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Local News |
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| Sykesville Fall Festival features town crier |
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| By Kathryn Leiter, Landmark News Service |
Friday, October 09, 2009 |
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Sykesville Fall Festival-goers will not only see the sights Sykesville has to offer, but will be able to hear them, too. The festival will feature a town crier.
“He’s very animated and has great charisma,” Ivy Wells, Sykesville’s Events Coordinator, said of the town crier, Squire Frederick Taylor.
Wells met Taylor last year while helping with the Towson Town Festival and expressed interest in having him become a part of Sykesville’s festival. Taylor will be in Colonial dress, including a Quaker-style hat and tails.
Taylor said he is a director of the American Guild of Town Criers, the official Annapolis town crier, Baltimore County town crier and has taken part in many events all over the state.
“Just about any and everything you can think of,” he said.
Notably, Taylor led the welcome-back parade for Michael Phelps in Towson following the Olympic Games. However, Taylor isn’t in it for the money.
“Everything’s generally a charitable affair on my part,” he said.
Instead of a payment, the Sykesville Business Association will be making a donation to the American Cancer Society in honor of Taylor’s wife, Mary Bernadette Taylor, who died from cancer.
“He does this because he loves to do it,” Wells said. “He loves to interact with people.”
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In addition to Taylor, new to the festival this year will be an expanded children’s play area, which will include two moon bounces, an obstacle course, carousel bouncer, two slides, a basketball hoop, Silly Will the clown and face painting. Children will also get to make their own scarecrow, which is being sponsored by St. Barnabas Church.
The number of vendors and amount of food options is also larger this year, Wells said.
Carol Felker, 2009 Sykesville Business Association president, said more than 60 vendors are coming, including many that participate in the Apple Butter Festival.
The demand has been so unexpected that organizers had to make some adjustments so as not to turn anyone away.
“The response has been so great that we have had to take the space and rework it to accommodate everyone,” Wells said.
Other entertainment throughout the day will include performances by N-Full Motion Marching Band, Sykesville Tae Kwon Do, United Hop Ki Do and Tri-Star Martial Arts. Bringing music to the event will be the band Spiral, which is taking over Main Street from 12:30 to 5 p.m.
Parking and a shuttle service will be available at Freedom Park and parking will also be available for $5 at South Branch Park, with proceeds going toward the renovation of the historic apple warehouse, according to Wells.
Kathryn Leiter can be reached at 410-857-3318 or kathryn.leiter@lcniofmd.com.
If you go
What: Sykesville Fall Festival
When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 10
Where: Main Street in Sykesville
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