• Alive @ Five kicks off tomorrow (Thursday the 10th) with the Golden Butter Band. Admission is $5, all events are 21+ ONLY and take place from 5-8pm.
• Pints & the Past is a new series from The Historical Society of Frederick County for anyone interested in getting together to chat about history. It starts this Thursday, May 10th, 7:00 p.m. at the Mayor’s Office at Brewer’s Alley Restaurant. The first topic is a discussion on Freemasonry’s many different stances toward the consumption of liquor and beer, from the earliest recorded meetings in British taverns, to dry lodges during the American Temperance Movement, and varied policies on the use of alcohol by North American Grand Lodges today.
• Bark in the Park takes place on Saturday, May 12th from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the Utica District Park. Dogs will have an opportunity to run free in one of the off-leash areas, test their skills on the agility course, participate in doggie contests, and make new friends. Cover is $5 and there is a limit of 2 dogs per owner.
• The Maryland Craft Beer Festival takes place on Saturday, May 12th from Noon - 6:00 p.m. at the Eventplex at the Great Frederick Fair grounds. Check their site for ticket information.
• The Frederick Celtic Festival takes place on Saturday, May 12th from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. at the Mt. Airy Fire Dept. Fairgrounds. The event includes bands, Scottish Dancing, Pipe Bands, Demonstrations, Highland Games with professional and amateur athletes. Check their site for ticket information.
• And this Saturday kicks off Frederick Beer Week.

For more events check out the Frederick Tourism site or the Frederick Community Calendar. Please feel free to share any events in the comments as well.

This year the West Frederick Farmer’s Market will sound the first opening bell of the season on May 5, 2012 at 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

The market will be hosting 27 vendors this season packed full with all of the town’s favorite fruits, vegetables, baked goods, fresh meats, pottery, jewelry, plants, and other various crafters. Vendors are getting ready for the last push this week as they prepare for the first Saturday market.

Every year the farmers market continues to grow as the people of Frederick begin to realize the value of buying fresh from the local farmer’s and in turn supporting the local economy. Last year, The West Frederick Farmer’s Market participated in the American Farmland Trust’s America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest placing 3^rd in the state and 15^th in the nation, a testament to the ever growing devotion of its consumers.

This year expect to see many of the same of vendors, live music, special events, a couple of contests, lots of fresh food, fun, and a nice long season to reap all of the benefits that the market has to offer.

Here is a link to the West Frederick Farmer’s Market’s Facebook page.

The West Frederick Farmer’s Market is located on Baughman’s Lane off Route 40 and is open every Saturday until mid-November.

In between there are classes, tastings, and even a scavenger hunt. For a full listing of events go to Frederick Beer Week’s website and follow @fredbeerwk on Twitter.

For a full listing of  bands and other activities visit the Downtown Frederick Partnership’s Website.

When: Saturday, April 21, or Sunday, April 22, 2012, noon to 6 p.m. each day

Tickets: $25.00 at the gate. $30.00 with advantage wine card (tasting of 14 premium wines).

To see scheduled entertainment, participating wineries, and buy tickets online go to frederickwinetrail.com.

It looks like a brand new place

Corned Beef Hash: Poached Eggs, Asparagus, Brandied Peppercorn Sabayon

Chicken Fried Steak, England Acres Beef, Peppered Egg and Lemon Sauce, Braised Cabbage, Hash Browns. Stone Ground Goat Cheese Grits on the right. House Made Scrapple on the side.

Jess also sent along the menu (pdf), though it could change often. She and her husband, James said the food was excellent and the scrapple was amazing. Can’t wait to get there to try it out myself.

• April 12th – The Cellar Door @ 102 N Market Street
• April 19th – Magoo’s Pub & Eatery @ 1-A W Second Street
• April 26th – The Wine Kitchen @ 50 Carroll Creek Way

All Happy Hours take place from 5-7:30pm on Thursday afternoons and have a cover of $5.

The Keys have added a few events to their Promotional Schedule including:

For the first time in Keys history, Harry Grove Stadium will welcome the Cowboy Monkey Rodeo to town on June 22nd during Fredneck Night. Also, continuing a yearly tradition, the Keys will have WWE Hall-of-Fame member “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan at the ballpark on July 27th.

Heritage nights are a new addition to the schedule this year as the Keys will have Celtic Night (April 17th), Hispanic Celebration Night (May 9th), Greek/Olympic Night (July 18th) and German Heritage Night, which features a Beer Passport (August 23rd).

The season will kick-off on Friday, April 6th at 7:00pm with the first Fireworks show following the final out. Overall, the Keys will feature 22 Fireworks shows this season. Opening weekend will include an appearance by NHL Hall-of-Famer and former Washington Capital Rod Langway (April 7th) and the Keys’ annual Easter Egg Hunt for Kids (April 8th).

On April 27th, former Redskin Lavar Arrington will be in attendance for Football Day. Buzz Lightyear will make a special appearance on April 29th on Disney Day and on May 26th, Milkshake, the popular children’s rock band, will be performing a pre-game concert.

According to this article in the FNP, the food choices have changed a bit at Keys Stadium.

A nearly 2-pound pretzel that can feed three to four people.

A barbecue area with new platters and sides.

A bigger hamburger and a variety of Angus burgers.

The Taste of the Carolina League.

These are just a few of the new foods that will be offered by the Frederick Keys when they open their season on Friday at home against the Salem Red Sox.

“Our responsibility is to our fans. We want them to come in, enjoy our food and be wowed,” said Anita Clarke, general manager of Ovations, which handles the food service at the Keys games. “Our goal is to wow them so they want to return.”

Head on over and “Shake your Keys”!