Main Street America is just outside D.C.
Located less than one hour from Washington, D.C., hip and historic Frederick County, Md. is filled with mountain views, wineries and breweries, orchards and vibrant Main Street communities.
Here, museums meet martini bars, scenic landscapes provide thrill seekers with adventure and cutting-edge cuisine is served up in Civil War-era buildings alongside unique specialty shops, galleries, museums and theaters. Visitors can hike on the Appalachian Trail, visit Maryland’s largest brewery, tour a battlefield and walk through a wooden covered bridge all in one day.
Experience Frederick County, a destination with a hometown feel and national appeal. For more than two and a half centuries, the county has been a crossroads of American history. Francis Scott Key was born here, and practiced law with Roger Brooke Taney before going on to write our national anthem. His final resting place is in Frederick’s Mount Olivet Cemetery.
During the Civil War, troops passed through Frederick County for three northern invasions, including the 1864 Battle of Monocacy, when the city of Frederick was ransomed and Union forces successfully delayed the Confederate advance on Washington. Today, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine is located right in historic downtown Frederick.
The city of Frederick’s 50-block historic district has become well known for its shopping, dining, art and architecture. Historic buildings showcase more than 80 independently-owned restaurants and specialty stores. The ‘shop local’ mantra is strong here, and merchants love to show off everything from home furnishings to fashion, outdoor gear to toys, and books to antique and vintage finds.
Frederick has become a culinary hot spot in recent years. Visitors and locals enjoy dining on fresh, local foods prepared by critically-acclaimed chefs like Bryan Voltaggio, who put Frederick’s culinary scene on the map nationally when he appeared on “Top Chef” and “Top Chef Masters.” Numerous specialty shops would delight any foodie. Zoe’s Chocolate Co., the official chocolatier of the Academy Awards, has a variety of handcrafted chocolates, truffles and candies.
Try hand-forged, small-batch, vegan organic doughnuts and fritters at the always-popular Glory Doughnuts or artisan pour-over coffee at Gravel & Grind, or choose from over 200 varieties of glass-bottled, cane-sugar soda pop at the North Market Pop Shop. Not sure where to begin your foodie trek through downtown Frederick? Start with the three-hour Taste Frederick Food Tour and sample local favorites on a fun, informative walking tour.
The craft brewery and winery scene have defined Frederick for years. Brewery tours at Maryland’s largest brewery, Flying Dog, are always popular, and the wineries offer award-winning wines and meads at beautifully scenic locations throughout the county. The new ‘farm to glass’ movement is bringing distilleries to the now distillery-friendly city of Frederick. The first distillery in downtown Frederick since the Prohibition era is scheduled to open in fall 2015. Distilling will take place on the 100-year-old property as well as tours and tastings of Maryland-style gin, white whiskey and oaked gin.
There’s never a shortage of things to do in hip and historic Frederick. Themed first Saturdays are held throughout the year downtown. Carroll Creek Park, which spans more than one mile through the heart of the downtown, has an amphitheater that hosts summer concert series, as does Baker Park, at the end of Carroll Creek. The Weinberg Center for the Arts is a performing arts hub, bringing in internationally-known artists, speakers and entertainers throughout the year. Numerous downtown restaurants are known for their live music, and art galleries showcase local visual artists.
Visit Frederick, where hip meets historic every day. Go to www.visitfrederick.org to start planning your adventure, and be sure to click on the calendar of events to see what’s happening this weekend.
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