Thursday, September 17 through Sunday, September 20 📍 Charles County Fairgrounds, 8440 Fairgrounds Road, La Plata 💰 $10 admission

One hundred and two years. That's how long this county has been showing up to look at each other's quilts, field corn, hogs and flowers, and somehow it still doesn't get old. Thirty five acres south of La Plata fill up with livestock shows, 4-H demonstrations, four stages of live music, a carnival midway, and pig races running basically every two hours from morning until the gates close.

Here's how the four days break down.

Thursday, September 17, 4:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Opening night is the quiet one, which is exactly why some people prefer it. Gates open at 4:00, the 4-H Sheep Show starts at 5:00, and the Opening Ceremony and Coronation of Queen Nicotina XC is at 7:00. Glass blowing demos run all evening, Bailey's Butterfly Safari is open, and Dan Burns fires up the chainsaw carving at 6:00 and again at 8:30. Walk the midway before the weekend crowds find it.

Friday, September 18, 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM. School Children's Day. This is the one to circle. School aged kids get in free from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Farm Bureau Games run all morning with stick pony races, balloon swatting, a potato sack race and watermelon seed spitting. Reptile World with Mike Shwedick is at noon, the Kiddie Tractor Pull is at 1:00, and SMECO does climbing demos on the hour. Music picks up in the evening with Gloria's Imagination Band at 5:30, Girl Crush Band at 6:00 and Ro Cube at 6:30, and the Horse Pull is at 7:00.

Saturday, September 19, 8:00 AM to 8:30 PM. The full throttle day. Baby Show at 9:00 with Bunky and Blondie, the 4-H Dog Show at 9:00, Open Swine at 8:00 and Open Beef at 11:00. The 4-H Livestock Auction is at 4:00 and it's worth watching even if you aren't bidding. Music runs from Hometown Band at noon through the Port Tobacco Pickers on bluegrass at 2:30, Honkytonk Casanovas at 4:00, and Stone Pleasure Band bringing R&B at 7:00. Mason-Dixon Lawn Mower Races also at 7:00, because of course.

Sunday, September 20, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. A gentler close. Thanksgiving Prayer Service at 9:30, Open Sheep and Goat Shows at 9:00, mini horse team pulls at noon, and a line dancing workshop with the Chesapeake Country Cruizer's at 1:00. The Farm Bureau's 250 Year Celebration of Agriculture is at 2:30. Stick around for the auctions, glass blown pieces at 3:30 and Dan Burns' chainsaw carvings at 4:30.

Ten dollars gets you in any day. Parking is on site.

🔗 Fair info and admission
🔗 Full day by day entertainment schedule

Fair week or not, the rest of the county did not take the week off.

Tuesday, September 15 | 6:00 PM 📍 12540 Mattawoman Drive, Waldorf 💰 See link

🔗 Event details

The Chamber's Women's Club gets together for networking, encouragement, and honest conversation about running things in Charles County. If you've been meaning to meet more women in local business and kept not doing it, here's your low effort entry point.

Wednesday, September 16 | 8:00 AM registration, 9:00 AM shotgun start 📍 Swan Point Yacht & Country Club, 11550 Swan Point Boulevard, Issue 💰 $165

🔗 Register or sponsor

Sagepoint's sixth annual tournament puts every dollar toward its Assisted Living and Memory Care programs, specifically dementia education for families and help navigating senior care. Breakfast and putting and chipping contests at 8:00, shotgun start at 9:00, with Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin prizes for both men and women. Rain or shine.

Wednesday, September 16 | 9:30 AM registration 📍 Swan Point Yacht & Country Club, 11550 Swan Point Boulevard, Issue 💰 See link

🔗 Details and registration

The non golf half of the Sagepoint day, and honestly the better deal if you don't play. A coastal inspired craft at 10:00 that you take home, a guided putting activity at 11:00, then a noon food and wine pairing with pours from Port of Leonardtown Winery and bites from Swan Point's kitchen. Same cause, no swing required.

Friday, September 18 | First pitch TBD, check the link 📍 Regency Furniture Stadium, 11765 St. Linus Drive, Waldorf 💰 See link

🔗Event Details

Playoff baseball is back in Waldorf. The Crabs take on the Lexington Legends in the Atlantic League South Division Championship Series, and after two games in Lexington the series comes home for Game 3 Friday night. Games 4 and 5 would also be here Saturday and Sunday if it goes that far. Best of five, so Friday matters.

Friday, September 18 | 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, doors 5:30 📍 Old Waldorf School, 3074 Crain Highway, Waldorf 💰 $60

🔗 Get tickets

Divine by Design Mentoring marks eight years of youth mentoring with an evening in purple and gold. Keynote from Dr. Tony Warrick plus community honorees, and parking is free. It's their annual fundraiser, so getting dressed up here actually sends money to local kids. Under 18 welcome with a parent or guardian.

Saturday, September 19 | 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM 📍 Indian Head Rail Trail trailhead parking, Indian Head 💰 $44

🔗 Register here

Flat, friendly, and early enough that you're done before the fairgrounds open. Walkers are as welcome as runners, nobody's chasing a PR. If you've been meaning to try the rail trail and wanted company doing it, this is it.

Saturday, September 19 | 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM 📍 Bensville Park, 6980 Bensville Road, Bensville 💰 Free

🔗 RSVP here

A community walk built around encouragement rather than pace. Bring water, bring a friend, go as slow as you like. The Bensville Park loop makes it easy for just about any fitness level.

Saturday, September 19 | 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM 📍 CSM La Plata Campus, Center for Business and Industry, 8730 Mitchell Road, La Plata 💰 See link

🔗 Festival details

Twelve straight hours of tabletop gaming at the College of Southern Maryland. Hosted games in three hour blocks, an open game library you can pull from all day, demos of new releases, a puzzle swap, and vendors from around the region. Board games, card games, dexterity games and RPGs all get a seat. Proceeds go to student success.

Saturday, September 19 | 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM 📍 THE SPACE at LB Innovations Collective, 2901 Festival Way, Waldorf 💰 $60

🔗 Get tickets

An afternoon built entirely around slowing down, which is a nice counterweight to a loud fair weekend. Picnic setup, rosé, and a crowd focused on business growth and self care in equal measure. Networking that feels like a good afternoon instead of a conference.

Saturday, September 19 | 1:00 PM 📍 Historic Rich Hill, 9135 Bel Alton Newtown Road, Bel Alton 💰 Free, donations accepted

🔗 Event Details

More than 100 enslaved men, women and children lived at Rich Hill from the early 1700s until slavery ended in Maryland in 1864. This is the newly reopened site's first major program telling that history, including the life of Mary Swann, whose story traces the passage from slavery to freedom. It's free, it's an hour of your Saturday, and it's the most important thing happening in the county this week.

Saturday, September 19 | 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM 📍 Butlers Farm, 3835 Gardiner Road, Waldorf 💰 $76

🔗 Get tickets

Fourth year running, and crab season doesn't stretch forever. Steamed crabs, fried chicken, corn on the cob, a live DJ, and long tables full of people you probably know. A farm setting beats a banquet hall every time. Tickets required and this one moves.

Saturday, September 19 | 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM 📍 CCPL Waldorf West Branch, 10405 O'Donnell Place, Waldorf 💰Free

🔗 Register here

Speakers, local businesses and community resources in one room at the library. Built for anyone in the scrappy early stage of a side hustle or a small business, or just trying to get a clearer picture of their money.

Sunday, September 20 | 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, living history presentation 2:00 to 3:00 📍 Historic Mt. Aventine Mansion, Chapman State Park, 3452 Ferry Place, Indian Head 💰 Suggested donation $5

🔗 Event details

Step inside the 1840 manor house for hot and cold teas, treats, mansion tours, and a living history presentation by "Ms. Story" with a Q and A after. Come as you are, tea attire is explicitly not required. The 2,200 acres around it are some of the prettiest ground in the county, so give yourself time to walk before or after.

Southern soul, open mics, and a backyard cookout to send summer off.

Tuesday, September 15 | 6:00 PM 📍 Bar 919, Waldorf 💰 Free entry

🔗 Event details

Tacos, happy hour pricing, and a DJ who keeps going well past dinner. No cover, no plan required, which is the entire appeal on a Tuesday.

Thursday, September 17 | 7:00 PM 📍 Babe's Boys Tavern, 2890 Old Washington Road, Waldorf 💰 See link

🔗 Event details

Blues and rock in a real neighborhood tavern, with a crowd that actually listens instead of talking over the band. Babe's Boys has kept Thursday night music going for years and it shows.

Saturday, September 19 | 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM 📍 Martinis Lounge, 10553 Theodore Green Boulevard, Waldorf 💰 $33 to $44

🔗 Get tickets

The Brothers of Tau Lambda Lambda throw their annual QueFest, six hours of barbecue, music and a full afternoon lineup. An easy call if the fairgrounds feel like too much people for one day.

Saturday, September 19 | 2:00 PM to 9:30 PM 📍 American Legion Post 170, 4345 Livingston Road, Indian Head 💰 $44 to $55

🔗 Get tickets

Trail ride, line dancing, stepping and a full southern soul show, all of it running seven and a half hours at the Indian Head Legion. Wear something you can actually move in, and yes, boots are encouraged.

Saturday, September 19 | 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM 📍 70 Industrial Park Drive, Waldorf 💰 $33

🔗 Get tickets

Grill going, mic open, inspiration and gospel playlist, and zero pressure to be good at either one. Food is part of the ticket. Lower key than a night out and more fun than it sounds on paper.

Saturday, September 19 | 3:00 PM 📍 B & G Tavern, Accokeek 💰 $23

🔗 Get tickets

Just over the county line but close enough to count. Send summer off with a cookout, drinks, and music that runs into the evening.

Make something with your hands this week. Fall crafts are officially fair game.

Monday, September 14 | 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM 📍 CCPL Potomac Branch, 3225 Ruth B. Swann Drive, Indian Head, or online 💰 Free

🔗 Register here

Bring your yarn and whatever project has been sitting in the bag. Beginners and people who've been at it for decades work side by side, and you can join from your couch if leaving the house isn't happening.

Wednesday, September 16 | 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM 📍 CCPL Waldorf West Branch, 10405 O'Donnell Place, Waldorf 💰 Free

🔗 Join the wait list

Bring photos and keepsakes and turn them into something you'll actually keep instead of a shoebox. Adults only, supplies provided. The wait list is open, which tells you how this one goes.

Thursday, September 17 | 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM 📍 Paint N Sip, 11110 Mall Circle, Waldorf 💰 $39

🔗 Get tickets

Paint class and dance class collide and nobody leaves embarrassed. Hear your song, do what you want, none of it is mandatory. Worth noting the music is explicit, so this is a leave the kids at home situation.

Saturday, September 19 | 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM 📍 AR Workshop La Plata, 317 Charles Street, La Plata 💰 $59

🔗 Book here

Two hours, beginner friendly, and you leave with fall decor you didn't buy at a big box store. Also conveniently timed if you're heading to the fairgrounds after lunch.

Sunday, September 20 | 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM 📍 21 Industrial Park Drive, Waldorf 💰 $60

🔗 Reserve your spot

Two hours to slow down, move your body, sit with the Word, and reconnect. Mat Pilates paired with devotional time, beginner friendly, and the emphasis is on showing up rather than performing.

Sunday, September 20 | 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM 📍 The Green Coterie, 3438 Rockefeller Court, Waldorf 💰 $28

🔗 RSVP here

Fast, funny challenges, friendly competition, prizes, and Coterie Cash on the line. The Green Coterie does community better than almost anybody in Waldorf and this is a gentle way to close out a loud weekend.

All week during gallery hours 📍 Tony Hungerford Memorial Art Gallery, CSM La Plata Campus, 8730 Mitchell Road, La Plata 💰 Free

🔗 Event Details

Fourteen mixed media works about what happens when a screen stops being a tool and turns into a cultural object. Gu's autobiographical pieces dig into identity and the immigrant experience, and the whole thing is free to walk through. Up through October 9, so there's no rush, but there's also no reason to wait.

Robotics, therapy dogs, piñatas, and free Korean fried chicken. Not a bad week to be eight.

Tuesday, September 15 | 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM 📍 Waldorf Senior Center 💰 Free

🔗 Details here

The Mobile Library rolls up with September's theme, which is mushrooms and everything strange about them. All ages, no registration, and the bookmobile is a draw on its own.

Tuesday, September 15 | 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM 📍 CCPL Waldorf West Branch, Waldorf 💰 Free

🔗 Join the wait list

Build a robot out of LEGO bricks, then code it to actually do something. Real robotics fundamentals hiding inside an hour that feels like play. Wait list is open, which tells you everything.

Tuesday, September 15 | 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM 📍 CCPL La Plata Branch, 2 Garrett Avenue, La Plata 💰 Free

🔗 Join the wait list

A National Hispanic Heritage Month craft night making mini piñatas. All ages welcome. Currently running a wait list, so put your name down now rather than Tuesday afternoon.

Wednesday, September 16 | 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM 📍 CCPL La Plata Branch, 2 Garrett Avenue, La Plata 💰 Free

🔗 Register here

This month's club takes on fractions through games, which is a considerably better deal than a worksheet. Tweens and teens, registration required.

Wednesday, September 16 | From 10:30 AM 📍 Bonchon, 3059 Waldorf Market Place, Waldorf 💰 Free kids meal with purchase

🔗 Details here

Korean fried chicken and a free kids meal, every Wednesday. An easy weeknight win when nobody feels like cooking.

Wednesday, September 16 | 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM 📍 CCPL Potomac Branch, Indian Head 💰 Free

🔗 Register here

Your kid finished their series and now refuses everything you suggest. Librarians walk through first books of series worth starting, which is a much better pitch coming from them than from you. Registration required.

Thursday, September 17 | 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM 📍 CCPL P.D. Brown Memorial Branch, 50 Village Street, Waldorf 💰 Free

🔗 Details here

Teen Central is open and it belongs to them for two hours. Games, hanging out, and somewhere to land after school that isn't the house. Drop in, no registration.

Thursday, September 17 | 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM 📍 CCPL Potomac Branch, Indian Head 💰 Free

🔗 Register here

Kids read out loud to a certified therapy animal, which turns out to be one of the better tricks for a hesitant reader. Or they can skip the reading and just sit with the dog. Registration required.

Friday, September 18 | 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM 📍 CCPL Waldorf West Branch, Waldorf 💰 Free

🔗 Register here

The library stays open after hours just for teens. Games, snacks, and the run of the building. Registration required.

Saturday, September 19 | 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM 📍 CCPL Waldorf West Branch, Waldorf 💰 Free

🔗 Details here

Boards are out and every skill level is welcome, from "I know how the horse moves" all the way up to club player. Opponents guaranteed.

A big author talk, two certifications, and one very hands on way into local history.

Monday, September 14 | 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM 📍 Virtual, CCPL 💰 Free

🔗 Details here

Practice conversational Spanish with other learners, basic vocabulary required. Heads up, this session is already full, so check the link for the next one.

Tuesday, September 15 | 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM 📍 Virtual, CCPL Author Speaker Series 💰 Free

🔗 Register here

Priya Parker has done some of the sharpest thinking out there on how people actually gather, and she's talking about conflict and how fighting well builds stronger relationships. Free, virtual, teens and adults. Registration required.

Tuesday, September 15 | 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM 📍 Panera Bread, 3070 Technology Place, Waldorf 💰 See link

🔗 RSVP here

Growers, homesteaders and anyone curious about farming down here, swapping notes over coffee. Very welcoming to beginners, and you absolutely do not need land to show up.

Wednesday, September 16 | 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM 📍 Virtual, CCPL with MD Dept. of Labor 💰 Free

🔗 Register here

A lunch hour webinar with the Maryland Department of Labor on spotting scams before they get you. Practical, current, and extremely easy to forward to a parent.

Wednesday, September 16 | 12:00 PM 📍 KWPP Waldorf Branch Office, Waldorf 💰 Free

🔗 Details here

A midday session on how new construction buying actually works, using DR Horton's Calm Retreat community as the example. Aimed at buyers and agents who want to understand the process before they're in it.

Thursday, September 17 | Time TBD, check the link 📍 Port Tobacco Court House, 8430 Commerce Street, Port Tobacco 💰 See link

🔗 Event Details

The Charles County Archaeological Society works out of the second floor of the Port Tobacco Courthouse, washing, sorting and cataloging artifacts pulled out of local digs. Volunteers welcome, no experience needed, and this is how a lot of people accidentally fall into local archaeology. Confirm the time before you drive out.

Saturday, September 19 | 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM 📍 AllCPR Training Waldorf, 3261 Old Washington Road, Waldorf 💰 See link

🔗 Register here

Two hours covering both adults and children. This one isn't just for professionals, it's for parents, coaches, and anybody who regularly watches other people's kids.

Saturday, September 19 | 12:15 PM to 2:45 PM 📍 AllCPR Training Waldorf, 3261 Old Washington Road, Waldorf 💰 See link

🔗 Register here

BLS certification scheduled right after the morning first aid class, so you can knock out both in one trip and one parking spot.

Farmland, fire and rescue, and the animal board. Decisions get made whether you show up or not.

Monday, September 14 | 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM 📍 Charles County Government Building, 200 Baltimore Street, La Plata 💰 Free

🔗 Meeting details

The board that weighs in on preserving working farmland. Relevant to anyone paying attention to what gets built on the county's remaining agricultural acreage, which during fair week feels especially on the nose.

Tuesday, September 15 | Time TBD, check the link 📍 Charles County Government Building, 200 Baltimore Street, La Plata 💰 Free

🔗 Meeting details

The regular commissioners session. Agendas post ahead of time and the meeting streams live if you'd rather watch from the couch.

Wednesday, September 16 | 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM 📍 Charles County Government Building, La Plata, or virtual 💰 Free

🔗 Meeting details

Licensing and standards for electrical work in the county. Hybrid, so you can attend either way.

Wednesday, September 16 | 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM 📍 Commissioners Meeting Room, 200 Baltimore Street, La Plata 💰 Free

🔗 Meeting details

The board hears appeals and cases on animal control matters. Open to the public.

Thursday, September 17 | 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM 📍 Charles County Government Building, 200 Baltimore Street, La Plata 💰 Free

🔗 Meeting details

Monthly meeting on volunteer fire and EMS operations countywide. Worth your time if you follow department funding and staffing.

How to Watch: Can't make it in person? Charles County Government TV (CCGTV) streams most public meetings live and archives them afterward. Check charlescountymd.gov for the viewing schedule.

Three farmers markets, a hundred vendors, and peak September produce.

Saturday, September 19 | 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM 📍 Talbot Street lot behind the Charles County Courthouse, La Plata 💰 Free to browse

🔗 Market details

Peak September, which means tomatoes hanging on for dear life, apples coming in, and the first fall squash showing up. Saturdays only now that the Wednesday market has wrapped for the season. Get there early for the good stuff.

Saturday, September 19 | 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM 📍 3003 Festival Way, Waldorf, lot across from CAVA 💰 Free to browse

🔗 Market details

Local growers and makers right in the middle of Waldorf, running Saturdays through November. Easy to pair with a Pop-Up & Grow visit since they're practically next door to each other.

Saturday, September 19 | 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM 📍 Serenity Farm, 6932 Serenity Farm Road, Benedict 💰 $12

🔗 Get tickets

A full day of makers, vendors and food out at Serenity Farm, with all proceeds going to deMANDAcure Inc. Worth the drive to Benedict for the setting alone, and a good excuse to see a part of the county you probably don't get to much.

Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20 | 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM per Eventbrite, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM per the Shops site 📍 The Shops at Waldorf Center, 2925 Festival Way, Waldorf 💰 Free

🔗 Market details

Up to 100 local vendors, food trucks and small businesses filling a 31,000 square foot space every weekend. There's also a "Grow Your Resources" corner with small business help and a rotating nonprofit spotlight. No ticket, just show up. Times are listed differently in two places, so call ahead if you're cutting it close.

Sunday, September 20 | 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM 📍 Ace Hardware lot, Rt. 210 at Marshall Hall & Livingston Roads, Bryans Road 💰 Free to browse

🔗 Market details

The Sunday option for the north end of the county, run by Canopy Group Markets. Fresh produce, meats, farm goods, cottage foods and local crafts. Season runs through late October.

🎪 Friday is School Children's Day at the fair. School aged kids get in free from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Best value day of the week, easily.

⚾ Playoff baseball Friday night at Regency Furniture Stadium. Check for first pitch, tickets weren't posted yet when this went out.

🎒 "Say Their Names" at Historic Rich Hill, Saturday at 1:00. Free, and the first major program since the site reopened.

🎲 Hawkland Gaming Festival runs twelve hours at CSM Saturday. Drop in whenever, you don't have to commit to the whole day.

🌱 Three farmers markets this weekend. La Plata and Waldorf on Saturday, Bryans Road on Sunday.

📚 Priya Parker author talk is free and virtual Tuesday at 4:00. Registration required.

🦀 Butlers Farm Crab Feast tickets move fast. Saturday at 1:00, and crab season is running out.

🍵 Harvest Tea at Mt. Aventine is a $5 suggested donation. Sunday afternoon, and tea attire is not required.

Got a favorite spot that deserves more love? A new restaurant, boutique, artist, or service that your neighbors should know about?

You can nominate one for a future issue → Here

Before you go,

If you make it out to the fair, hit reply and tell me what you ate and whether the pig races were worth it. I want to know if anybody actually stayed for the lawn mower races Saturday night. And if there's something happening next week that I missed, send it my way, that's how half of these listings end up here in the first place.

That's the week.

From one local to another

— Candace