The Deep Creek Blog

Wisp Offers Thanksgiving Day Package

Want to head to Deep Creek Lake for Thanksgiving, and don't feel like lugging the turkey with you?  Wisp Resort is offering a Thanksgiving Dinner Package for $185.   Place an order for pickup or delivery for a meal that will serve from ten to fifteen people.  For more detail call  301-387-4911 x2197 or visit www.wispresort.com.

Our Town Theatre Christmas Market on December 5th

On Saturday, December 5th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Our Town Theatre's 3rd Annual Christmas Market will be held at St. Peter's Catholic Church Parish Social Hall, as part of Oakland’s “A Small Town Christmas.” OTT’s Christmas Market will enable shoppers to support Garrett County artists and contribute toward Our Town Theatre's Backstage, which is the new scenery, costume and prop shop on Center Street in Oakland. Market activities include shopping for handmade gifts, a Christmas Cafe with chili and Fair Trade coffee and tea, Bake Sale, Gift Wrap, and Christmas music and readings.

Artist Laura Stutzman will autograph and sell her books B is for Blue Crab, a Maryland alphabet book, and The Happy Prince. Handmade fine stoneware, watercolors, nature photography and cards, art glass jewelry, ornaments, bottle stoppers; crocheted, hand-knit and felted gifts, animals, and dolls; wooden puzzles, baskets, cutting boards; handmade rugs, silk Christmas flower arrangements and wreaths; sock animals, Gortner folk art, handmade Christmas cards, Amish cookbooks, Fair Trade coffee, tea, and chocolates; and Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares are some of the gifts shoppers can choose from at OTT’s Christmas Market on December 5th.

Marci McClive of Marsh Mountain Consort, Celtic harpist Sherry Remley, Rick and Margie Jordan on guitar and violin, and Richard Hill, guitarist and singer, are among the local musicians who will play throughout the day on December 5th. OTT’s board encourages all to come and support local artists and theatre at OTT”s Christmas Market. Garrett Reading Council members will read holiday stories for young shoppers periodically as well. For more information, call OTT at 301-334-5640.
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FireFly Farms Celebrates Six New Awards in 2009 Award Competitions

Garrett County's FireFly Farms, producer of artisan goat cheeses, proudly announces six additional individual awards received by its goat cheeses in its 2009 competition season. The full press release is available on their web site at www.fireflyfarms.com.

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Second Annual Festival of Trees Slated for November 25-28th

The 2nd Annual Festival of Trees, Garrett County, a four-day family event presented by the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, 104.5 KHJ, 92.3 The Train, 1050 am WMSG and The Dove Center, will be held Wednesday, November 25th – Saturday, November 28th at the Oakland Community Center/Armory.  The holiday event features Family Night, Seniors Day with Holiday Bingo, Kid’s Day including last year’s popular “Breakfast with Santa”, free activities and crafts, plus the “T’was the Night Before” Preview Party and Auction where all decorated displays are for sale.

The Festival of Trees kicks off on November 25 with a special ticketed “Twas the Night Before” Preview Party & Auction” event for designers, sponsors and those looking to purchase one of the themed trees, wreaths, gingerbread houses or home décor items.  The evening also includes sponsor recognition and prizes awarded to designers.  Tickets purchased for this event include free admission to the Festival during regular admission hours.

From November 26 – 28th, guests may stroll through dozens of themed trees lit with thousands of lights, place bids on remaining exhibits to decorate their home or office and enjoy specially themed days and activities.

Proceeds from the First Annual Festival of Trees, Garrett County benefitted the Dove Center, Garrett County’s Domestic Violence Shelter and Resource Center.  The Dove Center provides assistance to those who become victims of domestic violence and assault, along with counseling services for both abused and abusers.  The Center also offers court assistance and counseling to help families, women, men and children.

The Second Annual Festival of Trees is sponsored by Major sponsor Special Olympics Maryland along with: Mountain Top Tree Farm, Sewickley Spa, The Christmas Chalet, Grand Central Home Furniture and Gifts, Susquehanna Bank, DCL Mountain Maids, Sounds Fun Entertainment and First United Bank and Trust.  The Festival is still accepting sponsorships.  If interested call Pam Trickett at 301.334.4272.

For more information on tickets for the Festival of Trees, G.C. and how you can decorate or donate trees, wreaths and gingerbread homes, please visit www.fotgc.com or call 301.334.6255.

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Farmers Market Corn Roast

The annual corn roast at the Mt. Fresh Farmers Market in Oakland will be held on Saturday, September 5th. 

Apple Butter Boil at Swallow Falls

Visit Swallow Falls State Park and join the staff for an Appalachian Apple Butter Boil and corn roast on September 5th and 6th from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm.   Enjoy arts, crafts and music while stirring apple butter.  Families are encouraged to participate.  A service charge will be collected at the gate.

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Art, Wine and Music Highlight the 5th Annual Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival

The fifth annual Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival, September 11-13, 2009, benefiting the American Red Cross, Western Potomac Chapter, features beautifully handcrafted works by local and regional artisans, wine tasting from over 200 Maryland and national wineries, live music, children’s activities, wine pairing dinners, lodging packages, and more. Deep Creek Lake is located in the mountains of western Maryland.

“The festival has been a huge success from the first year,” says Paula Yudelevit, co-chair. “We see new faces as well as those who have come since our first festival. It’s just that much fun and of course the weather and the fall foliage is gorgeous!”

The Art & Wine Festival begins Friday night, September 11 with area restaurants offering special pre-fix wine pairing dinners, teaming up with national wineries to pair pre-selected wines with specially prepared dinner courses. The menus will be published on www.deepcreekwinefest.com several weeks prior to the festival weekend.  Reservations are suggested as these wine pairing dinners have become popular with visitors as well as residents.

The weekend continues on Saturday, September 12, from noon until 6:00 PM at the Garrett County Fairgrounds in McHenry, Maryland.  Over thirty professional artisans and craftsmen will display and sell their art, from handcrafted jewelry and wood carvings to oil paintings, and hand painted furniture and accessories. National distributors and Maryland wineries will offer samplings of a variety of over 200 wines to satisfy even the most discriminating tastes. Guests may purchase the wines at the festival’s retail store (open until 7 PM), with net proceeds donated to the Red Cross.

Kids too will enjoy the festival with free activities just for them including face painting, balloon art, carriage rides, moon bounce, and more, including wine bottle label design for kids. Lindsay Karroll, Miss Deep Creek Lake 2009, will be on hand to sign autographs and chat with the kids.

Guests will have the opportunity to chat with locals and frequent visitors who are elevated to a new status for the afternoon as they become the festival’s “celebrity pourers.”  Past participants include State Senator George Edwards, Maryland Delegate Wendell Beitzel, and other state and local officials.
Rounding out the afternoon is live entertainment by local and regional musicians and a silent auction that features donated wines, wine accessories, art and children’s gifts. Live entertainment includes music by Jimmy Flanigan, Dmitry Kubin, Brother Short, and The Remedy.

On September 13, Sunday brunch will be offered at participating restaurants.
“September is such a beautiful time to visit Deep Creek,” says co-chair Vianne Bell. “The fall colors are magnificent and we’ve been very fortunate to have perfect weather every year – even in 2008 with hurricane threats surrounding our area.”

Tickets for Saturday’s festival are $25 for adults, 21 and over and include entry fee, wine tastings and a commemorative wine glass.  Admittance only is $5 and children five and under are free.

Art & Wine Festival lodging packages are available at participating hotels, B&B’s and resort rental agencies. The packages include entrance to the Art & Wine Festival, wine tastings, commemorative wine glass and Friday night wine dinner gift certificates to be used toward wine pairing dinners at participating restaurants. For more information, guests may call (888) 387-5237 or visit www.deepcreekwinefest.com.

The Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival is sponsored in part by local & regional businesses including Wisp Resort, Long & Foster REALTORS, Inc., Railey Mountain Lake Vacations, Taco Bell, McHenry Beverage, Maryland Life Magazine, Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, My Bank First United, Taylor Made Vacations, The Lake-Front, Nu Way Interiors, Humberson Homes, Clear Mountain Bank, Junior Women’s Civic Club, Little Mountain Promotions, Knights of Columbus, Good Timber Bed & Breakfast, and MarketWorks, LLC.

 

Deep Creek Chili Splash

Farmers Market Open For the Season

The Mountain Fresh Farmers Market opened for the season today.   Market dates are June 6 - October 31 on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10am until 1pm at the Mt. Fresh Pavilion, located off of 2nd street in Oakland. 

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Taste of Garrett County

Spring is upon us and it’s time for everyone to get out and
enjoy the best of Garrett County’s restaurants in one location. At the‘Taste of Garrett County,’ as restaurants provide samples of their favorite dishes. The ‘Taste’ event will feature local restaurants at the Lodge at Wisp Resort on May 11th from 6 until 9 p. m.

“This event offers an opportunity to try some of the best Garrett County food
that providers have to offer and a chance to mingle with friends,” said Steve Green, chair of the Garrett County Trails Committee.  “Funds raised will go toward maintaining and expanding current trails and developing new trails throughout the county.”

Jonny Rock will provide music and entertainment.  Attendees will have
the opportunity to receive door prizes throughout the evening as well. With all the
delicious food, including: seafood, beef, soups, breads, wild game, delicious desserts and wine tasting, everyone is sure to have a fun filled evening.

“A Taste of Garrett County is a delicious way to help raise funds for the Garrett
County Rec Trails project,” said Charlie Ross, President and CEO of the Garrett
County Chamber of Commerce.  “ The fundraiser offers distinctive foods and beverages prepared, produced and served by local businesses.  This event is such a wonderful social event for everyone in the community to come together.  Again, it promises to be an enjoyable evening for all ages.”

Advance tickets are available for $22, at: The Visitor Center in McHenry, High
Mountain Sports, Brenda’s Pizzeria and Trader’s Coffee House in McHenry; the Book Market and the Gallery in Oakland. Tickets will also be available at the door on Monday, May 11th  for $25 and $10 for children 12 years old and under. You are encouraged to purchase your tickets in advance.

The event is coordinated by local business leaders and the Garrett County
Chamber of Commerce.  For more information about this and upcoming events in the County, please call the Visitor Center at 301-387-4386 or visit the website at
www.visitdeepcreek.com

Second Annual "Kayaks, Tunes and Brews"

HART for Animals will hold its second annual “Kayaks, Tunes and Brews” (KTB) at the Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI) on Saturday, May 23, from noon to 6 p.m. Last year, the event attracted close to 1,300 people with nearly 300 pets.

Billed as “Deep Creek Lake’s Kickoff to Summer”, KTB is, according to the organizers, “a fun day for the entire family, including the family dog!” Organized as a fund-raising event to benefit the HART Animal Adoption Center, this year’s KTB will include the following:

KAYAKS: Kayaking and rafting on the ASCI whitewater course (reservations must be made through ASCI)

TUNES: Three live bands - Boathouse, Brother Short, and Lake Effect

BREWS: Beer tasting, courtesy of various microbreweries, poured by celebrity hosts

A Children’s Area complete with a Moon Bounce, an inflatable slide, face painting, story-telling, and other amusements

A Dog Area with activities scheduled throughout the afternoon, including a fun dog show and dog agility and obedience demonstrations

Vendor Areas, including food and beverages, crafts, souvenirs, as well as a return of Wayne Dillsworth, the air tattoo artist

Access to the mountain coaster, Diggler scooters, and mountain buggies, among other amusements. 

Admission tickets are still $20. The price of admission includes a souvenir beer mug and 10 tickets to be used for any of the family-oriented activities, or food and beer sampling. Children and young adults under 18 accompanied by an adult are admitted free. Additional tickets can be purchased throughout the afternoon.

For full details, go to www.hartforanimals.org and click on http://www.hartforanimals.org/.   HART for Animals, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) organization, established in Oakland in 2003 to rescue homeless animals in Garrett County.

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Taste of Garrett County

Try the best of the best at the "Taste of Garrett County", as restaurants provide samples of their favorite dishes.  The event will features local restaurants at the Lodge at Wisp Resort from six until nine pm on May 11. 

Funds raised will go to the Garrett County Trails Committee. “This event offers an opportunity to try some of the best Garrett County food that providers have to offer and a chance to mingle with friends,” said Steve Green, chair of the Garrett County Trails Committee.  “Funds raised will go toward maintaining and expanding current trails and developing new trails throughout the county.”
Jonny Rock will provide music and entertainment.  Attendees will have
the opportunity to receive door prizes throughout the evening as well. With all the
delicious food, including: seafood, beef, soups, breads, wild game, delicious desserts and wine tasting, everyone is sure to have a fun filled evening.
“A Taste of Garrett County is a delicious way to help raise funds for the Garrett
County Trails project,” said Charlie Ross, President and CEO of the Garrett
County Chamber of Commerce.  “The fundraiser offers distinctive foods and beverages prepared, produced and served by local businesses. This event is such a wonderful social event for everyone in the community to come together.Again, it promises to be an enjoyable evening for all ages.”

Advance tickets are available for $22, at: The Visitor Center in McHenry, High
Mountain Sports, Brenda’s Pizzeria and Trader’s Coffee House in McHenry; the Book Market and the Gallery in Oakland. Tickets will also be available at the door on Monday, May 11th  for $25 and $10 for children 12 years old and under.  Purchasing tickets in advance is encouraged. 

The event is coordinated by local business leaders and the Garrett County
Chamber of Commerce.  For more information about this and upcoming events in the County, please call the Visitor Center at 301-387-4386 or visit the website at www.visitdeepcreek.com.

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Garrett County Spring 2009 Restaurant Promotion

Don't miss the upcoming Restaurant Promotion in Garrett County, running from Sunday April 12 - Thursday April 16.  Visit the Chamber's site for all the detail. 

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Great German Food in Garrett County - Zaiser German Meats

One of my "big projects" this summer was putting together a "German Night" themed party.  For food and advice, I turned to Alex Zaiser of Zaiser German Meats in Accident.  His market provided pork roast and gravy, German sausages and sauerkraut for the event, which was deemed a success by those who attended.  Thank you Alex!   

Alex was born and raised near Stuttgart, Germany where his father had a butcher store.  He made his lehre (learned to become a butcher) in the early 1990s and then worked for a butcher for a few years.  In 1995 he went to Masterchool for Butchers in Stuttgart and graduated in 1996.  After spending some time at in Garrett County in 1997 he returned to Germany to take over the family store.  In 2007 he moved back to the United States and opened Zaiser German Meats.  Everything for sale in the store is authentic German food made by Alex.  His spices are imported from Germany. 

The store is conveniently located a 418 South Main Street in Accident behind Annie's Country Kitchen.  Zaiser German Meats shares the building with Garrett Country Market.   

Stop in on your next trip to Deep Creek Lake for some of this great fare.  For more information call (301) 746-6012.

 

Strawberry Tasting at the Farmers Market

A strawberry tasting is planned at the Oakland farmers market on Wednesday, September 24.   There will be  at least four different types of strawberries to taste.  Help choose a "People's Choice" winner, based on sweetness, flavor, and overall taste.  Mark your calendar for this delicious event!

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