The 4th Annual Trappe-toberFEST will be held (rain or shine) Saturday, October 17 from 10am to 4pm. The festival features live entertainment, demonstrations, children’s activities, a street fair with vendors and community service booths, and plenty of delicious food. A Fire Prevention Month Open House at the Trappe Volunteer Fire Department will feature fresh made food, including an Amish Market BBQ chicken dinner, and homemade donuts and potato chips.

A lineup of live music for all ages will be presented on two stages in the park on Main Street, on a third performance area in front of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and in the dining area at the Firehouse. The day begins with a show by Reptile World (www.reptileworld.org) from 10:30am-12:00noon, with Michael Shwedick, one of America’s leading reptile wildlife educators. This wildly popular show gives audiences the opportunity to meet an interesting selection of live, large, colorful, and gentle reptiles from around the world.

Perfecting Kate, a local band popular with the teen scene, will play in park from 11:00-12:30. Ellery Adams & Rescue Team will play old tyme favorites at the Firehouse from 12-1pm. Off the Hook, a well known band consisting of physicians from Shore Health System, will perform on the “Habitat for Humanity” stage from 12:30-2:45. Back by popular demand is the Bay Country Chorus with barbershop music on stage from 12:30-1:15, followed by strolling singers. Magician Mike Rose will perform strolling magic from 11am-1pm and perform a stage show from 1:30-2pm. Greg Wong and the Uke Boys will perform mellow favorites, Hawaiian style, at 3:30pm. Mike Elzey will spotlight students from the Mike Elzey Guitar Studio from 2:45-3:15pm, then Elzey joins Lisa Rowe for a rocking finish to the day’s musical selections beginning at 3:30pm.

Also on hand will be Tommy Buckets playing percussion on instruments made from used buckets and other recycled items. Special guest Annie Oakley will visit the festival in her sharpshooter’s costume from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Organ grinder Ed Schmidt will demonstrate his portable German style street organ.

A feature demonstration will be a day long presentation by Daniel “Firehawk” Abbott of the Nanticoke (Nentego) tribe of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Firehawk has conducted extensive research of mid Atlantic “Indian” culture and has developed advanced skill in a variety of prehistoric functional arts, including stone and bone tool manufacture, ceramics, natural fiber technologies, and friction fire making, and the construction of authentic prehistoric houses.
More live animals will be on display at the Talbot Humane booth where you can cuddle a kitten, learn about the organization’s services, or even adopt a pet. If you prefer winged creatures, Dale Loughry of Have Birds Will Travel will add an exotic touch to the festival with his collection of unique and beautiful ornamental birds. Always a hit with young an old alike!

Nick Willoughby of E. R. Harvey Metalworks in Easton will demonstrate blacksmithing on a fired forge. He’ll also have metal products and custom knives for sale. Other demonstrations will be conducted by police K-9 dogs and the ELK’s Drug & Alcohol Awareness trailer, including simulated driving impaired vision glasses.

Fall means art in Trappe as brand new art banners line Main Street. More outdoor painting will be created during the Trappe toberFEST Plein Air Paint Out Plus. This event starts with a painting competition followed by a free demonstration by local plein air artist Diane DuBois Mullaly. Artists may begin painting any time on October 17, and paintings may be completed anywhere within the Trappe town limits or the surrounding Trappe District. Paintings will be judged in Professional, Amateur, and Student categories. Completed works must be delivered for judging by 2:00 p.m. to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 3936 Main Street in downtown Trappe. Awards will be announced by 2:30 p.m. and entries will be displayed at an “Art in the Park” exhibit and sale of freshly-painted plein air works. Mullaly will give a free art talk/painting demonstration from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in front of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The demo is open to any artist or art enthusiast. Unsold paintings will be released to the artists at 4:00 p.m.

The 2nd Annual Matthew Robert Wieland Memorial Tour de Trappe cycling event offers scenic routes of 11, 40 and 100 miles. Information and registration are available at www.tourdetrappe.com.

Local eateries, churches, and food vendors will provide a wide selection of food and drink throughout the day. The festival also features a street fair with craft vendors, children’s games and activities, community service booths, hay rides, and more.

The Trappe Volunteer Fire Company will host a Fire Prevention Month Open House featuring , a menu of hot food, safety demonstrations, a display by Seven Sisters Quilting Guild, and, of course, bright and shining fire vehicles. The Amish Market in Easton will serve a BBQ chicken dinner, along with homemade donuts and potato chips.

Trappe toberFEST is produced by the Town of Trappe with the assistance of corporate sponsors and the support of the Talbot County Arts Council. Major sponsors include Paris Foods, Paragon Light, Lake, Johnson & Tull, and Bayside Driving School.
For more information, contact the Trappe Town Hall at 410.476.3710, email trappeindex@verizon.net, or visit www.trappemd.net.