72 HOURS April 2, 2026

START THE PRESSES!

If you’ve never watched someone hand-set type and run it through a 19th-century letterpress, this Saturday is your chance. The Frederick Book Arts Center is packing April 4 with three back-to-back events to celebrate National Poetry Month, beginning at 2 p.m. with a lecture by professor Annie Storr on women in artisanal bookbinding at Hull House in Chicago. At 3 p.m., Greg Robison will present “The Impartial Observer,” the hand-set quarterly newspaper he writes and prints himself, a meditation on slow reading and slow printing in a fast-scroll world. A group reading by Baltimore poets David Beaudouin, Jennifer Keith, Eleanor Lewis, Thea Brown and Don Berger will follow at 4 p.m. In between, visitors can print a poem on one of the center’s antique letterpresses or make a zine on the Showcard Press. It all happens at 127 S. Carroll St. Visit frederickbookarts.org for more details.

FIVE ARTISTS, THREE STATES, ONE SHOW

What happens when five hybrid media artists from Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia decide to work together? You get the Tri-State Collective, a new group making its exhibition debut April 4 at the Blue Elephant Art Center in Frederick. The show features Tony Mel and Mary Beth Curry from Maryland, Noah Chiles from Virginia, and Anne Weshinskey and Arni Gudmundsson from West Virginia — all known for experimental work and strong individual voices, united here by a shared belief that dialogue across materials, mediums and state lines makes for something bigger than any of them could pull off alone. The opening reception runs 5 to 8 p.m. April 4, with guest musician Daryltron performing. The exhibition continues through April 30 at 4A W. Fifth St. For more information, call Anne Weshinskey at 415-515-8012.

MUSIC, MOVEMENT, ACTION

What do a horn-driven jazz ensemble and an improvisational dance company have in common? More than you might think. Trombonist and composer Cam Millar and his ensemble The Weather People (trombone, trumpet, two saxophones and vibraphone) join forces with Kit Clark’s halfMAD Dance for “Re-Leaf Agency,” a multidisciplinary performance combining original music, movement, text and video at New Spire Arts on April 4. Millar’s music draws on forest biodiversity and the sounds plants make as they grow, written from the perspective of trees that have witnessed generations of human activity. Clark’s contribution grew from years she spent documenting a stretch of land along South Mountain. Together, they frame the piece as a call to action. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.

NEW PUBLIC ART IN MIDDLETOWN

After a yearlong process that drew more than 180 applicants, the Frederick Arts Council and the town of Middletown have selected artist James Peterson to create “Seed,” a permanent public sculpture that will serve as a gateway piece at the west entrance to downtown Middletown. Peterson, whose work merges sculpture, engineering and geometry to invite interaction between objects and viewers, was tapped to create a piece rooted in Middletown’s agricultural history while pointing toward its future. The work will be installed at 650 W. Main St., a high-traffic corridor seen daily by hundreds of commuters and visitors. Construction is scheduled to begin this year.

EGG HUNTING AFTER DARK

Forget the pastel baskets and the Sunday afternoon stroll. This egg hunt happens after dark, on the trails, and you’ll need a headlamp. Catoctin Creek Nature Center in Middletown is hosting an adults-only egg hunt at Catoctin Creek Park from 8 to 9:30 p.m. April 11. Eggs hidden along the trails contain tickets for a chance to win prizes from local businesses, and participants are encouraged to bring their own bag and flashlight. The event is 18+, and registration is required.

Unique treats for sale at Juno Bakery

BY NOLAN WILKINSON nwilkinson@newspost.com

From cute bear-shaped cream buns to themed macarons to classic cinnamon sugar twist donuts, Juno Bakery & Cafe is filled with a variety of baked treats.

Juno carries a selection of Korean and Korean-inspired baked goods to-go, as well as classic donuts.

It also offers lattes, a plethora of bubble teas and other sweet drinks.

Parts of the drink menu change depending on the season, with Juno offering things like hot apple cider in past fall seasons.

Juno has three locations: one on Market Street in downtown Frederick, one in the H Mart in Frederick and one in the H Mart in Ellicott City.

Juno’s Korean garlic cream cheese buns offer a treat that’s savory and sweet.

People looking for more usual donuts, filled with custard or coated with sugar, will find what they’re looking for at Juno as well.

The faces of Kirby, Pikachu and Hello Kitty adorn macarons at the store counter in downtown Frederick.

Juno’s downtown location is also open fairly late for a cafe — until 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and until 6 p.m. on Sundays.

IF YOU GO

Juno Bakery & Cafe

10 S. Market St., Frederick

Hours: Downtown location open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: Ranges greatly from things like garlic sticks at $1.51 to drinks in the $3-$8 range to custom cakes with varying prices. Info: junobakery.com

Shepherdstown musician trains ChatGPT to manage his career

BY SOFIA MONTOYA-DECK

Special to The News-Post

After four decades in music and opening for artists like Joan Jett and Blind Melon, Shepherdstown musician Scooter Scudieri has found an unlikely new collaborator: artificial intelligence.

Scudieri, 57, spent months training ChatGPT to act as his manager — creating an AI-powered system that helps organize his career, plan releases and document his musical history. The project coincides with his new album, “The Musical Bruises of a Recovering Dreamer,” released March 31.

AI helps to organize and promote Scudieri’s career, but it does not touch his music, which he wrote and produced himself across many years.

make you really remember me.’”

The first thing the AI manager suggested was setting up a bank account to collect streaming revenue. It has also developed a detailed publicity plan to roll out now that the album is released.

Another directive: Start a Substack page. Scudieri has since been documenting his 40-year career there. his Substack will ultimately feature 24 entries — 12 decoding the AI system and 12 revealing the stories behind each song on the album — as part of his ninemonth public comeback.

“It manages me, but obviously I am managing it,” Scudieri said. “You have to be aware that no matter what you’re doing with the AI, you have to double check.”

Scudieri built his AI manager inside ChatGPT by sharing his musical history and career goals to create what he calls a mission-aware AI. He outlined 80 to 100 protocols, guidelines and boundaries for the system to understand his mission as well as his past, present and future as a musician. According to Scudieri, the project may be the first publicly documented example of AI supporting long-term human creativity without generating the art itself.

He first sought help from AI about a year ago while rewriting his artist bio.

“As I was talking to [ChatGPT], I realized it was kind of remembering me,” he said. “So, I decided, ‘let’s

Scudieri started playing music at 15. By 18, he had started a band that lasted 10 years. “It had more lineups than a fast-food restaurant,” he joked, “so the music I was writing was always being interpreted by different musicians.”

Throughout his career, Scudieri toured with Jewel and Jason Mraz and shared stages with Dave Matthews and The Samples, among others. In 2003, the Songwriters Hall of Fame recognized him with a Best of the New Writers award. Around that time, Scudieri began paying closer attention to what the internet could do for independent musicians.

“I saw great potential for it being an equalizer in independence,” he said.

He recently spoke to a digital media class at Shepherd University about creating his AI management framework without using generative AI in the music itself.

Still working full-time as a house painter, Scudieri has worked on his music from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m. daily for the past seven years.

“That’s the story,” he said. “In the margins of my life, I make music and

did so at a very high level. There were things I just was not willing to do in order to sign a record deal.”

Over those seven years, he also taught himself engineering and production through Apple’s Logic Pro.

“Those first four years of learning Logic Pro were so hard, but once I got it, I started understanding what I could do and I just started creating,” he said.

Learning to produce his own music allowed Scudieri to finally realize his songs the way he had always imagined them.

“I never really felt like I was able to put out my best songs,” he said. “That’s what I’ve spent all this time doing for the past seven years.”

The album is entirely his own — every vocal, every sound built instrument by instrument inside Logic Pro. On one track, “Heavy,” Scudieri spent 12 hours working with roughly 32 acoustic guitar loops, adding echo and distortion, until he got the solo he wanted. His family is in the mix, too. His daughter Sophia designed his website and his wife Kelly created

the cover art for his released singles.

Scudieri plans to release singles from the album every six weeks over the next year and is open to touring if the right opportunity comes along. The Delaplaine Arts Center in downtown Frederick will play songs from the album in the gallery this spring and summer.

“I think that my story is unique enough and weird enough to get you to at least listen,” he said. “And if you listen, then that’s where I get my foot in the door.”

His goal for this album is simple: to be heard.

“If one of these songs becomes part of someone’s life, the way certain records were part of mine growing up, that’s everything,” he said.

Learn more about the artist at scootscudieri.com, or follow him on Substack.

Sofia Montoya-Deck is a former News-Post intern and is completing a communication arts degree at Hood College. In her free time, she enjoys running, coaching youth soccer and finding new places to travel.

THE FREDERICK MOM

The Frederick Mom’s recommendations for the weekend of April 3

Activities to do with the kids this weekend, courtesy of The Frederick Mom. School’s Out Movie

2 to 3:45 p.m. April 3

C. Burr Artz Library, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick Free

Bring your favorite blanket and get comfy as FCPL invites all ages to watch a free movie on the big screen. The downtown library will be showing “Turning Red” (rated PG). Afterward, kids can create a fun themed craft. Closed captioning will be provided.

Story & Dance: Beauty and the Beast

3 to 4 p.m. April 3

Middletown Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown Free

Families with little ones ages 3 to 10 are invited to join Middletown Library for a “Beauty and the Beast” storytime and dance experience, presented by Leading Edge Academy of Dance. Enjoy a narrated retelling of the beloved tale brought to life through live dance performances and a movement activity for children. Then meet the dancers and take photos with the cast.

Easter Egg Hunt

5 to 7:30 p.m. April 3

Urban Air Adventure Park, 5850 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick

Cost: regular park admission

Hunt for eggs at Urban Air this Friday and meet the Easter Bunny. No special ticket or fee required — just regular park admission. Bring your own Easter basket and wear your gripped Urban Air socks to jump, climb and play. The Easter Egg Hunt for toddlers begins at 5 p.m., ages 4 to 7 at 6 p.m. and ages 8 and older at 7 p.m. urbanairfrederick.com. •••

The Wizard of Oz

7 p.m. April 3; 1 and 7 p.m. April 4

Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick

$16 to $30 general admission; $16 to $20 children

Other Voices Inc. presents “The Wizard of Oz” at the Weinberg this Friday and Saturday. See the incredible talent of Frederick performers as Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Glinda the Good Witch sing and dance down the Yellow Brick Road while confronting the Wicked Witch of the West. An original adaptation of the classic tale, it’s a perfect show for the whole family. Senior and student tickets are discounted. weinbergcenter.org.

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

9:30 to 11 a.m. April 4

Adventure Park USA, 11113 Baldwin Road, Monrovia

$26.26 per person

Hop into springtime fun at Adventure Park USA. Start the morning with a family-friendly breakfast, then enjoy a special meet-and-greet with the Easter Bunny — perfect for photos and memories. After breakfast, kids can join an Easter egg hunt around the park. Tickets include either a game of laser tag or mini-golf. adventureparkusa.com

Rec Fest

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 4

Baker Park, 121 N. Bentz St., Frederick Free

Rec Fest is back! Families are invited to Baker Park for free activities including a Touch-a-Truck event, bounce houses, obstacle courses, face painting, fairy hair and William Talley Recreation Center program demos. Food trucks will be on site. Rec Fest also includes an Easter egg hunt — pre-registration is required and costs $5 per person. Bring your own basket. Children ages 1 to 3 begin at 11 a.m., ages 4 to 6 at 11:45 a.m. and ages 7 to 12 at 12:30 p.m. Sameday in-person registration for all ages is at 1:30 p.m. playfrederick.com.

Keys Fan Fest

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 4

Harry Grove Stadium, 21 Stadium Drive, Frederick Free

Warm up your gloves, Frederick! Celebrate the start of baseball season with the Frederick Keys on Nymeo Field. The annual Keys Fan Fest is always an exciting afternoon with hot dogs, games and the team’s beloved mascot, Keyote. frederickkeys. com.

Easter Egg Hunt

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

South Mountain Creamery, 8305 Bolivar Road, Middletown

$15 per person; free for children 3 and under One of our favorite family traditions is the Easter egg hunt at South Mountain Creamery. Grab your baskets, head to the famous farm in Middletown, hop on a hayride and search for colorful eggs filled with sweet surprises. Enjoy kidfriendly music and crafts under the pavilion with plenty of farm fun throughout the day. Food is available for purchase and there’s a playground on site. southmountaincreamery.com •••

EGGcellent First Saturday

11 a.m. April 4

Throughout Downtown Frederick Free

The boutiques and shops in Downtown Frederick love celebrating the first Saturday of each month — and April’s is going to be quite EGGcellent! Shops across Market Street, Patrick Street, Everedy Square and more will be hiding Easter eggs filled with treats, discounts and surprises. Each store is hosting its own eggthemed fun with springtime activities throughout the day, so take your family to explore everything downtown has to offer.

Easter Egg Hunt

2 p.m. April 5

Thurmont Community Park, 21 Frederick Road, Thurmont Free

This 95-year tradition is back! The Thurmont Lions Club hosts its beloved Easter egg hunt — a community favorite that has brought families together every spring for nearly a century. The hunt is open to kids ages 0 to 12, with eggs filled with candy, money and surprises. Bring your baskets and enjoy a day at the park.

Tiffany Mahaney is at least a fifth-generation native to Frederick County, and she now proudly raises her own family here. To see more local family friendly things to do, follow her on Instagram @ thefrederickmom.

Way Off Broadway will hold ‘Grease’ auditions April 4

Way Off Broadway Dinner Theater is seeking actors for its summer production of “Grease,” with auditions scheduled for April 4 at Willowdale Plaza, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick.

Sign-in begins at 6 p.m., auditions at 6:30 p.m. Actors must be signed in by 6:45 p.m. All roles are open, and all auditioners must be 18 or older.

Actors should bring a headshot, resume and an up-to-date schedule. Auditioners should prepare 16 bars of a song in the style of the show, sung a cappella, and should be familiar with the cast recording, as they may be asked to learn or sing a song from “Grease” on the spot. Cold readings from the script are also part of the audition. A dance audition will be held, so auditioners should wear or bring clothes they can move in.

ROLES AVAILABLE

Danny Zuko : The leader of the Burger Palace Boys; good-looking, strong and confident with an air of easy-going charm.

Sandy Dumbrowski: The new girl in town; sweet, wholesome, naive and

innocent.

Betty Rizzo : Leader of the Pink Ladies; tough, sarcastic and outspoken but vulnerable.

Kenickie: Second in command of the Burger Palace Boys; tough-looking, tattooed and surly with an offbeat sense of humor.

Marty: The beauty of the Pink Ladies; looks older than the other girls but betrays her real age when she opens her mouth. She tries to act sophisticated.

Sonny Latierri: A member of the Burger Palace Boys; a funny ItalianAmerican braggart and wheeler-dealer who thinks he’s a real lady-killer.

Frenchy: A dreamer; good-natured but not too smart, heavily made up and fussy about her appearance, particularly her hair. She can’t wait to finish high school so she can be a beautician.

Doody: The youngest of the guys; small, boyish and open, with a disarming smile and a heroworshipping attitude toward the other guys. He plays guitar.

Jan: Funny, loud and a compulsive eater; loud and pushy with the girls but shy with boys.

Roger: A clown who enjoys winding people up, full of mischief and always dreaming up half-baked schemes.

Patty Simcox: The ultimate cheerleader; confident, athletic and sure of herself, but given to bursts of disconcerting enthusiasm. She can twirl a baton.

Eugene Florczyk: The class valedictorian; physically awkward, with weak eyes and a high-pitched voice. Both smug and pompous, but gullible.

Cha-Cha, aka Charlene DiGregorio (alto, C4–C5): The best dancer at St. Bernadette’s; a loudmouth who wins the dancing competition with Danny.

Teen Angel: Frenchy’s suave and slick guardian angel, who encourages her to stay in school. May double as Vince Fontaine or Johnny Casino.

Vince Fontaine: A slick, egotistical and fast-talking disc jockey and veteran greaser. May double as Teen Angel.

Miss Lynch: A no-nonsense, serious

English teacher.

Johnny Casino: An all-American, rock-star greaser and former Rydell High student whose real name is Clarence. May double as Teen Angel.

Swings and understudies may also be cast.

The production is directed by Shawn R. Martin, with music direction by Tyler Miller and choreography by Shannen Carbaugh.

Performers will receive a per-performance stipend. Those cast will also have the opportunity to join the restaurant service staff, where they may earn gratuities. Auditioners must reside within driving distance of Frederick; housing is not provided.

Performance dates run Friday and Saturday evenings June 12, 13, 19 and 20, July 10, 17, 18, 24, 25 and 31 and Aug. 1, 7 and 8, with Sunday matinees June 21, July 12, 19 and Aug. 9. Additional performances may be added based on cast availability.

For more information, visit wayoffbroadway.com or call 301-662-6600.

5 tips for great family Easter photos

When the whole family gathers to celebrate Easter, it’s the perfect moment to capture those smiling faces. With a few simple tips, you can keep your photo session fun and quick. Follow this guide.

1. FIND THE RIGHT MOMENT

Does your group include young children? Remember that it’s difficult at their age, if not impossible, to smile and sit still when they’re hungry or tired. Plan your photos for a time when the little ones aren’t hungry or in need of a nap. Also, try to take your photos in natural light, as it’s much more flattering.

2. CREATE THE RIGHT SETTING

Easter is synonymous with spring, warmth and cheerful colours. Clear away clutter in the room where you’ll take the photos. Highlight the elements that bring the space to life, such as plants, flowers or bright decorations.

3. MIX UP YOUR POSES

Keep things lively by changing poses and expressions. Try natural smiles and funny faces, posing in both standing and seated positions. A dynamic session will result in more authentic photos. Encourage everyone to share ideas. Spontaneous suggestions often lead to the best shots.

4. USE FUN ACCESSORIES

Want to give your family photos a little original ity? Photobooth props like bunny ears, fun hats or oversized glasses create playful photos. Alternatively, choose attractive themed accessories, such as floral bouquets, pastel scarves or baskets filled with coloured eggs.

5. CHOOSE YOUR OUTFITS CAREFULLY

Dress for timeless photos by avoiding bold logos and busy prints. Instead, choose soft, Easter-inspired colours like pale yellow, pastel pink, light green, lilac or white.

SUNDAY APRIL 5TH 2026

OPEN (8am-6pm) BREAKFAST (8am-10:30am) • DINNER (11am - 6pm)

The Weather People and halfMAD Dance

An evening of music, movement, and hope

Trombonist and composer

Cam Millar and movement and video artist Kit Clark share a preoccupation with the natural world — and a sense of urgency about it. Their two ensembles, The Weather People and halfMAD Dance, will bring that shared vision to the stage in “Re-Leaf Agency,” a multidisciplinary performance combining original music, movement, text and video at Frederick’s New Spire Arts on April 4.

Millar’s horn-driven, genredefying ensemble The Weather People — featuring trombone, trumpet, two saxophones and vibraphone — draws on jazz, classical and funk. For “ReLeaf Agency,” he composed music influenced by forest biodiversity, the lifecycle of trees and the sounds plants make as they grow, written from the perspective of trees that have witnessed multiple generations of human activity.

Clark’s halfMAD Dance brings an improvisational, intimately physical approach to the natural world. Video projections create an immersive environment in which dancers Clark, Jeanna

Riscigno and Amanda Comi amplify flora and fauna while finding refuge among them. Clark’s contribution grew from several years documenting a stretch of land on the edge of South Mountain, a period she describes as experiencing the solace of non-human time.

Together, Millar and Clark frame the piece as a call to action. Anxiety runs beneath “Re-Leaf Agency,” but despite fears about democracy and climate, the work insists audiences remember their interconnectedness and find reason for hope. The performance is framed as a training presentation to recruit new members to join the ReLeaf Agency.

This engagement is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council.

“Re-Leaf Agency” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. April 4 at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Tickets are $15; student discounts available. Purchase online at weinbergcenter.org, by phone at 301-600-2828 or in person at the Weinberg Center box office, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

When fear becomes power: MET stages Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’

Fear spreads quickly. Truth moves slowly. And in Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” the cost of choosing between them can be devastating. Maryland Ensemble Theatre will present Miller’s gripping American classic April 3 through 26 on the MET Mainstage at 31 W. Patrick St. in downtown Frederick.

Set during the Salem witch trials of 1692, “The Crucible” follows farmer John Proctor as a wave of accusations tears through a rigid Puritan community. What begins as whispers of witchcraft soon escalates

into a feverish hunt for enemies, where suspicion becomes evidence and personal grudges carry deadly consequences.

Written in 1953, the play remains one of the most powerful dramas in the American canon, examining how fear, ideology and authority can combine to erode truth and justice. Though rooted in the Salem witch trials, “The Crucible” continues to resonate today as a warning about how quickly misinformation can spread — and how dangerous it becomes when accusation replaces

evidence.

Directed by Julie Herber, the production explores the human choices at the center of the hysteria and the courage required to resist it.

The cast features Joe Waeyaert as John Proctor, Victoria Davidson as Abigail Williams, Shea-Mikal Green as Elizabeth Proctor, Bill Dennison as Reverend Hale and Jeremy Myers as Reverend Parris. The ensemble also includes Jean Rosolino, Katie Martin, Reiner Prochaska, Lucy Campbell, Karli Cole, Candace Claggett and Jen Pagano, with Mallorie Stern, Danielle

Carter and Christopher Lange serving as swings.

The creative team includes stage manager Eli Bendel-Simso, set designer Cody James, lighting designer Doug Grove, sound designer Kaydin Hamby, costume designer Logan Benson, props designer Lori Boyd, intimacy consultant Mallory Shear and dramaturg Mars Renn. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 to $36 and are available at marylandensemble.org, by phone at 301-694-4744 or in person at the MET box office.

A talking Toto leads Frederick’s fresh take on ‘The Wizard of Oz’

A steampunk-inspired adaptation featuring original music, choreography and a community cast who reimagines the classic tale

BY JOSEPH DEBELL Special to The News-Post

Before Dorothy ever reaches Oz, the storm arrives.

Not just as a plot point, but as a fullbodied stage event: cornfields bend in the wind, a farmhouse turns onstage, and dancers bring the tornado to life. Somewhere inside the chaos, Toto is swept away and begins telling the story himself. By the time the audience lands in Munchkin Land, director and choreographer Donna Grim hopes one thing is clear: This is not the “Wizard of Oz” they think they know.

Other Voices Inc.’s annual production of “The Wizard of Oz,” returning to the Weinberg Center this Easter weekend, keeps the foundation of L. Frank Baum’s classic while reshaping nearly everything around it. Grim’s version is steampunk in design, modern in tone, driven by dance and original music and, most notably, narrated by Toto, played by veteran actor Adam Blackstock.

A NEW VOICE FOR A FAMILIAR STORY

Toto’s narration is a creative decision that shifts the perspective of a story we all know.

“When a lot of people first hear [I’m] playing Toto, you know, they have questions,” Blackstock said. “But then when you see the show, it clicks. You see that Toto is the narrator, and he can jump in and out of the scenes and talk to the audience.”

Toto becomes part guide and part commentator, someone who reacts in real time to the strange world around him while also pulling the audience into the story.

“He’s kind of the audience’s in,” Blackstock said. “There’s moments

where he can joke or vent to the audience. So you have this fantastical story, but he can bring a modern perspective to it.”

A PRODUCTION BUILT ON MOVEMENT AND GROWTH

For Grim, who has spent more than 30 years directing and choreographing through her Frederick dance studio, that fresh perspective was intentional. She wanted a show that felt familiar enough for families but different enough to stand on its own — something visually distinct and built around the performers in her company.

“There’s a lot of opportunity for

good choreography and good dance,” Grim said. “It’s mostly a vehicle for my dance company, so younger dancers can start as munchkins and then grow into bigger roles over time.”

That company, the Dance Unlimited Repertory Company, operates under the umbrella of Other Voices Inc., a nonprofit that also includes Other Voices Theatre.

A COMMUNITY EFFORT BEHIND THE CURTAIN

For production manager Sarah Spurrier, that collaboration is what defines the experience.

“It is such a rewarding experience for these young performers to get to

do something that is truly this grand and this spectacular,” Spurrier said.

Spurrier describes Frederick as a “highly artistic community,” where theater and dance are deeply supported. That support has allowed the production to evolve year after year.

Originally slated to debut at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the show was delayed, rebuilt and steadily expanded. It debuted in 2022, and Grim continues to refine it year after year.

Dorothy, for example, does not wear traditional ruby slippers. Instead, she is a “spunky teenager” in red

IF YOU GO

Other Voices Inc. presents “The Wizard of Oz” 7 p.m. April 3 and 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. April 4 at the Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Tickets are $15 to $35. For more information and tickets, visit weinbergcenter.org.

Chuck Taylors. The world around her leans industrial and offbeat, a deliberate departure from the polished fantasy audiences might expect.

BUILDING THE WORLD OF OZ

Lighting and projection designer Steph Knapp has helped shape that world from the beginning.

“I’ve been involved in basically the entire creation process of this production,” Knapp said, “from the very early stages to what it is now at the Weinberg.”

Their work begins before the curtain rises. Audience members enter to a closed curtain covered in spinning gears, with lights sweeping across the theater and music filling the space — a pre-show atmosphere designed to pull viewers into the production’s mechanical and fantastical world.

Once the show begins, the visuals escalate quickly.

“The tornado is definitely one of my favorite moments,” Knapp said. “We take you from the Kansas farm directly into the middle of the tornado and spit you right back out into Munchkin Land.”

That sequence combines projection, fog and choreography, with the set physically rotating as dancers create the storm. Elsewhere, Emerald City has been reimagined not as a pristine fantasy but as something closer to an industrial jazz club — still green, but darker, busier and more textured.

AN ORIGINAL SOUND FOR OZ

Instead of relying on familiar songs, Grim built the show around original and licensed pieces, including three songs by Maryland band Ebb & Nova. The group — Lauren Padgett and Matthew Purpora, along with their bandmates — became involved after Blackstock approached them following a series of concerts.

“You don’t get asked this very often,” Purpora said. “It was a different kind of challenge — writing for characters instead of ourselves.”

For Padgett, the shift felt natural.

“The heart of what we’re doing is the same — writing a song that captures how something feels in a specific moment,” she said. “It was just about stepping into the perspective of the characters.”

Dorothy and her companions arrive at the Emerald City.

One of those songs, “Call Me Queen,” reframes the Wicked Witch not simply as a villain but as someone who sees herself as powerful and deserving of control.

“She’s not just a villain in her eyes,” Purpora said. “She’s a queen.”

Padgett said that approach was intentional, focusing on the character’s inner voice rather than her reputation.

The song arrives during one of the show’s most visually striking sequences, following a performance by the Winkies, the witch’s soldiers, using illuminated spears and LED-lit costumes in near darkness.

At the other end of the emotional spectrum is “Coming Back Home,” which appears early in the show and returns at the end as a reprise. The song ties together the characters’ journeys and reinforces the story’s theme of belonging.

And if Grim gets what she wants, audiences will not just see Oz again. They will see a version that feels unmistakably Frederick’s.

“It’s important that I create and give the Frederick community a special show that’s just theirs,” Grim said.

Joseph DeBell is a multimedia reporter for The News-Post, joining the staff in April. He previously covered arts and community stories in New York state as a freelancer and is an award-winning photographer.

”Celebrating 50 Years of Creative Community” — through April 10, Annapolis Treasury Building, 80 Calvert St., Annapolis. Participating artists across Frederick County celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the Frederick Arts Council by exploring their interpretation and contribution to Frederick’s arts scene. Free, but register at eventbrite.com/e/ 1981967063841/?aff=oddtdtcreator.

”Shaking Off Those Winter Blues” — through April 18 at Gribs Gallery, 208 Main St., New Windsor. This is a multimedia exhibition featuring works by Carroll County artists. Gribs Gallery is behind the house and opens onto the alley, Manning Drive. There is plenty of parking in front of the gallery. Gallery hours are 4 to 6 p.m. Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays. 443-536-9198.

”Steeped” — through April 22, Mansion Galleries at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, Rockville. Juried exhibition theme marking 40 years of the Mansion’s Afternoon Tea tradition, contemporary artists reflect on the ritual, history and symbolism of tea. 110 works by 78 artists, most from the D.C. region. Painting, ceramics, photography, mixed media and installations. Galleries hours are noon-4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. 301-581-5100 or strathmore.org

“iCommentary: Making Personal Universal” — through April 26 at the Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Work by Todd Gardner. 301-473-7680, bagalleryappointment@gmail.com, frederickuu.org/gallery.

Bettie Awards Exhibition — through April 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. View art created by local youth selected as Bettie Award winners. Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656, delaplaine.org.

”Transmutational Resonance” — through April 29, City Hall, 101 N. Court St., Frederick. A teen group exhibition organized in collaboration with FCPS’s Academy of Fine Arts at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School, showcasing a selection of student artwork. Reception 5-7 p.m. April 7, refreshments. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. cityoffrederickmd.gov.

”Language of Abstraction” — through April 30, Vault of Visions Art Gallery, 1 N. Market St., Frederick. Exhibit of work by Ron Ames. Artist reception 3 p.m. April 11. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through

roll St., Frederick. Works in a variety of media including painters, metalsmiths, photographers, sculptors and more. Meet the artists 3-5 p.m. April 4. Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301698-0656, delaplaine.org.

John Kachik: “Heroes in America” — April 4-26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. A collection of contemporary mixed media portraits of individuals from the worlds of entertainment, sports, politics, philanthropy, and service who have made a mark on modern American history. Meet the artist 3-5 p.m. April 4. Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656, delaplaine.org.

Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. vovartgallery.com.

Crestwood Gallery Winter Exhibit & “Healthy Horizons Through Students’ Eyes” Competition — through May 8, Frederick Health — Crestwood Building, 7211 Bank Court, Frederick. Original works including oil, watercolor, mixed media and photography from local artists alongside the “Healthy Horizons Through Students’ Eyes” Competition. Hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240-215-1460 or frederickhealth.org/crestwoodart.

Thomas Sterner & Mark Hatfield Exhibition — April 3-26, NOMA Gallery, 437 N. Market St., Frederick. Sterner, a public sculptor and mixed media artist, has been active in the Frederick arts community since 1987 and a NOMA member since 2016. Since 2020, he has created and installed 20 large-scale public works, including “Welcome Tree” at Delaplaine Arts Center, “Water Lily Wave” at Carroll Creek Park, and “Growth” at Frederick Community College. For this exhibition, Sterner will present wooden and stainlesssteel sculptures. Hatfield, a self-taught abstract painter, developed his artistic voice through lived experience and

extensive travel, particularly in Italy and France. His work evolved from figurative beginnings into a deeply expressive abstract practice centered on gesture as its truest form. Hatfield’s paintings are held in significant collections worldwide. Opening reception 5-8 p.m. April 4. Gallery hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. 240367-9770, nomagalleryfrederick.com.

Pop-Up Art Event — April 4 and 11, Everedy Square, East Street, Frederick. Featuring Dan Stouffer and his wife, Ashley Stouffer. Dan paints in oils, has shown work in juried shows and his work is displayed in some local businesses, and has designed a Frederick Keys jersey. Ashley creates artistic and functional pottery. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. both dates. danstoufferart.com.

”Emerging Perspectives Exhibition” — April 4-26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Works in a variety of media. Juried exhibit highlights young adult artists and their creative endeavors. Meet the artists 3-5 p.m. April 4.Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656, delaplaine.org.

Delaplaine Faculty Exhibition — April 4-26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Car-

”Photos and Forgings” — April 4-26, Eastside Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Leigh Scott and Mark Cohen, a married couple, are Focal Pointers. As photographers, their objective is to capture scenes that evoke emotions, tell stories, and transport the viewer to special places. They focus mainly on national parks near their home: Antietam, Harpers Ferry and C&O Canal. Artist-blacksmith Stephen Dill crafts an eclectic mix of custom ironwork. His hammer work is featured on a diverse array of items, from bottle openers to vases, while his larger designs include botanically inspired sculpture and ornamental yard decor. Stephen works primarily in steel but has experience in forging other metals such as titanium. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. eastsideartistsgallery.com.

Artspiration Frederick Members’ Show — April 4-26, Artspiration Frederick, 915 Toll House Ave., Frederick. 100+ pieces of 2D and 3D art on display. Artists reception 5-7:30 p.m. April 11. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday or by appointment. 657-6270554 or artspirationfrederick.com.

”Mechanics and Infrastructure” — May 2-15, Links Bridge Vineyards, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont. Park of the vineyards Wine and Art Series. An exhibit of artwork by Gillian Collins. This is a unique and beautiful exhibit of paintings of mechanical systems. They are common devices and machines that surround us every day and upon which our modern lives are dependent — yet these things are rarely celebrated and go practically unnoticed. Collins brings a new attention and perspective to everyday hardware components. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 301-602-5733 or linksbridgevineyards. com.

Sculptor Luc Fiedler’s happy accidents take shape at The Artists Gallery

Sculptor Luc Fiedler brings decades of process, discovery and material intuition to “Work in Progress,” a new solo exhibition at TAG/The Artists Gallery.

The works draw on Jungian archetypes, taking physical form through a discovery Fiedler made while working at Scala, a commercial foundry in San Jose, California — accidental seepages of molten metal in shell cores during the casting process.

“In some of the sculptures, I have brought back old friends in the form of little critters,” he said.

Fellow TAG artists will also have work on view.

The exhibit runs April 3 to 26, with an opening reception 5 to 8 p.m. April 4. Admission is free.

TAG/The Artists Gallery is at 501 N. Market St., Frederick. Gallery hours are noon to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. theartistsgalleryfrederick.com or 301-228-9860.

Luc Fiedler’s “Meridian” is made of cast bronze, steel and stone. Courtesy photo.

Frederick Arts Council and Town of Middletown announce the public art gateway piece ‘Seed’

The Frederick Arts Council and the Town of Middletown have commissioned artist James Peterson for “Seed,” a public art gateway piece to be installed at the west entrance to downtown Middletown.

After a year-long process of community outreach, committee meetings, curatorial input, artist interviews and partnership development, Peterson was chosen from more than 180 applicants.

Goals of the project include creating a striking public artwork at a key Middletown entrance; celebrating the town’s culture and history; engaging residents through participatory workshops; supporting artists and arts professionals; and attracting visitors to enhance economic vitality.

“The artwork is designed to reflect the community’s identity, history, and vision for the future. This installation

will serve as a symbol of civic pride and artistic excellence. The artwork is one in a series of commissioned gateway pieces that welcome people to Frederick County and that help forge our identity in a way that is memorable and unique,” Frederick Arts Council executive director Louise Kennelly said.

“We are excited to acquire ‘Seed,’ which points to Middletown’s agricultural roots and also lights the way toward the town’s dynamic future,” said John Miller, burgess of Middletown.

The artwork will be installed at 650 W. Main St. As Middletown expands its boundaries with the recent acquisition of part of the Kimberly L. Harris property near the intersection of Old National Pike and Ivy Hill Drive, the town will create a welcoming impression for those traveling in and out of Middletown

at this highly visible location — a key gateway seen by hundreds of commuters and visitors each day. The site will serve as a visual anchor for Middletown’s placemaking efforts.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026.

To learn more about the project or become a sponsor, visit frederickartscouncil.org.

NOT DEAD YET

Rock & Roll Graveyard celebrates 15 years keeping Frederick’s music culture alive

BY DYLAN HYMAN • Special to The News-Post

For a store named Rock & Roll Graveyard, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it began its life at 115 E. Patrick St. underground … literally. Owner Chris Wolfe has been in the Frederick shop from the beginning, keeping the shelves stocked with a full spectrum of music: the hits, the deep cuts, the hidden gems, the holy grails.

For many people in today’s digital world, music is background noise to get you from A to B, nothing but a monthly expense next to rent, groceries or health insurance. But for those who see the reward and community around physical media ownership, a shop like Rock & Roll Graveyard is an essential meeting ground — not just for buying and selling obsolete media, but for genuine interactions with other music lovers and the IRL “how did you even hear about this?” recommendations that, when replicated over the internet, simply feel disingenuous.

There really is no other store quite like this local Frederick business — rooms stuffed to the gills with new and used vinyl, tapes, 8-tracks, reel-to-reels, CDs, movies, equipment and more. For 15 years, Rock & Roll Graveyard has helped carry the torch for the local music community with a selfless approach to the preservation and appreciation of physical media.

Wolfe recalls taking in the oldies in the backseat of the car to and from school. “My parents were born

in the ‘40s so we listened to ‘60s music — Oldies 106.9 FM,” now known as The Eagle. His first favorite song was “She Drives Me Crazy” by Fine Young Cannibals, a tune that perfectly captures the late-’80s-into-early-’90s transition with a gated snare drum tone so mesmerizing it would make Phil Collins quiver.

“When you’re young, you don’t really care about music,” Wolfe said. “It’s around year 12 or 13 when you really gain a musical dialect. You listen to edgy music to make your parents mad.”

His first record store picks followed logically: “’Gangsta’s Paradise’ by Coolio for a friend’s birthday — I stole it back and still have it! But the first album I bought myself? Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s ‘E. 1999 Eternal.’ Oh, and Metallica’s ‘Load.’ I know a lot of people don’t like that album, but when you’re 11, it’s the baddest thing ever.”

The first release of what began as a double album, “Load” is one of the legendary thrash metal band’s most divisive records, featuring one of the more well-known edgelord cover arts in the genre (IYKYK).

Growing up in the music retail peak of the ‘90s, it makes sense that a music-oriented individual like Wolfe wound up in the business of slinging hot wax. “Growing up, I’d go to Waxy Maxie’s at the mall. Suncoast was too expensive.”

It was not until he started working at Record and Tape Traders on the Golden Mile as a teenager that he got his first taste of life in music retail.

“I was 18 in the distant year of 2003 — record stores were slowly starting to close up. There used to be 11 other Record and Tape Traders in Maryland.”

He continued detailing the slow

death of traditional physical media stores in the mid- to late-2000s, which had to compete against cheaper and more accessible digital platforms like iTunes and file-sharing applications like Napster.

He paused to reminisce putting on a final show right before it closed ing his four-piece “powerslop” Eat People, and local epic punk rockers (yes, it is still on YouTube time-traveling queries).

With the closing sic retail employer, mostly unemployed tinuing to dig through rel away — records stores around the area, pastime.

“Luckily, I was living ents, but it was still

“FYE bought everybody out right when the industry was changing and people were starting to download more music,” he said. “People like the idea of the record store but may not even own a turntable or CD player. They want a T-shirt or a sticker, the five-pound Reese’s peanut butter cup to go with it. They just didn’t know how to handle independent record stores and would send us the biggest pop titles on CD expecting they would

right.

would sell.” reminisce about show at the shop closed in 2009, featur“powerslop” band, local three-piece Timberwolves YouTube for your queries).

closing of his first muemployer, Wolfe remained unemployed until 2011, conthrough — and squirand tapes at thrift area, his go-to

living with my parimportant to me

to continue having some type of culture here. My goal was to keep this stuff from not being completely forgotten or ending up in the trash.”

“IT WAS LIKE, ‘NOW WHAT?’“

Used media stores still existed in the post-iTunes era, but demand was lower and prices were reasonable — a far cry from today’s marketplace.

“I thought about owning a shop even in middle school. I never really had a lot of aspirations — I wanted to be in a band, wanted to tour, and I did all those things by the time I was, like, 21. So it was like, ‘Now what?’ One of my favorite films

where. Nobody wanted it, nobody cared about it.”

While that experience was perhaps ill-fated, in 2011, the inaugural year of his business, he saw opportunity at the store’s first location, just beneath the city traffic on historic Route 40.

growing up was ‘Empire Records,’ and now I get to live the bad version of that movie.”

To get to “Wolfe’s version” of the 1995 flick, he rewound his story to a few years prior to opening Rock & Roll Graveyard: “We all have to find out where we stand in this world, and sometimes that might be in the same footprints as somebody else. I actually had a shop before this when I was 21 called Blinding Sun Records, named after the song by grunge pioneers Mudhoney. I opened up during In the Streets 2006. That was a six-month venture. Everything was seriously a dollar to three dollars, Smith tapes every-

“You can tell if a store knows what it has or not — I remember seeing a beat-up copy of ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ for $30 or something, a fairly popular, easy-to-find title, and that was back then. That store in particular was here for six months prior to me taking over and opening up.”

Wolfe walked over in a haste to excitedly show off the imprint. Walking back around, adjusting various stacks of records and showpieces in the rafters, he went on to discuss how the store’s name came to him.

“I was in a New Jersey restaurant by some rest stop and a kid walked by me wearing a shirt that said ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ over some graveyard — very ‘Master of Puppets.’ But it stuck with me.”

With a decently sized collec-

tion stored away between home and a storage unit, plus a moderate savings from a job at Sears, Wolfe moved in and set up shop, admittedly not changing much about the overall look of the place. He remained in the groove of the conversation while continuing the never-ending task of keeping a shop organized.

“People do it not because they want to punish themselves, but because somebody’s got to do it. And they’d rather punish themselves to make it happen. My life is so intertwined with my business.”

Wolfe constantly emphasized that he was in the niche business of the mechanically obsolete. “My store is called Rock & Roll Graveyard after all.” Ninety-nine percent of music and movies in stock are available for cheaper purchase digitally or free to stream — and for a majority of the population who see media consumption as just another way to pass time, why question the

(See GRAVEYARD 16)

GRAVEYARD

(Continued from 15)

drawbacks over the convenience of that model?

When you can take in dusty albums for some pocket change toward date night or gas money while freeing up space at home for other stuff, the sentimental value attached to these antiquated forms of media starts to lose its power.

“For a lot of people, art is just an afterthought. Especially after you have kids or you have to be a professional, it becomes background noise — things that take up space,” Wolfe said.

He glanced around the store and noted that what you see is only the stuff that didn’t end up in the landfill. “Sometimes people bring in the most obscure and interesting music and tell me that if I wasn’t here, it was going to

picks, covering it all from Prince’s “Purple Rain” to Fugazi’s “In on the Kill Taker,” Tears for Fears’ “Songs from the Big Chair” to the self-titled Jo Jo Gunne. Rock & Roll Graveyard steadily dished out choice albums while cementing its place in local Frederick music culture throughout the 2010s, riding the resurgence of physical media ownership across the greater music community. But that didn’t mean Wolfe took a backseat in a notoriously volatile industry.

“When I first opened, it was mainly just used [media], but I switched that up after a while because I didn’t want to just sell the same used records again and again — the Zeppelins and the Sabbaths. I like new music as well; it’s just more expensive. We started offering more new albums around 2019 and I’ve been broke ever since!”

But even the grunge dungeon had its limits — it was but a cramped cel lar space after all. “I remember go ing to Goodwill to donate multiples of ‘Escape’ by Journey, ‘Out of Time’ by R.E.M., so many Nirvana tapes.”

Though a bit tight for those with larger frames — Wolfe himself con stantly bending his head around fix tures and structural beams — the store

A selection of Laser Discs at Rock & Roll Graveyard.

Wolfe is direct, but in a genuine “I

has expertly utilized every square inch to its maximum potential: shelves of CDs anchored to the walls, tiered racks of vinyl stretching down the length of the building, towering stacks of equip ment ready to plug in, custom slotted cassette units wrapped around the lat ter half of the basement, a small alcove Wolfe pulled out the day’s listening

the space directly above, previously a revolving door of businesses, most re cently a tea shop. The new floor grant

ed an opportunity to stock even more new vinyl, tapes and CDs alongside an expanded video section featuring VHS tapes, DVDs and a house favorite: LaserDisc.

THINNER MARGINS, GREATER STRAIN

During a global downturn, Rock & Roll Graveyard rose from the subterranean soundgarden below to greet the city at eye level on East Patrick St. Walking up the stairs and to the entrance on the left, you enter the yang to the downstairs’ yin. The record store features a modern shopping experience with more dedicated sections to indie rock, metal, hip-hop, electronic and experimental genres — finishing with a cozy nook for film buffs looking to add something unique to their library.

A business like Rock & Roll Graveyard should have no trouble operating downtown while providing enough for its employees and itself, but margins are rapidly getting thin, and the reseller phenomenon has continued to strain independent businesses from yet another angle. A Discogs profile was set up around 2017, branching into the online marketplace.

Wolfe remained transparent about the evolution of his business practice and his attitude toward the city’s greater dilemma. “I feel like we cater to tourists more than actual people who live in Frederick. I’ve lived here my entire life, right? I get it. We’re all busy. I honestly don’t see people who I know in Frederick shopping here besides a select few — and that’s OK, I don’t take it personally. This town is catering to more tourists. That’s why there’s all this construction going up everywhere with no planning — they’re not catering to people from Frederick.”

The criticism comes from a place of love, from somebody who has grown up here and seen the city bend and buckle to meet the demands of rapid growth. Change is positive, but without insight and consideration for the families that contribute to the local economy, those who live and work in town oftentimes end up getting the short end of the stick.

“You do this because you love it. It’s never really been a profitable thing. I don’t come home and brush my gold teeth, you know?”

Being a smaller city, there is always room for competition, and the record business is no exception. Wolfe doesn’t see it as traditional competition, though, with The Record Exchange also located downtown. “We all get different collections in, we have our own niches — that’s what makes it good. It’s more culturally relevant than the second Bojangles coming in. It even worked with three record stores with Vinyl Acres, but retail is competitive.”

Vinyl Acres was a third record store in the area owned by Bob Berberich,

Wolfe’s former boss at Record and Tape Traders. Wolfe pointed to a record just behind him on the shelf, a “Maryland record.” It was 1971’s self-titled “Grin,” featuring famed guitarist and E Street Band member Nils Lofgren alongside Berberich on drums and Bob Gordon on bass.

“You can tell how somebody lived through their library. I had a collection from an AR rep in Boston for one of the radio stations — everything was promo or signed by Aerosmith, even some sealed Van Halen demos.” Just a sampling of the notable finds that have come across his desk.

But how does the record store owner stay on top of what’s up and coming in an ever-changing music world? “I eavesdrop. I listen to what people are talking about. Not in a sneaky way or anything like that, but as you get older, it’s not like I’m listening to the most current album. You get to a point where if you have 4,000 records, everything sounds like plagiarism. We are all spinning wheels at different times.”

One quickly rising band in particular came to mind. “Geese is popping off right now, but not too long ago those records sat in our store to the point that they ended up in the half-off pile. Every time they ended up there, I lost my money and a half.”

Physical media does present that inherent risk to the independent record business: How long do you let a product sit before you mark it down to hopefully make room for something else?

At the end of the day, the record business is firmly placed in the nostalgia-driven entertainment economy — primarily enjoyed by those with the disposable income to afford the modern luxury of physical media ownership. “People collect what they want. It’s something you can’t drink or smoke up,” said Wolfe with a laugh.

From the outside, things have never been better. More people are appreciating the true value of owning a physical media library they can hold, more artists and labels are investing in vinyl production, long-awaited reissues are being pressed for wider distribution, and CDs and tapes have moved in as the more affordable option compared to shrink-wrapped wax discs sleeved in cardboard.

Wolfe understands that while the marketplace has never been hotter, big business is taking advantage of the situation. “The vinyl pricing is insane. They say costs are going up now, but it’s the industry inflating those prices. The companies that run these plants and major labels know that it’s in vogue right now.”

Stories of multi-variant Adele and Taylor Swift pressings clogging up production lines contain no shock

(See GRAVEYARD 18)

COMMUNITY CONCERT SERIES

Calvary United Methodist Church 131 West Second Street • Frederick, MD 21701 presented by the Music and Arts Ministry of Calvary United Methodist Church

Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. doors open at 2:30

Don’t miss this dynamic cellist, Claudio Jaffe, and virtuoso pianist, Catherine Lan, who have performed worldwide and in venues such as Canegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. They will perform works by Beethoven, Foote, Bach, Grieg, and more, bringing this music to life with passion and sensitivity.

GRAVEYARD

(Continued from 17)

value anymore, tariffs continue to provide a scapegoat for just about everyone and everything, and companies are popping up left and right offering reproduction tape decks and CD players to appeal to millennial aesthetics (go ahead, check the next time you’re at Walmart).

Despite the necessary evil known as capitalism, the hobby does indeed have its rewards. When set up with the proper listening and playback equipment, the relationship to the material imprinted upon the wax, shiny plastic or magnetic tape is granted unfiltered access to the mind, body and spirit — and soothes the soul like no other art form can. It is an experience irreplicable over Spotify’s “fine enough” fidelity.

Unfortunately, physical products can have defects — and in an era of rapid adoption, quality assurance sometimes slips in an effort to meet demand. “They’re putting out an inferior product! I just got copies of ‘Siamese Dream’ that retail for $50 in the store — they are all two copies of the same record. Companies make it so hard to return, you’re better off just biting the bullet and seeing if somebody wants to pick it up. That’s what the record companies got rid of in the ‘90s. If you ever saw an album with a notch in it, it’s because it was returned to the distribution company and you would get credit toward the next order. Nowadays, you buy it — you own it.”

He turned around and picked up a bright blue LP. “This Belle and Sebastian ‘The Boy with the Arab Strap’ reissue on color vinyl is now $30 — it probably released at $7.99 in 1998. That’s the consumerism aspect of it.”

Variants, splatters, deluxe editions, you name it — record plants are pressing it. Labels have learned that by limiting supply, you can artificially increase demand, a tactic as old as business itself. Wolfe brought up the fact that at the end of the day, it’s up to the consumer to decide the personal value of a record.

“The people doing this are trying to create a fear of missing out and you need to ask yourself if you really want to spend $40 for an album you’ll listen to once and regret buying because it was limited to 250 copies.” Some used records in the store looked to be victims of that story — brand-new releases that were opened and played once, if at all, only to be traded in for something else.

He continued on the topic of physical media retail today. “Music consumption isn’t going away, and neither are physical shops. The only

thing that’s really going to change are the artists and the formats. Younger kids are jumping to CDs and cassettes just like when I jumped to vinyl when I was a kid. It’s whatever is affordable.”

Still, Wolfe deals with the occasional reseller looking to make a quick buck off the business — though with careful pricing, he’s been able to keep those types away. Asked directly about the value of physical media, he paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. “Physical media is important because if you have no way to see it in your hands, it doesn’t exist — it’s only a memory. Kind of like when somebody passes away.”

“I

NEVER WANT TO CLOSE”

In that way, Wolfe and his business exist to home musical stories in transition, from one home to the next — a foster parent to hundreds of titles on their own personal journeys. Wolfe, the torchbearer of local music culture, provides a brick-and-mortar safe haven for the songs and albums that celebrated birthdays, mourned losses, carried you through finals or got you through a tough workday. It’s up to us as a city whether or not we still care about the soundtrack to our life.

One of Wolfe’s other favorite forms of media is the LaserDisc, a predecessor to the DVD format popular among hi-fi enthusiasts in the ‘80s and ‘90s. “Shipley’s used to be a video store when I was a kid. My parents would go there — we never shopped at Blockbuster. They had the LaserDisc rentals and the cool thing

was you could record them onto a VHS tape. So my parents, being the thrifty people they were, would rent current movies on hi-fi, record them onto a VHS tape and return it. We had hundreds of dubbed tapes.”

He got into LaserDisc toward the tail end of the ‘90s. “My dad would buy them through the internet, Crane’s Catalog — nothing was more than $10. I snagged copies of ‘Airheads,’ Nirvana’s ‘Live Tonight, Sold Out,’ ‘Beavis and Butt-Head.’ They were essentially being deleted in favor of DVDs. Record stores would get them in by the box load. They were all a dollar apiece.” He cited Wolfgang Petersen’s sci-fi adventure “Enemy Mine” and comedy horror classic “Return of the Living Dead” as two all-time favorites.

Wolfe, 41, is taking the time to dial in what is working for his store and continue laying the foundation for as long as the landlord lets him. “I’ve been a little more careful as I have gotten older — really as anybody gets older, you never know when it’s going to end. I do ask myself, how long am I going to do this for? How long am I going to even live for? I never want to close, I don’t want to die ... I’ll probably just do this and die.”

Humor so dry it hurts, a Wolfe specialty.

“It’d be nice to actually have a paycheck or work for somebody else. There’s no stability at all. But that’s the hustle — you do what you have to do and you live it. It’s not about profit.”

A passion for the preservation of an art form, his ultimate mission is to

eight

and

spread the love and appreciation of the medium.

“I’ve never been one to gatekeep. I would rather have the people who work for me start their own thing. I want to teach you guys the ins and outs so you can do it yourself too. Why should I be the only one doing it? Let’s just try to get somebody else who can carry the torch.”

For now, Wolfe focuses on doing what he does best, cranking it with some good tunes and dropping music knowledge on the privileged patrons who stop by the two-story mausoleum of media.

“This is all I do all day — I just talk to my customers. If I don’t have anybody in here, I’m just in the back cleaning records and won’t talk to anybody for hours.”

Getting ready to put on a morning record and get to work opening the store, Wolfe shared what made it all worthwhile: “I’ve been here 15 years. There’s definitely lots of ups and downs, but at the end of the day, it’s the people that matter. I’ve sold a lot of first albums to kids. It doesn’t matter what you’re into, as long as you’re into it.”

Learn more at rockandrollgraveyard on Facebook or at discogs.com/seller/ rockandrollgraveyard.

Dylan Hyman is a freelance music journalist covering the people that feed the growing Frederick music community. In their spare time, they collect hot sauces and tend to their succulents.

St John's Lutheran Church 8619 Blacks Mill Rd, Creagerstown, MD April 25, 2026

DRIVE-THRU DINNER and BAKE SALE from 11A-3P featuring St John's Fried Chicken, Green Beans, Pepper Slaw, Biscuit & Cake for $17

Buckets of chicken: 8pc: $12, 12pc: $17, 16pc: $22

Vegetables: Pint: $5; Quart: $8

Orders: contact Carmi Sayler @ 301401-0633 or text order to: 240-529-7471

Order Deadline: April 19th

BUFFET

DINNER

\Mt Airy VFC Auxiliary Fri, April 3, 2026 4-7p or until sold out Eat in or Carry-out Fried Chicken & Fried Shrimp plus 6 assorted sides

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

Mt Airy VFC Reception Hall

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BINGO BASH

Sat. May 2, 2026

Jefferson Ruritan Club

Doors Open – 11am; Game Starts – 1pm

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20 Reg Games, 2 Special Games & a Jackpot Game

Tip Jars, Pull Tabs, Door Prizes

Food available for Purchase Bring non-perishable/ canned food item for the Jefferson Food Bank & receive a FREE special Game Card 4603B Lander Rd Jefferson, MD 21755

BREAKFAST

WITH THE EASTER BUNNY

Jefferson Ruritan Club

Sat April 4, 2026 – 7-10:30 am

Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Country Ham, Hominy, Pudding, Sausage Gravy Coffee, Milk & Juice

$14 per adult, Children

6-10 yrs $7; Under 6 yrs Free

Eat In or Carry Out; Plus Bake Table

Easter Bunny Present for Pictures

EASTER FESTIVAL & EGG HUNT TO CELEBRATE JESUS!

Sat , April 4, 2026

10 am – 11:30 am ~Crafts & games, 10:45 am Story, ~11:00 am Egg Hunt

Children age 2 - 12100 dozen eggs! Special Guest–The Easter Bunny

https://www facebook com/ BCCoB1855/ Bush Creek Church of the Brethren 4821A Green Valley Road Rt 75 south, Monrovia, Md 21770 301-865-3013

HOPE IN THE COMMUNITY

April 3 & April 5, 2026

Good Friday Service

5:00 p m to 7:00 p m at Baker Park Band Shell 121 N Bentz St, Frederick Sunday: 4/5: Resurrection Sunday Service at 9:30 a m at Hope Christian Fellowship Church 5132 Doubs Rd, Adamstown

LONGABERGER BASKET BINGO

Benefits Emmanuel Trinity Lutheran Church Sat , April 11, 2026

Doors Open: 4:30 Bingo Starts: 6:00 King-Tut: 5:45

Jefferson Ruritan Center 4603 Lander Rd Jefferson, MD Filled Baskets! Tickets - $25/ea For info call 301-401-2318

QUARTERMANIA AUCTION

Sunday 4/19/26

Jefferson Ruritan Club

Doors Open at Noon/ Bidding begins 1:00 PM Tickets $5 Advance/$8 at the Door

Extra Paddles $3, For Tickets Call 301371-6404

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

YARD SALE

90+ Great Prizes; Food Available 4603B Lander Road Jefferson, MD 21755 INDOOR/ OUTDOOR

SLIPPERY HAM & TURKEY POT PIE CARRYOUT and country ham sandwiches Woodsboro Lutheran Church 101 S Main Street Sat, April 25

pickup from 11 am - 2 pm Quarts $9, sandwiches $5 Baked goods available For orders, leave message @ 301-271-3309 by April 22

Easter Egg Hunt – 12-1pm, Ages 12 yrs and under 4603B Lander Rd., Jefferson, MD 21755The Manor Reformed Church Cemetery Co, Inc ANNUAL MEETING will be held April 6,2025 at 7:00PM, starting at 7:15PM It will be held in the social hall at the Emmanuel Trinity Lutheran Church located at 4004 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick MD 21703 All interested lot owners and trustees, please attend David Hawker, Pres , Rosina Biser, Sec

Lewistown Vol Fire Dept Saturday, April 4, 2026 8:00 a m to 2:00 p m

YARD SALE

Sat, 4/4 • 9a-?

9297 Carlton Circle power scooter- brand new still in box, sm elevator (used 3x) (inside or outside use), antiques, some items free! More info: (240) 397-1530

FRENCH BULLDOG

purebred,health cert shots, $800, 240-6511714, hoovergina9@gmail com

ACA YELLOW LAB PUPPIES

gentle w/children, friendly, cute, and lovable, very-well fed, farm-raised, vaccinated & vetchecked, $800, ready now, Franklin Cty, PA, 717-368-7484

CARE Call or Text today! 301-573-9347 Mowing, trimming, Spring Cleanup including bededging, mulching, shrub trimming, Fertilizing and Weed Control Get your pre-emergent weed control applied NOW! Fully insured w/over 20 years' experience 301-573-9347 kcjlawncare@msn.com

Thursday April 2

ETCETERA

2026 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. Take a deep dive into various topics that have defined Frederick’s history, as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and our County’s role in the Revolution. Featuring brand new exhibits: “Cultivating Independence: Frederick in the Revolution,” “Witnessing Revolution,” “All Saints Street: Avenue to the History of Frederick and Its African American Community,” “Growing Gold: A History of Frederick’s Goldfish Industry,” and returning favorites: “Etchison Connections,” “Timeless Toys,” “24 E. Church Street,” “Decorative Arts. See our all new and renovated exhibits, March 7 through Dec. 12!

$10 adults, $5 seniors and students. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org. frederickhistory.org.

Duplicate Bridge Pairs Games — noon to 4 p.m. at Church of the Transfiguration Memorial Hall, 6909 Maryland Ave., Braddock Heights. Looking for a competitive mind sport? Frederick Bridge Club’s ACBL sanctioned duplicate games allow you to hone your skills and meet other bridge enthusiasts. All are welcome. We host Pairs Games ($8) weekly on Monday (299 Limit and Open) and Thursday (Open). If you need a partner or want to brush up your skills, contact Membership Chair, Maria, at frederick@bridgewebsemail.com or check out our website.

$8. frederick@bridgewebsemail.com. www.bridgewebs.com/frederick/home.html.

He is Risen! - Holy Week Schedule — 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Tom’s United Methodist Church, 10926 Simmons Road, Emmitsburg. Continues April 2 — Maundy Thursday, 7 p.m., Tom’s Creek; April 3 — Good Friday Tenebrae, 7 p.m. at Messiah UMC in Taneytown; April 5—  Easter Sunrise Ecumenical Service,  6:30 a.m. at the Grotto Chapel; April 5 —  Easter Worship, 9 a.m. at Tom’s Creek UMC.

443-280-3279. jcoleman0501@gmail.com. www.tomscreekumc.com.

He is Risen! - Holy Week Schedule — 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Tom’s United Methodist Church, 10926 Simmons Road, Emmitsburg. March 29 — Palm/Passion Sunday Cantata - 9 a.m., Tom’s Creek; April 2 — Maundy Thursday, 7 p.m., Tom’s Creek; April 3 — Good Friday Tenebrae, 7 p.m. at Messiah UMC in Taneytown; April 5—  Easter Sunrise Ecumenical Service,  6:30 a.m. at the Grotto Chapel; April 5 —  Easter Worship, 9 a.m. at Tom’s Creek UMC.

443-280-3279. jcoleman0501@gmail.com. www.tomscreekumc.com.

FAMILY

Easter Egg Hunts — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Green Meadows Petting Farm, 10102 Fingerboard Road, Ijamsville. Green Meadows Petting Farm will be hosting Easter Egg Hunts on March 21-22, 28-29 and April 2-5.  Hunts will be all day between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Hunt areas are sectioned off according to age. No sign up necessary. Participating children 12 and under will get a Hunt Ticket with the purchase of a farm admission. Bring your basket or buy one here (while supplies last). The Easter Bunny will be here as well for photos. Admission includes one free hunt AND our regular petting farm fun (hayride, free animal feed, pig races and more!). More info on website. $18 credit for ages 2 and older, babies FREE. 301-865-9203. info@greenmeadowsevents.com. greenmeadowsevents.com/events/easteregg-hunts.

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 ages 0 and up with a caregiver. 301-600-7200. bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/musical-storytime-187894.

Family Fun: STEM Night — 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Emmitsburg Branch Library, 300 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg. Stop by the Emmitsburg Library for some STEM-tastic fun. STEM related stations will be set up for hands on fun and experimentation. Age group: Elementary. 301-600-6329. cdillman@frederickcountymd.gov. www.fcpl.org.

MUSIC

Discovery Series: Rakish — 7:30 p.m. to at New Spire Art Stages, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Rooted in tradition with an ear toward the future, contemporary folk duo Rakish embody earnest musical exploration and infectious playfulness on their new album “Now, O Now.” Their song “Lightly Come or Lightly Go” epitomizes the duo’s approach: the dexterous alchemy of the old and the new into something wholly Rakish. Their deep musical connection and unbridled love for pushing traditional sounds forward highlight their refusal to be pigeonholed into a single genre. $10. 301-600-2868. dyoung@cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org/shows/rakish/.

OUTDOORS

Frederick Bird Club Meeting — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Coblentz Hall at Hood College, 401 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. Our speaker will be Peter Kaestner, a now-retired career diplomat who has birded in seemingly every corner of the globe, and has a life-list of over 10,000 species seen. The meeting will be held in the Seminar Room on the basement level of Coblentz Hall at Hood College. frederickbirdclub@yahoo.com.

THEATER

“The Crucible” — 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. A group of teenage girls creates mass hysteria as they accuse fellow villagers of witchcraft in the rigid Puritan society of Salem, Mass., in 1692. The accused face the choice of maintaining their ideals or conforming in order to survive in this play about the dangers of unchecked fear, the fragility of justice, and the consequences of history.

$15-$36. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org/the-crucible/.

Friday April 3

CLASSES

Made-in-Studio: Glass Fusion — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Riverworks Studio at Alden Farms, 19215 Beallsville Road, Beallsville. Have you ever been curious about fusing glass? Come experience it first hand and make a small piece to hang in your window (or your wall) and one to give away to a child who attends Camp Erin, a weekend camp experience for grieving children that is sponsored by Caring Matters. Ages 16 and older, must

pre-register.

$20. contat@riverworksart.org. www.riverworksart.org/service-page/ made-in-studio-glass-fusion?referral=service_list_widget.

Women 50+ Social and Intro to Improvisation — 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Women 50 and up, join us for a fun, interactive session presented by Laura Stark, a nationally recognized expert in the art of improvisation. Come discover how improv builds confidence, sparks creativity, and guarantees plenty of laughter — no experience needed. shelbypenn@gmail.com. facebook.com/events/2431177087322236.

Living Well in Place Sucessfully — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Middletown 50+ Center, 101 Prospect St., Middletown. The key to living well as we grow older is to be proactive rather than reactive to changes in health, finances and relationships. In this four-part series explore the issues and local resources available as we learn to evaluate our needs and preferences to successfully age in place. Presenter: Thea Ruff. Pre-register. Continues Fridays through April 3. 301-600-3613. middletownseniorcenter@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederickcountymd.gov/8075/50-Community-Centers.

ETCETERA

Open Coworking Day — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cowork Frederick, 120 E. Patrick St., Frederick. It’s hard to explain the feeling of a community. You have to experience it. Come see if we’re the right coworking community for you. The first Friday of every month we stock the break room with breakfast fare, open our doors at 8 a.m., and welcome people like you to give us a try.

$5. 301-732-5165. heycowork@coworkfrederick.com.

coworkfrederick.com/open-coworking-day/#.

Fellowship Fridays — 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Veterans Service Center, 1750 Monocacy Blvd., Suite A, Frederick. Fridays through Dec. 25. A free hot breakfast each Friday which includes eggs, bacon, sausage, French toast, breads, muffins, fruit, juices, and Black Rifle Coffee Company coffee. Breakfast is open to all Active Duty, National Guard, Reservists, Veterans, Military Retirees, Law Enforcement, First Responders, and their families. Breakfast is followed by a non-denominational Bible study at 10:30 a.m. Attendance is not required to enjoy a warm breakfast with others who have served. info@veteranservicescenter.org. veteranservicescenter.org/events/.

PEEPshow — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at TownMall of Westmisnter, 400 N. Center St., Westminster. Continues daily through April 6, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. This sweet fundraising event features marshmallow masterpieces, including sculptures, dioramas, mosaics and even videos, all crafted from or inspired by PEEPS®, those colorful marshmallow treats made by the Just Born company in Bethlehem, Pa. You can view the entries for free and buy votes for your favorites, with all proceeds benefiting the Arts Council! carrollcountyartscouncil.org.

Adult Adaptive Program: Butterflies and Pollinators — 11 a.m. to noon at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Learn about butterflies and other pollinators from the Catoctin Creek Nature Center. Open to all adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers to join this fun, sensory event. 18 and older. 301-600-7250. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ nature-center-visit-adaptive-adult-program-188749.

The Ken Demith Collection — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. Funky, fresh, familiar Indi Rock. The Ken Demith Collection is an energetic original alternative, roots, rock, pop band hailing from all parts of the country based in the D.C./Baltimore area 240-575-9755. info@rockwellbrewery.com. tinyurl.com/2s3w9ee4.

FAMILY

Easter Egg Hunts — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Green Meadows Petting Farm, 10102 Fingerboard Road, Ijamsville. Green Meadows Petting Farm will be hosting Easter Egg Hunts on March 21-22, 28-29 and April 2-5.  Hunts will be all day between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Hunt areas are sectioned off according to age. No sign up necessary. Participating children 12 and under will get a Hunt Ticket with the purchase of a farm admission. Bring your basket or buy one here (while supplies last). The Easter Bunny will be here as well for photos. Admission includes one free hunt AND our regular petting farm fun (hayride, free animal feed, pig races and more!). More info on website. $18 credit for ages 2 and older, babies FREE. 301-865-9203. info@greenmeadowsevents.com.

greenmeadowsevents.com/events/easteregg-hunts.

Preschool Storytime — 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 East 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.

frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/preschool-storytime-187933.

Get Ready for Kindergarten — 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 East Moser Road, Thurmont. Have fun exploring literacy, science, mathematics, and art through play-based activities that integrate essential school skills. Designed for ages 3-5 with a caregiver.  301-600-7200. bbrannen@frederickcountymd.gov.

frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ get-ready-kindergarten-187947.

School’s Out Movie: “Turning Red” (PG) — 2 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. at C. Burr Artz Public Library, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Bring your favorite blanket and get comfy as FCPL invites all ages to come and watch a free movie on the big screen. Afterwards, friends can create a fun themed craft. Closed Captioning with be provided. fcpl.org.

Story & Dance: “Beauty and the Beast” — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library, 31 E. Green St., Middletown. Ages 3-10. Join Middletown Library for “Beauty and the Beast” Storytime and Dance Experience, presented by Leading Edge Academy of Dance. Enjoy a narrated retelling of the beloved tale brought to life through live dance performances and a movement activity for children. Then meet the dancers and take photos with the cast.

fcpl.org.

Easter Egg Hunt — 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Urban Air Adventure Park, 5850 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick. Hunt for eggs and meet the Easter Bunny. No special ticket or fee for this event; only regular park admission is required. Bring your own Easter basket and wear your gripped Urban Air socks to jump, climb, and play! The Easter Egg Hunt for toddlers begins at 5 p.m., ages 4-7 at 6 p.m., ages 8 and older at 7 p.m.  urbanairfrederick.com.

FILM

Movie Knight — 7 p.m. to at Vox House at 7th Sister, 228 N. Market St., Frederick. Falling Squares presents Movie Knight, a local filmmaker showcase featuring short films from around the DMV area and beyond every first Friday of the month. Enjoy food and beverages available for purchase and brought to your seat. Take part in discussions with our Q&A segments after each short film and join the growing community of creatives. Limited seating, RSVP required. Doors open at 7 p.m., show starts around 7:30 p.m. fallingsquares@gmail.com. linktr.ee/movieknight.

“Lost in Paris” (2016, unrated) — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W German St, Shepherdstown, W.Va. A Shepherdstown Film Society Selection. A French-Belgian comedy about Fiona,

a Canadian librarian who travels to Paris to help her Aunt Martha. Upon her arrival, Fiona discovers her aunt has disappeared and, after a series of mishaps, is left with no money or identity documents. She then meets Dom, a charming but homeless man, and their adventures ensue amidst the backdrop of Paris. In English and French. Post-film discussion. Admission is pay-whatyou-can.  304-876-3704. Contact@OperaHouseLive. com.

shepherdstownoperahouse.thundertix.com/ events/256891.

“Lost in Paris” (2016) - A Shepherdstown Film Society Selection — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. A French-Belgian comedy about Fiona, a Canadian librarian who travels to Paris to help her Aunt Martha. Upon her arrival, Fiona discovers her aunt has disappeared and, after a series of mishaps, is left with no money or identity documents. She then meets Dom, a charming but homeless man, and their adventures ensue amidst the backdrop of Paris. Post-film discussion: Facilitated discussion follows the film for those who wish to stay. Admission is pay-what-you-can. 304-876-3704. Contact@OperaHouseLive. com.

shepherdstownoperahouse.thundertix.com/ events/256891.

MUSIC

Bad Influence — 9 p.m. to at Jojo’s Restaurant And Tap House, 16-18 E. Patrick St., Frederick. The blues are coming to East Patrick Street. This award-winning band brings a night of high-octane, soul-stirring music. 21 and older. 301-910-8551. jr@badinfluenceband.com. badinfluenceband.com.

THEATER

“The Wizard of Oz” — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Also 1 and 7 p.m. April 4. This original adaptation of the classic tale comes to life through high-energy dance, catchy music and clever dialogue. The show is perfect for all ages and features fantastic lights, special effects, original songs and creative costuming to keep kids and adults alike entertained. Join us as we travel from Kansas to the Emerald City and back again with Dorothy and friends! Tickets on sale at www.weinbergcenter.org. 202-257-2274. durcwizardofoz@gmail.com. weinbergcenter.org/shows/the-wizard-ofoz-2026/.

Community Event: “The Wizard of Oz” — 7 p.m. to at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Other Voices Theatre brings a fresh and imaginative adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz.” Follow Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion as they journey down the Yellow Brick Road, meeting magical friends, overcoming fears, and standing up to the Wicked Witch of the West. In this vibrant production, the beloved Oz characters come to life through dance, music and dialog.

$16-$30 general, $16-$20 child. 301-6002868. dyoung@cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org/shows/the-wizard-of-

oz-2026/.

“The Crucible” — 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. A group of teenage girls creates mass hysteria as they accuse fellow villagers of witchcraft in the rigid Puritan society of Salem, Mass., in 1692. The accused face the choice of maintaining their ideals or conforming in order to survive in this play about the dangers of unchecked fear, the fragility of justice, and the consequences of history.

$15-$36. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org.

marylandensemble.org/the-crucible/.

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.

ci.ovationtix.com/35900/production/1250427.

Saturday April 4 CLASSES

Planting the Spring Vegetable Garden — 10 a.m. to noon at University of Maryland Extension Office, 330 Montevue Lane, Frederick. Growing potatoes, broccoli, onions, and peas requires early planning. Learn what to plant and when to start planting spring vegetables, including what techniques work best in small or limited spaces. Find out how row covers and mulching can increase your success. 301-600-1596. arembold@umd.edu. tinyurl.com/MG26SpringVegGarden.

ETCETERA

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. 90-minute tours start at the Museum of Frederick County History, 24 E. Church St. Reservations required.

$5 to $12. 410-707-1105. Outreach@FrederickHistory.org. www.cognitoforms.com/HeritageFrederick1/WalkingTourTicketReservation.

Poetry Month First Saturday at Frederick Book Arts Center — noon to 6 p.m. at Frederick Book Arts Center, 127 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Celebrate National Poetry Month at FBAC with a day of poetry and prose readings and poetry related printing activities featuring Annie Store, Greg Robison and others.

301-228-9816. corrine.wilson@fredbookartscenter.org.

www.facebook.com/share/19nPP7qnNU/. April Contra Dance — 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at War Memorial Building, 102 E. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. Join us for another wonderful contra dance with a fine

variety of dances to the music of Bound To Have A Little Fun, with Joe DeZarn (fiddle), Michelle Pellatt (fiddle), and Gina Faber (guitar, mandolin). Caller: Daid Giusti $15 nonmembers, $12 members, $5 dancing kids under 12. (Cash or check). 304-2632531. upperpotomac@gmail.com. smad.us.

The Braddock Heights Band Live — 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. Catch the fast-rising stars of this Frederick based rock group. Undoubtedly masters of their craft, they flawlessly blend together that classic 1970s -esque rock ‘n’ roll sound with some originals of their own that hit home with that nostalgic sound that you just don’t hear anymore. Playing the likes of The Allman Brothers Band & Lynyrd Skynyrd while also seamlessly encapsulating the 1960s flower power era of music such as Cream and The Doors, this is definitely a night you don’t wanna miss! No cover charge, all ages. 240-575-9755. info@rockwellbrewery.com. tinyurl.com/5yexxdvr.

FAMILY

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny — 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Jefferson Ruritan Club, 4603B Lander Road, Jefferson,. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, country ham, hominy, pudding, sausage gravy, coffee, juice and milk. $14 adults, $7 ages 6-10 years, under age 6 free. Eat-in or carry-out. Bake table goods available for purchase. Photos with Easter Bunny, egg hunt noon to 1 p.m. for ages 12 and under. 301-662-3643. rdhigdon@comcast.net. jeffersonruritan.org.

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny — 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Adventure Park USA, 11113 W. Baldwin Road, Monrovia. Hop into springtime fun! Start the morning with a delicious family-friendly breakfast, then enjoy a special meet-and-greet with the Easter Bunny, perfect for photos and memories. After breakfast, kids can join the excitement with a fun-filled Easter egg hunt around the park. Your ticket includes either a game of laser tag or mini-golf. $26.26 per person. adventureparkusa.com.

Easter Egg Hunts — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Green Meadows Petting Farm, 10102 Fingerboard Road, Ijamsville. Green Meadows Petting Farm will be hosting Easter Egg Hunts on March 21-22, 28-29 and April 2-5.  Hunts will be all day between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Hunt areas are sectioned off according to age. No sign up necessary. Participating children 12 and under will get a Hunt Ticket with the purchase of a farm admission. Bring your basket or buy one here (while supplies last). The Easter Bunny will be here as well for photos. Admission includes one free hunt AND our regular petting farm fun (hayride, free animal feed, pig races and more!). More info on website. $18 credit for ages 2 and older, babies FREE. 301-865-9203. info@greenmeadowsevents.com. greenmeadowsevents.com/events/easteregg-hunts.

First Saturday Craft — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Dancing Bear Toys and Games, 15 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Join your friends at the Bear for a free craft to celebrate First Saturday us-

ing some of our favorite art supplies. Parent supervision is required. 301-631-9300. info@dbeartoys.com. dbeartoys.com/events/.

Explore Frederick’s Oldest House — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, 1110 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. Travel back to colonial Frederick. Built in 1758 by German settlers, this sturdy stone farmhouse offers a glimpse of early American life before the American Revolution. Walk through thick-walled but spacious rooms, hear stories of early immigrants, and see how a Frederick County farm family lived more than two and a half centuries ago. $8 over age 15. 301-456-4912. boycerensberger@gmail.com. fredericklandmarks.org.

Creative Outlet April First Saturday — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Kids and their adults are invited to drop-in and get creative together in our family open studio to create an artist-inspired project! Build a monochromatic assemblage sculpture in the style of Louise Nevelson. Free, donations encouraged.  301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/event/creative-outlet-04/.

FESTIVALS

Chesapeake Gem and Mineral Society 35th Annual Gem, Mineral, Jewelry and Fossil Show — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Howard County Fairgrounds, 2210 Fairgrounds Road, West Friendship. Free admission, free parking. Minerals, original jewelry, fossils, rough and cut gemstones, silent auctions, door prizes, activities for kids. info.chesapeakegemandmineral@gmail. com. www.chesapeakegemandmineral.org/clubshow.html.

Frederick City Hyper Local Brew Fest — 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Rockwell Brewery, 8411 Broadband Drive, Frederick. The area’s premier brew festival is back — celebrating Frederick’s awesome local brewery scene! A Festival for Breweries by the Breweries to celebrate awesome Beer and loads of fun! Live music, DJ Jams Dance Party, food trucks, outside beer garden, merchandise and much more. All ages, but must be 21 and older to drink.

$5, ages under 18 free. 240-575-9755. info@ rockwellbrewery.com. www.eventbrite.com/e/ hyper-local-brew-fest-tickets-1984721326916?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl.

Rec Fest — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Baker Park, 121 N. Bents St., Frederick. Numerous free activities like a Touch-a-Truck event, bounce houses, obstacle courses, face painting, fairy hair, and William Talley Rec Center program demos. Food trucks will be on-site. Also, Rec Fest includes an Easter Egg Hunt! Pre-registration is required for the Egg Hunt and costs $5 person. Bring your own basket. Children ages 1-3 begin at 11 a.m., ages 4-6 begin at 11:45 a.m., ages 7-12 at 12:30 p.m., and lastly, same day in-person registration for all ages is at 1:30 p.m. playfrederick.com.

Meet Bob & Freddie. When it comes to local businesses, businesspeople and organizations in Frederick, they know best. Here is a personal interview with a 2025 Best of the Best winner or finalist about why they love what they do, helping those they serve and working in Frederick.

Fratelli’s Italian & Seafood

2025 WINNER FOR BEST CRAB CAKES

MIDDLETOWN

200 Middletown Pkway 301-371-4000

HAMPSTEAD 2315 A Hanover Pike 410-374-0909

FratellisPasta.com

BOB HISTORY

2020-2025 - Winner, Crab Cakes 2025 - Winner, Fine Dining 2025 - Finalist, Restaurant Service, Restaurant Wine List 2023, 2025 – Finalist, Salad 2022, 2025 – Finalist, Business Lunch 2020-2025 - Finalist, Italian Restaurant, Overall Restaurant, Seafood Restaurant 2020-2024 – Finalist, Fine Dining 2022, 2023 – Winner, Overall Restaurant 2020-2023 – Finalist, Restaurant Service

2020 – Finalist, Pasta 2019 – Finalist, Crab Cakes & Italian Restaurant

WHY ARE YOUR CRAB CAKES SO POPULAR?

We have been winning awards for years for our crab cakes. We use only colossal lumps of blue crab meat with the perfect blend of seasoning to highlight the delicious natural flavor of the crab. They

are also an enormous ten ounces each! WHAT BRAND OF PASTA DO YOU USE?

None! We proudly make our pasta from scratch right in the restaurant. Come in to see our chefs make a variety of homemade pastas from the freshest of ingredients right in the dining room.

CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE PRIVATE EVENTS?

Traditional Italian recipes that incorporate the seafood that Maryland is known for. Our menu incorporates fresh seafood, homemade pasta and made from-scratch Italian classics. House specialties include the Veal Parmigiana, Seafood Alfredo, and of course, the Crab Cakes. For dessert, sink your sweet tooth into our special homemade Cheesecake or Tiramisu.

EXPLAIN THE “FRATELLI’S EXPERIENCE”?

In true Italian tradition we insist that every customer is treated like family. We offer generous portions and our food is scratch-made and locally sourced whenever possible. Our professional and attentive staff will make sure that your experience is perfect. Come check us out. You won’t be disappointed!

History onscreen

The Gettysburg Film Festival to explore the American Revolution

BY SHUAN BUTCHER

Special to The News-Post

The Gettysburg Film Festival will return for its fourth year April 2 to 4, bringing together renowned filmmakers, actors, historians and authors to commemorate the U.S. Semiquincentennial, America’s 250th anniversary. Through onstage conversations, film screenings and other activities, this year’s festival will explore how a fragile union of colonies challenged an empire, endured years of war and sparked new ideas about liberty and self-government that would resonate far beyond America’s shores.

Once again, the festival will be headlined by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns, who will share selections from his new series, “The American Revolution,” and lead conversations about the people and ideas that shaped our nation. Festival cofounder Jake Boritt, an accomplished filmmaker himself, says the festival’s creation was almost accidental. In the summer of 2020, in the aftermath of a chaotic July 4th weekend that saw armed groups descend on the battlefield amid pandemic shutdowns, Boritt reached out to Burns with an unrelated request. That conversation blossomed into one of the most distinctive film events in the country — one with no real equivalent on the American cultural calendar.

Burns, whose decades of work on history documentaries made him the foremost chronicler of the American experience on screen, was a natural partner.

“Can we do something that celebrates the conflicts and diversity of America, but also the Union and united sense of the United States,” Boritt said. “That’s what Ken’s work is.”

So a film festival dedicated to American history was born.

“There’s really no American history film festival — which is crazy, because there’s a lot of content,” Boritt said. “There certainly are documentaries, but many films from the likes of Spielberg and Kubrick, TV shows and television series focus on history.”

Film and art can be a critical vehicle for exploring history, he said.

“How we understand our past, who we are, where we come from, is crucial to knowing who we are now and understanding where we might go. History informs us. We always say it’s for the history books, but most people don’t get their history from a book anymore. They’re getting it from a screen. So this is a neat way to bring people together.”

Each year’s festival programming

IF YOU GO

The Gettysburg Film Festival runs April 2 to 4 at Gettysburg Area High School, 1130 Biglerville Road, Gettysburg, Pa. The colonial encampment on the school grounds is free and open to the public 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 3 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 4. Tickets for screenings and panel discussions range from free to $60 for priority seating, with some events sold out. For tickets, the full schedule and more information, visit gettysburgfilmfestival.org.

centers around a unifying theme.

The first year built primarily around Burns’s own work. The second focused on consequential elections, timed to the 2024 presidential race. Last year marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe and drew on Gettysburg’s deep connection to Dwight Eisenhower.

This year, the theme is the 250th anniversary of the American founding, and the timing aligns with Burns’s newly released series on the American Revolution. But the festival also calls upon the Tony Award-winning musical “Hamilton.” Three of the original company cast members will be in attendance, including Chris Jackson, who played George Washington on Broadway.

For Boritt, “Hamilton” represents exactly what the festival is trying to do: use creative work to make history

accessible and alive.

“I can’t think of a more sort of obscure, esoteric, boring subject 10 or 15 years ago than Alexander Hamilton,” he said. “And then, sure enough, it just shows that, like, when you put it into this medium ... it’s a transcendent cultural moment.”

Boritt is quick to say the festival isn’t an academic conference, even if it draws serious historians alongside popular artists. The goal is a festival — one that happens to take history seriously.

The 250th anniversary theme also brings an opportunity to grapple honestly with the American founding — its ideals and its contradictions. Boritt described wanting audiences to engage with the story of 1776 “both with a celebratory but also an open mind and open heart about the richness and the difficulty and, yes, success, but also the failures of America over 250 years.”

That willingness to sit with complexity, he believes, is part of what makes Gettysburg an ideal host. Lincoln himself modeled the approach when he stood on the battlefield in 1863: looking back to Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration, confronting the catastrophic present and pointing toward what America might yet become.

Beyond ticketed programs, the public is invited to explore a colonial encampment on the grounds of Gettysburg High School. Led by Spencer’s Additional Continental

Regiment, a living history group, the encampment will feature living historians and hands-on activities that bring the Revolutionary era to life.

Organizer Ken Gavin said the group built its programming around what Continental Army soldiers did when they were not fighting. “Our goal is to try to, to the degree possible, open up folks’ eyes and see that complexity of society during that time period.”

Rather than sit through structured programming for long stretches, Gavin wants visitors to move freely. The setup will include timed vignettes alongside open exploration time, with interpreters covering 18th-century shelter, foodways, civilian camp commerce and the stories of camp followers. Three to five dragoons on horseback and a chaplain will also be present. “We’d like to give folks the latitude to go and explore as they wish,” he said.

Ticket demand has outpaced the town’s own population. “There are more tickets for this festival than people that live in Gettysburg,” Boritt said. Some events have sold out, but tickets remain for select screenings and panel discussions. The festival takes place primarily at Gettysburg High School’s theater and will also feature book signings with select authors.

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

Easter Egg Hunt — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at South Mountain Creamery, 8305 Bolivar Road, Middletown. Grab your own Easter baskets, head to the famous farm in Middletown, hop on a hayride, and search for colorful eggs filled with sweet surprises. Enjoy kid-friendly music and crafts under the pavilion with plenty of farm fun throughout the day! Food available for purchase, and there’s a playground on site. $15 person, free for ages 3 and under. southmountaincreamery.com.

EGGcellent First Saturday — 11 a.m. to at Downtown, Frederick. The shops across Market Street, Patrick Street, Everedy Square, and more will all be hiding Easter eggs filled with treats, discounts, and surprises — all you have to do is find them! Each store is hosting its own egg-themed fun, providing springtime activities in store throughout the day, so take your family to explore everything downtown has to offer.

Transgender Day of Visibility Trans Joy Picnic — noon to 4 p.m. at Mullinex Park, Frederick. Show your pride in the trans community, connect with friends, and cultivate trans joy and resilience. BBQ cookout, annual banner signing, T-shirt tie dye, bracelet making, face painting, rock painting, music, dancing, and more! Open to all ages.  301-383-8787. TFC@thefrederickcenter.org. thefrederickcenter.org/events.

GALLERY

Artspriation Frederick Members Show — noon to 5 p.m. at Artspiration Frederick, 915 Toll House Ave., Frederick. First AF Members

show. Over 100 hundred pieces (2D & 3D) of art will be on display. Artist reception is 5-7:30 p.m. on April 11. 657-627-0554. toc21702@gmail.com. www.artspriationfrederick.com.

Art Matters Artist Talk: “Emerging Perspectives Exhibition” Juror Steven Pearson — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Pearson will discuss his work as an artist and art educator and present this year’s grand-prize winner. 301-698-0656. jclark@delaplaine.org. delaplaine.org/event/art-matters-artisttalk-04/.

OUTDOORS

Birds and Birding with the Audubon Society of Central Maryland — 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Myersville Community LIbrary, 8 Harp Place, Myersville. Are you interested in learning more about the birds in your backyard? Would you like tips and tricks to have a great bird watching experience? Join us for a presentation by the Audubon Society of Central Maryland as they share about birds and birding. The presentation will be about one hour, with a Q&A session to follow.  301-600-8350. kmckenna@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ room-hold-bird-program-audubon-society-189750.

PERFORMER

“Re-Leaf Agency”: An immersive multidisciplinary performance that meets the

moment — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick . The Weather People and halfMAD Dance join forces to create Re-Leaf Agency, an evening of original music, movement, video and text that asks audience members to remember our interconnectedness and our humanity.  $15, $10 students. 301-331-4398. kittycclark@gmail.com. weinbergcenter.org/shows/the-weatherpeople-half-mad-dance-present-re-leafagency/.

RECREATION

Keys Fan Fest — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium, 21 Stadium Drive, Frederick. Warm up your gloves, Frederick! Celebrate the start of baseball season with our very own Frederick Keys team players on Nymeo Field! The annual Keys Fan Fest is an always an exciting funfilled afternoon with hot dogs, games, and of course our most famous mascot, Keyote, will be there!  frederickkeys.com.

THEATER

Frederick Playwrights Circle — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 West Patrick St., Frederick. A safe place for playwrights at all career levels to share and discuss their work. A positive, supportive environment for theatre storytellers seeking community. Meets biweekly. 301-694-4744. fredplaywrights@gmail.com.

Community Event: “The Wizard of Oz” — 1 p.m. to at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20

W. Patrick St., Frederick. Other Voices Theatre brings a fresh and imaginative adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz.” Follow Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion as they journey down the Yellow Brick Road, meeting magical friends, overcoming fears, and standing up to the Wicked Witch of the West. In this vibrant production, the beloved Oz characters come to life through dance, music and dialog. $16-$30 general, $16-$20 child. 301-6002868. dyoung@cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org/shows/the-wizard-ofoz-2026/.

“The Crucible” — 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. A group of teenage girls creates mass hysteria as they accuse fellow villagers of witchcraft in the rigid Puritan society of Salem, Mass., in 1692. The accused face the choice of maintaining their ideals or conforming in order to survive in this play about the dangers of unchecked fear, the fragility of justice, and the consequences of history. $15-$36. 301-694-4744. contact@marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org/the-crucible/.

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. ci.ovationtix.com/35900/production/1250427.

Sunday April 5 ETCETERA

Pancake Breakfast and Sonrise Service — 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Frederick Seventh-day Adventist Church, 6437 Jefferson Pike, Frederick. All are welcome to attend a free pancake breakfast from 8:30-10:30 on Easter morning. A Sonrise service will take place from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Stay to help with a community outreach project to support Blessings in a Backpack. We will be packing bags and making cards for Blessings in a Backpack beginning at 9:30 a.m. 443-864-2209. jenniferhnichols@yahoo.com.

Duplicate Bridge Team Games — noon to 4 p.m. at YMCA of Frederick County , 1000 N. Market St., Frederick. Bridge is also a team event! Frederick Bridge Club offers the only ACBL sanctioned team games in the area on the first and third Sundays of the month. Please contact the director, Jim Cartlidge, at 301-606-2894, or at jacartlidge@comcast. net to reserve a table for your team or to join a team.

$10. 301-606-2894. jacartlidge@comcast.net. www.bridgewebs.com/frederick/home.html.

FAMILY

Easter Egg Hunts — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Green Meadows Petting Farm, 10102 Fingerboard Road, Ijamsville. Green Meadows Petting Farm will be hosting Easter Egg Hunts on March 21-22, 28-29 and April 2-5.  Hunts will be all day between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Hunt areas are sectioned off according to age. No sign up necessary. Participating children 12 and under will get a Hunt Ticket with the purchase of a farm admission. Bring your basket or buy one here (while supplies last). The Easter Bunny will be here as well for photos. Admission includes one free hunt AND our regular petting farm fun (hayride, free animal feed, pig races and more!). More info on website.

$18 credit for ages 2 and older, babies FREE. 301-865-9203. info@greenmeadowsevents. com.

greenmeadowsevents.com/events/easteregg-hunts.

brought families together every spring for nearly a century! The Easter Egg Hunt is for great for kids ages up to 12. Eggs are filled with candy, money or surprises! Bring your baskets and enjoy a day at the community park.

GALLERY

Artspriation Frederick Members Show — noon to 5 p.m. at Artspiration Frederick, 915 Toll House Ave., Frederick. First AF Members show. Over 100 hundred pieces (2D & 3D) of art will be on display. Artist reception is 5-7:30 p.m. on April 11. 657-627-0554. toc21702@gmail.com. www.artspriationfrederick.com.

Monday April 6

CLASSES

World War II in Cartoons and Magazines — 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Join us for an evening of World War II era cartoons, comics and magazines, and learn how American superheroes, cartoon soldiers and even Dr. Seuss joined the fight. 301-600-7000.

ETCETERA

Rise N’ Rally — 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Veterans Service Center, 1750 Monocacy Blvd., Suite A, Frederick. Start Mondays off strong with coffee and breakfast; sponsored by Black Rifle Coffee Co. — Fueling Active Duty, Veterans, LEOs, & First Responders. “Grab & Go” or stay and hang out with other Military, LEOs, & First Responders. katie@reforgeunited.org. www.reforgeunited.org/vsc.

Explore Frederick’s Oldest House — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, 1110 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. Travel back to colonial Frederick. Built in 1758 by German settlers, this sturdy stone farmhouse offers a glimpse of early American life before the American Revolution. Walk through thick-walled but spacious rooms, hear stories of early immigrants, and see how a Frederick County farm family lived more than two and a half centuries ago.

$8 over age 15. 301-456-4912. boycerensberger@gmail.com. fredericklandmarks.org.

FESTIVALS

Easter Egg Hunt — 2 p.m. to at Thurmont Community Park, 21 Frederick Road, Thurmont. This 95-year long tradition is back! The Thurmont Lions Club is proud to host this event — a community favorite that has

Duplicate Bridge Pairs Games — noon to 4 p.m. at Church of the Transfiguration Memorial Hall, 6909 Maryland Ave., Braddock Heights. Looking for a competitive mind sport? Frederick Bridge Club’s ACBL sanctioned duplicate games allow you to hone your skills and meet other bridge enthusiasts. All are welcome. We host Pairs Games ($8) weekly on Monday (299 Limit and Open) and Thursday (Open). If you need a partner or want to brush up your skills, contact Membership Chair, Maria, at frederick@bridgewebsemail.com or check out our website. $8. frederick@bridgewebsemail.com. www.bridgewebs.com/frederick/home.html.

Mondays in Mount Airy — 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Railyard, 3 N. Main St. , Mount Airy. A weekly food truck event designed to support locally owned and operated food trucks as well as the businesses along Downtown Main Street. Continues Mondays through Sept. 28. Variety of food trucks participating. 301-807-4446. www.mountairymd.gov.

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.

120+ fibery vendor s

Kids Zo ne f ro m 11 a m-2p m

Local Food Truc k s

Wine, beer and spirit tastings Plant Sale from 8am-1pm by the Frederick County Master Gardeners Find

Whether you've lived here for years, or you're a first time visitor, First Saturdays are a great time to discover something new about our beautiful downtown. Hunt for eggs throughout downtown businesses starting at 11am while you shop, dine, sip and enjoy the spring sunshine