Bell and History Days

Sponsored by the Tourism Council of Frederick County, this event opens the museum season with participation of all historic sites and museums. It is held the first weekend of April. Special children’s activities, living history demonstrations and free tours of the museum highlight this seasonal Grand Opening.Visitors can interact with living history demonstrators and look at displays and artifacts from 18th Century Maryland. Weather and schedules permitting, a local bell ringing choir may perform.

Beyond the Garden Gates

Featuring both private and public gardens in Frederick's historic district and suburban areas, the tour allows visitors to glimpse some of the city's finest gardens. Local artists can be found illustrating their perspectives of the gardens on canvas at some of the locations. Schifferstadt serves as the rest area and refreshment stop with free tours of the Heritage Garden.

Special Seminars

Topical workshops and lectures focusing on topics which take advantage of the unique window on the French and Indian War era provided by the 250 year old Schifferstadt house or on historic preservation techniques and philosophies are scheduled on occasion during the summer months. Watch the FCLF Home Page for current listings.

Oktoberfest at Schifferstadt

This traditional eating, drinking and dancing festival takes place the third full weekend of October each year, rain or shine. It features a beer tent, German food (wurst from the purveyor to the German Embassy), oompah band, German cultural activities, juried crafts, colonial living history demonstrators and children’s fun. Admission is $3.00 to the Oktoberfest grounds. Tours of the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum are $3.00 (12 and under free) and include special hearth cooking demonstrations.

Museums by Candlelight

This celebration of the winter holiday season rounds out the museum season on the second Saturday of December from 12:00-7:00. Living history demonstrations, wreath-making, music, children’s crafts, and a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch belsnickler take you back in time to holiday life for a colonial German household.

Colonial Days: Living History Event

Visitors will enjoy demonstrations of 18th Century lifestyles, trades, and skills. You are invited to experience frontier camp setups, pioneer cooking, candle-making, blacksmithing, and other Colonial activities. Many demonstrators and vendors have period items for purchase. Additional regular features include architectural tours of the French and Indian War era German farmhouse ($3.00 adults, children free). The event also features light fare and beverages available for purchase. For more information, please call 301-663-3885.

Appropriate to the time period, new demonstrators and vendors are welcome; to participate in this event please see the attached Invitation & Application forms. In 2008, as this is the first annual Colonial Days event, there is no fee for interpreters or vendors. This event is publicized within a 100 mile radius or more, including Baltimore, Hagerstown, Washington, DC, and Gettysburg, PA.