Family Summer Bash will offer a fun-for-all-ages event Friday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster, while also raising money for the Park Legacy Fund, which supports trails and playgrounds at public outdoor recreation areas.
The event will feature eight food trucks, alcohol for purchase, about 25 artists and vendors, a children’s play area, games, and vehicles from local fire and emergency service departments.
Carroll County Recreation and Parks Department program coordinator Myiah Seymour said she expects live music from The Reagan Years to be a big draw. The band will perform songs from the 80s from 6 to 7:10 p.m. and from 7:50 to 9 p.m.
“The biggest part of the event is The Reagan Years,” Seymour said. “They’re coming to play, and we are very excited to have them because they do have a very large following in the area.”
Family Summer Bash is held in late June as a kickoff to National Parks and Recreation Month in July. Bureau Chief of Recreation Lisa Carroll said in an email that July will be full of fun recreational programs for all ages in Carroll.
The event pays for itself in addition to raising money for the Park Legacy Fund, according to Carroll.
“Parks are more than just open spaces,” according to Carroll, “they are essential hubs for recreation, relaxation, and social connection. Donating to the Park Legacy Fund leaves a legacy in support of a strong healthy community and natural environment for years to come.”
The inaugural Family Summer Bash was held in 2022 at the Carroll County Sports Complex in Westminster, according to Carroll. Last year’s event, set to be held at Freedom Park in Sykesville, was cancelled due to rain.
The plan is for the farm museum to become the annual event’s permanent venue. Seymour said the grounds are well equipped to host large events, the site’s entry gate addresses legal requirements for alcohol service, and farm museum staff have been collaborative and helpful regarding the event.
The bash will also include a raffle for the first time this year, with proceeds going to the Park Legacy Fund. An 8-foot bar, which will be used for alcohol service during the event, will go home with one lucky raffle entrant. Seymour said the bar is a beautiful piece of maple furniture with green paneling.
“With our event, we just wanted to bring communities together,” Seymour said, “and also we’re trying to raise money for the park, so that’s another reason why we’re trying to get the community together for this.”
It costs $25 to buy a ticket at the door, though anyone 12 and younger is admitted for free. Family Summer Bash is a cash-only event, Seymour said, and although an ATM will be accessible just before the gates, re-entry is not permitted.
