Westminster Fallfest Parade Opens 47th Annual Community Celebration

Westminster Fallfest Parade Opens 47th Annual Community Celebration

September 24, 2026 by Kevin Dayhoff

Westminster’s annual Fallfest got underway Thursday evening, Sept. 24, with the traditional Fallfest Parade moving through downtown Westminster and officially opening the four-day celebration. 

The parade began at 7 p.m. at Monroe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, proceeded south to West Main Street, continued along Main Street and turned onto Longwell Avenue before concluding at East Middle School. The parade is the opening event of the 47th Annual Westminster Fallfest, which continues through Sunday, Sept. 27.

Fallfest has long been one of Westminster’s signature community gatherings, bringing together families, civic organizations, musicians, local businesses, nonprofit groups and volunteers for a celebration that combines entertainment with community service. 

The official mission of Fallfest is “to highlight Westminster’s spirit of community and to provide benefits for non-profit organizations that serve the Westminster and surrounding communities.” 

This year’s festival includes food, music, amusement rides, vendors and other activities at Westminster City Park and the surrounding downtown area.

According to an article I wrote about Fallfest on September 18, 2021, the roots of the modern Fallfest go back to 1978, when a group of Westminster residents came together to promote the downtown shopping district and celebrate the revitalization efforts taking place in the city during the mid-1970s. 

Fallfest was described as “Carroll County’s largest community charity event,” reflecting its longstanding emphasis on volunteerism, civic participation and support for nonprofit organizations. 

The festival has changed locations and grown considerably through the years. In **1983**, Fallfest stretched along Main Street for several blocks on both sides of the railroad tracks before eventually moving to Longwell Avenue and the Westminster playground. The present-day Fallfest and parade draw upon an even older Westminster tradition of September community celebrations. 

That tradition can be traced at least to “Westminster Days,” a September event sponsored by the Retail Merchants Association. A Democratic Advocate article dated Aug. 29, 1947, described plans for Westminster Days on Sept. 25 and 26, including a Thursday evening parade featuring Carroll County fire companies and their ladies auxiliaries, bands, civic and fraternal organizations, and Boy and Girl Scouts. In that sense, the Fallfest parade is part of a much longer Westminster tradition of bringing the community together in the streets for an evening of celebration. 

At its heart, however, Fallfest remains a story about people. According to an article I wrote about Fallfest on September 18, 2021, Westminster’s “dreamers” and “dream-keepers” are the citizens who do more than watch from the sidelines; they roll up their sleeves and make community events happen. That observation remains particularly fitting for Fallfest, which depends upon volunteers, city employees, nonprofit organizations, businesses and countless others working behind the scenes. 

The 2026 Fallfest continues through Sunday with the festival grounds at City Park open Thursday and Friday evenings, all day Saturday, and Sunday afternoon. Organizers are expecting another weekend centered on food, music, vendors, rides and the community spirit that has made Fallfest a Westminster tradition for generations.

Photos: The vintage photograph from the 1983 Fallfest, provides a nice visual reminder of how dramatically the event has grown while retaining its downtown Westminster roots.

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We Are Carroll Awards celebrate local philanthropy at Carroll Arts Center

We Are Carroll Awards celebrate local philanthropy at Carroll Arts Center

By Kevin Dayhoff September 23, 2026

Westminster MD – Carroll Arts Center - The Community Foundation of Carroll County celebrated the 2026 “We Are Carroll Awards: Rooted & Rising Together,” Wednesday evening, Sept. 23, at the Carroll Arts Center in Westminster, bringing together community leaders, nonprofit supporters and friends of the honorees for an evening recognizing philanthropy and community service. 

Among the many community leaders who attended the awards event were Carroll County Commissioner Tom Gordon, Westminster Common Council President Tony Chiavacci, along with Westminster Councilmembers Tom Beyard, and this writer, Kevin Dayhoff. 

Also attending were former Westminster Councilmember Ann Gilbert, Westminster Director of Planning and Community Development Mark Depo, and Westminster Clerk Doug Barber, Carroll County Food Sunday Executive Director Caroline Babylon, and Jenny Graybill, the Chief Executive Office of Human Services Programs.  

The event marked the 18th year of the awards tradition, formerly known as the Philanthropists of the Year awards. 

The 2026 honorees included Captain Melvin Blizzard Jr., recipient of the Sylvia Canon Legacy Award; Andrea Gerhard and Rachel’s Bears, recipient of the Rising Star Award; and America’s Warriors Care Package Projects, recipient of the Rooted in the Community Award.

Barber, Beyard, Gilbert, Depo, Chiavacci, Babylon, and I were especially to celebrate and home our friend Andrea Gerhard, who works in the City of Westminster Planning and Community Development Department. 

Andrea Gerhard founded Rachel’s Bears from a desire to bring comfort to children receiving medical care while also honoring the memories of two people who were important in her life. 

The project began in 2019, when Gerhard was inspired to provide children with books and stuffed bears. The first donations went to Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in memory of “Sweet Alexa,” a child who died from pediatric brain cancer in 2015. 

After Gerhard’s lifelong friend, Rachel Williams, died in 2022, the mission took on an additional personal meaning. Williams had been a pediatric nurse at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital, and Gerhard redirected the project toward honoring both Alexa and Rachel. 

In 2023, with assistance from the Community Foundation of Carroll County, Gerhard formally established Rachel’s Bears as a nonprofit organization and a Community Foundation fund. Its mission is to provide books and plush animals to children receiving care in hospitals, offering them a tangible source of comfort during what can be a frightening and difficult experience.

What began as a small local effort has grown into a multistate program. The Community Foundation of Carroll County reported in August 2026 that, since becoming a Community Foundation fund in 2023, Rachel’s Bears had collected more than 5,500 books and bears and reached 26 hospitals in 32 states. 

The organization works with hospitals to provide age-appropriate books and stuffed animals according to their needs, with donations delivered directly to hospital partners. Earlier reporting documented the program's growth from its initial Johns Hopkins donations to partnerships with hospitals throughout the country. In 2025, Rachel’s Bears was reported to have distributed more than 3,000 book-and-bear combinations to 24 hospitals in 19 states.

The Community Foundation selected Rachel’s Bears for the 2026 We Are Carroll Rising Star Award, recognizing the continuing growth of Gerhard's effort. The foundation's account notes that Gerhard had previously received the People's Choice Award at the 2024 Carroll Biz Challenge and that the Rachel’s Bears project had repeatedly been under consideration for the Community Foundation's Rising Star recognition before receiving the 2026 award.

According to the Community Foundation, the Sylvia Canon Legacy Award recognizes an individual whose commitment to a cause has resulted in a lasting Community Foundation fund or scholarship. 

The Rising Star Award recognizes a newer fund or scholarship that has made a significant community impact, while the Rooted in the Community Award recognizes an established fund or scholarship that has consistently advanced its mission over a period of at least seven years.

The evening's theme, Rooted & Rising Together,” reflected the foundation's stated purpose of celebrating the people and organizations whose service and philanthropy contribute to Carroll County. 

The foundation said the awards provide an opportunity for the community to recognize the passion, dedication and vision of local philanthropic leaders. 

The program was held at the **Carroll Arts Center, 91 West Main Street**, with doors opening at 5 p.m., followed by the awards program and a dessert reception with the honorees. 

The Carroll County Arts Council also listed the event as a Sept. 23 community event hosted by the Community Foundation of Carroll County.

The Community Foundation reported that proceeds from the event benefit its “Audrey Cimino Legacy Fund,” which helps support the long-term sustainability of the foundation. The foundation describes its broader mission as supporting a network of more than 300 nonprofits and scholarship funds throughout Carroll County.

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12th annual Carroll County Food Sunday Milk Run and Stroll Brings Carroll County Together to Support Local Families

12th annual Carroll County Food Sunday Milk Run and Stroll Brings Carroll County Together to Support Local Families

September 19, 2026 by Kevin Dayhoff

WESTMINSTER, Md. — Runners, walkers, volunteers and supporters of Carroll County Food Sunday gathered Saturday morning, Sept. 19, for the 12th annual Milk Run and Stroll, a community event that combines fitness, fellowship and an important mission — helping provide supplemental nutrition to Carroll County families.

This year’s event was held at Tahoma Farm Boulder Park, 739 Tahoma Farm Road in Westminster, with registration beginning at 7:30 a.m. and the 5K race getting underway at 8:30 a.m. The event was moved to the Wakefield Valley Community Trail because of ongoing improvements at Wakefield Park. According to Carroll County Food Sunday, the course followed paved paths on the Wakefield Valley Trail.

The race director was Frank Baylor who worked with key assistants Trish Wagman, Jenny Teeter, Steve Lamberson, and the Mussari sisters – Mary and Gina. Chris Workman and Jacquelyn Druktenis with the Westminster Police Department, and Westminster Police Officers Mike Garber, and Kenny Carlisle, helped with traffic control and runner safety. Other logistical support was provided by the Westminster Street Department.  

McDaniel College student fraternities, APO - Alpha Phi Omega, and ASP - Alpha Sigma Phi staffed the race. 

Sponsors of the 2026 Carroll County Food Sunday Milk Run included Byrdcall Studio, Whiting-Turner, Earth and Air Technologies, Tim Kyle Company, Lord Industries, Condon’s Auto Parts, Tevis, Bowman’s Feed & Pet, Wagman Engineering LLC, Atlas Restaurant Group, Tricia & Kevin Wagman, Max Realty, Miller’s Food Market, The Kahlert Foundation, Ink Splash, JeannieBird Baking Company, Baylor CAD, Vicki Engel, the GFWC Junior Woman’s Club of Westminster, Steve & Wendy Lambertson, Michael Rosner, and Carol and Dave Horne.

The Milk Run and Stroll offered both a 5K run and a shorter 2K — approximately 1¼ miles — option for walkers and those who preferred a more leisurely way to participate. Organizers emphasized that walkers were welcome, making the event accessible to participants of varying ages and abilities.

But the real purpose of the morning extended beyond the miles covered on the trail.

Proceeds from the Milk Run and Stroll support Carroll County Food Sunday’s milk voucher program as well as its other supplemental nutrition programs serving the Carroll County community. The milk vouchers can be redeemed at local grocery stores and are distributed to Food Sunday client families each week.

For families receiving assistance from Carroll County Food Sunday, the vouchers provide an important way to obtain milk while allowing clients to select the products that best meet their household needs. The organization also provides weekly supplemental groceries, including such staples as meat, eggs, fruits, vegetables, bread and other foods.

Carroll County Food Sunday, commonly known as CCFS, is a nondenominational, nonprofit organization that is operated almost entirely by volunteers. The organization is now in its 44th year of service to Carroll County and describes its mission as providing emergency supplemental food in a manner that enhances human dignity.

The roots of the organization date to 1982, when Dominic Jollie encouraged members of the religious community to collect food during Sunday services for distribution through a countywide food-bank network. The effort eventually became incorporated as “Food Sunday.” Jollie expressed the philosophy behind the organization in simple terms: hunger in the community should concern everyone who is fortunate enough not to be hungry.

More than four decades later, that original spirit of neighbors helping neighbors remains central to the organization.

Today, Carroll County Food Sunday serves residents through locations in Westminster, Eldersburg and Taneytown. The organization reports that more than 500 families a week receive assistance through its three locations. Its client-choice approach allows eligible residents to select foods they will use, while volunteers help stock, pack and distribute the groceries.

The organization also provides milk vouchers and, during the growing season, farmers market vouchers that can be used to purchase fresh produce. These programs supplement the food distributed through the pantry and help give families greater flexibility in meeting their nutritional needs.

The Milk Run and Stroll has consequently become more than another entry on Carroll County’s busy calendar of road races and community walks. Each runner and walker who participated Saturday helped turn a morning of exercise into a tangible contribution to local families.

The event also reflects the broad community support that has helped sustain Carroll County Food Sunday for more than four decades. Its work depends heavily on volunteers and contributions from individuals, churches, civic organizations, businesses and other members of the community.

As participants completed the course Saturday morning, the significance of the event was measured not simply in 5K times or miles walked, but in the assistance those miles will help provide in the weeks ahead.

For Carroll County Food Sunday, the Milk Run and Stroll is ultimately about putting the organization’s longstanding philosophy into motion: neighbors helping neighbors.

And on Saturday morning in Westminster, that philosophy took the form of runners and walkers moving together along the Wakefield Valley Community Trail — one step at a time, and one family at a time.

 

+++ Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack +++ 

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Kevin Dayhoff for Westminster "Dayhoff Westminster" 

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