Isn’t it nice that the rest of the world now knows what we have known all along — that Ellicott City is the No. 1 best place to live in Maryland, according to U.S. News and World Report.
And the best stays that way by always looking for ways to get even better. One of these ways is the new Old Ellicott City Trolley operating on weekends. It runs from Parking Lot A next to the Trolley Stop all the way up Main Street to Parking Lot F, with lots of stops in between, on a 10- to 15-minute schedule. The hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and it’s free.
During special events the route will be extended to the courthouse parking lot as well. This is so great for those of us with mobility issues, and for those with tired little kids — we can all explore the town top to bottom with ease now.
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month and we’re celebrating with the fifth annual Old Ellicott City LGBTQ+ Pride Festival June 8 beginning at noon at the Howard County Circuit Courthouse Parking Lot, 8360 Court Ave., and the Inn at Mt. Ida next door. The event is free, open to all, and features vendors, a drag show, food trucks, and a kid zone.
When you visit Main Street on June 8 you will see a variety of artists at work — it’s the weekend of “Paint it! Ellicott City 2025.” They will be painting all day June 8-9 and everyone is welcome to attend the reception and awards ceremony at the Howard Center for the Arts, 8510 High Ridge Road, from 6 to 8 pm. The paintings will be on display through Aug. 2. For more details visit hocoarts.org.
The OEC Farmers Market is in full swing on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the expanded Tiber Park across from the Railroad Station Museum. It has many interesting stands, one of my favorites is the unusual HEX, that features fermented products including kombucha, kimchi and sauerkraut.
The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is back for another season of Shakespeare in the Ruins, on the grounds of the restored Patapsco Female Institute. Their first presentation will be “Julius Caesar.” Performances run from June 13 to July 20. For ticket information visit www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com.
Other performances in the historic district this summer include live music on weekends at the Little Market Café on Tonge Row by Parking Lot D (visit littlemarketcafe.com/events for details,) and Saturday night movies on the grounds next to The Wine Bin (see winebinec.com for the schedule.)
Historic Ellicott City, Inc. and the Howard County Historical Society will host the next Milltown Tea on June 26 at the Museum of Howard County History, 8328 Court Ave. Tickets are $50 for members, $55 for nonmembers. They are looking for donations of china plates that they can incorporate into the table settings, so if you have some to share bring them with you when you come to the event. To reserve a spot visit hchsmd.org.
Manor Hill Farm, at 4411 Manor Lane, is celebrating its 10th anniversary on June 21. This free event runs from noon to 7 p.m., requires no reservations, and features live music and food trucks. Manor Hill Tavern, at 3733 Old Columbia Pike, has specials almost every day this summer. They have half-price pizza on Mondays, and Wednesday is “Hump Day, Lump Day” with a variety of crab specials and half-price wine, and Thursday is Margadilla day, with specials on margaritas and quesadillas.
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