By HAYDEN SMITH
The Montpelier House Museum is gearing up for its 28th annual Herbs, Tea & the Arts Festival, which will showcase local artisans and live entertainment. The free festival, which is sponsored by the museum and the Montpelier Arts Center, takes place on April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature some 35 vendors selling herbs, plants, seasonings, artwork and jewelry. The celebration will also feature for the first time the Meade Senior High School steel drum band.
“It’s nice to have young people performing,” said Holly Burnham, historian and education manager at the museum. “We want to support them and support the school. And steel bands are just a lot of fun.”
Festival attendees can tour the historic house free of charge. There will be a variety of food options available, including kettle corn, cookies, barbeque and new this year, picnic tea boxes. Each tea box includes finger sandwiches, pastries, scones and a cup of hot tea. The boxes are priced at $20 and are available for pick-up at the festival.
Jim Roberts, of Bees by the Bay, a family-run apiary in Baltimore County, has participated in the festival for nearly 15 years. Roberts and his wife, who will be selling a variety of honey-based products, are passionate about beekeeping and educating the community about the importance of pollinators. They enjoy seeing the creative craftsmanship of other vendors at the festival.
“It’s just amazing what you see with the handcrafted products and stuff like that,” he said. “People really put their heart and souls into the things they do. It just amazes me what I see every time I go.”
The museum is well-prepared for rain, with most of the vendors, entertainment and food trucks under tents. Complimentary shuttle service from the parking area will also be offered.
For more information about the festival, go to tinyurl.com/4pcchyc2 or call 301.377.7817. To preorder a picnic tea box, go to tinyurl.com/FestivalTea.
