The lovely tiny town of Thurmont, MD, which only has around 7,000 residents, has put on a massive annual outdoor craft festival for over 6o years that now draws as many as 125,000 visitors in a single weekend!
The craft festival, known as ‘Catoctin Colorfest’, first began in 1963 as a simple nature walk, but over time grew into an outdoor craft show filling the community park, and eventually into what it is now, which is a massive craft festival that takes over and transforms the entire town!
What is the ‘Catoctin Colorfest’ in Thurmont, MD
The ‘Catoctin Colorfest’ is a massive outdoor craft show that features hundreds of artisans offering unique products, live demos, food vendors, a beer garden, and hands-on crafting activities.
Over the course of the festival’s existence, the fest has become so important to the community that now the entire town of Thurmont buys in and partakes in the festivities!
As far as what you can expect to see when you come to the festival, here’s a snippet of what you can get your hands on at the ‘Catoctin Colorfest’:
- Arts & Crafts
- Handmade jewelry featuring unique metals, beads, gemstones, and more.
- Textiles like hand-woven scarves, quilts, clothing, and knitwear.
- Pottery & ceramics
- Hand-carved furniture and sculptures from professional woodworkers
- Seasonal decor
- Paintings, prints, and photographs
- Foods & Specialty Goods
- Homemade jams, jellies, honeys, and even maple syrup
- Fudge, kettle corn, or caramel apples
- Local wines and craft beverages
- Festival favorites like BBQ and crab cakes
- Beer Garden
- Live Demonstrations
- Traditional broom-making
- Glassblowing
- Pottery wheel demos
- Chainsaw carving and woodturning
- Live music performances
Shutterstock
Why is it worth visiting?
The town of Thurmont may be worth a visit on its own, but the ‘Catoctin Colorfest’ is truly an experience of its own.
The festival transforms the town into something special, not only because Thurmont uses the festival as the town’s biggest fundraiser for the local community, with proceeds supporting scholarships, fire companies, churches, and nonprofits!
In addition to the charity, if you’re looking for an excuse to go, you’ll be happy to hear that the event is free to attend!
Plus, even if you don’t find anything worth purchasing once you’re there, the timing of the ‘Catoctin Colorfest’ ensures you get to witness some of the most beautiful fall foliage in the area as the local leaves start to transition into bright reds, oranges, and yellows!