With temperatures expected to climb into the upper 70s and low 80s over the next week, there is plenty to do outdoors in Howard County. Summer movie nights are kicking off and a brand new farmer’s market in Savage opens this week.
Valley Mede food truck
4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. generally, Thursdays
Ellicott City’s Valley Mede neighborhood hosts food trucks nearly every Thursday of the year to highlight local small businesses. The various trucks set up shop on Michaels Way near Longview Drive. Thursday, enjoy crab cakes and cream of crab soup from Flash Crabcake Company.
Patapsco Heritage Greenway stream cleanup
9 a.m. to noon, Saturday
Help clean up the Plumtree Branch Stream with Patapsco Heritage Greenway and Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake on Saturday morning. The stream runs between Resurrection-St. Paul School (3155 Paulskirk Drive, Ellicott City) and the Home Depot.
What to know before going: wear layers and close-toed shoes, and bring a refillable water bottle.
Kalinka Dance Ensemble spring performance
6 p.m. Saturday
Enjoy a night of traditional folk dances with the Kalinka Dance Ensemble. Celebrating the end of its 22nd season, ensemble dancers will take the stage and perform dances from Greece, Georgia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Poland, Tatarstan and the Ukraine. The dancers, ages 6 to 50-plus, represent more than 20 nationalities and ethnicities.
Saturday’s performance is at the Slayton House in Columbia. Tickets are $25 per person, plus fees.
Wine Bin Summer Movie Night
9 p.m. Saturday
Have you somehow still not seen the 2023 summer blockbuster “Barbie”? Or have you seen it once, twice, 10 times and want to watch it again? Well either way, you’re in luck. The Wine Bin is kicking off its annual summer movie nights on Saturday with a showing of the “Barbie” movie.
The Bin is hosting free movie nights on most Saturdays from this weekend through Oct. 5. Moviegoers can purchase snacks and libations from the Bin, or folks can bring takeout from a local restaurant on Main Street.
Before the feature film begins, there are wine tastings in the shop and live music. So, get your family or friends, grab a blanket or beach chair and enjoy a movie at The Wine Bin. One planning note, the Bin’s parking lot closes 90 minutes before the flick begins.
DoodleHATCH Festival
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday-Monday
Looking for some family fun this holiday weekend? Check out the DoodleHATCH Festival in Columbia. The festival, which runs throughout Memorial Day weekend at the DoodleHATCH Interactive Art Museum in the Long Reach Village Center, will have arts and crafts, kid-friendly activities, vendors and more.
Entertainment and activity events include puppet shows, animals, theatre and musical performances and sword fights.
Vendors for this year’s festival include The Charmery, Fairy Hair in Maryland and Simply Whimsical Art.
Tickets are $15 per person and are split between morning and afternoon time slots. Parking is free.
Harriet Tubman Memorial Day Ceremony
7:30 a.m. Monday
The Harriet Tubman Memorial Day Ceremony will be marked bright and early Monday morning. Hosted by the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center in Columbia, guests include Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and the Howard County Marine Corps League Detachment 1084 and the Howard High School Junior ROTC Unit.
This annual event features speeches, a flag raising and an awards ceremony. A former Harriet Tubman School student who is now a veteran will be honored.
The Harriet Tubman School opened in 1949 as the county’s only Black high school. The school closed when the county desegregated. In 2022, the former school building became the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center.
Savage Farmers Market opening day
3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays
A new farmers market is opening in Howard County on Wednesday. Folks can now shop weekly all summer long at the Savage Farmers Market at Baldwin Common.
The market will run from May 29 to Aug. 28, with the expectation of being closed on Juneteenth. Market hours are 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Vendors for the inaugural Savage Farmers Market season include Boyd Cru Wines, Backyard Apiaries, Indigo & Ivy Farm and Sweet Secrets Bakery.
