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Hello, Westminster!
The Carroll County Fair is in full swing, Frozen continues in Union Bridge, and it's the last week to catch a $1 or free summer movie.
We have a long feature this week on how a hand-painted "Be Kind" sign created on a Westminster porch in 2020 turned into a nonprofit, a small business and a McDaniel College research project — the fourth annual Kindness Stroll kicks off Aug. 20.
There's also news that the Oakenmist Renaissance Faire is relocating from Howard County to the Carroll County Ag Center, and that Carroll Community College is opening its new $5.6 million athletic complex next month.
Let's get into it.
👀 A Quick Look Around Town
🐮 Carroll County's 129th Fair is underway at the Ag Center, and the community parade steps off tonight, Sunday, Aug. 2, at 7 p.m., lining up at 6 p.m. at Landon C. Burns Park. The fair runs through Aug. 8, closing with the Car Demolition Derby. Read the full story.
❄️ Glyndon Area Players' Frozen: The Broadway Musical continues at Francis Scott Key High School in Union Bridge, with remaining shows running through Aug. 9. Tickets are $20 to $30. Read the full story.
🎬 It's the last week for bargain summer movies: RC Theatres' Tuesday/Wednesday morning series at TownMall wraps Aug. 4-5 with Minions: The Rise of Gru, and the Carroll Arts Center's free Tuesday night series also closes out this week with Muppet Treasure Island. Read the full story.
🍔 Burger Land, at Washington and Main, posted a sign on its door announcing it's temporarily closing, with new management coming soon. See the post.
🏊 The Westminster Municipal Pool is offering 50% off individual and family memberships for the rest of the season — city-resident individual memberships are $92.50, family $180. See the post.
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💛 Inside the 'Be Kind' Sign Movement — Kindness Stroll Kicks Off Aug. 20
Six years after Eric and Tina Miller hung their first hand-painted "Be Kind" sign on a Westminster utility pole, the project has grown into two organizations: Infinite Love Project, which sells the now-familiar signs and Infinite Love hearts, and the nonprofit Action For Kindness. The couple say they've handed out more than 87,000 hearts and 20,000 signs across at least 42 states and nine countries, and they run anti-bullying workshops in Carroll County schools, with McDaniel College now studying the signs' impact on the community. The fourth annual Kindness Stroll kicks off with a celebration on Thursday, Aug. 20, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Locust Lane, when student-designed artwork goes up in downtown storefront windows through Sept. 23.
🏰 Oakenmist Renaissance Faire Moves to Westminster for Its Fourth Year
The Oakenmist Renaissance Faire relocates to the Carroll County Agriculture Center for its fourth year, running on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, Aug. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The new venue adds 10,000 square feet, and co-founder Lee Correll says pre-sale ticket demand is climbing across nearly every Maryland county, even as the faire leaves its old Howard County home. Expect whip-cracking and boomerang lessons, falconry, a 21-and-older mead garden, a kids' pirate treasure hunt and live combat demonstrations. Single-day tickets are $23 online or $25 at the door; weekend and family passes run up to $42, with a $70 VIP option. Kids 10 and under are free with a ticketed adult.
⚽ Carroll Community College Opens New Athletic Complex Sept. 17
Carroll Community College will debut its $5.6 million James D. Ball Athletic Field Complex on Thursday, Sept. 17, with a 3 p.m. kickoff celebration followed by the Lynx men's soccer game at 4 p.m. and the women's game at 6 p.m., both against Allegany College of Maryland.
The complex, funded through a $2.4 million county commitment and $3.2 million from the college foundation, includes a FieldTurf playing surface and an eight-lane, NJCAA-standard track, and is expected to double as a community resource for recreation and tournaments beyond college athletics. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP online; guests who do are entered into a raffle for a Lynx swag bag.
— Westminster Wire