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Good morning {{first name | neighbor}}!
It’s July 4th Weekend and it’s setting up to be a continuation of the hot weather we’ve been experiencing. If you’re going to be outside, drink lots of water, don’t overexert yourself, and stay safe! Here’s information on the HoCo cooling centers during this scorcher.
There are a few 4th of July celebrations locally (the Columbia LakeFront being the biggest local evening event but don’t miss the River Hill parade at 9am) but otherwise events are a bit lower than a typical week because of the holiday.
Also, various HoCo government buildings will be physically closed for Energy Saving Days through today, the 2nd… then, they will be closed for the holidays on Friday. Link explains what will be open, closed, etc.
Here we go!
— Jim Wang

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Latest News
Earth Funeral Opens in Elkridge
In May, Earth Funeral opened its 37,000 square foot facility in Elkridge. Maryland Matters describes it as a “human composting” facility but it turns human remains into a soil-like material. And since opening in May, it has processed 25 bodies. I’m not sure how I feel about this but I think it’s great this option exists.
Maryland Sun Bucks Food Assistance Program
If you qualify, this is a reminder that Maryland is part of the SUN Bucks program and you can get food assistance in the form of $40 for June, July, and August ($120 total). Learn more here.
🗣️ have news you want to share? reply and we may feature it!

Local Business
Reminder: Cheap Summer Movies Are Back! 🍿
Cinemark, AMC, and Regal all have summer movie programs where you can get cheap movie tickets throughout the week:
Cinemark’s Summer Movie Clubhouse from June 1 to August 6 and is $1.75 per movie.
AMC Summer Movie Camp runs rom June 22 to August 12th and are $3 a ticket.
Regal Summer Movie Express runs from June 1 to August 13th and are $1 a ticket.
Reminder: Kids Bowl Free This Summer! 🎳
A bunch of bowling alleys, including Main Event in Columbia, participate in Kids Bowl Free this summer. They have to be between the ages of 2 and 15 and you get two free games per day, per person. If you don’t have bowling shoes, you’ll have to rent them.

Fun Things To Do
As always, confirm events before you go, sometimes they change, get cancelled, etc. especially outdoor events as temps reach triple digits! 🥵
Today
Mix and Mingle Happy Hour @ GameOn! - In your 20s or 30s and looking to make friends other 20s & 30s aged people in and around the Columbia area? Come join for a Columbia Social happy hour at GameOn! We are a very welcoming group looking to connect with others in the area and make friends.
Charm City Run Club w. Black Flag Brewing - All paces welcome for a fun run and or walk, start and end at the store, go for a 2-3 mile run or walk, and receive a coupon for a discount at Black Flag Brewery.
Thursday Trivia in the Loft @ Dive Bar & Grille - Starting at 7pm, Dive Bar and Grille and Charm City Trivia present Thursday Trivia in the Loft.
Trivia Night @ Common Kitchen - Every Thursday starting at 6:30pm with Dan Master Quiz. Prizes to the top three teams of 1-6 people.
Karaoke @ Oversea Distillery - Every Thursday night is Karaoke night at Oversea, starts at 8:30pm.
Union Jack’s Beer Pong Tournament - Hosted by CJ Micah Diggs every Thursday from 10pm-2am, compete for prizes for 1st and 2nd place.
Friday
First Friday @ Manor Hill Brewing - Celebrate the release of Grisette (it’s one of my favorite beers) this holiday weekend with live music all three days.
Summer Sounds Series @ River Hill Village Center - The Summer Sounds Series at Columbia Village Centers is bringing themed nights each month with exciting live music, plus family-friendly activities and more. This week’s performer is Ice Cream Social from 5:30-8:30pm.
Ranazul 250th Anniversary of Independence Buffet & Open Bar - Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from 4-9pm. Buffet consists of grilled beef tenderloin in red wine sauce, sautéed shrimp in butter sauce, crab orzo, crispy chicken, spaghetti, salad, and carrot cake for dessert. $60pp for buffet and open bar, $40pp for just buffet.
Montgomery County 250th: Shine Together - Help ring in Montgomery County’s 250th summer of memories and celebrations at our free fireworks display at Albert Einstein High School with the display starting at approximately 9:15pm.
Elkridge Volunteer Fire Dept. Food Truck Fridays - Every Friday until October 30th, a variety of food trucks will be there from 4:30-7:30pm. They list the food trucks attending each week and it’s usually a very big turnout.
Half Price Fridays @ National Aquarium - After 5pm, enjoy half priced tickets at the National Aquarium all year long.
Karaoke @ The Trolley Stop - Fridays at 9:30pm hosted by Kelly Secret.
Teen Kick Backs (11-17 yrs) @ Various Community Centers - Teens (11-17 years old): Are you looking for a fun way to spend your free time? Come and join us at our community centers for our free drop-in program for teens! There will be free pizza and snacks, sports, video games, and lots of fun. Click through to see when they’re being held and on which day, they’re every Friday and Saturday through August.
Saturday 🎇
26th Annual River Hill Independence Day Parade - River Hill’s Independence Day Parade returns with patriotic fun for all ages at 9am — with one important update. Due to the forecasted extreme heat, this year’s parade will be vehicle‑only to ensure the safety of all participants and spectators. Watch fire trucks, police motorcycles, vintage vehicles, scout troops, sports teams and decorated floats make their way through River Hill while giveaways fly to the crowd.
Howard County's July 4th Fireworks - Head to the Columbia Lakefront for the annual 4th of July fireworks celebration! Enjoy a variety of food trucks, live performances by Chasing Straights and Dom Flemons & The Traveling Wildfires, followed by fireworks around dusk (~9:15pm).
Fulton Farmers Market - The market run by Milk Lady Markets is this Saturday, 10am-2pm, at Sho Nuf Turkey Farm.
Old Ellicott City Farmers Market - The Seasonal Farmers Market at Tiber Park is from 9am to 1pm with nearly a dozen vendors.
Downtown Silver Spring Freshfarm Farmers Market - Veterans Plaza from 9am-1pm, the year round market features local vendors offering everything from seasonal fruits and vegetables to farm-fresh eggs, artisanal breads, goat cheese, meats, honey, cut flowers, pastries, preserves, and more.
KidSpace Movie Night @ Columbia Athletic Club - Kids 4-13 of CA members can enjoy a movie, free activities, pizza, and popcorn from 6pm to 9pm. Unfortunately, CA doesn’t seem to list the movie being shown!
Sunday
National Capitol Kennel Club Dog Show @ HoCo Fairgrounds - The National Capital Kennel Club hosts all-breed dog shows annually as part of the July Independence and October Fall Fest Clusters held at the Howard County Fairgrounds.
Summer Sounds Series @ Harpers Choice Village Center - The Summer Sounds Series at Columbia Village Centers is bringing themed nights each month with exciting live music, plus family-friendly activities and more. This week’s performer is Liberty and Lemonade from 5:30-8:30pm.
Ellicott Distilling Co. Distillery Class - Distill your own bottle of vodka or gin and flavor it with their thousands of flavor combinations or bring your own. Get a custom label, do some trivia, win prizes, eat tacos, and sip on bottomless mimosas! Starts at 10am and ends around 12:30pm.
Upcoming
Preserve and Play Plan Pop-up Event @ Roger Carter CC - Help shape your parks, facilities, and programs offered by Howard County Recreation and Parks. The Preserve + Play Plan is a five-year roadmap for managing and investing in public lands, facilities, open space, and recreation programs across Howard County. We’ll kick things off with a pop-up event at Roger Carter Community Center from 4-6pm on Tuesday, July 7.
July Weekday Butterfly Walk @ HoCo Conservancy 7/7 - Join experts from the Howard County Bird Club for a guided walk around our Mt. Pleasant trails and gardens to learn butterfly identification tips and tricks. Our native plant and pollinator gardens are bursting with flowers that attract butterflies for you to observe.
Yoga in the Park - Every Monday through August 31st, join Columbia Association instructors Mondays at 6pm throughout the summer for FREE yoga sessions at the Chrysalis!
Merriweather Summer Fit Series: Zumba 7/7 - Head to Color Burst Park from 6:30-7:30pm to sweat, stretch, and feel fantastic with our summer fit series lineup with next Tuesday being Zumba with Cris Oviedo: Shake, shimmy, and sweat with Cris's infectious dance fitness energy.
Free Bingo Night @ Common Kitchen - Every Tuesday at 6pm. You get 6 free bingo cards (and can earn more, ask the bingo caller!) and can win prizes each round like free food and drink and Common Kitchen gift certificates.
Trivia @ Kelsey’s Restaurant - Team Trivia hosts trivia at Kelsey’s every Tuesday starting at 7pm.
Trivia @ Black Flag - Charm City Entertainment hosts trivia at Black Flag Brewing every Tuesday starting at 7pm.
Trivia @ Notch8 Brewery - Every Tuesday is trivia night at Notch8. Sporcle Live Trivia hosts two games at 7pm and again at 8pm.
Weather This Weekend
Friday - 101° | 77° - 🌤️
Saturday - 99° | 72° - ⛈️ - 0.30”
Sunday - 92° | 69° - ⛈️ - 0.60”
☀️ data from Weather Underground
Local Theatres and Shows
Theater | Show | Dates |
|---|---|---|
Mean Girls | 6/15 - 8/23 | |
Carla Hall in Please Underestimate Me | 6/3 - 7/12 | |
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder | 7/2 - 8/23 | |
Four Old Broads on the High Seas | 6/26 - 7/19 | |
The Tale of Cymbeline by William Shakespeare | 6/12 - 7/19 |

Live Music, Brunches, & Bar Events
Here are all the places (that I’ve found) that have free live music (or more) in the area - if I am missing your favorite venue, please let me know! (bars may have separate covers)
🎶 Music | ❓ Trivia | 🎭 Comedy | 🍳 Brunch | 🎤 Karaoke
💵 Ticketed or cover
Friday 7/3
🎶 Looney’s Pub - Thunderball - 9pm
🎶 River Hill Grill - Nicky Acoustic & Roger Stewart - 7pm
🎶 Common Kitchen - Marsh Brothers Band - 6pm
🎶 18th & 21st - Aiden Interrante - 6pm–11pm
🎶 Blackwall Barn & Lodge - Jake Canapp - 8pm–11pm
🎶 Smashing Grapes - Shelby Blondell - 8pm–11pm
🎶 White Oak Tavern - Angie Miller - 8pm–10pm
🎶 Bare Bones Grill & Bar - Crush - 9:30pm–close
🎶 Kelsey’s Restaurant - TBD - 6pm–9:30pm
🎶 Little Market Café - Aethellis - 6pm–8pm
🎶 Brookeville Beer Farm - Bard & The Bird - 5:30pm–8:30pm
🎶 Manor Hill Brewing - Billy & Berl - 5pm–8pm
🎶 Notch8 Brewing - Deb & Gary - 6pm-9pm
Saturday 7/4
🎶 Looney’s Pub - Firekite - 9pm–close
🎶 Blackwall Barn & Lodge - Joe Matayus - 8pm–11pm
🎶 Smashing Grapes - Kevin Howard - 8pm–11pm
🎶 Kelsey’s Restaurant - TBD - 6pm–9:30pm
🎶 Brookeville Beer Farm - Odie & The Country Band - 5:30pm– 8:30pm
🎶 Manor Hill Brewing - Frank Florence - 2pm–5pm
🎶 Lone Oak Brewing - Sonic Spell - 2pm-5pm
Sunday 7/5
🎤 Union Jack’s - Karaoke with DJ Teej - 9pm–2am
🍳 Blackwell Barn & Lodge - Sean Bera - 11am–2pm
🍳 Galliano - Jazz Brunch- 11:30am–2:30pm
🍳 Smashing Grapes - Sara Jones - 11am–2pm
🍳 White Oak Tavern - Live Jazz Music - 11am–2pm
🎶 18th & 21st - Bob & Aiden - 5pm–9pm
🎶 Manor Hill Brewing - Evelyn Acht - 2pm–5pm
🎶 Waredaca Brewing - Ed Barney - 2pm–5pm
🗣️ have a favorite spot I missed? reply and we may feature it!

Thank You!
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Thanks so much for reading and being part of this community. If you enjoyed this email, please share it with a friend—you’ll help us grow, and it means the world to me.
See you around town,
— Jim Wang


