The Sts. Peter & Paul Greek Festival celebrates Greek customs, food, and culture. Come and experience authentic Greek cuisine, live music, and traditional dance performances by the Parathosi Dance Troupe.

Each year, we feature vendors of beautiful Greek art, jewelry, books, religious icons, and more. Browse our Greek Agora Marketplace. Sample a variety of Greek pastries as well as imported wine and beer.

Our kids’ corner features a moon bounce as well as various games and activities.

We offer free admission, free parking, and we’re open rain or shine – our large overhead tents will keep you dry even if it rains.

The Greek Festival runs Thursday-Sunday May 17, 18th, 19th 20th: 11am to 8pm. Visit the Sts. Peter & Paul website for the full festival schedule.

• Frederick County G8 Summit Information Center – provides useful information for residents, visitors and the media on such issues as traffic, road closures and public safety. You can also get updates from the Information Center’s  Twitter and Facebook pages.
• The Frederick News-Post G8 section – running coverage about the summit.
• Road Closures from Maryland State Police & State Highway Administration – Rt 77 will be closed from Pryor Road on the east side to Tower Road on the west side of the county from approximately 9 am, May 18, until 9 pm, May 19. Catoctin Hollow Road will also be closed at the Cunningham Falls State Park lake area entrance.
• The Tourism Council’s G8 Site – a media resource provided by the Tourism Council of Frederick County and is designed to assist visiting press about the area. It provides useful resources such as royalty free images, video B-roll, area information and story ideas.

Have at it in the comments!

• 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 will be a unique racing event set to take the streets of historic downtown Frederick, Maryland on August 18, 2012. Join cyclists in a ‘high wheel race’ featuring riders with original or replica penny farthing bicycles dating from the late 19th Century. Riders are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to dress in vintage clothing to impress spectators and celebrate these historic machines.

This race will be one-hour criterium (multi-lap) race of high-wheels along a 0.4 mile route through historic downtown Frederick, MD.

The race is a one-hour event with riders staying on one loop for the whole time and the winner being the one who goes the farthest in that hour.  The loop starts at Market and Church, north on Market to west on 2nd Street, south on Record Street and east on W. Church Street (map here).

Registration for riders closes June 1st so if interested, click here for details.

Have at it in the comments!

The view from the top of the Brook Hill Loop trail.

A look at the Thomas Farm trail.

I found these trails on the Frederick County website, which has a nice listing of trails all over the area. Each trail has a downloadable PDF that includes trail length, directions, and a description of wildlife seen near the trail.

Do you have any favorite trails to hike, bike, or run on in the Frederick area? If so, please share them in the comments.

If you are not a runner, the FNP has a good overview of the possible traffic disruptions you may experience on Sunday morning:

Rolling road closures will be in effect for about the first five miles of the race — from Patrick Street to Fairview Avenue — while the Frederick Police Department will block traffic to the streets as runners travel through, then reopen the road once the last participant has passed.

Along the remaining eight miles, streets will be reduced to one lane, allowing traffic to pass during the race.

Ridgway expects the last runner to cross the finish line by 10:15 a.m. Sunday, after which city streets will reopen to traffic.

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.