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Hello, Westminster!
Have a business idea you've been sitting on? The clock is ticking — the Carroll Biz Challenge is taking applications through May 31 for a shot at a $10,000 grand prize and a spot on the August finale stage. Get those applications in before that deadline!
On the news side, you probably saw the smoke on Monday night or that Route 140 was shut down for hours. A two-alarm fire at the Battery Warehouse drew more than 130 firefighters from across Carroll and Baltimore counties, closing the busy corridor for hours, and sending two firefighters to the hospital with heat-related injuries (both expected to be okay). Full breakdown below.
Looking ahead: The Deer Creek Fiddlers' Convention rolls into the Farm Museum on Saturday, May 30, and one of the country's longest-running Memorial Day parades steps off Monday morning. A little further out, Art in the Park and a Quilt Retreat Weekend are both on tap for the first weekend of June. Plus, pretty much any weekend is a great time for brunch in Westminster! And don’t forget the farmers’ market!
— Westminster Wire
This Week's Big Stories
💡 Carroll Biz Challenge Accepting Entries Through May 31
The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce's 15th annual Carroll Biz Challenge is taking applications now, with a hard deadline of Sunday, May 31 at 11:59 p.m. Pitched as "American Idol meets Shark Tank, only LOCAL," the competition awards more than $14,000 in prizes, including a $10,000 grand prize, a $2,026 People's Choice Award, and a $2,000 United Way Changemaker Award.
🚒 Two-Alarm Fire at Battery Warehouse Shut Down Route 140
A two-alarm fire at the Battery Warehouse in the 800 block of Baltimore Boulevard (Route 140) drew a massive multi-jurisdiction response Monday evening, closing Route 140 from Market Street to the Sheetz into the overnight hours. Carroll County Fire Chief Michael Robinson said more than 130 firefighters responded, with two Carroll County personnel taken to the hospital for heat-related injuries (both expected to recover). Hazmat teams were brought in after lithium-ion batteries entered thermal runaway and, per the chief, likely exploded inside the building.
🎻 55th Deer Creek Fiddlers' Convention Returns to the Farm Museum
The Deer Creek Fiddlers' Convention marks its 55th year at the Carroll County Farm Museum (500 S. Center Street) on Saturday, May 30, with an all-day lineup of live bluegrass, old-time, and Celtic music — including band, individual, songwriting, and Southern Appalachian clogging competitions. Featured performers include The Black-Eyed Suzies and The Livebox, plus a demonstration by the Carroll County Cloggers.
Speaking of live music, it sure would be cool if the city’s historic opera house had music in it again. We’re adding this to Westminster Wire’s wish list for the city, along with a bagel shop and a Main Street ice cream place.
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🇺🇸 Westminster Memorial Day Parade — Monday, May 25, 10 a.m.
Carroll Post 31 of the American Legion hosts the Westminster Memorial Day Parade & Remembrance Ceremony on Monday, May 25, from 10 a.m. to noon — a procession that's been running for more than 80 years and is considered one of the longest consecutively run Memorial Day parades in the country. It steps off at 10 a.m. on Pennsylvania Avenue, moves down Main Street, and ends at Westminster Cemetery on Church Street, where a memorial service begins at 11 a.m.
🎨 Art in the Park Returns to City Hall Grounds — Saturday, June 6
The Carroll County Arts Council and the City of Westminster bring Art in the Park back to the lawn behind Westminster City Hall on Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Now in its 40+ year run on the first Saturday in June, the free outdoor festival features fine art and craft from local and regional artists, food trucks, live music, and a free craft activity for kids.
🧵 Sew 'N Sweep Quilt Retreat Weekend — June 6–7
Sew 'N Sweep is hosting a Quilt Retreat Weekend at its TownMall of Westminster shop on Saturday, June 6 (10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) and Sunday, June 7 (12 p.m.–4:30 p.m.) — $25 for both days. Bring your machine, your unfinished projects, and a friend, and settle in at Maryland's largest dedicated sewing classroom, part of a 9,000-square-foot shop with 2,000+ bolts of quilted cotton.
That's a wrap. Have a story, event, or tip we should chase? Send it our way.
— Westminster Wire