It's been a while since I came to the Howard country fair. I made time to come today. The events…read moreare the fair were fun and worth coming for that. My favorite event today was the tractor race. What I dislike is the food prices. The food stands were charging so much money for low quality food.

It's Gem Show time. The Howard County Fairground hosts one of the smaller size gem show several…read moretimes a year, in comparison to the Gem & Jewelry shows in Chantilly and Timonium. The reason I prefer to come to this one is because there are more miners at this show instead of jewelers. The fairground indoor space is limited with restrooms both inside and outside. And 1 food stand open most of the time that sells burgers and hotdogs, very limited options and not the best of deal for $8 . Parking has always been an issue for this fairground hence the grass area are normally open to parking options. However, after the rain it always creates a very nasty situation. Definitely fun to visit during events, just be aware of the conditions.

Representing a 4th of July visit is Merriweather Post Pavilion. I won tickets to M3 Music…read moreFestival, which then was 4th of July weekend, which was a Sunday in 2021. I had been here multiple times over the years. This is a nice venue with a lot of great musicians here. I've eaten here on a couple of occasions, but standard overpriced foods. Chicken tenders were pretty good as I recall. But I generally will try to eat beforehand. In the 4th of July example, it was actually a 1st date of several that summer, and we met at Mod Pizza beforehand by Columbia Mall and walked over from there. Coincidentally, my girlfriend & I are probably going to Mod Pizza this Friday, 7/3 before seeing Young Washington (very apropos for America 250) & Lucky Strike (about an American hero during World War II). The first time I ever went was in July 2015. I won tickets to see Sam Smith, no not a friend of mine I know, but the excellent musician. Wow, that was an awesome show. And I was impressed with the venue. Back then, I lived in VA, and my date lived further out in VA on the far side of Centreville, west of VA-28. I picked her up and drove in lots of traffic to get there, but it was worth it for my very first visit to Merriweather. Even though the concert was in 2015, I had met her in summer 2013 at an event. We went on one date in July 2013; she was kind of weird and one of the most right-wing women I've ever gone on a date with. I don't think she was high on my list, but she was the one who said yes to see Sam Smith. I will say I had a better time on this July 2015 date, but the backdrop of Merriweather & awesome Sam Smith helped boost this date. Other noteworthy visits were a couple of visits in summer 2019 with a girlfriend of mine at the time. For 11 months from April 2019 to March 2020, I had a membership on INWEGO, which was an events based platform, where you paid a monthly fee for 1, 3, or 5 events in a month. I often stuck with the middle priced 3 events per month. A couple of the events were at Merriweather, Third Eye Blind & Pentatonix. Also, I went with a woman I was interested in June 2022. She had invited me, and this was one of the rare times I paid for a concert, but it was Tears for Fears, which was great! I had more good luck in summer 2024 with winning concert tickets, with my girlfriend, 2 of which were at Merriweather, which Alanis Morrisette & Glass Animals were great! Most times I've been on the Lawn but a couple of times won seats. Seats are better because they are closer and covered if it rains. Lawn is still a good vantage point, but can be crowded and hard to find a good spot to lay a blanket down. Also, they do a great job on the concert lighting here, with the best example being my most recent example, the Glass Animals show. In summary, Merriweather is a great venue with great musicians.

I came here for concerts before such as Weekend in the Country but I always wondered what would…read morehappen if this venue was used for a big event for sports fans? I was able to test that theory out because I'm a season ticket holder for the Ravens and I was able to see a different view of the Merriweather Post Pavillion. Happy to say this venue still holds up really well! The parking situation can be extremely tricky and a headache but thankfully the Ravens managed to provide free parking in a parking garage in the Merriweather district near one of the Pavilion's entrances (I think it's the West enterance(?) I know there's a big bridge and trail you can follow).

Pros - fun for younger kids (think toddler aged), smooth flow of traffic, pretty lights, and you…read moreget to tune into a specific radio station to listen to Christmas music during the ride Cons - it's a very short ride. For $20, I guess I was expecting at least a half hour drive. The music didn't sync with the lights which I thought would have been cool. It just wasn't as extravagant as I expected. I don't think I would have paid more than $10 for it had I known how short the ride was. But the youngster had fun and that's all that matters!

For what it's worth I had a good time. My daughter wants to come see the Christmas lights so I…read morepurchased tickets on event bright for $20 to attend. I went on a Tuesday evening and the light display opens at six I arrived at around 5:30 PM and had a little bit of a wait. They did open the display probably 15 minutes early. The line moves very quickly and we were able to see is the light show in a reasonable amount of time. I remember seeing it in the past and it was a little bit longer before they did all of the construction on the Meriwether property. Now it's pretty condensed and you weave through the actual where actual Merriweather post pavilion and lawn. Took approximately 10 minutes to go through the entire light this way. They recommended you go to the radio station to listen to their Christmas music. I found a little annoying with all of the advertisements that they had on that station so I opted to just use my Amazon music app and play Christmas music through my car radio. Overall I had a good time and my daughter enjoyed it which was the most important part. Something nice to do during Covid when you can't really be out socializing. They have a website where you can go to you and see the estimated wait time for a particular day. As it gets closer to the Christmas holiday I think the lines will continue to get longer and longer.

Going strong for 41 years - Korean Festival was very impressive with over hundred booths, huge…read morestage, plenty of parking and FREE entrance. Many vendors were giving free bottles of water. It was more business oriented then food oriented which tells about strong and well organized Korean diaspora in MD. Strange thing was that I did not see smoke anywhere, as all food was made in small pots and smaller grills located way back in their booths. There was a booth to learn about Korean culture (+) and dozen food vendors (Korean and non-Korean) (+), plenty stuff for small kids to jump in (+), but the eating area was too small (-). It would be great if the eating area would be doubled (that would be more enjoyable for everybody). I had octopus balls and two different kinds of fried chicken that was truly delicious. All that was completed with the Korean beer. The entertainment was a standard and good (Martial arts + classical dance + K-pop and hip hop artists). It would be even better if larger food area would have a view to the stage like it is usually done. Great festival and strong community!

The best Greek Festival in town. I didn't feel like cooking and saw this big Greek Festival sign…read moreand pulled in. Was I ever surprised. Not only did I get my dinner, I found advice from Aunt Voula, wine and music. For a great time head to the Greek Festival.

55th Annual Greek Festival of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church of DC is my 7th…read morelocal Greek festival that I visited and reviewed. It was A-OK. The litmus test of the cost of beer ($5 for Mythos) passed (not $7 like DC). Unfortunately, a half of the fun is opening the bottle and having it there, but at this festival it had to be poured in the plastic cup by the bar personnel. The food was good. The Greek Ladies have prepared their authentic Greek fare using recipes passed down from generation to generation and producing a menu of Greek favorites like, Moussaka, Pastitsio, Manestra, and Spanakopita as well as succulent Greek pastries such as, Baklava, Galaktobouriko, Diples and Kourambiethes. Unfortunately, the cost was sometimes not justified - $4 for a small hand of the french fries is a lot - even it is "for the church." The picture shows two portions of french fries that I combined in one. The Greek sausages did not meet my expectations - yes, they were lemony and a lot of spice in them but the consistency was too soft and the final mix of taste was not impressive. Not much choice in the deserts department but the credit goes to cook for the excellent Galaktobouriko and Kataifi desserts. There was not any entertainment program going on for 60 minutes I spent there and that was a big downside, where on the other festival you have either bigger market (Bethesda) or non-stop entertainment (Annapolis). The average crowd was mostly retirees but never the less more diverse then at many other festivals. There is no entrance fee and the parking is free.

I've came here few times with my family and loved each time! This place is so cute and cozy. All…read morethe staff are so friendly and welcoming. You don't have to an expert to take their group classes. It's all about having wonderful time with your loved ones! It's super easy to register for classes online. The sessions get booked quickly so register early. You have to register and pay color and glazing separately. It's no included in the first pottery session. There's a big parking lot which free across the street which makes it easy to get to. Absolutely recommend.

Clay ground was a cool experience. I've never done pottery before so I thought I'd press my luck…read more Book in advance if you need to go on a specific day as they book quickly. I did the mud & merlot class. Interesting name as there was no merlot lol. I'm not sure if it's BYOB but no one was drinking which is fine because I don't drink myself. I'm not sure where one would place their bottle or glass anyway. Anywho, didn't care for the teacher. She rushed through explaining what to do. Thankfully there were assistants who helped the group as needed. So you do have to come back for a separate class to glaze your pottery. I'm not sure if that was explained in the initial booking. Parking is non existent in Ellicott city. Please plan your trip well.

Had an absolute blast at the Howard County Fair this year! If you're looking for classic summer fun…read morewith something for everyone, this is the place to go. Every few steps there's another stand serving up something amazing - funnel cakes, fresh-squeezed lemonade, BBQ, fried Oreos, and so much more. I had a fantastic corn dog, I recommend to all! The rides looked super fun too - great for kids and thrill-seekers alike. Walking through the exhibit halls was so fun. We saw blue-ribbon vegetables, gorgeous handmade quilts, incredible photography, baked goods, crafts. Everything is labeled by age group too, so you get to see amazing work from all generations. Parking was easy (they have plenty of parking and staff facilitating that), staff were super friendly, and it felt safe and welcoming for families, date nights, or solo wanderers like me just looking for that perfect summer vibe.

What a wonderful time. Lots of parking and very spacious venue for this gem show…read more I'm happy to learn so much about stones. So many knowledgeable folks knowing the stories behind the stones . Happy with some items purchased. Nice time . Nice restroom too.