Page 30 - Garrett County 2022/2023 Visitors Guide

Arts & Entertainment Experiences Outdoor Experiences
Let Us Inspire You
PHOTO BY KRISTEN FISCHETTI – HIGHER FOCUS STUDIOS
PHOTO BY SARAH DUCK
Garrett County’s scenic beauty has long been an inspiration for artists. Painters, crafters, musicians and others feel drawn to our landscapes of rolling hills, pristine forests and beautiful lakes. Visitors reap the rewards of this inspiration in the form of thriving festivals, craft shops and galleries that are well worth exploring.
Begin your tour of Garrett County’s creative side with a stop at one (or both) of our two state-designated Arts & Entertainment Districts — in Grantsville and Oakland. Artists, performers
and gallery owners gravitate toward these areas for special resources and incentives, so that’s where you will find concentrations of artists, events and art- related businesses.
As they do everywhere, the arts in Garrett County need your support as recovery from the COVID pandemic continues.
If you’d like to help, a great place to
start is the Garrett County Arts Council (garrettarts.org), which has decades
of experience promoting the arts, sponsoring events and making grants to artists and organizations to enrich the local arts scene. The arts council operates
PHOTO COURTESY OF GARRETT COUNTY CELTIC FESTIVAL
The Gallery Shop on Second Street in Oakland, which is open to the public 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Another great way to support the local arts scene is with a visit to Spruce Forest Artisan Village (spruceforest.org), which hosts resident artists permanently and
For DIY artists of all ages, Deep Creek Pottery also sells a selection of take- and-make kits. The shop offers classes
for aspiring artists too. Plus, you’ll make truly spectacular finds at the Simon Pearce factory outlet and workshop (simonpearce.com/mountain-lake-park- outlet), a popular spot in Mountain Lake Park. Glassblowing demonstrations,
which had been suspended during the pandemic, are once again a daily highlight for visitors.
Many of the Deep Creek area’s performers had to cancel their seasons during the pandemic. They include Theatre on the Lake (totltheatre.org), a professional company that performs plays in the Barn at Ridgeview Valley, and Music at Penn Alps (musicatpennalps.org), a summer series of primarily classical programs,
with a focus on chamber ensembles and recitals performed by local artists. Both hope to welcome audiences once again in 2022; check their websites for updates.
The Garrett Lakes Arts Festival (GLAF, artsandentertainment.org) puts on theater and musical performances at Garrett College Auditorium. In 2021, performances returned, so check the website for upcoming highlights!
28 The Deep Creek Experience
As the effects of the pandemic recede, popular arts-themed festivals have been staging a comeback.
visiting artists during the summer. The annual Christmas in the Village is among the area’s most popular events.
If you’d like to pick up an artistic souvenir, consider shopping at Deep Creek Pottery (deepcreekpottery.com), which offers handmade Deep Creek Lake mugs.