Pig racing was a hit at the Carroll County fair two years ago. The fair is devoted to youth and their achievements. (Sun file photo / July 24, 2003)
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Westminster venues
For more to see and do in Wesminster, check out this list.And, read our neighborhood profile.
In Westminster, football and the county fair are the ticket to fun in late July.
The Super Bowl XXXV champion Baltimore Ravens hold their summer training camp at the city's McDaniel College. The Carroll County 4-H/FFA Fair takes place on the other side of town at the Carroll County Agriculture Center.
Both events offer free admission and attract droves of fans.
The fair kicks off Saturday morning with 4-H exhibits and activities, a garden-tractor pull and entertainment. The seven-day event continues through Aug. 1 with livestock shows, nightly entertainment, a mule pull, the county farm queen contest, a cake auction and a popular all-you-can eat pit beef and pork dinner. Children's Day, scheduled Tuesday, includes activities, entertainment and crafts for kids to make and take home from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Senior Citizen's Day on July 31 offers a social hour at 1:30 p.m. and a Grandparent's Contest at 6:30 p.m. (Winners have already been selected according to the essays their grandchildren submitted earlier this summer.)
The Carroll fair is one of just a handful of fairs left in the region that hold true to the tradition of county fairs: The focus is solely on youth and their achievements since the fair doesn't have a flashy carnival midway.
The Ravens Training Camp opens early Monday. The camp is serious business for the team and its fans, and it's one of the few places in today's highly structured world of professional athletics that the two groups mingle freely. Fans can meet the players and get autographs (let the kids go first, the team advises), watch the team run drills and get a gander at the Ravens' newest members, including 2003 first-round draft picks Terrell Suggs and Kyle Boller.
There's a fan zone with all sorts of football-related activities, a junior training camp and even a team store selling memorabilia on site. Training camp runs through Aug. 19.
Football and the fair are not the only reasons to come to Westminster, however. The Carroll County seat is home to a thriving downtown historic district steeped in Civil War history. Corbit's Charge - a minor skirmish that some believe helped shape the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg - took place in Westminster. There are markers around town, self-guided walking-tour brochures are available, and the city is featured on the state's newest Civil War driving trail.
Attractions
Bear Branch Nature Center (300 John Owings Road, 410-848-2517): Nature center with live animal exhibits, hiking trails and small lake. Extensive schedule of workshops for kids and adults includes nature crafts, planetarium shows, canoe games, yoga and camp-outs.
Carroll County Farm Museum (500 S. Center St., 410-876-2667): The county's former almshouse is now a museum offering a glimpse of how farm families lived in Carroll's past. Coming events include afternoon teas and the Maryland Wine Festival in September.
Carroll County Historical Society (210 E. Main St., 410-848-6494): Exhibition hall, research library, bookstore and gifts with a historical Carroll County theme. Closed after noon Saturday and on Sunday.
Carroll County Summer Farmers Market (Carroll County Ag Center, 700 Agriculture Center Drive, 410-848-7748): Crafts, baked goods, produce, flowers and weekly demonstrations by market vendors. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through Sept. 6 excluding this Saturday and Aug. 2 because of the 4-H/FFA Fair.
Downtown Westminster Farmer's Market (city parking lot at Railroad Avenue [Route 27], 410-848-5294): Produce, plants and more. 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through October.
Union Mills Homestead (3311 Littlestown Pike, 410-848-2288): Union and Confederate troops camped here (on alternate nights) as they marched toward Gettysburg. Property includes historic house and grist mill. Annual Old-Fashioned Corn Roast Festival set for Aug. 2.
Where to shop
Pennsylvania Dutch Market (Route 140 and Route 97, 410-876-8100): Pennsylvania Amish bring furniture, quilts and food to Westminster every week. Forty-five vendors include non-Amish antiques and collectibles dealers and others. Open Thursday through Saturday.
Stitches of Westminster (25 E. Main St., 800-772-2162): A wealth of supplies for knitting, cross-stitching, embroidery and ornamental threadwork along with a schedule of classes for learning the proper techniques. Closed Sundays.
Coffey Music (31 E. Main St., 410-876-1045): Handcrafted Paul Reed Smith guitars, Pearl drums and keyboards and amplifiers galore. Sheet music ranges from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Ricky Nelson. Closed Sundays.
Locust Books (9 E. Main St., 410-876-1620): The independent bookseller lives! Don't miss the great collection of regional cookbooks as well as philosophy ranging from the wisdom of Patti LaBelle to Winnie the Pooh. Closed Sundays.
The Super Bowl XXXV champion Baltimore Ravens hold their summer training camp at the city's McDaniel College. The Carroll County 4-H/FFA Fair takes place on the other side of town at the Carroll County Agriculture Center.
Both events offer free admission and attract droves of fans.
The fair kicks off Saturday morning with 4-H exhibits and activities, a garden-tractor pull and entertainment. The seven-day event continues through Aug. 1 with livestock shows, nightly entertainment, a mule pull, the county farm queen contest, a cake auction and a popular all-you-can eat pit beef and pork dinner. Children's Day, scheduled Tuesday, includes activities, entertainment and crafts for kids to make and take home from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Senior Citizen's Day on July 31 offers a social hour at 1:30 p.m. and a Grandparent's Contest at 6:30 p.m. (Winners have already been selected according to the essays their grandchildren submitted earlier this summer.)
The Carroll fair is one of just a handful of fairs left in the region that hold true to the tradition of county fairs: The focus is solely on youth and their achievements since the fair doesn't have a flashy carnival midway.
The Ravens Training Camp opens early Monday. The camp is serious business for the team and its fans, and it's one of the few places in today's highly structured world of professional athletics that the two groups mingle freely. Fans can meet the players and get autographs (let the kids go first, the team advises), watch the team run drills and get a gander at the Ravens' newest members, including 2003 first-round draft picks Terrell Suggs and Kyle Boller.
There's a fan zone with all sorts of football-related activities, a junior training camp and even a team store selling memorabilia on site. Training camp runs through Aug. 19.
Football and the fair are not the only reasons to come to Westminster, however. The Carroll County seat is home to a thriving downtown historic district steeped in Civil War history. Corbit's Charge - a minor skirmish that some believe helped shape the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg - took place in Westminster. There are markers around town, self-guided walking-tour brochures are available, and the city is featured on the state's newest Civil War driving trail.
Carroll County Farm Museum (500 S. Center St., 410-876-2667): The county's former almshouse is now a museum offering a glimpse of how farm families lived in Carroll's past. Coming events include afternoon teas and the Maryland Wine Festival in September.
Carroll County Historical Society (210 E. Main St., 410-848-6494): Exhibition hall, research library, bookstore and gifts with a historical Carroll County theme. Closed after noon Saturday and on Sunday.
Carroll County Summer Farmers Market (Carroll County Ag Center, 700 Agriculture Center Drive, 410-848-7748): Crafts, baked goods, produce, flowers and weekly demonstrations by market vendors. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through Sept. 6 excluding this Saturday and Aug. 2 because of the 4-H/FFA Fair.
Downtown Westminster Farmer's Market (city parking lot at Railroad Avenue [Route 27], 410-848-5294): Produce, plants and more. 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through October.
Union Mills Homestead (3311 Littlestown Pike, 410-848-2288): Union and Confederate troops camped here (on alternate nights) as they marched toward Gettysburg. Property includes historic house and grist mill. Annual Old-Fashioned Corn Roast Festival set for Aug. 2.
Stitches of Westminster (25 E. Main St., 800-772-2162): A wealth of supplies for knitting, cross-stitching, embroidery and ornamental threadwork along with a schedule of classes for learning the proper techniques. Closed Sundays.
Coffey Music (31 E. Main St., 410-876-1045): Handcrafted Paul Reed Smith guitars, Pearl drums and keyboards and amplifiers galore. Sheet music ranges from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Ricky Nelson. Closed Sundays.
Locust Books (9 E. Main St., 410-876-1620): The independent bookseller lives! Don't miss the great collection of regional cookbooks as well as philosophy ranging from the wisdom of Patti LaBelle to Winnie the Pooh. Closed Sundays.
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