20060516 Westminster Flower and Jazz Festival

Flower & Jazz Festival Kicks Off the Spring Event Season in Westminster

May 16, 2006 By Kevin Dayhoff

Last Saturday, almost 6,000 visitors joined the Westminster community to welcome spring. And what better way to do it, than by giving away 2000 flowers for Mother’s Day.

For this year’s nineteenth annual Westminster Flower and Jazz Festival Westminster opened up its historic downtown-shopping district with open arms.

This year 72 craft and commercial vendors, four nurseries, 4 non-profits, ten to fifteen Carroll County Health Department Child Safety booths – and most importantly, five food vendors, made Westminster the place to be for a beautiful spring day.

The nurseries included: Cowlick Gardens, M&W Nursery, Sue’s Flowers and Wakefield Valley Nursery.

Stan Ruchlewicz, Westminster’s administrator of economic development reports that this year’s jazz events included:

“The Herb Sell Ensemble and singer Audrey Cimino (provided) dance music for George Matysek, Tina DeMell and the Psycho Jammers… The Eric Byrd Trio” entertained on the front lawn of the Westminster Branch of the Carroll County Public Library.

The sixth annual 1 Mile Fun Run to benefit Carroll County Youth Services Bureau, was a pre-festival event. Safe Kids Day 2006 was also part of this year’s event. It featured water safety information, along with interactive injury prevention booths, said Mr. Ruchlewicz.

Ron Schroers Director of Recreation and Parks and former mayor Dayhoff’s personal assistant emeritus said, “It was a beautiful day. It was great to see all the Mom’s and Dad’s.You’ll come back now ya hear.”

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org

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