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NOVEMBER 2017 | Vol. 22 | Issue 11
www.thecatoctinbanner.com Your Good News Community Newspaper, Serving Northern Frederick County, Maryland, Since 1995
Catoctin Colorf est
For Kids, Young and Old
Grace Eyler
Friday, October 13, 2017,
marked the beginning of the 54
th
Catoctin Colorfest weekend in
Thurmont. On this morning,
the streets were busy with locals
snagging a great deal at the yard
sales that were set up all over town.
The town had started to bustle.
Some locals were preparing for
the busy weekend by getting their
errands done early to avoid the clog
of crowds expected to attend the
festivities beginning early Saturday
morning. Vendors were seen
throughout town setting up their
own temporary storefronts. Some
even set up camp. After a few rainy
days leading up to the weekend, the
forecast was showing sun.
By Saturday morning, the crisp
fall air and overcast skies snuggled
the area, still with no chance of rain.
By 9:00 a.m., the sidewalks were
busy on Church Street with families
and their children, or groups of
friends, walking purposefully in
the same direction—towards the
center of town. Individual people
disappeared and many became a
crowd as they swarmed in search of
great finds like hand-crafted items,
gifts, and home decor, or delicious
food from diverse vendors.
For some ladies, Colorest is a
chance for a “girls day” while they
carried wooden tables, bags and
carts of home decor down the street.
Children passed by with colorful
painted faces while indulging in
funnel cakes. Thurmont Mayor John
Kinnaird cruised the streets, kindly
offering a ride on his red “Mayor
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Photo by Grace Eyler
Mandy and Sophia Stebbing proudly display wood carvings at their Joe
Stebbing Sculptures booth during Colorfest.
Mobile” golf cart to those walking a answered questions about the
distance. carvings from intrigued customers.
By the time visitors had passed As she enjoyed an oversized snow
the square, the aromas of the unique cone, Sophia exclaimed, “I love
food vendors filled the air. Just Colorfest! I love seeing all of the
around the turn, on Frederick Road, different vendors and what they
area local Scott Haines beamed with have to offer…and the snow cones
excitement for the first day of the across the street are delicious,” she
festival. In the spot that was once added, pointing to the trailer.
occupied by “Gertie’s Hot Sauce At the entrance of the grand
Pretzels,” he and his dad, Allen, sold Catoctin Colorfest at the Thurmont
wooden handmade Maryland flags. Community Park, people waited
“I still flip the Gertie’s neon sign on, patiently for one of the Thurmont
just to have people come up and ask Community Ambulance Company’s
(his dad Allen) about the pretzels,” famous apple dumplings. Some
Scott laughed. attendees make it their single goal
Across from the park, the to purchase one of these fresh
Stebbing Family displayed a wooden desserts. “Every year I’ve come
forest of beautiful handmade to Colorfest, I don’t leave until
sculptures. Locals Mandy Stebbing I’ve had a dumpling,” explained
and her daughter, Sophia, busily Brittney Wivell, as she enjoyed her
dumpling while touring the craft
tents.
In the middle of the park, Scott
Residential Customer
Hornbaker, a craftsman from St.
Mary’s, Georgia, displayed his
301-447-2804
wrought iron hummingbird feeder
www.TheCatoctinBanner.com
hooks. He said he looks forward
Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727
515B East Main Street
to Colorfest every year, “It’s great,
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I can even camp out behind my
booth.”
Right down the path, local writer
and author, Jim Rada, and his son,
Sam Rada, sold Jim’s books. By
mid-Sunday, Diaries of Catoctin had
sold out. Jim took the opportunity
to sneak off and do a little shopping
of his own while Sam (age fifteen),
manned the booth and greeted the
interested customers. “I love the fact
that everything is handmade. You
can see some really beautiful stuff
here,” Sam reflected, as he showed
his appreciation for a steampunk
style necklace he purchased earlier in
the day. It’s like early Christmas for
Jim. He returned with a new small
metal figurine of a time machine that
was made by a neighboring vendor.
Even though the Radas have only
been setting up for three years at
Colorfest, they’ve been attending
for nine years. Jim makes sure he
gets a new little metal robot for his
collection every year.
Criswell Auto made space for a
variety of vendors, while also taking
the opportunity to display the best
of their new vehicles. As husbands
would gather around the decked-out
trucks, their wives would meander
into the nearby craft tents. You’d
even hear a few razz their husbands,
“We aren’t here to buy a new
truck,” as they moved on to the next
place.
Away from the main Colorfest
drag, crowds traveled around
Thurmont’s Memorial Park over to
East Main Street. Hobb’s Hardware
housed several vendors, including
locals John and Kathy Dowling of
Old Field Woodworking. Brenda
Rigby, an enthused Colorfest
attendee, makes it a point to visit
their display every year. She said,
“It’s a great chance to get friends
together; we’ve made a tradition
… Story continued on page 16