The Deep Creek Blog

Garrett County Hosts the Grand Re-Opening of the Youghiogheny Overlook Welcome Center

Garrett County will be holding a Grand Re-Opening of their Youghiogheny Overlook Welcome Center on May 24 at 10 am. The Welcome Center is located in Friendsville, Maryland, off of Interstate-68 Eastbound at mile marker 6, between Friendsville (exit 4) and Rt. 219 (exit 14).

The event will feature a ribbon cutting, refreshments and remarks from various speakers and dignitaries including Garrett County Commissioner Jim Raley. This event is free and open to the public.

The Youghiogheny Overlook Welcome Center offers travelers not only information about Garrett County but the entire state of Maryland as well. The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce will be staffing the center which will be open Thursday - Sunday from May 24 – October 13, 2013 and Friday -Sunday from October 18 –May 18, 2014. The re-opening of the Youghiogheny Overlook Welcome Center will give Garrett County two welcome centers, as it joins the current Garrett County Visitors Center in McHenry, Maryland.  
 

Oakland Civil War Days Event

Oakland Civil War Days events will take place on April 25th - April 28th.   Our Town Theatre will be presenting: The Civil War: Common Threads".   There will be all day events on Saturday and Sunday including re-enactors, speakers, music, book signings and more.  There will be a dinner on April 26th at the Pleasant Valley Community Center for $25 per person and The Elk's on April 27th for $25 per person.  Call the Garrett County Historical Society for reservations at 301-334-3226 for all dinner reservations. 

Visit  www.agreatsmalltown.com for more information.

 

Maryland in the War of 1812- A Living History Event

The Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area in Garrett County and Garrett Lakes Arts Festival present a Star Spangled 200 sponsored event, Maryland in the War of 1812 - A Living History Event.  This project focuses on bringing the commemoration of the War of 1812 to Garrett County middle school students and also provides opportunities for western Maryland residents and visitors to participate in Maryland’s Star Spangled 200 activities.  This project is made possible by the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.

The first part of the project provides an interactive presentation by award-winning actress and Smithsonian Scholar, Mary Ann Jung, playing Rosalie Stier Calvert. Rosalie married George Calvert in 1799 and became mistress of his plantation, Mt. Albion. When Rosalie’s father died, he left his plantation in Bladensburg, "Riversdale Plantation", to his daughter Rosalie -- not her husband, which was the custom. Through Rosalie’s remarkable story, participants will learn what it meant to be in charge of two growing plantations in early 1800's Maryland.

The performance will also explain the importance of the War of 1812 and how this era affected the newly independent United States of America. Audience members will become the British versus the Americans to better understand this important war and re-live the dramatic Battle of Bladensburg --- and find out how close it came to Rosalie’s beloved Riversdale. The stirring creation of the Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key, who married Rosalie’s friend Polly, is included as well. Performances will be held at Garrett College for 4th, 5th and 8th grade Garrett County students on Friday, April 5, 2013.

In addition, educational resources will be purchased for middle school teachers relating to the War of 1812, including books, videos and a traveling trunk, created by the Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum, for Garrett County middle school students. The trunk focuses on life during the war for all Marylanders and contains 11 lesson plans and many hands-on objects, including flint and steel kits, period clothing, time period games, and books.

The Maryland in the War of 1812 – A Living History Event will be the grand finale for the project providing interpretation and experiential learning opportunities for the students and the general public.  This free celebration, scheduled for May 17-18, 2013 at the Garrett County Fairgrounds in McHenry, Maryland, will include on-site War of 1812 speakers and re-enactors, period music performed by musicians & singers in period garb and displays & education information, including a United States Navy display covering their beginning and their involvement with the War of 1812.  This event is free and open to the public. Event hours are 5 pm – 8 pm on Friday, May 17 and 10 am- 5 pm on Saturday, May 18th.

New Germany State Park Hosts Ultimate Egg Hunt

The Ultimate Egg Hunt is back at New Germany State Park on Saturday March 23rd from 11 am to 1pm, with more than 1,500 prize-filled eggs hidden in the park! Participants will be divided into three age groups ─ 1 to 3 years, 4 to 7 years, and 8 and older. Participants ages 8 and up will be challenged to complete the Ultimate Hunt Hike to find eggs hidden along the “Bunny Trail.”

Where: New Germany State Park Lake House, 349 Headquarters Lane, Grantsville

Cost: Free

Contact: 301-895-5453

 

Maple Syrup Demonstration in State Parks this Weekend

Visit Swallow Falls or Herrington Manor this weekend for Maple Syrup demonstration.

Swallow Falls State Park
March 16, 2013 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.

A local Maple Syrup producer will be on hand to answer questions and demonstrate use of an evaporator in syrup making process. Pure maple products will be offered for sale during the demonstration.

Cost: $4/car instate $5/car out of state

For More Information

Contact the Sue Steyer at 301-334-9180 or email ssteyer@dnr.state.md.us.

 
Herrington Manor State Park
Pancake Breakfast & Maple Syrup Demonstration
Sunday, March 17, 2013
8:30 am - 2:00 pm

A demonstration of the Maple syrup making process along with a Pancake breakfast will be held from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm. A demonstration using an evaporator to make maple syrup will be done along with the pancake breadfast. Pure maple products will be offered for sale during the demonstration and breakfast.

Cost: $8/Adults, $5/children under 12

For More Information

Contact the Sue Steyer at 301-334-9180 or email ssteyer@dnr.state.md.us.

Vintage Quilt Weekend

The Barn Quilt Association of Garrett County, Inc. announced two vintage quilt events to be held in Garrett County on April 12 and 13, the “Vintage Quilt Share & Tell” and lectures by Mary Kerr, titled “A Quilted Memory: Out of the Trunk and Off the Tables” and “Saving Our Treasures”.

The “Vintage Quilt Share & Tell” will be held Friday, April 12 at 6:30 pm at Dutch’s at Silver Tree. Participants are encouraged to bring vintage quilts to share, discuss, and admire in a relaxed, social atmosphere. Members of local quilting groups will be on hand to discuss the design, techniques used, and other aspects of the quilts brought to the event. The cost includes light refreshments.

Saturday’s activities will be at St. Peter’s Social Hall in Oakland and start at 8:30 with registration and light refreshments. At 9:30, Mary Kerr presents “A Quilted Memory: Out of the Trunk and Off the Tables”, a unique trunk show and discussion about quilting with “found” fabrics. Participants are encouraged to bring a treasured linen to show and share, to discuss new ways to honor older textiles and the memories they inspire.  After a noon lunch, Mary Kerr presents “Saving Our Treasures”, a trunk show and discussion that focuses on preserving our quilted textiles. Participants are invited to bring their own vintage quilts to discuss repair, restoration, conservation, and appreciation.

Natural Egg Dyeing at the Deep Creek Lake Discovery Center

Enjoy natural egg dyeing at the Discovery Center at Deep Creek Lake State Park on Saturday March 30th.  Visit anytime between the hours of 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. 

Children will enjoy an egg dyeing session using all natural dyes of beets, onions, chlorophyll and more!   Bring no more than six (6), hardboiled eggs.  Wipe eggs off with a mild vinegar solution
so the eggs will take the dye. 

The Easter Bunny will be there too.

 

For additional information or to learn of other programs offered at the Discover Center call 301-387-7067.

** Sponsored by the Western Garrett County State Park Volunteers Inc.

(WGCSPVI)  www.discoverycenterdcl.com and on FACEBOOK Discovery Center|Deep Creek Lake             

Deep Creek Dunk this Weekend

This weekend is the 15th Anniversary MSP/NRP Deep Creek Dunk, where dunkers dip into Deep Creek Lake to benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Maryland.   The event takes place on the beach behind Uno's and the Honi Honi.  

New Germany's Chili Cook-Off

Put your chili to the test at New Germany State Park's 2nd-annual Chili Cook-off.

The 2nd-annual Chili Cook-off will be held at the New Germany Lake House on Saturday, February 16th, from 1:00 – 3:00 PM.  Participants must pre-register for the cook-off no later than February 15th.  Registration is free and electricity will be provided.  Prizes will be awarded in three categories:  Home-style, Fiery Cauldron, and Ladle of Glory (Best Overall).

Cross-country skis and snowshoes will be available for rent at the New Germany Lake House (weather permitting).  A service charge of $3/ person for Maryland residents, and $5/ person for out-of-state residents will be collected at the park entrance.

For more information or to register for the Chili Cook-off, please call 301-895-5453.

February at the Deep Creek Lake Discovery Center

Sunday, February 3rd 

11:00 a.m. “February Reading Series” Story and Craft.  Join in and listen to a seasonal or nature story and then complete a craft! $2 per child. 40 minutes.

2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. Aviary Encounter Get up close and personal with our birds of prey. Learn some interesting facts and hear stories!  Check in at the Discovery as location is subject to change due to weather.

Saturday, February 9th  

11:00 a.m. Animal and a Craft Get up close and personal with one of the animals that lives in the Discovery Center and then do a craft related to the animal.

2:00 p.m.  Bird Feeder Watch and Pine Cones Join the Naturalist as we watch the bird feeder to spot our flying friends eating a snack! You will also make your our own bird feeder to take home. .40min.

Sunday, February 10th 

11:00 a.m. “February Reading Series” Story and Craft .  Join in and listen to a seasonal or nature story and then complete a craft! $2 per child. 40 minutes.

2:00 p.m. Creating an Owl Join the Naturalist as we talk about the adaptations of owls. Meet one of ours and then create your own owl.

Saturday, February 16th  

11:00 a.m. Gone Batty Join the Naturalist to learn about the history of these flying mammals as well as the problems they are facing today.

2:00 a.m. “February Reading Series” Story and Craft .  Join in and listen to a seasonal or nature story and then complete a craft! $2 per child. 40 minutes.

Sunday, February 17th  

2:00 p.m. Aviary Encounter Get up close and personal with our birds of prey. Learn some interesting facts and hear stories!  Check in at the Discovery as location is subject to change due to weather.

Saturday, February 23rd  

11:00 a.m. Critter Encounter Join us at the beginning of every hour as we feed and learn about one of the critters that live in the center. You’ll even be given a chance to touch these animals!

2:00 p.m.  Bird Feeder Watch and Pine Cones Join the Naturalist as we watch the bird feeder to spot our flying friends eating a snack! You will also make your our own bird feeder to take home. 40min.

Sunday, February 24th  

11:00 a.m. “February Reading Series” Story and Craft .  Join in and listen to a seasonal or nature story and then complete a craft! $2 per child. 40 minutes.

2:00 p.m. Creating an Owl Join the Naturalist as we talk about the adaptations of owls. Meet one of ours and then create your own owl.

Our Town Theatre's 6th Annual Christmas Market on December 1st

On Saturday, December 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Our Town Theatre's 6th Annual Christmas Market will be held at St. Peter's Catholic Church Parish Social Hall, as part of Oakland, Maryland’s “A Small Town Christmas.” Shoppers meet local artists, learn about their handmade work, and support Our Town Theatre's Backstage, which is the scenery, costume and prop shop on Center Street in Oakland, Maryland.

Market activities include shopping for unique, handmade gifts, savoring chili and Fair Trade coffee and tea at the Christmas Café, finding Christmas goodies at the Bake Sale, and enjoying live music with friends. Lynn Grimm, on hammered dulcimer, will open the Christmas Market at 10:00 a.m. Aurora Celtic will fill the hall with holiday spirit as they play their acoustic original and traditional tunes and sell their acclaimed CDs from noon to 2:00 p.m. Ron Rogers will follow with his faith folk-rock, from 2:00-4:00 p.m..

New to the market this year are local artists Jill Mazur, Josh Gambetta, Appalachian Milk Soaps, Barbara Englander’s Seeds for Dreams, and Mountain Heart Farm Soy Candles. Shoppers will find Sunnyside Wools with their new vintage-style women’s hats, jeweler Connie Quarrick-Hall’s Wirestorm Creations, Karen Yoder’s hand sewn purses and aprons, and Robert Yonke’s award-winning watercolor paintings and cards.

Our Town Theatre is grateful to announce that several artists will participate in the Christmas Market for their sixth year. Pamala Snyder will be selling her handmade fine stoneware, Caroline Blizzard will sell her unique photographs and cards of the natural world, Julie Turrentine will sell her art glass jewelry, ornaments, and bottle stoppers. Carolyn Collen-DuBose’s crocheted, hand-knit and felted gifts, animals, and dolls will be featured again as well. Pleasant Valley Woodcrafts’s clever wooden puzzles, baskets, cutting boards and the Gortner folk art and Amish cookbooks sold by the owners of Sugar and Spice Bakery will grace the hall for their sixth year. Fair Trade coffee, tea, and chocolates will be priced for sale at the Bake Sale this year. Information for supporting local farmers through purchase of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares will also be found at the market.

Reggie’s Favorite Dog Biscuits, a popular item, may be pre- ordered by November 20 by visiting OTTs website www.ourtowntheatre.org and selecting the “Fundraisers” tab. Pre-orders must be picked up and paid for at the Christmas Market. Reggie’s Dog Biscuits come in several varieties. For $3 you can purchase a bag of biscuits in designs of either three large squirrels or three large bones, or a dozen small bones. Additional bags of biscuits will be sold at the market, only while supplies last!

OTT’s Board of Directors encourages all to come and support local artists and community theatre at OTT's Christmas Market. For more information, contact OTTs website at www.ourtowntheatre.org and visit the websites of these wonderful artists.

Garrett Chamber Announces 2012 Autumn Glory Fall Foliage Tours

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 2012 Autumn Glory Fall Foliage Tours.


Travel along some of Garrett County’s most scenic routes. Enjoy spectacular fall foliage, panoramic vistas, historical landmarks, museums and stunning natural features. This year, the Chamber is offering two Fall Foliage tours. The Long Tour Fall Foliage Highlights include: Casselman River Bridge State Park, Spruce Forest Artisan Village, Savage River State Forest, New Germany State Park, Scenic Overlooks, Deep Creek Lake State Forest and Discovery Center and the Historic National Road. The Short Tour Fall Foliage Highlights include: Youghiogheny River, Ginseng Run, Deep Creek Lake Scenic Overlook, Garrett State Forest, Swallow Falls State Park, Muddy Creek Falls and Deep Creek Lake Dam.

“Our new driving tour is the perfect way to take in the colors of the fall season and experience Garrett County in all its splendor,” said Nicole Christian, President & CEO of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce. “Be sure to bring your camera – you’ll have plenty of scenic photo opportunities during the tour.”

For more information on the detailed tour routes, accommodations and more, please stop in or call the Garrett County Visitors Center at 888.387.5237 or follow the link at visitdeepcreek.com.


Garrett County’s annual Autumn Glory Festival landed in the international spotlight five years ago, when the popular travel website, MSN.com listed it tops among fall festivals in the world. To the delight of locals and visitors alike, Autumn Glory in Oakland, Maryland, beat out Paris’ Festival d’Automne (#5) and Munich’s Oktoberfest (#7) – in addition to a bevy of domestic celebrations, including San Francisco’s Dias De los Muertos. “Music, parades and awesome colors are at the center of this festival,” noted the site, plugging in particular the Grand Feature Parade, the Maryland State Banjo & Fiddle Championships and the Tournament of Bands. Travelchannel.com has also listed the Autumn Glory Festival & Garrett County as one of America’s 3 Best Autumn Road Trips in 2008, 2009 & 2010 and in 2008, the baltimoresun.com listed Garrett County as one of the top 5 locales for Fall Foliage.

MPS Launches Operation: CAMPOUT! Program for Military Families and Wounded Warriors

The Maryland Park Service (MPS) has launched OPERATION: CAMPOUT!, a new program that provides basic camping gear, free of charge, to service members and their families in and around the State. The initiative is funded in partnership with The North Face: Explore Your Parks, a program that encourages families to get outdoors and enjoy state parks across the country.

OPERATION: CAMPOUT! is currently offered at five State parks in Maryland: Swallow Falls, New Germany, Rocky Gap, Patapsco Valley, and Pocomoke River. The program is for service members, many of whom are stationed at nearby military installations or recovering at facilities across the State or in close proximity to Maryland. Each park is equipped with gear lockers stocked with essential equipment to camp - a six-person North Face tent, camp pads, chairs, a cook stove, a lantern and roasting sticks for marshmallows or hot dogs.

MPS has been in partnership with The North Face: Explore Your Parks since the program’s launch in 2010. Explore Your Parks was created to encourage Americans to get outside and enjoy the close-to-home recreation that State Parks offer. Through options such as Activity Guides, Park Passes, and Camping programs, Explore Your Parks helps people to discover the unique sights, activities, and wildlife within their own State Parks. More information and resources are available at www.exploreyourparks.com.

Service members who would like to participate in the program can reserve their campsite (prices vary by park) and camping gear (at no charge) by contacting the park directly.  Listed below are Garrett County parks that are participating:

Swallow Falls State Park 301-387-6938
New Germany State Park 301-895-5453

 
More information on the program is available at dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/armed_forces.asp.

Fishing Contest Winners Announced for Week Ending August 18, 2012

The Garrett County Fishing Contest, sponsored by Deep Creek Outfitters Hardware and Bait House and the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, is in full swing. The winner for the week ending August 18, 2012 was a Largemouth Bass: 3 lbs.; 17”, caught by Don Martin of McHenry, MD.

Weekly winners are awarded a certificate, and certificates are also awarded for the season’s largest catches of bluegill, brown trout, chain pickerel, crappies, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, rainbow trout, walleye and yellow perch.

To enter the contest, enter your catch at Deep Creek Outfitters Hardware and Bait House at 32 Outfitters Way, McHenry, MD.  The fishing contest runs from the first weekend in May through the first weekend in October.  

Garrett County Artist Studio Tour Weekend

Artists of Garrett County, in conjunction with the Garrett County Arts Council, invite the public to visit their working studios on Saturday and Sunday, July 28 and 29.  Studios will be open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm Sunday.  The tour will encompass a broad section of the county and includes 21 artists at 7 separate locations.  Artists will provide demonstrations and artwork for sale, as well as the opportunity to talk with them about their artistic process and the business of art in the region.

The Artist Studio Tour is free.  An array of work will be featured including pottery, jewelry, fused glass, furniture, photography, wood crafts, painting, sculpture, recycled folk art and handmade paper artwork.  This is the fifth annual event.  “This is a chance for the community and our guest to really make contact with the variety of talent we have locally. Some of the locations are not generally open to the public.” said an Arts Council spokesperson.

A brochure of the studios is available at a number of area locations including The Gallery Shop, the Visitors Center in McHenry, Ruth Enlow Libraries, and various businesses throughout the area.  There will also be directional signage along the tour route to guide drivers to the sites. 

For more information, contact the Garrett County Arts Council at 301-334-6580.