A Walk on the Artsy Side in Frederick

While you might not immediately associate the words "art gallery" with "children," my 8-year-old daughter, Samantha, and I found plenty to entertain us recently in Frederick at the town's First Saturday Gallery Walk. This weekend's walk will be particularly suitable for kids because you'll find more than 20 ice sculptures sparkling on the sidewalks, ice-carving demonstrations and free hot chocolate.

When we took the January gallery walk, the evening was unseasonably warm, and lots of people came out to play. Grandparents held hands as they admired the bright shop windows, and toddlers rode on their fathers' backs. Teenagers congregated on sidewalks listening to the live reggae, while dog owners proudly walked their well-behaved pooches. Decorated with luminarias, the streets seemed festive and friendly.

Samantha and I wandered up and down the brick sidewalks and into any gallery or shop that caught our fancy.

On Market Street, a large metal sculpture of a giraffe stood on the sidewalk so we wouldn't miss the McGuire Fine Arts Gallery. Inside we recognized several lithographs of Dr. Seuss book illustrations. Samantha made a beeline for the familiar characters from "Green Eggs and Ham" and "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back," which we practically knew by heart when she was younger. The gallery also has artwork from "Oh, the Places You'll Go!," "Yertle the Turtle" and "The Sneetches." It's not often that you see picture-book illustrations on display, so it was the perfect opportunity to discuss this very familiar art form.

There were also a few whimsical, hand-cast and painted sculptural pieces that were replicas of Seuss originals from his "Unorthodox Taxidermy" series. Although his sculptures are less known than his illustrations, they were equally entertaining. Samantha also admired the paintings of lovely, realistic flowers by artist Brian Davis.

On Patrick Street, we detoured down an alley between two 18th-century buildings to the Shambhala Bead Gallery. A crowd of mostly girls had gathered to see Dawn Fernald-Spruill make a charm with precious metal clay, a pure silver substance in malleable form. Several girls helped her select a design and watched as she "torched" the charm with a flame and then dropped it into water to cool and set.

Hands-on kids (and adults) might want to paint pottery at I Made This, a studio in the Everedy Square/Shab Row part of town. A few blocks' walk from the main event, this section of the city will offer Mardi Gras-themed food and free beads on Saturday.

Although the event is billed as a gallery walk, most of the participants are restaurants and shops. Many of the stores fall into the "artsy" category, so we had fun browsing their wares. My daughter especially loved the miniature and affordable blown-glass ornaments from St. Petersburg, Russia, in a store called the Amber Coast, which offered samples of champagne and Euro beer to adults. The store had an impressive collection of amber jewelry, which made Samantha's eyes widen.

At various sidewalk sites in the late afternoon this Saturday, the Manassas firm Ice Kristals will set out 23 ice sculptures, from birds to dogs to hearts (in a Valentine's Day theme).

Using a chain saw, sander and die grinder, carvers from Ice Kristals will show off their skills. The first of three demonstrations on blocks of ice measuring 40 by 20 by 10 inches will start at 5 p.m. on the patio at Brewer's Alley, 124 N. Market St.

As our walk ended with a series of yawns, Samantha and I had a few new treasures to take home, but mostly the warm, fuzzy feeling of old-fashioned fun.

FIRST SATURDAY GALLERY WALKS First Saturday of every month from 5 to 9 in downtown Frederick, which is about one hour's drive north of Washington traveling on Interstate 270. Start at the Visitor Center at 19 E. Church St., where you can pick up a map and guide. A parking garage, which charges $1 for the evening, is nearby. If it's below 40 degrees, there will be no live music. Free. 301-698-8118.http://www.downtownfrederick.org.

Upcoming walks:

Saturday "Fire in Ice." Print out a guide to the sculpture locations, free hot chocolate stands and participating merchants athttp://www.downtownfrederick.org/play/First_Sat_listings.htm.

March 3 "Birthday Bash." There will be party games on the sidewalk, piñatas and cake to celebrate the fourth anniversary of this event.

April 7 "Much Ado About Books." Includes a Searching for Shakespeare word hunt with clues offered by wandering actors and guest authors.

May 5 "Mayfest." Arrive earlier in the day (from 10 to 5) to build a bouquet by collecting a flower from participating merchants; admire chalk drawings on the sidewalks.