The EC250 events, celebrating our town’s founding, continue to bring lots of interesting activities to the area. At the end of April, more than 200 people attended the opening of the Ellicott Mills Children’s Museum — a place where visitors are encouraged to “touch everything.” The Howard County Historical Society has done a great job creating a museum where learning is fun. The museum, at 3725 Park Ave., is open 1-5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is free and parking is available in the nearby courthouse parking lot.
Next up is the For the Record digitization day May 13 at the Howard County Historical Society Archive and Research Library at the Miller Branch. Do you have materials that should be part of the historic archive? Bring what you have between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and they will scan it, return the original to you, and make it an accessible part of Howard County history.
There will be a flower show May 13 at the Ellicott City 50+ Center at 9401 Frederick Road. Sponsored by the Howard County Garden Club, the show is planned from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will feature a display presenting the new Mary Jerdone Coleman Garden Project at the Patapsco Female Institute due to open on June 4.
At 1 p.m., May 14, EC250 Inc. will welcome Diane Hunter, tribal historic preservation officer for and a member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, to the Museum of Howard County History. She will discuss the Miami leader Chief Little Turtle’s relationship with the Ellicott family and the tribe’s connection to our town and to the local Quaker group. Chief Little Turtle and other chiefs visited Ellicott Mills in 1807. The event is free, but seating is limited. Register to attend at EC250.com. Also on May 14 and 15, the town will celebrate Ellicott City Comes Alive weekend at the Thomas Isaac Log Cabin on Main Street. Re-enactors and period craft demonstrators will share the art of lace making, surveying techniques and, on Sunday only, woodworking. The B&O Railroad Museum Ellicott City Station will offer a free tour of the museum Sunday, starting at 2:30 p.m.
On May 19, an artist’s talk by Lisa Scarbath and a reception are planned at the Howard County Center for the Arts. Scarbath created the crowd-sourced Pieces of History: the EC250 Mosaic Project. The mosaic consists of six panels featuring the town’s most iconic sites. The reception will run from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is free, but space is limited and registration is required. Go to EC250.com to register.
The Historic Ellicott City Inc. 34th Decorator Show House, Oakdale, will open to the public on May 13. Located in Woodbine, the home will be open Thursdays through Sundays until June 5. Go to showhouse.historicec.com for details. This is a monumental volunteer project and the group is still in need of day-to-day assistance. One nice perk, if you offer up a half-day or so as a host/hostess, you get to see the house for free. Contact volunteer coordinator Ellen J. Bell at ellenjbell@aol.com.
On May 13, the Wine Bin is offering an in-person class about rare wine varieties from 7 to 9 p.m. Go to winebinec.com to register.
The next Girls Night Out in the historic district will take place on May 19 from 5 to 9 p.m. The theme is Spring with Flower Power. Participants will get a flower gift and enjoy a free wine tasting and live music at the Wine Bin. You’ll have two different DIY opportunities — make a flower crown or terrarium at the Flower Barn’s new location, 3782 Old Columbia Pike; or bundle locally sourced sage infused with rose petals, rosemary, thyme and lavender into your own smudge stick at Gott Folk (formerly Gott Effni), at 8104 Main St. Register at visitoldellicottcity.com/events/gno-may/.
If you are in need of child care so you can attend this fun evening, the B&O Railroad Museum Ellicott City Station, is offering a Kids Night at the Museum from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Pre-register by calling 410-313-0423.
The Little Market Café continues its program of Concerts on the Courtyard in the area behind the shop on Tonge Row. Concerts are on Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sundays at noon. Open mic events are also on Sundays. Check littlemarketcafe.com/events for more details.