Saturday–Sunday, Sept 26–27 | Gates 2:00 p.m. 📍 Regency Furniture Stadium, Waldorf 💵 From $199, two-day pass only, 21+

The biggest thing to happen in Waldorf this year is happening in a minor league ballpark off St. Linus Drive. Camp Souled Out is a two-day hip-hop festival built around a summer camp theme, and the lineup is not messing around. Night one brings G-Herbo, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Cash Cobain. Night two is headlined by Don Toliver with a live set from Premo Rice.

Two things to know before you get excited. It's 21 and over, no exceptions, and there are no single-day tickets. Passes start at $199 for general admission and climb through GA+, Golden Circle and VIP BLK, with table and skybox packages that include bottle credits. If you were planning to swing by Sunday only, that's not an option this year.

Even if you're not going, this one's worth knowing about. Thousands of people are coming to Waldorf both afternoons, so give yourself extra time around St. Charles Parkway and St. Linus Drive Saturday and Sunday from early afternoon on.

🔗 Get your passes here

A gala, a lobster festival, two car shows and a county that clearly did not coordinate its calendar.

Tuesday, Sept 22 | 7:00–8:30 p.m. 📍 Panera Bread, Waldorf 💵 Free

🔗 RSVP here

An informal hang for local farmers, gardeners, and anybody who's been thinking about growing something and hasn't started yet. Swap notes, find out who's doing what around the county, and ask the questions you'd feel silly asking online. Beginners genuinely welcome.

Wednesday, Sept 23 | 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. 📍 2670 Crain Highway, Waldorf 💵 See link

🔗 Event details

Arise Behavioral Health is hosting a small-group conversation about grief and the complicated stuff that comes with it. It's built for honest talk, not a lecture with slides. If you've been carrying something heavy, this is a room full of people doing the same.

Wednesday, Sept 23 | 7:30–9:30 p.m. 📍 iNgage Community Church, Waldorf 💵 See link

🔗 Event details

iNgage Community Church turns ten and they're marking it with a night of music, celebration and testimony at The Park location. Longtime members and people who've never walked in the door are equally welcome.

Thursday, Sept 24 | 5:00–7:00 p.m. 📍 Waldorf West Library, Waldorf 💵 Free

🔗 Register here

Mental, physical and financial wellness all in one room, with expert speakers, local resources and flu shots on site. The title is doing a lot of work here and it's the right question. If you've been putting off checking in on yourself, this one's free and it's two hours.

Friday, Sept 25 | 5:00–8:00 p.m. 📍 Your Nu Image, White Plains 💵 Free, registration required

🔗 Reserve your spot

September is Alopecia Awareness Month and Your Nu Image is opening its doors to the community, healthcare providers and clients. You can see medical wigs and cranial prostheses up close, connect with resources, and hear about their Crowns & Confidence initiative. Nobody should be figuring out hair loss alone.

Friday, Sept 25 | 7:00–11:00 p.m. 📍 Greater Waldorf Jaycees, Waldorf 💵 $75

🔗 Get tickets

Health Partners brings in Bobby McKey's Dueling Pianos for a night of 60s, 70s and 80s music, and dueling pianos in a room full of people who came to sing along is a very specific kind of fun. It's their annual gala, so the $75 is doing real work in the community.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., varies by site 📍 Multiple county locations 💵 Free, indoor pools $4

🔗 See the full schedule

Rec, Parks & Tourism is opening up the whole county for a day. Build-a-Buddy and a sensory tent at Elite Gymnastics Pocket Park, a food truck and a gift for the first 100 guests at Crain Memorial Welcome Center, golf chipping and skate park demos at White Plains Regional Park, water volleyball at Wade Aquatic Center, and $4 admission at every indoor pool. If you've got kids and no plan, this is your Saturday.

Saturday–Sunday, Sept 26–27 | 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Sat, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Sun 📍 Maryland Veterans Museum at Patriot Park, Newburg 💵 Free

🔗 Event details

Military history from the Romans straight through World War II, with reenactors, cannon demonstrations, black powder demos, military bands and static displays. Two full days, free both days, and exactly the kind of thing a kid remembers. Bring good shoes, it's a lot of ground.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. 📍 Charles County Public Library, La Plata 💵 $10

🔗 Get tickets

Four hours of women connecting, telling their stories and building each other up. Ten dollars is nothing for a morning that leaves you feeling better than you walked in.

Saturday–Sunday, Sept 26–27 | 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. 📍 Shlagel Farms, Waldorf 💵 Admission fee, pumpkins by the pound

🔗 Plan your visit

Petting zoo, straw maze, corn box, and a hayride out to the pumpkin patch. The on-farm market is open too, so you can grab seasonal produce, farm-raised meats, eggs and honey on the way out. Pumpkins are priced by the pound and are not included in admission, so budget accordingly if your kid has big ambitions.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. 📍 Goose Bay Marina, Welcome 💵 See flyer

🔗 See the flyer

A car show on the water at Goose Bay Marina, third year running. Bring a chair, walk the rows slowly, and stay for the view even after you've seen every engine bay.

Sunday, Sept 27 | 12:00–6:00 p.m. 📍 Charles County Fairgrounds, La Plata 💵 $20–$95

🔗 Get tickets

Forty-nine years. The Rotary Club of Charles County has been doing this longer than a lot of us have been alive, and the money goes straight back into the county. They've put more than $180,000 into the community recently, including $95,000 in scholarships for local high school and CSM students, plus grants to the Southern Maryland Food Bank, Spring Dell Center, Angels Watch Shelter and the Charles County Literacy Council. Tickets run $20 to $95 depending on whether you're there for the lobster or just the afternoon.

Sunday, Sept 27 | Time TBD, check the flyer 📍 Newburg Volunteer Fire Department, Newburg 💵 See flyer

🔗 See the flyer

A memorial show at the Newburg firehouse. Classic cars, firehouse food, and the particular warmth of a small-town fundraiser where everybody knows who it's for.

Free weeknight sets, a comedy show, classic hip-hop DJs and go-go on a Sunday. Pace yourself.

Tuesday, Sept 22 | 6:00 p.m. 📍 Apehangers Bar & Grill, Bel Alton 💵 Free

🔗 Event details

A Tuesday night set at Apehangers, no cover. One of the few places around here where live music on a weeknight is just a normal thing that happens.

Tuesday, Sept 22 | 6:00 p.m. 📍 Bar 919, Waldorf 💵 Free

🔗 Event details

Happy hour prices that roll straight into a night party, every single Tuesday. No cover, and the tacos are the excuse rather than the point.

Thursday, Sept 24 | 7:00–10:00 p.m. 📍 Bonchon, Waldorf 💵 Free

🔗 Event details

Kennections Entertainment runs the mic, Bonchon runs the Korean fried chicken and the full bar. No cover, and the crowd is genuinely kind to people who've never done this before. Go sing something.

Friday, Sept 25 | 7:00 p.m.–midnight 📍 Burner's Bar & Grill, Indian Head 💵 See link

🔗 Tickets on Eventbrite

A grown-folks R&B night in Indian Head. Smooth playlists, a room built for actually listening, and none of the pressure of a club.

Friday, Sept 25 | 7:00–10:00 p.m. 📍 4415 Crain Highway, White Plains 💵 See link

🔗 Get tickets

Three hours of comedy in White Plains to knock the week off. Good way to start a Friday if a bar isn't what you're after.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 12:00–8:00 p.m. 📍 Lamont's Entertainment Complex, Indian Head 💵 See link

🔗 Get tickets

The legendary Awesome 2 and friends, hosted by Greg Nice of Nice & Smooth, taking over Lamont's for eight hours of classic hip-hop. If you grew up on this, you already know. If you didn't, this is the education.

Sunday, Sept 27 | 6:00 p.m.–midnight 📍 Shark Bar and Seafood House, Waldorf 💵 See link

🔗 Get tickets

Go-go and football in the same room, which is a combination that shouldn't work as well as it does. Backyard Band brings the crank, the games are on, and Shark Bar handles the food.

Paint something, knit something, ferment something, or just sit in a theater and let somebody else do the work.

Monday, Sept 21 | 6:00–9:00 p.m. 📍 Hank Willoughby Center for the Arts, CSM La Plata 💵 Free

🔗 Audition details

CSM Theater is casting Finegan Kruckemeyer's Grimm-inspired tale, directed by Tracy Labrie. This is the second and final audition night, and it's open to community members, not just students. If you've been telling yourself you'd try out for something one day, that day is Monday.

Thursday, Sept 24 | 6:00–8:00 p.m. 📍 Paint N Sip, Waldorf 💵 ~$39

🔗 Get tickets

Exactly what it sounds like. Dancing optional, painting guaranteed. Hear your song, move if you want to, and leave with a canvas you actually made.

Friday, Sept 25 | 5:30–8:30 p.m. 📍 AR Workshop, La Plata 💵 See link

🔗 Book here

You walk in with nothing and walk out three hours later holding a finished chunky knit blanket. No experience needed, no needles involved, and the timing on this is perfect for the first cold snap.

Friday, Sept 25 | 6:00–8:00 p.m. 📍 Paint N Sip, Waldorf 💵 ~$33

🔗 Get tickets

A couples' paint session built for date night, where you each work on a piece that comes together at the end. Friends pairs are welcome too, nobody's checking.

Friday–Sunday, Sept 25–27 | 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. 📍 Mattawoman Creek Art Center, Marbury 💵 Free

🔗 Gallery details

An open all-media show marking 250 years of regional history, up through October 4. The gallery sits inside Smallwood State Park, so you can see the work and then go walk the trails. Free, and one of the prettiest drives in the county.

Friday–Sunday, Sept 25–27 | 7:30 p.m. Fri & Sat, 3:00 p.m. Sun 📍 Port Tobacco Players, La Plata 💵 $18 / $15 seniors, youth, military

🔗 Get tickets

Six women trade gossip and grit inside Truvy's beauty salon. This is the second weekend of a run that goes through October 4, and it's one of the strongest things on the community theater calendar this fall. Eighteen dollars for a full production is a steal.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 10:00–11:00 a.m. 📍 Cup of Sugar Tea Lounge, Waldorf 💵 Free

🔗 RSVP here

A free meet and greet for a new monthly literary circle built for poets, authors and songwriters. One hour to see whether these are your people before you commit to anything.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 12:00–2:00 p.m. 📍 The Green Coterie, Waldorf 💵 ~$39

🔗 Get tickets

Two things worth having in your fridge before cold season lands, and you make both of them yourself and take them home. Hands-on, two hours, and you'll be glad you did it in about six weeks.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 1:00–4:00 p.m. 📍 70 Industrial Park Drive, Waldorf 💵 Free

🔗 RSVP here

A book-and-coffee afternoon celebrating Ashley Lacheá's "Living Single," with conversation and a taste of The LightHaus Café. Free for an author event this put-together is rare, so it'll fill.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 3:00–5:00 p.m. 📍 The Green Coterie, Waldorf 💵 See link

🔗 Event details

Two hours on abundance, mindset and stepping into your own glow. The Green Coterie crowd is a warm one, which matters for a room like this.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 3:00–6:00 p.m. 📍 2084 Crain Highway, Waldorf 💵 ~$33

🔗 Get tickets

Books, conversation, local authors and shopping, all in one afternoon. If you've been looking for a reading crowd in this county and coming up empty, start here.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 7:00–9:30 p.m. 📍 The Baker's Lab at 5-12 Dessert, Waldorf 💵 See link

🔗 Get tickets

Icing as paint. You decorate your own cake and cookies while working through fall sips and sweets. An adult night out that isn't a bar, which this county could use more of.

Sunday, Sept 27 | 1:30–2:30 p.m. 📍 The Green Coterie, Waldorf 💵 See link

🔗 Reserve your spot

One hour designed to release tension and slow your breathing down. After a weekend this loud, a soft landing on Sunday afternoon sounds about right.

Sunday, Sept 27 | 2:00–5:00 p.m. 📍 Paint N Sip, Waldorf 💵 See link

🔗 Event details

Meet authors Kenise Bridgers and Kaylie Sesay, then paint while you talk. Books and brushes on a Sunday afternoon, which is a better combination than it has any right to be.

Cheap, close, and mostly indoors. Four of these are free.

Monday, Sept 21 | 6:00–7:00 p.m. 📍 Waldorf West Library, Waldorf 💵 Free, wait list

🔗 Join the wait list

A family-friendly intro to what AI actually is, done through hands-on activities instead of a lecture. It's aimed at curiosity, critical thinking and safe tech habits, which is the conversation most of us should be having at home anyway. It's wait-list only right now, so get your name down.

Tuesday, Sept 22 | 6:00–7:00 p.m. 📍 La Plata Library, La Plata 💵 Free

🔗 Details here

Counting games and hands-on activities for ages 2 to 5. Short, playful, free, and over before bedtime.

Tuesday, Sept 22 | 6:30–8:00 p.m. 📍 Hanson Community Center 💵 $10 residents / $15 non-residents

🔗 Register here

Loteria is the traditional Mexican game that plays like bingo but with beautiful illustrated cards instead of numbers. All ages, light refreshments, and real prizes. There were 35 seats left when we checked, so don't sit on this one.

Thursday, Sept 24 | 2:00–3:00 p.m. 📍 P.D. Brown Memorial Library, Waldorf 💵 Free

🔗 Details here

Teenagers given official permission to make a mess with paint. It's a sensory session, so the point is the doing and not whatever ends up on the paper.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 10:00–11:30 a.m. 📍 Joyful Studio, La Plata 💵 See link

🔗 Book here

Kids paint and personalize a ceramic piece they take home the same day. Fall-themed, guided the whole way through, and low-stress for whoever's supervising.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. 📍 The Baker's Lab, Waldorf 💵 ~$12

🔗 Get tickets

Built specifically for ages 2 to 4, which means it's 75 minutes and not a second longer. Cookie baking and a mini pumpkin to decorate, at twelve dollars a kid.

Free computer help, a foraging walk, and two different rooms where somebody will teach you AI for nothing.

Monday, Sept 21 | 2:00–3:00 p.m. 📍 P.D. Brown Memorial Library, Waldorf 💵 Free

🔗 Details here

A staff member sits down with you and works through whatever the problem is, one on one. There's no question too basic here, and that's the whole point of it.

Wednesday, Sept 23 | 6:30–8:30 p.m. 📍 11325 Pembrooke Square, Waldorf 💵 Free for Chamber members / $15 non-members

🔗 Register here

The Chamber's men's club is back for its monthly meetup. All men welcome whether you're a member or not, and fifteen dollars gets you in if you're not.

Thursday, Sept 24 | 4:30–6:00 p.m. 📍 Mallows Bay Park, Nanjemoy 💵 Free, wait list

🔗 Join the wait list

A guided walk learning to identify the native plants growing around Mallows Bay. It's already full, but the wait list is worth joining because these things always have cancellations.

Friday, Sept 25 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. 📍 Virtual 💵 Free, registration required

🔗 Register here

A plain-language hour on what AI is, what it can't do, and where you're already bumping into it without realizing. Runs over lunch and you can watch from your kitchen.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 1:00–4:00 p.m. 📍 Maryland Technology Center, Indian Head 💵 Free, advance registration requested

🔗 Register here

Bring a laptop and an actual business problem, and patient local helpers walk you through building something you can use on Monday. No coding and no AI experience required. Hosted by Voice of Indian Head and the U.S. Bomb Technician Association, and it's free, which for three hours of one-on-one help is a genuinely good deal.

Two public hearings on Monday, and one of them is about the county's trees.

Monday, Sept 21 | 6:00 p.m. 📍 Charles County Government Building, La Plata, or virtual 💵 Free

🔗 Meeting details

The Planning Commission's regular hybrid meeting. Show up in the room or log in from home.

Monday, Sept 21 | 6:00 p.m. 📍 Charles County Government Building, La Plata, or virtual 💵 Free

🔗 Hearing details

A zone amendment hearing for the 3245 Leonardtown Road project. Public comment is the entire reason these exist, so if you have something to say, this is where it counts.

Monday, Sept 21 | 6:00 p.m. 📍 Charles County Government Building, La Plata, or virtual 💵 Free

🔗 Hearing details

Proposed changes to the county's forest conservation rules. If you've been paying attention to how fast things are getting built around here and what's coming down to make room, this is the meeting.

Tuesday, Sept 22 | Time TBD, check the agenda 📍 Charles County Government Building, La Plata 💵 Free

🔗 See the agenda

The Commissioners' regular session. Agendas post ahead of time on the county site, so you can see what's coming before you commit your morning.

Tuesday, Sept 22 | 6:00 p.m. 📍 Charles County Government Building, La Plata, or virtual 💵 Free

🔗 Meeting details

Zoning and variance cases get heard here. Hybrid, so you can watch without driving to La Plata.

Thursday, Sept 24 | 6:00 p.m. 📍 Charles County Government Building, La Plata 💵 Free

🔗 Meeting details

The county Ethics Commission meets Thursday evening, open to the public like all of these.

Friday, Sept 25 | 2:00 p.m. 📍 Charles County Government Building, La Plata 💵 Free

🔗 Meeting details

The Length of Service Award Program board oversees benefits for volunteer fire and EMS members, which in this county is a lot of people. Regular meeting, Friday afternoon.

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.

Five markets across two days, and every one of them is free to walk into.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. 📍 Downtown La Plata 💵 Free

🔗 Market details

Peak-season produce, baked goods and local makers in downtown La Plata. The Saturday market runs all the way through November 28, so there's no rush, but the good stuff goes early.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. 📍 Waldorf 💵 Free

🔗 Facebook page, see link for full details

Late September at the market means the last of the tomatoes and the first of the fall squash. The Saturday market runs June through November.

Saturday–Sunday, Sept 26–27 | 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Sat, 12:00–6:00 p.m. Sun 📍 The Shops at Waldorf Center, Waldorf 💵 Free

🔗 Market details

Up to 100 local vendors, makers and food trucks, every weekend, year round. This is the reliable one when you want to buy local and you don't want to drive anywhere.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 2:00–7:00 p.m. 📍 Ace Hardware, Bryans Road 💵 Free

🔗 Market details

The Saturday food truck hub in Bryans Road, running April through November. Show up hungry and don't eat before you go.

Sunday, Sept 27 | 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. 📍 Ace Hardware, Bryans Road 💵 Free

🔗 Market details

Freshly harvested produce, meats, farm goods, cottage foods, and arts and crafts from people who live here. Sundays through October, so you've got a few weekends left.

🎉 Camp Souled Out is 21+ and two-day passes only. No single-day tickets, from $199. Plan for traffic near St. Linus Drive both afternoons.
🦠 The Lobster Festival turns 49 on Sunday, noon to 6 at the Fairgrounds, $20 to $95, and the money goes to local scholarships.
🏘️ RPT Exploration Day is free across the whole county Saturday, with $4 indoor pool admission all day.
⚔️ Soldiering Through the Ages is free both days in Newburg, with cannon and black powder demonstrations.
🌲 Monday's forest conservation hearing is at 6 p.m. and it's about the county's tree rules. Hybrid, so you can watch from home.
🎬 Steel Magnolias is $18, or $15 for seniors, youth and military. Second weekend of three.
💻 Two free AI sessions this week: Friday at noon online for adults, Saturday afternoon in Indian Head for business owners.
🍞 Five markets this weekend, all free to walk into, from La Plata Saturday morning to Bryans Road Sunday morning.

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 Lobster Festival, hit reply and tell me how it went. I want to hear whether the lobster line was worth it. And if there's something happening next week that I missed, send it my way, that's usually how the best stuff ends up in here.

That's the week.

From one local to another

— Candace