NEED TO KNOW: Week of Nov. 23

Lauren LaRocca, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·2 min read

Nov. 24—FROSTY OR TOASTY? HOW ABOUT BOTH.

One of our favorite traditions comes each November: gathering around fire pits throughout downtown Frederick with friends and roasting marshmallows during Frosty Friday. Frederick is a charming town year-round, but you could argue it becomes even cuter and cozier this time of year, when twinkly lights are strung throughout the downtown streets, and the town is filled with caroling and holiday shopping. It's like a holiday card come to life. 'Tis the season. Get downtown and enjoy the ambiance.

PUT DOWN THE BOTTLE, PICK UP THE PIPE

With the recent legalization of medical marijuana in Maryland, UnCapped podcast host Chris Sands caught up with a representative at Curaleaf Dispensary, which just last month opened a new location in Frederick offering medical marijuana. Whether or not that location will sell adult-use cannabis when the new law takes affect in 2023 remains to be determined, but in the meantime, the business is a wealth of knowledge about the industry, having dispensaries and grow facilities in several states.

DECK THE HALLS WITH ... KENNEDY KRIEGER TREES

Frederick County Public Schools educator Jeremy Brown has continued his own holiday tradition of designing a tree for the annual Festival of Trees at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. This year, the event runs from Nov. 25 to 27, with lots of activities for kids, shopping, live music and awe-inspiring tree and wreath displays — which guests can purchase and bring home.

TAKE A JAZZ JOURNEY

Jazz drummer Jeff Cosgrove has continually nurtured our local jazz scene, most recently through his donation-based jazz series at Beans in the Belfry. The Jazz Journey series features a different lineup and beneficiary for each concert, the next of which, on Nov. 25, will bring Blake Cramer (vibraphone) and Will Yager (bass) to the stage, with proceeds benefiting the Friends of Cunningham Falls and Gambrill State Parks. This series is also unique in that it brings representatives from the organizations onsite to answer any questions guests might have.

CONTEMPORARY FOLKLORE

Catch a book reading with folklorist Emily Hilliard, author of "Making Our Future: Visionary Folklore and Everyday Culture in Appalachia," in Shepherdstown on Nov. 30. Hilliard explores contemporary folk life in West Virginia and challenges the idea that folklore and Appalachian culture are static and antiquated. Hilliard is a founding director of the West Virginia Folklife Program and is currently the program director for Folk and Traditional Arts at the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. Her work has been explored on National Public Radio and published in Oxford American, Southern Cultures and The Bitter Southerner. You can pick up a copy of her book at Four Seasons Books before heading to the event.