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Happy Saturday, Westminster!
Both Westminster high schools won their homecoming games last night. Westminster shut out South Carroll 16-0 at home to move to 3-2 on the season, and Winters Mill beat Francis Scott Key 14-0 at home to remain undefeated.
Today, it's Homecoming at McDaniel College, and you don't need to be an alum to join in. The football game is free to walk into, and there's art, theater and three more Green Terror home games on the Hill today.
Also this week: the city council approved bigger changes for Westminster's business parks, the state explained why the Route 27 trail missed its paving target, and a Westminster musician has a song asking all of us to put the phone down.
And the 👀 Around Town section is filled with things to do this weekend and during the coming weeks. There are markets, strolls, Halloween events and more.
Let's get into it.
Photo via McDaniel College website: Homecoming 2025 football game with tailgate tents in the background
No diploma required: Homecoming on the Hill is open to everyone today
McDaniel hosts Carnegie Mellon at 1 p.m., and there's no charge to walk into Gill Stadium. Driving in to tailgate costs $20 per car, and the lot opens at 10 a.m. Six new Athletics Hall of Fame members will be recognized at halftime. There's also soccer, field hockey, a Westminster sculptor's gallery show and a play on campus today. Here's what to know about tailgating rules, free parking and the rest of the day.
Council approves taller buildings, four-story hotels and more stores in business parks
The Westminster Mayor and Common Council unanimously approved a zoning change Sept. 28 that opens the city's business parks, such as the Carroll County Commerce Center, to taller buildings, four-story hotels and many more kinds of stores. The basic height limit rises from 20 feet to 30 feet, and day cares, schools and gyms get more room to locate there. The change also bans a list of uses from the parks, including churches, housing and car dealerships. It's the third time in about a year the city has loosened the rules for these parks.
Why the Route 27 "Boardwalk" paving slipped
Paving on the Route 27 shared-use path missed its August target. The Maryland State Highway Administration told Westminster Wire that crews found a City of Westminster manhole sitting too low to grade around safely, and that contractor scheduling conflicts and bad weather added to the delay. Grading is now planned for October, with substantial completion expected later this fall.
A Westminster musician’s anti-screen-time anthem
Westminster singer-songwriter David Sparrow's song "Now" takes aim at TV, social media and the constant stream of distractions, and asks listeners to put the phone down. Sparrow, who makes his living playing bars and restaurants around Carroll County, also talked about why his original songs are hard to fit into a bar set and where you can hear him next.
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👀 Around Town
🧺 Two markets today, Oct. 3. The Downtown Westminster Farmers' Market holds its Farmers Harvest Festival, 8 a.m. to noon, in the Conway parking lot on Railroad Avenue (Route 27), just off Main Street. Across town, the 3rd Annual Fall Marketplace fills Shipley Arena at the Carroll County Ag Center (706 Agricultural Center Drive) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with more than 100 vendors. Admission is free. It's run by the organizers of the Sykesville Holiday Marketplace.
👻 Last call for the Haunted History Hike at Hashawha: tonight, Saturday, Oct. 3, 7–9 p.m., starting at Bear Branch Nature Center (300 John Owings Road). Pre-registration is required. Full story.
🎓 It's McDaniel College Homecoming weekend. Businesses around town are offering specials — Westminster Wire is sharing as many of them as we can find on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Covalent Spirits' Libation Lab tasting room has two specialty cocktails for the weekend. One, The Hill, uses honey and herbs from McDaniel's Environmental Center & Garden. Show some school spirit and you get 10% off drinks, bottles and merch at Covalent.
🍷 The Carroll County Farm Museum has something going on almost every weekend in October. Here’s a look at Farm Museum events:
Secret Garden Wine Festival, Sunday, Oct. 4, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Traditional Arts Festival, Saturday, Oct. 10, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. It has farmhouse tours, wagon rides, children's activities, food trucks, a vendor marketplace and live music.
Food Truck Sunday Funday, Sunday, Oct. 18, noon–5 p.m. Admission and parking are free, and you can vote for your favorite truck.
Trick or Treat and Evening Lantern Walks, Tuesday, Oct. 27, $5 per car. Trick-or-treating for kids starts at 5:30 p.m., and a spooky lantern walk for adults starts at 8 p.m.
🗣️ Youth sports families: The Westminster Area Rec Council wants a big Westminster turnout at the county's next Recreation and Parks meeting on its Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan. It's Tuesday, Oct. 6, 7–8 p.m., at the North Carroll Public Library on Hanover Pike in Hampstead. WARC says almost every one of its programs is short on fields, gym space or lights, or is dealing with aging facilities. It's asking families, coaches and athletes to come and speak up. See the Facebook post.
🦪 The Oyster Stroll returns to downtown Westminster Saturday, Oct. 10, noon–4 p.m. General admission is $15 at the gate and free for kids 12 and under. It includes two tokens for the domestic beverage tents. VIP tickets are sold out. Tickets and details.
📌 Bookmark this: City of Westminster Recreation & Parks events and classes go on sale on its registration page, and spots fill fast. Fall pickleball sessions start Oct. 6, 18 and 19, but the Thursday group is already full. So is Yoga & Acupuncture on Oct. 20.
🎺 The Owl Marching Band hosts its Marching Band Home Show Saturday, Oct. 10, at Ruby Field at Westminster High School. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. There will be performances from 13 local bands, plus concessions, baked goods, air and candy grams, color guard silks and a 50/50 raffle. See the Facebook post.
⚾ WBA's Boneyard Ball Bash is Saturday, Oct. 17, 3–8 p.m. at Landon Burns Park. It has baseball, a home run derby, trunk or treat, a haunted trail, food, games and an outdoor movie. General admission is free. See the Facebook post.
🏀 The Harlem Wizards are coming to Westminster High School (1225 Washington Road) on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. The WHS Class of 2027 Boosters are hosting. Details and tickets.
🎁 The Carroll County Holiday Heroes toy drive has started at Westminster National Golf Course, with the Sheriff's Office and Westminster Fire Department. You can buy a toy from the Amazon registry and have it shipped there, or drop off a new toy worth $10 or more. Every qualifying toy gets you a chance to win a golf cart valued at over $8,000, and each bike gets you 10 chances. If you buy from the registry, put your phone number in the gift note so they can fill out your raffle ticket. They collected nearly 600 toys last year, and this year's goal is more than 1,500. See the Facebook post.
🎃 Have costumes your kids have outgrown? Carroll County Recreation and Parks is collecting clean, gently used Halloween costumes in all sizes for its annual Halloween Costume Giveaway. Drop them off at 300 S. Center St. (410-386-2103). See the Facebook post.
🎀 For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Brewery Fire is pouring Pink Ribbon, a strong double red IPA (8.2% ABV). All October, $1 from every pour goes to the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. It's on tap at Brewery Fire Taphouse in the 140 Village Shopping Center and at Brewery Fire in Taneytown. See the Facebook post.
🏬 A busy week at TownMall of Westminster:
A letter Westminster Mall, LLC sent to tenants last month asks them to sign a tenant estoppel certificate “in connection with this sale.” Some tenants say they received it, while others say they have not. See the Facebook post.
The cars that were being stored in the parking lot are gone, along with the fencing around them. See the Facebook post.
Vinny's has reopened, serving pizza, subs and Indian food. It's open 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m., except Sundays, when it closes at 6 p.m.
🏟️ Readers ask whether the public can use the new turf field and track at Carroll Community College. For now, "Authorized Use Only" signs are posted. Westminster Wire was told at last check that the college and the county were still working out their operating agreement. See the Facebook post.
🍣 Construction of the sushi bar is underway at the future home of San Sushi, 172 E. Main St. The owners shared photos of the progress. Read the Westminster Wire story about San Sushi.
🥯 Bagel lovers, Kismet Cafe & Go answered. When Westminster Wire asked whether it would open a Westminster location, Kismet replied: "We have the know how and business plan. Who has the investment and the passion?" See the Facebook post.
☕ The Pork and Beans Store has a new coffee called Area 51 with three mystery flavors. Guess all three correctly in the comments on its post and you could win a pound of it. Take your guess.
📺 Missed Mediterraneo on WBAL-TV 11? The segment on its crab cakes, pizza and "Coop" cheesesteak can be replayed online. Watch it.
🎄 Early save-the-date: Island Green's Christmas Vendor Mart is Saturday, Dec. 12, and Santa will be there. It's looking for vendors now. See the Facebook post.
🎬 Which Westminster Wire Facebook video did you watch most? We counted down the 10 most-watched Reels since the page launched in April. No. 1 was where the "Boardwalk to Nowhere" will actually go, with 70,401 views. Live music inside Amy's Laundry was No. 2 and got the most shares. Westminster Wire's Facebook content tallied over 7 million views in the past 90 days. Thank you! See the full most-watched Reels countdown.
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— Westminster Wire