In 2022, Maggie Bienefeld was a recently divorced mother of five children, unable to provide a place to live for her family. Eventually she moved into a friend’s basement but knew that wasn’t a solution.

As spring emerges in Frederick County, we are all heading outside to enjoy the lovely weather, a nice hike and maybe even enjoy some of the renowned outdoor dining.

“The king of instruments” is how Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart described the pipe organ. Standing beneath the nearly complete organ at Calvary United Methodist Church, with many of its nearly 3,000 pipes climbing two stories above the pulpit, it is easy to see why the composer felt that way.

The music of KIX has been heard across the country and around the world. Even deep below. “When my husband was in the Navy and on a submarine, he had a Walkman and he took their cassettes with him,” says Chary Varkalis, a longtime fan. “So, KIX has been played at many leagues under the sea.”

Andy Bennett reaches into a pile of reed-thin plant stalks and fine fiber sitting on the floor in his barn. To the uninitiated, this could be straw or hay or many other plants grown on Frederick County farms. To the initiated, it is hemp.

The great designs of the world—from the sublime cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris to the bucolic Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece Fallingwater—are rarely based on cautious ideas. Architectural swagger still takes place today, perhaps in less-noticeable measures. 

As a youngster living in New Jersey, Eric Byrd recalls his father coming home from work, sitting with The Philadelphia Inquirer and listening to the records of Earl Gardner and other jazz greats.

My friend Becky has a special affection for Switzerland, starting with the Brown Swiss cows her family once raised, her selection as the 1982 National Swiss Miss and her wedding in the Alps. Years ago, she heard about Helvetia, this speck of a village in West Virginia settled by Swiss immigrants shortly after the Civil War.

There are fans of musical groups and then there are actual “friends of the band.” The latter would unquestionably be true of Frederick resident Patricia Simons, whose love for the American western music and the singing group Sons of the Pioneers reaches back to the 1950s, when at the age of 5 she saw her first rodeo…

Take a look at any menu throughout Maryland and you’re sure to find crab, crab cakes, crab dip, crab pretty much anywhere it works. But more than just that little blue crustacean, you’ll find fantastic seafood of all varieties on the menus here in Frederick County.

Eighty years ago, the Museum of Frederick County History was born. In 1944, Heritage Frederick, then known as the Historical Society of Frederick County, acquired its first property, the historic Steiner House on West Patrick Street.

In a city full of world-class museums and art galleries, the newly reopened National Museum of Women in the Arts is unique. It is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts.

Beyond Frederick’s art circles, Florence Doub might not be so well known. She should be.

It’s hard to fathom, but 35 years ago, residential curbside recycling in Frederick County was nonexistent. At the time, residents only had garbage collection three times a week. Linda Norris-Waldt oversaw the launch the county’s recycling program.

It arrived in pieces. In a heap, really. If it hadn’t been for the quick thinking of the Delphey Harley-Davidson dealership, it might never have survived at all. The staff there had the foresight to move the vintage 1929 bike to higher ground just before Hurricane Agnes hit in 1972. The shop on West Patrick Street along Carroll Creek was, like most of its neighbors at the time, inundated with water.

For Julie Gaver, the greenhouse at her Meadow Branch Farm in Myersville is a refuge during the bleak winter months.

Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. At least, it feels that way. Secularly, “St. Paddy’s Day” is an excuse to share good cheer and camaraderie while indulging with something tasty. It’s commemorated with colorful parades, lively dances and flowing music. For the faithful, the Feast of Saint Patrick is a story of bravery, undaunting spirit and overcoming evil. Either way, it’s an opportunity to celebrate…

Machelle Lee and her husband, Eric Lindland, moved to Brunswick in 2015. They had previously lived in numerous places in the United States and overseas and were living near Washington, D.C, when they found Brunswick.

Baltimore—Most Fredericktonians are quite familiar with Francis Scott Key, or at least they know he authored the national anthem. Key’s name and likeness can be found throughout Frederick County, from minor league baseball uniforms and a radio station to the names of local businesses and social organizations. His final resting place is…

Thurmont— This town is known for its wildly popular festivals, its nearby and newsworthy presidential retreat, and its natural beauty, surrounded by Catoctin Mountain and all the myriad outdoor activities available there, including daytrip hotspots like neighboring orchards and wineries. There’s even a zoo. Now, Scott Austin, CEO of Gulf Group LLC, wants to make the town a destination for dining.