Early November in the Maryland Suburbs: Emancipation Day at Woodlawn, a Fall Festival in Cheverly and a 150-Vendor Chocolate Hall in Boyds
Next Saturday, November 7, the capital region's Maryland suburbs stack three very different festivals into one day - a walk on the Underground Railroad trail in Sandy Spring, a small-town fall festival in Cheverly, and a chocolate and coffee hall in Boyds that runs through Sunday.
Today, Sunday, November 1, is Maryland Emancipation Day - the date the state's 1864 constitution abolishing slavery took effect. The commemoration at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park in Sandy Spring lands next Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., which means visitors walk the Underground Railroad Experience Trail in the immediate aftermath of the anniversary. Admission to the Woodlawn Museum is free; an 11 a.m. lecture is $8 with limited indoor seating and advance registration recommended, and a guided trail hike at 1 p.m. is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and children. Sandy Spring is a drive, with no Metro service - and the trail is a trail, so sturdy footwear is the practical advice.
The same afternoon offers the ultra-local option in Prince George's County. The Cheverly Community Fall Festival runs from 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, at Cheverly Town Park on Forest Road - free, entirely outdoors, and stroller- and dog-friendly, with local representatives, local artisans, seasonal kids' games and cider, and no downtown tourist traffic. Cheverly sits on the Orange Line, a short drive from the District; small-town festivals often adjust hours late in the week, so the town calendar is worth a check before heading out.
For the indoor crowd, the Maryland DMV Chocolate and Coffee Festival takes over the Adventist Healthcare Fieldhouse in Boyds on Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, with more than 150 independent artisans under one roof - single-origin micro-roasters and small-batch chocolatiers. VIP entry opens at 9 a.m. and general admission at 10 a.m.; tickets are $17.99 online and $20 at the door, kids under 12 are free with an adult, and visitors are asked to bring a non-perishable donation for the on-site food bank drive. Boyds is also a drive - the planning note for the weekend is to pick the events that fit one car trip, and to buy the ticketed ones this week.
