AROUND THE PARK AGAIN By Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi
and Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services
The weather alternated between drizzle and fog Tuesday evening December 10th. But inside Chartwell Golf & Country Club, the scene was bright and cheery as the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce Holiday Taste & Sip event got underway in the ballroom.
Just inside the entrance, Crepes in the Park owner Abby Larkin and her mother Leslie had already served their first crepes to, among others a gentleman in a Santa hat. The aromas of cinnamon and lemon could be detected as they ladled more batter onto their crepe makers. Beyond them, the gentleman wearing the Santa hat helped himself to Ashlyn White’s tasty selection of donuts, donut holes and other sweets from Donut Shack.
At the next table along the row, Tast & Sip guests found elegant and exceptionally tasty offerings from Debra Garrow of Millersville-based Be My Guest Catering. Garrow’s canapes included scrumptious beet rounds with cream cheese that were topped with salmon and cucumber ribbons.
Every bit as popular as the food throughout the evening were the Silent Auction tables which, as can be seen in the opening photo, held one of the most extensive collections of impressive items to bid on that we’ve seen. We noted that Nancy Greer and her mother-in-law Aura spent considerable time at the tables and placed a number of bids. We also ran into Barbara Gill who first admired a handsome set of holiday story books she felt would make a perfect gift for her grandchildren. She filled out a bid, then moved on to the next table where she loved several of the seasonal floral centerpieces and filled out bids accordingly.
Moving back to the vendor tables, we discovered Sheila Schreiner serving coffee to guests while promoting the new Magothy Roasting Company and coffee bar she and husband Mark will be launching shortly on Mountain Road. She said they can’t wait to become the Magothy area’s newest coffee roaster.
It wasn’t long before we ran into Holiday Taste & Sip event sponsor Matt Wyble with Next Step Realty.
“It’s hard to believe this is our 14th holiday event. One year was skipped due to the COVID pandemic. Our number of sponsors and vendors has grown every year and continues to grow,” the fourth-generation realtor said.
Wyble started the annual holiday extravaganza along with former Chamber CEO Linda Zahn 15 years ago. Held for the first eight or nine years at Homestead Gardens in Severna Park, the event eventually moved to Chartwell which has accommodated the vendors and crowds quite well.
From its beginnings, entertainment has been a hallmark of the Holiday Taste & Sip events. The 2024 edition did not disappoint as it included not one, but two choruses. First up was the longtime crowd favorite Chesapeake Harmony Chorus which has appeared at almost every holiday event going back to the beginning years at Homestead Gardens. Fresh from appearing at their own Candy Cane Lane program at Historic Baldwin Hall two days earlier, the chorus reprised the spirited title tune from the show, “Candy Cane Lane”, and sang a finely tuned medley of much-loved songs of the season.
A glimpse back to an earlier Holiday Taste & Sip event shows Chesapeake Harmony Chorus performing at Homestead Gardens with Santa in 2018.
The performance by the chorus was followed by dynamic young family band JAGMAC featuring six siblings performing festive holiday tunes that captivated the crowd. A second chorus would be coming along later.
With a combined total of more than two dozen repeat and new vendors at the event, it’s impossible to name them all but we saw a lot of people stopping by Linda Thebaud’s display of VanEllin Candy Shop Cookies. The company is a wholesaler that sells its products at all the Graul’s markets in Baltimore and Anne Arundel County, Eddie’s markets in Baltimore, and Fishpaws Marketplace in Arnold as well as The Sweet Shop in Severna Park. Just beyond Thebaud were Carlye Cab and Sandra Paroti from Facebar Aesthetic Medicine, a spa that offers age-reversing treatments.
Friends were everywhere. We came across Betty Winkelmeyer Wells at a table with her daughter-in-law Karen Osborne, the owner of Karen Renee Interiors. It was fun seeing Karen who now splits her time between her main office in Severna Park, Maryland and Florida where she lives part of the year while conducting interior decorating projects in five different states.
It was also great seeing Ron Pivarnik with his great selection of Firehouse Subs. We first met Pivarnik when he was a vendor at the annual holiday event 8 years ago, the year he opened his sub shop at Park Plaza. It was good to see Matt Geise as well from Adam’s Taphouse Grille in Olde Severna Park. Geise was serving crowd-pleasing ribs and pulled pork.
We continued bumping into friends including Greater Chamber of Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s current president Tammy Neal with Stephen Varani at the Oliver Brewing Company table.
The Oliver Brewing Company table (the brewery will move to Millersville in May) was part of the 206 Restaurant Group’s multi-table lineup of offerings from Park Tavern, Donnelly’s Dockside, Western Ale House and JB’s.
So many more vendors to check out. As Fishpaws Marketplace has participated as a vendor since the annual event’s first year, we just had to stop by their table where we found Terri Phoebus and Philip Alther pouring a selection of wines that included spiced Bluwein which was gently warming over a flame. They were also serving the Olive Tapenade for which the shop is noted along with freshly made Rosemary Focaccia.
Also, a vendor since the first Holiday Taste & Sips, we couldn’t possibly overlook owner Tommie Koukoulis from Cafe Mezzanotte and his general manager Paul Zonn who appeared to be growing their own sprouts while “celebratin the humble carrot” with carrot pasta with beef short ribs and horseradish and carrot risotto with Brussels sprouts and apple balsamic.
We discovered even more vendors off the main ballroom and stopped to chat with Debra Saltz, co-owner of BD Provisions. Saltz was serving coffee roasted earlier that day by her co-owner and master roaster Phil Peters. Beyond Saltz were Cheers & Spirits’ Debra Reitz and Matthew Haggerty serving wine and spirits. They were flanked by a charcuterie board from April’s Table, and lastly Cindy and David Geipe from Sweet Satisfaction with ice cream.
An added piece de resistance, entertainment-wise, came fairly late with the appearance of the Harbor City Music Company Show Chorus, the award-winning group that sings a cappella, four-part harmony music in the barbershop style. Chosen 3rd in the world by Sweet Adelines International, they are directed by Michael Gellert, a Master 700 Director and prolific arranger. Many people don’t realize that the show chorus currently rehearses locally on Wednesday evenings at the Severna Park Elks Lodge.
The end of the evening was reserved for the close of the Silent Auction and the business that resulted therefrom. All in all, a very entertaining evening.
Cookies & Cocoa with Santa at Severna Park Community Cente
Friday evening, December 13th, was quite chilly. Nevertheless, the Severna Park Community Center’s Cookies & Coffee with Santa holiday event went off without much of a hitch. However, according to the center’s director Sarah Elder, the cold temperatures prompted the staff to move the location for Santa from outdoors, as originally planned, to a warmer indoor setting in Boone Station Hall.
With the addition of Christmas trees, a faux fireplace and a cozy armchair atmosphere there the setting was picture perfect. There was a long line of families with young children waiting to visit with the jolly old elf and tell him their Christmas wish lists while having their photos taken.
Cozy Boone Station Hall was also headquarters for families with youngsters to gather for cocoa, cookies and the opportunity to create a snowman using marshmallows.
Of course, what parent or child could resist cups of warming cocoa and cookies.
There were things taking place outdoors too including some dance performances in the courtyard between Boone Station Hall and the Chamber building. Students from The Dance Center at Severna Park Community Center performed as holiday candles glowing in the darkness.
Among those who braved the cold night air to enjoy the outdoor events and possibly snag a warming beverage from the Moveable Mixtures Beverage Truck were Kati Elliott, Lauren Garber and Jessica Axt. The threesome made a point of visiting as many holiday events as possible.
There was still more fun to be had in the Community Center’s Holiday Marketplace where crowds of happy shoppers enjoyed checking out the merchandise of a dozen or more vendors. Many emerged with packages.
Rounding out the activities in the Community Center Building were a tableau from Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church celebrating the birth of Christ to remind folks what Christmas is really about. There was also a lot of activity around The Grinch who was posing for photos with children of various ages. Cocoa & Cookies with Santa was yet another occasion that spread some holiday joy and brought the community together in a lovely way.
Sing in the New Year with a Benefit Concert for SPAN on January 12th
Save The Date of Sunday, January 12 for a Benefit Concert for SPAN, Inc. featuring musicians and vocalists Kate Caldwell and Max Ochs. The program will include folk favorites, originals and blues and a reception will follow. In lieu of a ticket price, financial donations to help SPAN will be accepted and much appreciated.
The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center.)
and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.
