D1 Holiday Update

Greetings friends and neighbors! This newsletter is the latest in a series of guides showing how you can spend your holiday season in always-wonderful District One. D1 is all decked out and brimming with all sorts of holiday goodies for you and your loved ones and your belly. Happy Holidays. ✨

Need help finding some of D1's best light displays? The County has a HoCo Holiday Lights map where you can find displays near you or register your lights for others to come see. 💡

Any questions about things going on at the Council level or in your community? Don't hesitate to reach out via email to CouncilDistrict1@HowardCountyMD.gov or phone at (410) 313-2001.

Liz Walsh Council Member pic with sig.png

OEC Bucks Are Back for Downtown Businesses

Our old mill town was fully decorated with trees and greens earlier this month at a purely magic Midnight Madness. But old Ellicott City is open every day for your dollars. If you want a little incentive to show our local business owners how much you care, the Ellicott City Partnership is offering $10 in "OEC Bucks" for free as part of their Shop Late, Shop Local event. Get the bucks and spend them at OEC businesses, no strings attached.

Join ECP at the Welcome Center at 8267 Main Street starting at noon this Saturday, December 17th to get bucks that you can spend up until December 31st. For more details, click here.

Santa Paws Is Coming to D1

Santa Claus is coming to town this Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 2 PM to take pictures with all the dogs he can find. Santa will be at Worthington Dog Park at 8170 Hillsborough Road in Ellicott City, ready to take pictures with your pups for only $10. Learn more from our local Rec & Parks Department here.

Chabad Ellicott City's Chanukah Celebrations

Last year, Chabad started a new tradition by adding a menorah to our scenic old Ellicott City Main Street. Now, they're spreading to more locations in HoCo, including D1's Dorsey's Search. Look below for the D1 events and stop by the celebrations for some live music, great latkes, and more.

Need a Tree? Go to Payne's!

So many beautiful, wreaths, garlands, and other greens are at Payne Christmas Trees and Holiday Market, 5481 Levering Avenue, just before the Thomas Viaduct. Payne is open daily 9 AM to 8 PM until December 23rd for wreaths, decorations, and more fun for families. Learn more here.

🚂 Train Garden 🚂 Open at Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station Museum

Legos make up most of the B&O Museum's annual train display for the first time. See for yourself what it looks like by getting down to the museum in old Ellicott City before the exhibit closes on January 8th. To read the Sun's recent feature on the new exhibit, click here. Learn more about the museum by clicking here.

You. Guys. EC250's sponsoring a brand-new original musical — and you only have two more chances to see it this Friday and Saturday. This Friday's performance is at 7 PM and the closing matinee on Saturday starts at 2 PM. It's not every day that you can hear new music that's family-friendly; educational; and, most important of all, entertaining! Get down to HCC's Horowitz Visual & Performing Arts Center and see it before it's gone by purchasing tickets here.

Elkridge Furnace Inn's holiday carryout is already on sale. You only have till 5 PM this Friday to put in your orders for turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, beans, relish, and the all-important apple tart. Ingredients are locally-sourced from community farms, including D1's very own Myrtle Woods. 😋 This is D1 eating done right. For more information and to place your order, click here.

A Message from the Health Department

Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, and Kids Coats to Anyone in Need

This holiday season, the Indian Cultural Association is distributing 🍉 🍎 free food 🍌 🍅 and winter coats for kids to anyone — no questions asked and no ID required. Join them at the Miller Branch this Saturday starting at 10 AM while supplies last. For more information and to share with others, click here.

The Muslim Council will also be out this Saturday starting at 11 AM to hand out food to anyone who needs it in the Elkridge Library parking lot. Supplies are first come, first served and they've gone quickly in the past, so make sure to get there as soon as you can. For more information and to find a link to volunteer at the event, click here.

A Message from the Community Action Council

Each year around the holidays, the Community Action Council of Howard County partners with YOU and the incredible Howard County community to bring joy, laughter, and security to families in need.

For many in our community, the holidays can be extra challenging and present families with additional financial stress. In fact, EVERY SINGLE DAY in Howard County 1 in 4 families struggle to make ends meet.

Last year during the months of November and December alone, the Community Action Council of Howard County served 318,000 meals to over 9,000 individuals at the Howard County Food Bank. Additionally, we kept the lights on for over 2,500 families and provided an average of $5,850 per family in eviction prevention assistance. We also supported over 300 children and their families through our early childhood education program!

As colder weather and the holidays approach, we are asking YOU to support ALL our families regardless of what type of assistance they require. We know that by wrapping our arms around a family in a holistic fashion, we can move them from crisis to stability and ultimately self-sufficiency.

Giving HOPE for a better tomorrow and a wonderful holiday season.

To find out more about what you can do to help, click here for specific priority asks.