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Hey Frederick, hope your week’s off to a good start!

In today’s wallet-friendly edition: Marriott hotel groundbreaking, carillonneur John Widmann’s Star Wars bells, and KnowledgeNet.ai’s big award + lots of fun things to do for free.

Today’s sponsor, American Hartford Gold, is helping folks around Frederick protect their savings as gold and silver continue to gain momentum. Their free guide explains what’s driving the surge… and what to know before adding precious metals to your portfolio. Grab your free copy here.

📰 In the news

Design and construction team named: Plamondon Hospitality Partners broke ground on the Marriott Downtown Frederick by Carroll Creek, a hotel and conference center with 204 rooms and meeting space, supported by state and local funding — get all the details.

Meet a master of chimes: For over 30 years, Frederick’s city carillonneur John Widmann has filled a park with bell music from an 80-year-old instrument, even playing Star Wars, after retiring to study in Belgium — read the full story.

Honored at annual summit: Frederick-based KnowledgeNet.ai has been named Sales Xceleration Partner of the Year, honoring its AI Engage platform and partnership blending fractional sales leadership with relationship intelligence, signal mining, and hyper-personalized outreach — get all the details.

Nothing prepares you for a pet emergency: I learned that the hard way after charging $10k to a credit card for life-saving surgery on my cat, Miss Stache. As soon as we got home, I signed up for Spot. It’s super affordable – and reimburses up to 90% of the bill.

Highlights this week:

• Peter DuBois performs on Cornel Zimmer organ
• Master Irish cooking with friends
• Enter creative brick-building contest for prizes

🫶 We got your back

Serious sandwich cravings? South Market Sandwich CO stacks the good stuff: classic subs, gooey grilled cheeses, fresh salads, and breakfast builds, made fast, not sloppy. When your lunch break needs a win, expect a no-fuss, big-flavor fix you’ll keep in the rotation.

Your midweek reset: When you need an easy breather, Baker Park delivers with shaded paths, bell-tower chimes, playground energy, and Culler Lake for a quick loop that somehow turns into two. Ideal for a post-work reset, where the carillon can feel like a small round of applause for your day.

Playful nostalgia, found here: Part toy trove, part quirky gift stash, Retro-Metro keeps kids and grown-ups grinning with an ever-changing mix of innovative and nostalgic toys, books, and novelties. Perfect for quick rewards, rainy-day boredom busters, or that just-because surprise you didn’t know you needed.

Why your last diet didn’t work: Sustained weight loss is nearly impossible with diet alone. Your body literally fights back by making you hungrier the moment you start restricting calories. That’s why more doctors are recommending GLP-1s. The best part? Getting them has never been easier. We compared three programs to help you find the right fit. See which ones stood out →

Your data is for sale right now: There are over 400 websites selling your info to marketers, political campaigns, and scammers. They’ve got your phone number, home address, relatives’ names… you name it. That’s how robocallers seem to know everything about you before you pick up. You can remove your info one site at a time, or pay a service to do it for you. Here’s what we recommend →

📆 Free events worth checking out

Have an event to share? BaseLocal Verified Businesses can submit them for free! Learn more about how to submit an event here →

All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.

🐻 Bear Cubs @ Dancing Bear Toys and Games | Tuesday (3/10) at 11:00 AM – Got a tiny human with boundless energy? Head to Dancing Bear Toys and Games for Bear Cubs, a weekly morning meetup with stories, interactive songs, and new mini-adventures. It’s free, no sign-ups, built for the under-two crowd, and mercifully compatible with your coffee.

🌈 Pride on the Patio: LGBTQIA+ Social Mixer @ Pride On The Patio At Showroom | Tuesday (3/10) at 5:30 PM – Craving a happy hour where you can actually hear yourself? Pride on the Patio brings LGBTQIA+ folks and allies to Showroom’s patio for conversation, no agenda, zero cover, and a crowd that gets it. Come solo or bring the crew, Tuesdays, because community beats laundry.

🧠 Free Trivia Night @ Rockwell Brewery Riverside | Wednesday (3/11) at 6:30 PM – Rockwell Brewery hosts free trivia every Wednesday with Pourhouse Trivia, voted a local favorite for a reason. Bring your brain, your neighbors, and a thirst for their award-winning beer, then snag 30, 20, or 10 percent off if you land on the podium.

💻 Enclave Free Coworking Day @ Enclave Frederick | Thursday (3/12) at 9:00 AM – Give your kitchen table a day off and claim a spot at Enclave Frederick’s free coworking day on W Church. Expect Wi-Fi, snacks, conversation, and pros, and if you catch feelings, get $50 off Flex or 50% off six months of a private office.

🐶 Paws 2 Read @ Walkersville Public Library | Thursday (3/12) at 6:30 PM – If your kid could use a confidence boost, bring them to read to the Go Team Therapy Dogs, the most patient listeners in town. No red pens, just floppy ears, soft fur, and approving tail wags. You leave calmer, they leave proud.

🪅 Ginada Piñata @ Steinhardt Brewing Company | Friday (3/13) at 7:00 PM – Frederick, dust off your bar stool and wander to Steinhardt for Ginada Piñata, live music, and zero cover. It’s the kind of night where you can sing along, skip the door fee, and still be home before the late news, smug and satisfied.

📚 L.S. Stratton: Sundown Girls @ Urbana Regional Library | Saturday (3/14) at 2:00 PM – Grab a teen, or your inner one, and head to Urbana Regional Library to hear bestselling L.S. Stratton unpack Sundown Girls with local author Charlene Thomas. Finally, a teen thriller you can actually discuss together, plus Q&A, a signing, Curious Iguana vibes, and free admission.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

📻 Frederick report

Weather forecast

Today – High: 76°F – Low: 59°F – Precip: 9%

Sunny, with a high near 76. South wind 1 to 6 mph. Later: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind 1 to 5 mph.

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Tomorrow – High: 76°F – Low: 43°F – Precip: 64%

Rain showers likely after 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. South wind 2 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible. Later: Rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Southwest wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Are you quietly overpaying for car insurance? 🚗

Premiums have been climbing across Maryland but most folks won’t notice until they’re hit with a higher bill when it’s time to renew.

That’s exactly what happened to me. I had the same policy for half a decade. Autopay was on, it was out of sight and out of mind. Turns out I was blindly paying way more than everyone else I knew.

If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too – here’s the comparison tool I used.

This house is wild

This 4-bed, 4.5-bath Villages of Urbana stunner showcases designer updates. A remodeled gourmet kitchen opens to a sunlit morning room with vaulted ceilings and French doors to a flat, fenced yard and patio. A dramatic two-story family room with towering windows, a finished basement with rec and workout rooms, and resort amenities, including a lazy river, seal the deal.

Take a peek inside →