Eleven years ago I was answering questions and sharing free bottled water (and cool bracelets) at Wine in the Woods.
No surprise: I was volunteering in support of the Inner Arbor Trust at a booth sharing information about the new park in town: Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. Having the booth was a smart move. What better way to spread the word about what was coming to the very place where guests were engaging in their traditional seasonal revelry?
You are here in the present. This will be here in the very near future.
I had some great conversations that day. I did not drink any wine.
When I was sent to take a break I had the following exchange with a gentleman sitting at the table where I was having a quick meal.
Nice man at my table: would you like some wine?
Me: oh, no thanks. I don't drink in the heat.
Man: ???
Only later did I realize how hilarious that was. You’re at Wine in the Woods and you don’t drink wine?
But no, I don’t. Because wine in the heat gives me migraines, makes me woefully dehydrated and just all over…ugh. That’s why I was thrilled to be at the booth giving away water. I didn’t want anyone else to feel that way, either.
Even if you are drinking wine in the woods on a hot day it’s smart to take water breaks.
And, here we go again: it’s Wine in the Woods weekend. For some HoCoLocals it’s akin to a religious celebration or a family reunion. After all, we have over thirty years of history with this event. It’s a certified Columbia “thing.”
In fact, it’s such an engrained thing that the folks who advertise it seem completely in the dark about the name of the park.
It’s Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods.
Yet year after year it’s promoted as happening in “Symphony Woods”, as though the Symphony Woods from days of yore rises up like Brigadoon out of the mists. Somehow nothing that has happened in Columbia since 2017 exists.
I don’t know if it’s some kind of weird rebellion against the passing of time or whether promoters believe that people are too stupid to understand that what was known as Symphony Woods is now named Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. I am pretty sure that I am largely alone in being irked by this but it does irk me.
Names are important. Consistency in identifying a place is important especially when that place is going through a transformation, as the park has been undergoing since the establishment of the Inner Arbor Trust and the opening of the Chrysalis.
Think of it as consistency in branding. Or maybe just plain respect.
Enough about that. Far be it from me to grumble “get off my lawn” since it isn’t just my lawn, it’s ours. And I’d like to see everyone enjoying it, not getting off it.
Back to the event. I’m happy to say that you don’t need to hope that someone will be giving away free water. If you are a designated driver, don’t drink alcohol, or just don’t feel like it, Sobar has got your back.
We’re bringing the best in non-alcoholic wine and beer to one of Maryland’s favorite spring festivals — Wine in the Woods.
Come sip with us and discover elevated alcohol-free options that let you enjoy every moment of the weekend. Whether you’re sober, sober-curious, or just looking for something refreshing, we’ve got something delicious waiting for you.
Grab your friends, enjoy the music, food, and festival vibes, and stop by Sobar for your perfect NA pour.
If Wine in the Woods is your thing then it’s good to know that you have options.
Me? Well, there’s a Buy Nothing Yard Sale on my Saturday schedule. How about you?
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