St. Pats is a bank holiday in Boston...

Actually, that statement is utterly true. The Irish politicos in Boston reached a point many years ago where they decided that the Italians got Columbus Day off, then the Irish deserved St. Pat's off - but how to make it happen? They called it Evacuation Day, named for the day that the British evacuated from Bunker Hill in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston (most famous product of that neighborhood? Former Oakland Raider and current FOX football analyst Howie Long).

The Boston government made it a city holiday, giving all city employees (excluding emergency services personnel like the police and firefighters) the day off - teachers, city workers, and bankers have that day as a holiday.

This area has the day off this year because, of course, the day that everyone celebrates being Irish is this Saturday. If you're wondering what to do in the area, here are some ideas...

Just like to hang out at an Irish bar or restaurant? Try Bushwaller's in Frederick on North Market Street (get there early, they start with breakfast on St. Pat's) for a good pint of Guinness. Other options in Frederick include Callahan's Restaurant and Lounge on Rosemont Avenue, and Jennifer's Restaurant on West Patrick Street near the corner of Bentz. If you're up-county, check out The Shamrock in Thurmont which makes a more than week-long event of the holiday.

If music is your thing, you can start getting into the spirit of the holiday on Thursday night by attending the Celtic Jam at Boe's Strings music shop on South Market St. near Carroll Creek. The Celtic session begins at 7:00 PM and is followed up by a Bluegrass jam at 8:30.

Other area venues hosting musicians for the big day include (contact venues about possible cover charges and performance times) -

Frederick -

• The Olde Town Tavern (301-695-1454) on North Market Street will have rock act Bigger Better Faster More


• The Big Easy (301-631-1134) on the Golden Mile stretch of West Patrick Street will have rock/blues act The Phat Katz Band

Mt. Airy -

• Mt. Airy American Legion Post #191 (301-829-9161) is hosting country act Jay Henley & The Stone Broke Band (call for tickets)


• The Green Turtle (301-829-9229) has acoustic act Altered Mike

Purcellville, VA -

• White Palace (540-338-2566) will have acoustic blues/folk/country performer Lenny Burridge

Local photographer Raimist to show at Weinberg in April

The Frederick area blog surfers probably already know from hitting Frednet that local photographer David S. Raimist will soon be the featured artist in a show to be held at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in downtown Frederick. According to a press release, the show is the next up in an ongoing display of multimedia art exhibits.

Raimist will display a selection of his images during in an exhibition that opens on Friday April 6 and runs through Memorial Day weekend in the lobby of the Weinberg. The exhibit will be open when the Weinberg Center lobby is open.

Born and raised in Glassboro, NJ, and graduate of James Madison University, Raimist moved to Frederick in 1989. A software developer from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Raimist first developed his affair with the camera when in high school.

According to his bio, as he grew older and busier with his career, the camera was left behind. In 1994 he rediscovered his love for photography with the birth of his son. Last Fall marked his professional debut as an artist with his work included in the Hyattstown Mill Arts Project's "Our Sense of Place" exhibit. Raimist's work has since shown at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Center, the Cultural Arts Center in Frederick, and the Urbana Regional Public Library.

Raimist said that the show will include photos taken during a 2-week trip with his son to Germany in June 2006 for the FIFA World Cup, several of Frederick’s sister city, Schifferstadt, photos taken locally, as well as from some of his other travels over roughly the last two years.

While no formal reception is planned for the show, he says that he will be at the Weinberg during the First Saturday events in both April and May. There will be no admission fee to attend the show and prints will be available for purchase.

A 17-year resident of Frederick County, he currently resides in Woodsboro with his wife, Michelle, and their two children, Evan and Claire. To learn more about his work, visit his blog at http://blog.raimist.com/blog.