by Madison Lawson
When you hear the word autumn, what comes to mind? Football games, cozy sweaters, radiant bonfires, crunchy leaves, or maybe delectable pumpkin spice lattes? Yes, that’s right… PUMPKIN SPICE! Frederick County, as small as it may be, continues this fall-tastic tradition with various community/family events. Listed here are 5 great local events that will make you FALL in love with this upcoming season.
- Kicking the season off right: “In The Streets” is a popular annual tradition that started almost 35 years ago in 1983! In The Streets began as a way to celebrate the reopening of Market Street, generating about 10,000 visitors at first. Nowadays, this event gets an average of 70,000 guests, along with entertainment, delicious grub, charities, and the promotion of local arts/businesses. This year, In The Streets is on Saturday, September 12th, from 11 am to 5 pm. Don’t miss it!
In The Streets is one of the most popular Frederick community events, gathering thousands of visitors.
- If crowds are not your thing, try grabbing a close friend and participating in the “Get it Downtown Scavenger Hunt” instead! Poems and riddles will be posted, and it is up to you to solve each clue and take selfies with the object the clue is describing. Anyone interested in this event on October 6th must sign up through the Downtown Frederick Partnership (see Facebook for more details). All selfies will be submitted via email, and the winner will be announced shortly afterwards; the crazier the selfie, the better!
- Speaking of crazy, Downtown Frederick is once again hosting the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” charity run, where men dress up in high heels and parade down Market Street. As hilarious as it sounds, this event is actually used to raise awareness for rape, sexual assault, and gender violence. They always say, “You can never understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes,” and in this case, men are using this comical opportunity to educate and unite the community about a very serious subject. This event will be held on October 10th, from 1 pm to 4 pm. Check-in is at noon that day, and the walk will begin at Carroll Creek Pavilion.
An officer stops traffic as a group of confident men cross the street in heels!
- For all my competitive Frederick friends out there, on Saturday October 17th, the Downtown Partnership is hosting the second annual Cornhole Classic. If you think you’ve gotten this backyard barbeque pastime down, grab a partner and enter for a chance to win $150! First place wins cash with a custom set of cornhole boards and a whole lot of bragging rights! Second place wins $100 and third wins $50; spectators may enter and watch for free!
- Finally, when anyone pictures October they immediately think of 3 words: Trick or Treat! Of course Downtown wouldn’t miss the opportunity to put on one fantastic evening for the kids! On Saturday October 24th, families from all over can spend the evening collecting Kit-Kats, Hershey’s, Twizzlers, Snickers, and many other candies from the local proprietors. In addition to all the tooth-aching chocolates, take this time to walk around and appreciate all the spooky decorations made by local artists.
If you ever find yourself bored within the next two months, you are doing something wrong! Downtown Frederick has ensured a festive setting, where the community can come together and celebrate the season of autumn. So bundle up in your coziest scarf and get outside; the leaves won’t fall forever!
Photos courtesy of The Gazette and Planning.org
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