Beginning Oct. 1, partner sites along the Southern Maryland Trails were set to tempt visitors with exciting incentives to get out and explore Southern Maryland. The month has been dubbed Southern Maryland Trails Month, a celebration designed to spotlight the region’s wealth of seasonal events, heritage festivals and family activities that abound each fall.

Many trail sites are scheduling special activities or awarding discounts and gifts to visitors who mention the trails on certain days during the month.

At the center of this celebration is the newly updated and expanded regional guidebook Southern Maryland Trails: Earth, Art, Imagination. The publication provides information for more than 200 sites, including farms, art studios, eateries and bed and breakfasts. Each venue offers home grown products and activities that are handmade and authentically Southern Maryland.. The publication is available free at visitor centers and partner sites all across Southern Maryland. It may also be downloaded from the web site, www.somdtrails.com.

Southern Maryland Trails is one of the many programs of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission aimed at supporting the local rural economy and raising awareness of the region.

“This month we’ll see a wonderful level of coordinated activity among our Trails partner sites,” said Dr. Christine L. Bergmark, executive director of SMADC. “We are encouraged to see the partners working together to deliver this regional, collaborative effort. Through the partners’ efforts, the Trails network continues to strengthen and grow. Ultimately, they are delivering a truly valuable experience to area visitors and residents alike.”

 
 Zekiah Farms is a partner in the Southern
 Maryland Trails month of activities and events.

Southern Maryland Trails Month activities and incentives offered by participating partners are as diverse as the sites themselves. Several art galleries and an area B&B will give a discount to those mentioning the Trails, either throughout the month or during a specific show or weekend.

A Calvert winery will give a free etched wine glass to all trails visitors on the second weekend in October, and at a double art/woodworking studio in Leonardtown, visitors to a Trails Open House on Saturday, Oct. 18, will receive a gift of hand painted earrings and a carved wooden cheese spreader. In addition, many partners are adding some type of Trails twist to their regularly scheduled events.

To find out more about participating or to learn more about additional programs, contact the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, P.O. Box 745, Hughesville, MD 20637; phone: (301) 274-1922; fax: (301) 274-1924; or visit these Web sites: www.somdtrails.com or www.somarylandsogood.com.