, Fordham, Dominion and Star Hill.

Craft and artist vendors will also be on hand throughout the day, including: Custom Tees; the Happy Turner in Owings; My Cause Water; Sarah Houde Pottery; the Shoppes of Southern Maryland; Tidewater Artist; the Weekend Woodshop; Whiskey Creek Woodworks; and Wood Goodies.

All proceeds from this event will go toward the education and research programs at the museum. Admission is $20 for tasters, $10 for designated drivers, and free for children ages 12 and under. A Kid’s Tent will also be available for our young visitors. Parking is free.

The event is being sponsored by the Historic St. Mary’s City Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the museum.

For more information call the Historic St. Mary’s City Foundation at 240-895-4977, email support@stmaryscity.org, or visit the website at http://www.stmaryscitybeerfest.org/.

Riverside WineFest at Sotterley 2009!

Come to the place where wine flows freely, music is jamming, kids are playing, artists are selling, food is scrumptious, and everyone is having a blast! Sotterley Plantation will “Celebrate the Best of Maryland in a Breathtaking Setting” at the Riverside WineFest at Sotterley 2009. For two days, guests will have the chance to taste the offerings of 17 highly acclaimed Maryland wineries (with no tasting tickets). For those who have always wanted to learn about wine making and wine testing, you will enjoy the informative demonstrations and exhibits. Promoting goods from our local farming community and introducing fine local chefs, visit the So. Maryland, So Good tent and enjoy the full schedule of events. Hungry? Dash over to the food vendors for crab cakes, fried oysters, pit-roasted meats, stuffed ham, wraps, freshly made ice-cream and more. There is no such thing as a bored child here at Sotterley, as we offer free face painting and colonial games. Ready to dance? Go for it! Move and groove to a spectrum of music – from Jazz to1950’s classics to Rock & Roll to International Folk. Let’s talk Art – not crafts, but ART. Artists from The Color & Light Society will be painting, displaying, and selling their treasures in the Customs Warehouse. Down on the field, make a point of supporting other Maryland Artists, many of whom sell their creations nationally and internationally. As an added bonus, 98.3 Star FM celebs T-bone & Heather will be here with t-shirts and prizes for the crowd on Saturday from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

NEW for 2009: Promising to make this year’s event even better, we will have an Antique Show in the barn with experienced local antique dealers selling favorites from days gone by. Since we aim to please, diehard football fans will be able to watch the Washington Redskins play (and beat) the Buccaneers on Sunday at 1 p.m. down on the field on a big screen television.

Tickets may be purchased in advance for a discounted price of $17 prior to September 25th, and at the gate tickets will be $20. Designated drivers are $15, those between the ages of 6 – 20 years old are $5, and children under 6 are free of charge. To purchase tickets in advance (VISA or MasterCard only) or to find out more information, visit http://www.sotterley.org/ or call 301-373-2280 or 800-681-0850.

Crab Lovers Delight

If you love crabs, then you definitely don't want to miss the St. Mary's Crab Festival on Sunday, June 14. The festival runs from 11 AM until 5 PM and is being held at the St. Mary's County Fairgrounds in Leonardtown. An annual tradition for 23 years, the crab festival is one of those great events that no summer would be complete without. You can get crabs any way you like 'em - steamed crabs, boiled crabs, breaded crabs, crab soup, and crab cakes plus other seafood dishes!

The festival also features regional crafters selling their hand-made pieces and lots of local entertainment to enjoy while you sit back and savor those crabs. Local dance studio teams, the crowd-pleasing Chesapeake Country Cruisers line dance team, and live country music by local legends "Southbound" will make you want to get up and dance!

There is a $5 general admission fee and food purchases cost extra. For more information, please contact the Leonardtown Lions Club at 301-885-8926 or visit www.StMarysCrabFestival.com.