Heart of the Civil War

Contending Combatants: 20th North Carolina vs 9th New York Heavy Artillery
2026-02-21 10:00 (America/New_York) | Monocacy National Battlefield Visitor Center, 5201 Urbana Pike, Frederick, MD, 21704, United States
Among the forces fighting against each other at the Battle of Monocacy were the 9th New York Heavy Artillery and the 20th North Carolina. Both regiments fought as infantry, and both were heavily engaged as skirmishers and sharpshooters during the battle. So how did these regiments compare when facing off?
Join Living History Volunteers representing these regiments as they exhibit their equipment, both reproduction and original, as well as discuss the similarities and differences between the tactics and deployments used by the 9th New York Heavy Artillery and 20th North Carolina during the Battle of Monocacy.

Painting the Past
2026-03-14 13:00 | Monocacy National Battlefield Visitor Center, 5201 Urbana Pike, Frederick, MD, 21704, United States
Join Monocacy National Battlefield staff as they look at a wide variety of uniforms from the American Civil War and paint your own miniature soldiers. All paints and materials are provided; participants should be 10 or older. Registration is limited, so please email e-mail us with the number of intended participants. Please contact Monocacy National Battlefield at Mono_Mail@nps.gov or by phone at 301-662-3515 for reservations.

Maryland, My Maryland
2026-03-21 10:00 | Monocacy National Battlefield Visitor Center, 5201 Urbana Pike, Frederick, MD, 21704, United States
Join Living History Volunteers at Monocacy National Battlefield as they discuss the perilous position of Maryland in the Civil War. Marylanders fought on both sides of the Civil War and even occasionally fought each other! Learn about the clashes between Marylanders in blue and gray during the Monocacy Campaign, their fights and their relation to the parts of the state they fought in.

Emmitsburg: From Way Back When to Now
2026-04-11 12:00 | National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, 339 S Seton Ave, Emmitsburg, MD, 21727
Join the Daughters of Charity Provincial Archives for their special exhibit on the history of Emmitsburg, the town they have called home since Mother Seton’s arrival in 1809! From its humble founding in 1785 through the Civil War, the founding of Mount St. Mary’s and St. Joseph Colleges, the rise and fall of the railroad, and its place of distinction among America’s firefighters, Emmitsburg has a story far larger than its small size. Opening Saturday April 11, 2026 through the holiday season 2027.

Music of the Regiment
2026-04-12 14:00 | Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ (ERUCC), 15 W. Church St., Frederick, MD, 21701
Join Music of the Regiment for this FREE exploration of the classical and military music traditions of the late 18th and early 19th centuries! Founded in 2023, this group of musicians and educators presents the music of the past in as near a format as possible, performed on instruments appropriate to the time period. New in April 2026, join them for “Equal to any Band in this Country…,” a historically immersive program combining dramatic readings with marches and opera arrangements that formed the soundtrack of the French, American, and British forces as they converged on Yorktown in 1781. The concert will begin at 3:00 in the main sanctuary of Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ (ERUCC). Join at 2:30 for a short preconcert talk before the main show!

Flower & Plant Market
2026-05-01 11:00 | The Union Mills Homestead, 3311 Littlestown Pike, Westminster, MD, 21158, United States
Join the Union Mills Homestead when they open the 2026 season with their 56th Annual Flower & Plant Market! Come see beautiful selections of your favorite regionally grown: Native Plants Hanging Baskets Annuals/Perennials Vegetable Plants and Herbs Shrubs and Trees Heirloom Vegetables Browse the Tannery and wagons for the perfect additions to your garden. Visit the Gardener’s Corner for gently used books, pots, containers, and other garden-related bargains. Browse the booths of craft and garden-related vendors.
Schedule: Friday Early-Bird Selections — have the first pick of the unique selection of quality plants! Kountry Kafe Catering will feature a light luncheon menu. Craft vendors will join for the afternoon. Saturday and Sunday Tannery and wagons full of locally grown flowers, shrubs, vegetables and herbs. Garden-related vendors. Kountry Kafe Catering will feature your lunch menu favorites. Historic House and Mill tours from noon – 4 pm (last combination tour starts at 3). Saturday only – children’s activity table provided by the Littlestown Garden Club.

Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage - Frederick County Tour
2026-06-13 10:00 - 17:00 | Throughout Frederick County, Frederick County, Frederick, Maryland, 21701
The Maryland House and Garden Tour of Frederick County showcases the region’s rich layers of history, from its earliest Native inhabitants to its role as a crossroads of trade, culture, and conflict. Formed in 1748, Frederick County flourished along the Old National Road, where stagecoaches and Conestoga wagons once carried settlers and goods westward, fueling the growth of thriving towns like Frederick, Middletown, and New Market. Visitors will explore historic homes and gardens that reflect the area’s agricultural prosperity, industrial innovation, and Civil War legacy. Today, Frederick County remains a vibrant mix of scenic farmland, mountain landscapes, and lively Main Street communities, where the past and present come together in one of Maryland’s most picturesque and historic destinations. Learn more and purchase your tickets here: https://www.mhgp.org/frederickcounty

Citizen Meets Soldier
2026-06-20 10:00 | The Union Mills Homestead, 3311 Littlestown Pike, Westminster, MD, 21158, United States
“Citizen Meets Soldier” is a living history of 1863 in Carroll County, Maryland. Join the Union Mills Homestead to commemorate the events of the hot summer of 1863. Walk in the footsteps of the citizens of Carroll County, Maryland, who were divided in their loyalties, and the Union and Confederate soldiers who camped along Big Pipe Creek at Union Mills in the days surrounding the Battle of Gettysburg. Union Mills’ Civil War encampment will celebrate and commemorate the chaos and excitement of the Civil War in Carroll County, Maryland.
In the days surrounding Lee’s Second Invasion of the North, small towns in Carroll County — including Union Mills — saw the movement of both U.S. and Confederate Armies, supply wagons, injured soldiers, and an important skirmish occurred in nearby Westminster. There, U.S. Cavalry charged headfirst into Confederate Cavalry under the command of Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. But for a few hours, a battle may well have occurred at Union Mills, as it lay dead center in the Union Army’s defensive line along Big Pipe Creek and Union Mills served as the site of overnight encampments by both Stuart’s Confederate Cavalry and Sykes’ Fifth Corps of the U.S. Army. Stuart’s Cavalry pulled out of Union Mills just hours before the Union Army arrived!
Living history portrayals, encampments, and historic displays interpreting this period will take place on the scenic and spacious grounds of the Union Mills Homestead. This event is $10 per car.

55th Annual Old Fashioned Corn Roast
2026-08-01 11:00 | The Union Mills Homestead, 3311 Littlestown Pike, Westminster, MD, 21158, United States
Each meal ticket includes a serving of fried chicken, applesauce, sliced tomatoes, roll and butter, iced tea or lemonade and all the roasted corn that you can eat! Corn is roasted in the husk served at your table.
Other Attractions: Musical Entertainment by the Martin Brothers Gift Shop and Blacksmith Shop open Tours of the historic House and Mill for a fee (11 am – 4 pm). Adult – $20; 12 years and under – $10.

Maryland Microbrewery Festival
2026-09-26 11:00 | The Union Mills Homestead, 3311 Littlestown Pike, Westminster, MD, 21158, United States
The Union Mills Homestead is pleased once again to host this unique event to promote Maryland’s microbreweries. The Maryland Microbrewery Festival is the highlight and culminating event of Carroll County Beer Week. This fun-packed festival celebrates and promotes the best of Maryland’s handcrafted and distinctive microbrews. Come join the fun of Maryland’s premier beer festival!

A wide selection of Maryland breweries, each with a variety of different beers to sample.
Food vendors.
Continuous live music and entertainment.
Crafts and unique merchandise vendors.
Seminars to enhance the public’s knowledge of brewing.
Historic Site – 16 acres of open, beautifully maintained parkland with easy access.
Ample parking, both onsite and at the satellite parking lot–Park there and carpool!

Tickets are available at the event, or get prepaid tickets in advance on the event website, marylandmicrobreweryfestival.com. Limited admission: tickets sold on first-come, first-served basis. $25 (in advance) or $30 (at the door); Non-beer sampling: $8 (in advance) or $10 (at the door); 12 years and under admitted free

Mason-Dixon Jeep Gathering
2026-10-18 10:00 | The Union Mills Homestead, 3311 Littlestown Pike, Westminster, MD, 21158, United States
Come out and see a large collection of Willys and Jeeps at the historic Union Mills Homestead. This is one of the largest vintage Jeep shows on the East Coast. This year is the 20th Anniversary of this annual event. See World War II and Korean War era military Jeeps and the civilian Jeeps and utility vehicles that are the grandfathers of today’s Jeeps & SUVs.
Jeeps can be entered into one of three categories at the show: Best Military Jeep, Best CJ (Civilian Jeep) and Best Non-Jeep. The non-jeep category features Willys trucks and station wagons. Everyone in attendance will vote on each of the three categories to name the winners.
Tours of the Historic house and Mill available for a small fee from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, with the last tour starting at 3:00 pm. Food and drink will be available to purchase on site.

Christkindlmarkt
2026-11-21 10:00 | The Union Mills Homestead, 3311 Littlestown Pike, Westminster, MD, 21158, United States
Come and join the Union Mills Homestead for a German-style Christmas market. Food and drinks will be available to purchase, along with a variety of hand-crafted and unique gifts from vendors in the Grist Mill and Tannery. The gift shop will be open for your holiday shopping as will the blacksmith and woodworking shops.
A portion of the historic Homestead will be decorated and open for you to visit. Parking is onsite, $5 per vehicle. Buses are extra, please call for details! Enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season at Union Mills, celebrating our German heritage!
