Events and How to Find Them

Facebook Events has changed how they present information and it looks like it will give you more choices. However, the difference in layout has temporarily broken my brain.

This got me thinking about the different local event calendars around town and their varying ease of use. I tend to lean most heavily on the Facebook one and the supplement with the calendar on Visit Howard County.

My only quibble with VHC is that they list a whole slew of things that happen on multiple dates first before events happening only today. Yes, they allow you to search for a specific date but you will still be wading through events that happen every day in September, or every Saturday from August to November, for example.

You may want to see those. I realize that’s a silly quibble on my part. VHC also lists events that aren’t actually in Howard County but are nearby. That’s gracious of them. Since I limit myself to things within HoCo I’m always puzzled to see those on a HoCo Tourism site. I’m sure there’s a reason.

If anyone decides to create an event to save the eggplant and peach sculptures on Main Street, will we see it in the listing at Visit Howard County? Does anyone know if the Preservation Board has formally objected to the TARDIS? Perhaps it looks historically timey-wimey enough for them.

I took a look at The Columbia Mom this morning for an events listing and it is too visually busy for me to make sense of. That’s a me problem. Don’t misunderstand me: it’s beautiful to look at. Clearly a lot of work goes into this. The growth of The Columbia Mom into a recognizable brand even outside of HoCo is kind of amazing. Take a look and let me know what you think.

In my Goldilocks search for the perfect calendar let me offer the one from Columbia Inspired Magazine. The layout is not too busy, the information is beautifully arranged, and there’s a enough white space to balance the content. I actually sighed with relief when I came to this one. Events are mentioned in two categories: Featured Events, and Other Great Events.

This events listing does not claim to be the be-all and end-all of everything happening around town. It’s a curated selection and I think they do it well. It’s a good choice if you don’t want to be mowed down with excess information.

So, you know the drill. It’s going to range from clear to partly-cloudy with pollen in the low to mid range. Highs look to be near 80 and the humidity at the moment is 63 percent. How will that influence your choice of Saturday activities? I have been scouting daily for a not too hot, not too humid, low-pollen day for doing yard work.

Friends, it may never happen.

Don’t forget the markets!

Clarksville Commons

Old Ellicott City

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