PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. – You may know Running Hare Vineyard, located on Adelina Road in Prince Frederick, as the winery and wedding venue with the gorgeous backdrop that makes you feel as if you are stepping into Tuscany. But the vineyard is much more than the beautiful scenery and award-winning wines. The vineyard, owned by Michael and Matt Scarborough, suffered a fire that resulted in the loss of over $2 million dollars in damages back in September just to be thrown another blow, just in time for wedding season, with the COVID19 pandemic shutting down much of their business in March.
Scarborough’s son, Matt, who now runs much of the day-to-day operations-with the help of his operations manager, Cheryl Keys, said that they had to get very creative once the pandemic hit. The vineyard, which sits on nearly 300 acres of land and is often the setting for weddings and receptions, has been making the best use of the outside area of the venue to host drive-in movies, concerts, camp-outs and more.
On Friday, October 9th, Running Hare Vineyard hosted the Michael Jackson tribute band, Who’s Bad. The venue was very spread out and the hosts made sure to follow proper CDC guidelines for social distancing and wearing masks. They also offered “drive-in only” tickets for patrons who felt more comfortable listening to the music, transmitted via an FM transmitter, from the comfort of their vehicle. It was a fun evening of music and entertainment under the stars. The tribute band was founded in 2003 and their live show was a power-packed performance of some of Michael Jackson’s most beloved songs. Fans sang along and cheered (from their lawn chairs, blankets, or vehicles) to some of MJ’s favorites, such as, “Beat It’, “Billie Jean”, “The Way You Make Me Feel” and more. The lead singer had many of Michael’s signature moves, his dancing and singing had the crowd cheering for more, and the saxophonist was spectacular. Wine was sold to patrons by the glass or the bottle and a food truck featured crab cakes, crabby fries, and pork barbecue platters.
Scarborough’s son, Matt, who now runs much of the day-to-day operations-with the help of his operations manager, Cheryl Keys, said that they had to get very creative by adding more outside events once the pandemic hit. The vineyard, which sits on nearly 300 acres of land and is often the setting for weddings and receptions, has been making the best use of the outside area of the venue to host drive-in movies, concerts, camp-outs and more.
Running Hare’s upcoming events include Drive-in Movie Nights featuring Disney’s Hocus Pocus, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, First Responders’ Appreciation (every Wednesday from 4-9pm), Ladies Night (every Thursday from 4-9pm), Comedy Night, a Camp Out in the Vineyard (for the evening or overnight), Friday Night Market (every Friday from 6-9pm), a 5K Run, and more. Of course, Running Hare is also a beautiful setting for a wedding and/or wedding reception-for up to 250 guests.
You can find more information about Running Hare Vineyard on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/runningharevineyard