Month: May 2026

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Dampened by rain, Memorial Day weekend passed more quietly than usual for local families. Even the annual parade in Annapolis was cancelled by the inclement weather. The sun peeped through late yesterday, however, with the promise of better things to come as we move into an event-packed June.

In honor of the Nation’s 250th Anniversary, a Liberty Tree will be planted at Crownsville’s Rising Sun Inn Historic Site and Museum on June 3rd with a formal ceremony attended by dignitaries. The planting is part of an overall project by the Ann Arundel Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to re-establish plants that would have been on the property when the Inn was built as a farmhouse in 1753 by Edward Baldwin. Edward’s son Henry, who inherited the farm, served in the Revolutionary War. The Baldwin family would have witnessed Continental troops marching from Baltimore to Annapolis on the road (now General’s Highway) in front of the home. (More, on the actual dedication and planting of the Liberty Tree, will follow in next week’s column.)

Later on June 3rd, the Corks for a Cause fundraiser benefitting the Baltimore-Washington Medical Center Foundation and NEXTGEN healthcare will be held at Homestead Gardens Severna Park from 6 to 8 pm with fine wines and foods to sample from the area’s finest purveyors.

Fast on the heels of those two events, SPAN, Inc. will be conclude its Silent Auction (which began online on May 26) with a Broadway Songfest Cabaret on Sunday, June 7th at St. Martin’s in-the-Field Parish Hall at 4 pm. This year’s Cabaret is the sixth created and performed by Laurette Hankins-O’Connell who is accompanied by pianist/singer Anita O’Connor. Hankins-O’Connell’s repertoire of Broadway songs, combined with lively banter, amusing anecdotes and occasional duets with O’Connor delight audiences. 

Tickets are $ 25 per person with 100% of net proceeds going to SPAN and may be purchased at the door or online at 2026 Broadway Songfest and Silent Auction – SPAN, Inc.

The Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber will be producing or taking part in a non-stop schedule of events throughout June and early July. For ever-on-the-go Chamber CEO Liz League, June will be the busiest month of a busy year. One of the biggest events, according to League, is a Multi-Chamber Business & Bites By the River event being presented by the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce, the Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Crofton Chamber of Commerce, the Northern Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce, the Southern Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce and the Pasadena Business Association at Yellowfin Steak & Fish House along the South River off Solomon’s Island Road.

Three days later, a Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s Successful Women In Business Happy Hour is being held at Maher’s Florist at 8905 Edwin Raynor Boulevard in
Pasadena from 4:30 pm through 6 pm. The group’s happy hours always tend to be fun. The happy hour/wine tasting pictured below was held at Cheers & Spirits in Arnold Station at the beginning of the holiday season in 2023.

June 13th will see another fine turnout for the Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival at the Severna Park Taphouse. The annual festival honoring the memory of Robin’s daughter Katherine Mueller is a fundraiser for the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NET cancer took Katherine’s life) and three other cancer-related charities. A slate of entertainers gracing the outdoor stage include the Lost and Found Trio Band, George Evans, Honey Sol, TMI, Ray Paice, Billy Z and more. There will also be a succession of acoustic musicians entertaining inside the Taphouse. This year’s festival headliner is popular Nashville recording artist MIGGS.

All of these wonderful June events are leading up to the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s 2026 Independence Day Parade on Saturday, July 4th with the theme “Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday”. It’s bound to be special.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. The school will be holding a fun-filled summer camp this August. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

My reason for visiting Homestead Gardens Davidsonville this week was two-fold. I wanted to buy garden seeds and check out flower transplants. I’d been told there was now a “beer farm” at the garden center and my curiosity was piqued. What was a beer farm? Were the owners of Homestead using their acreage to grow hops plants (Humulus lupulus), the flowers of which are used, along with malt, in brewing beer?

The answer proved simpler than expected. Driving toward Homestead Gardens on Central Avenue, I could actually see a building with a sign reading “Beer Farm”. I pulled into the far end of the garden center parking lot opposite wrought iron fences and a handsome pair of gates protecting the picturesque complex – one that is fast becoming a major draw for locals and visitors from further afield.

Homestead’s familiar greenhouses and gardens lay just beyond it, and I’d be stopping there too. But, for the moment, an expansive walkway and pleasant gardens beckoned.

Though Tuesday afternoon’s temperatures were sizzling, I decided a tour was in order. Once through the gates, I found a handy signboard highlighting the Beer Farm’s hours of operation.

Noticing that the walkway veers off in several directions, I wandered down one of them and took in the vista that opened before me. A handsome bar and a shady porch filled with tables were ever so appealing, but I stopped first at a specially designed play area for children.

Parents with families would most definitely appreciate the Beer Farm’s play area. Conveniently close by is the Homestead barnyard – home to farm animals ranging from Miniature Scottish Highland Cattle and donkeys to goats and chickens.

Sauntering down the central walkway led directly to the shady porch where we found a well-informed young man named Connor tending bar behind an open window overlooking the entire property.

Indicating that he usually worked behind the scenes but was filling in as bartender for the evening, Connor was, nevertheless, quite knowledgeable about the operation. We learned from him that the Beer Farm at Homestead collaborates with the Brookeville Beer Farm in Montgomery County to bring a wide range of craft beers, ales and lagers to its patrons. (Believe it or not, the Brookeville farm does grow its own hops.)

Connor further observed that the busiest time at the Beer Farm are Thursdays through Sundays when a variety of food trucks are on hand. He helpfully pointed out the Beer Farm tent with additional seating for customers as well as an outdoor stage area where local musicians are featured Wednesdays through Sundays.

In a phone conversation later with Homestead Garden media representative Pam Finley, we learned that, in addition to craft beers, wines from a local vineyard are often available at the Beer Garden. She especially wanted to emphasize that the Beer Garden is frequently used for business and community meetings and events.

One last look at the Beer Garden convinced me to return with friends on the weekend. I admit that it was difficult to leave that shady porch but the gardener in me wanted to visit Homestead Gardens proper.

Like many gardeners, I love growing plants from seed as a pleasurable hobby and as a technique for saving money. The Homestead Gardens branches in both Davidsonville and Severna Park are two of three garden centers that carry remarkable selections of flower, herb and vegetable seeds. (Another is AA Co. Farm, Lawn & Garden Center in Pasadena.) I headed into the main store with high expectations and wasn’t disappointed. There was a veritable wall of seed packets to choose from. I brought several.

It’s sometimes easier to buy a pot or a flat of plants that particularly appeal to me. So, I wandered into the greenhouses to check them all out. I loved the annuals in pots, but they were $7.99 apiece. The scarlet dahlia’s seen below were so stunning, however, that I may come back for a pot.

As opposed to pots, the annuals in four-plant flats were $4.99 and were also quite pretty.

I passed on those since I’ve already started several pots of petunias to transplant from a packet of last year’s seeds. They’ll yield many individual plants, and it won’t be long till they bloom.

Herbs and veg from seed are a money-saver too. It’s so handy to have my kitchen garden herbs right outside my back door though some are in the ground as well.

The best thing about plants grown from seed is that they sometimes reseed themselves after being dormant over the winter. This spring seeds that fell from my dill plants produced new plants as did seeds from two different tomato plants.

I never did come across the veggie transplants at Homestead but, I did enjoy exploring the Pollinator Cafe which attracts birds and bees.

I may be stopping by Homestead Gardens in Severna Park on Wednesday for Corks for a Cause which is always a great event. See my reminder below.

Corks for a Cause on Wednesday, June 3rd at Homestead Gardens in Severna Park

This year’s Corks for a Cause fundraiser benefitting the Baltimore-Washington Medical Center Foundation and NEXTGEN healthcare will be held in the beautiful surroundings of Homestead Gardens Severna Park on Wednesday, June 3rd from 6 to 8 pm.

Hosted by Homestead Gardens and Fishpaws MarketPlace, the event will feature excellent food and wines from some of the area’s finest purveyors, an impressive Silent Auction and Live Music.

Tickets available for the Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival on June 13th

 Tickets are now available for this year’s Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival at the Severna Park Taphouse on Saturday, June 13th. The annual festival honoring the memory of Robin’s daughter Katherine Mueller is a fundraiser for the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NET cancer took Katherine’s life) and three other cancer-related charities. Performers being featured at the 2026 KLF Music Festival include the Lost and Found Trio Band, George Evans, Honey Sol, TMI, Ray Paice, Billy Z and more. The festival headliner is Nashville recording artist MIGGS who is back by popular demand.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. The school will be holding a fun-filled summer camp this August. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

Judging by the number of moms out to dinner on the Saturday evening before Mother’s Day, the annual holiday is as popular as ever. This observation was borne out on Sunday with many moms spotted in the crowd during the second of the Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails annual spring concerts at Hatton-Regester Green off the Baltimore Annapolis Trail.

Approaching the Green from the north, we heard the music before we spotted a sizeable number of people spread out across the hillside in front of the Green’s new stage enjoying the music of the popular duo Sparks and McCoy. Having brought their own lawn chairs and/or blankets, the crowd not only occupied the lawn below the Trail but was also spotted across it at the top of the hill.

Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails’ president Lauren Allen, who introduced Edward Sparks and Steve McCoy, told us the pair was chosen to appear in the organization’s 2026 concert series because they were a crowd favorite having been the featured artists 10 times over the years.

Surrounded by an impressive array of instruments including some beautiful acoustic guitars, a keyboard and a harmonica, Sparks & McCoy performed a program of classic rock.

Rain had been predicted for Sunday but Sparks and McCoy opted to press on with the performance anyway – especially since it was being held on Mother’s Day. We noticed several families that were very happy they did since they brought their Mother’s Day celebrations with them to the concert, picnic-style.

As it happened, rain held off through most of the concert scheduled to run from 4-6 pm but, with 15 minutes to go, raindrops began to fall and concert-goers reluctantly scattered.

Before leaving, we caught up again with Lauren Allen who told us the Friends were really pleased with the new stage constructed to replace Regester-Green’s 30-year-old pavilion which had fallen into disrepair. Used thus far, by the Seth Mitchell Band and Sparks and McCoy the stage is roomier, more conveniently set-up and seems better acoustically.

Allen reminded us that three concerts remain to be performed in the Spring Concert Series The concerts are free to the public and are scheduled to take place over the remainder of May. They include:

Sunday, May 17th – Guitarist/vocalist and bagpipe player Jeff Herbert

Sunday, May 24th – Ginger & the Other Dave with Ginger Hildebrand on guitar, violin and vocals and Dave Nolte on guitar.

Sunday, May 31st – Carribean-influenced Guava Jelly with their lead singer/songwriter Bridgette Michaels on guitar, Mike Edillon on bass and Dawn Madak supplying rhythm and vocals.

The concert series will resume in the fall with an additional five concerts. For updates on the spring concerts or information on those scheduled for autumn, visit Anne Arundel County Trails | The Friends of AACo Trails.

Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company Spring Craft Fair this Saturday

Early Heights Volunteer Fire Company is hosting a Spring Craft Fair this Saturday, May 16 from 10 am till 2 pm. According to Fire Chief Dave Crawford, 60 local vendors of all types will be participating across the grounds and inside the firehouse. The event is being held to raise money in support of the volunteer fire company’s construction of a new firehouse. In addition to artisan crafts and decor from vendors, there will be a variety of foods available for cash purchase.

For information, visit Earleigh Heights VFC.

Corks for a Cause to be held June 3rd at Homestead Gardens in Severna Park

Always one of Spring’s most fabulous fundraisers, the Corks for a Cause event benefitting the Baltimore-Washington Medical Center Foundation and NEXTGEN healthcare will be held at Homestead Gardens Severna Park on Wednesday, June 3rd from 6 to 8 pm.

Hosted by Homestead Gardens and Fishpaws MarketPlace, the event will feature excellent wines plus foods from some of the area’s finest purveyors, an impressive Silent Auction and Live Music.

Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival at Severna Park Taphouse on June 13th

We have news from founders Robin and Larry Sells that tickets are now available for this year’s Katherine’s Light Foundation Music Festival at the Severna Park Taphouse on Saturday, June 13th. The annual festival honoring the memory of Robin’s daughter Katherine Mueller is a fundraiser for the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NET cancer took Katherine’s life) and three other cancer-related charities. The music event is entirely a volunteer effort and every penny raised is given away. Thus far, the foundation has donated an astounding $210,000 to the aforementioned charities.

We’ve luckily had a preview from Larry of the performers being featured at the 2026 KLF Music Festival. Included are the Lost and Found Trio Band, George Evans, Honey Sol, TMI, Ray Paice, Billy Z and more. The festival headliner is Nashville recording artist MIGGS.

Miggs (Rangel) appeared at the event for the first time last year and was so popular with the crowd that he was a shoo-in for this year’s top billing.

According to Sells, a silent raffle and live auction are planned for the festival as well as a 50-50 and there are more surprises to come. For information, visit the website www.katherineslight.org. Tickets and sponsorships can be found there.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.

AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler

By the time I arrived shortly after noon, the Greater Severna Park Chamber of Commerce’s “Spring Local Fun Festival” was well underway. Row upon row of vendor tents could be seen from the crowded parking lots surrounding the event. I’d learned from Chamber CEO Liz League that an amazing total of 79 small businesses and organizations were participating in this year’s festival. She was also pleased that the event had drawn nine Gold Sponsors.

Drawn by the sight of all those tents and a continuous stream of music from the Harbor City Music Company Show Chorus and Bach to Rock Music School guitarist Em and deejay Max Smith, a sizeable crowd of families, dedicated shoppers and weekend day-trippers had already formed.

Entering the event from the far end, I was welcomed to Health & Wellness Row by Lore Goldstein and Krista Hernandez from the Chamber’s Wellness Business Connections Group. Lore is with Stop Stretching. Krista has taken a break from her company Felix Wellness as she and her husband are transitioning from active-duty life to civilian life and moving.

Businesses in the section of the festival dedicated to wellness ran the gamut from Griswold Home Care and the Women’s Clinic to GYMGUYS Annapolis.

Directly across from Health & Wellness Row was a section I dubbed Education Row with businesses and institutions like St. Martin’s in-the-Field Episcopal School, Mathnasium, the Play Street Museum, and The Learning Center among others.

There we visited the St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal School booth overseen by Shop Local festival veteran Kira Dickson who is the school’s Director of Admissions. With its mix of information, games, giveaways and treats, the booth is always a popular stop. Dickson is seen below with St. Martin’s student Lola Westholm.

Spying the Flying Kiwi Ice Cream truck, I detoured around the front side of the tents to get a better look. We noted a good-sized line forming there made up primarily of families with children.

Continuing across the parking lot, I noticed the ASPCA Mobile Pet Unit drawing numerous families with children who loved looking in the glass windows at pets available for adoption. They also had fun petting the child-friendly pup held by a volunteer.

Just around the bend from the mobile pet unit, we found veteran festival participant Woofies of Annapolis, a pet sitting, dog walking and grooming service with Cindy Dedios at the helm. The Woofies booth is always popular with children and adults with pets. Dedios’ mix of information, advice, and lollipops works like a charm.

Circling back to the tents a little after 1 pm, I observed that the rows were becoming increasingly crowded with shoppers – especially those at the center of the event where the Franklin’s Toys and SERVPRO tents were located.

Having already completed their martial arts demonstration and performed their famed Lion Dance for the crowds, Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi owners Billy and Nancy Greer and their students were free to mind the tent, tout their upcoming summer camp, chat with friends and watch demonstrations by others.

We soon joined the Greers who were chatting with Katherine’s Light Foundation, LLC founder Larry Sells about the upcoming Katherine’s Light All-Day Music Festival taking place June 13th at the Severna Park Taphouse. Nancy Greer also clued me in to the fact that “winners” from the recent Children’s Business Fair organized by the Maryland Curiosity Lab of Acton School and the Chamber had been invited to participate in the Spring Local Fun Festival. We found four of those winners two rows away.

We first visited Hand Crafters who won for their wonderfully ornamental seashells they decoupaged with images from fairytales and nature. We next moved on to the Paper Garden booth where winner Jobie Schinnamon and her sister Charlotte chatted with us about the recycled papers she makes and the Fairy Wands she created to add interest to floral bouquets or houseplants.

We next visited a third winner – Bakery of Bottany’s Clay Wise who was accompanied to the Spring Local Fun Festival by his green-eyed cat in a cat carrier next to the cat grass. Clay does all the baking and some of the growing for the business he started with partner William Price.

Our timing was a bit off and we missed meeting the fourth winner, Colossus Cookie Company’s Kiriakos Katsikides whose cookies were selling like hotcakes and, according to the Greers who’d bought some, were delicious.

We’d earlier passed the KWON’S TAEKWONDO booth where several black belt students waited with Master Kwon while counting the minutes until time for their performance.

When the time finally came, the girls’ demonstration was powerful as they delivered the precise punches and kicks the Korean martial arts discipline is known for.

Moving on after watching the demonstration, I visited a row of tents featuring companies like Bayrise Builders and Park Modern Realty among others, convincing me that the construction industry is doing well.

I finally came to the final row and discovered that the entire Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services family came out to support the Spring Local Fun Festival. In fact, the company was one of nine Gold Sponsors for the event. Not only were owners Winsome Brown and sister Danielle Morgan Brown on hand but brother Tony Clarke was there as well along with staffers Mia and Micayla Alexander. Winsome Brown also introduced me to Lisa Knoll who recently joined the staff as Community Liaison.

Saving one of the best for next to last, we visited the table of Side Street Framers and Gift Gallery where daughter Jessica Chroniger was pinch-hitting for her mother Dawn Wilson.

Last in the row was yet another Shop Local event veteran Jody Buck whose Key Group real estate business has really taken off over the last few years. Shoppers absolutely loved Buck’s wonderful shopping bags with a choice of destinations to love as part of the design.

With 79 vendor tents, there was no way we could visit them all, but we hope we’ve given you a little taste. The event was the biggest and one of the best of the Chamber’s Shop Local events. We can only wonder if the next one, scheduled for October, will eclipse it. To see more, visit Home – Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce.

The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!

and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.