Here is a list of things to do that I have gathered in response to the perpetual question of what to do on Chol Hamoed. Some of these activities require reservations, so read this article before Yom Tov, and be prepared!
Tours
For adults: You’ll have to leave the little kids home for this one. Rabbi Dovid Katz is leading two truly unique tours of Baltimore on Wednesday and Thursday of Chol Hamoed. One is called “Old Jewish Baltimore,” and the other one is “The War of 1812, the Civil War, and the Jews.” The tours last for about five hours and are very informative. You can register by email, at rabbikatz@gmail.com, or by calling 410-358-4044
410-358-4044. $35 per person. Factory tours: Head toward York, Pennsylvania, about an hour from Baltimore, and you will find several fascinating free factory tours. You might even be able to visit more than one in a day. Most of them require reservations, so don’t wait until the last minute.
York County Solid Waste Authority: 2700 Blackbridge Rd., York, PA 17406,
717-845-1066717-845-1066, www.ycswa.com. This plant turns household waste into electricity. There are 86 such plants in the U.S., and six of them are in Pennsylvania. They show you the whole process – from the time the garbage trucks dump the garbage until the waste is turned into electricity. You will also learn about paper recycling and worm composting. This one-hour tour requires a good amount of walking. Minimum age: 6. Available Monday – Friday, during the day, and Monday – Thursday evenings, by reservation. They can accommodate from one person to 60 people. No charge.
Wolfgang Candy Company: 50 E Fourth Avenue, York, PA 17404, 717-843-5536717-843-5536, www.wolfgangcandy.com.
This chocolate-making tour is one of the best in York, according to Mrs. Brown, who has taken a lot of tours. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. and at 2 p.m. (Only Thursday is relevant this year.) Tour lasts 30-45 minutes. Reservations required. Suggestions: Arrive 15 minutes before the tour starts so you don’t miss it; beards must be covered with a net, and no open-toe shoes. No charge.
York Time Institute: 312 W Market Street, York, PA 17401, 717-848-3152717-848-3152, www.yorktimeinstitute.com.
This is a very interesting tour with a tour guide who is an interesting “character” and fun to learn from. From their website: “The York Time Institute offers you an up close glimpse at the hub of activity in a master timekeeper’s shop. For over 30 years, York Time Institute founder, Dan Nied has kept perfect time with the conservation, restoration, and repair of antique timepieces, as well as manufacturing of custom watches and clocks. See craftsmen at work as you discover the evolution of timekeeping. Enjoy an up-close look at historic and modern timepieces and the machines used to carefully craft and restore them.” Reservations are required. One hour or more (depending on how inquisitive the participants are). No charge.
Utz Quality Foods: 900 High Street, Hanover, PA 17331, 800-367-7629800-367-7629, www.utzsnacks.com.
You can walk through this factory anytime, Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and look down at the production floor. Call before you come in case there are changes in the production schedule.
Snyders of Hanover Factory Store: 1350 York Street (Route 116), Hanover, PA 17331, 717-632-4477717-632-4477, www.snydersofhanover.com.
One-hour tours of this factory are conducted Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 10, 11, and 1 p.m. You can see the production of pretzels and potato chips, and you get a free bag of pretzels at the end.
Susquehanna Glass: 731 Avenue H, Columbia, PA 17512, 717-84-2155, www.theglassfactory.com.
Tours of this factory are available Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30am and 1 pm. You need to make a reservation in advance for this tour. The tour takes about an hour and there is no charge. You will see hand cutting, silk screening and sand blasting of glass. Columbia, Pa, is about one hour and 13 minutes from Baltimore and 25 minutes from York.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company: 1425 Eden Road, York, PA 17402, 877-883-1450877-883-1450, www.harleydavidson.com/experience.
Free guided tours are offered Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for people over 12, only. Reservations are required for groups of 10 or more. Free tickets are distributed for the tours on a first-come-first-served basis. Youget to see how a motorcycle is made from start to finish and the tour takes about an hour. They also are offering this year, for the first time, a Steel Toe Tour, offered Monday through Thursday at 9:30 and at 12. it takes about two hours and requires a safety vest, safety goggles, and steel toe protectors. The tours cost $35 and are often sold out, so call in advance to reserve a spot if you are interested.
Farms
If the weather is nice, it is always pleasant to be outdoors and in touch with nature. Many farms offer activities for children in the fall. Some of them don’t even cost money.
Maple Lawn Farm: 251 E Maple Lawn Road, New Park, PA 17352, 866-935-6738866-935-6738.
Maple Lawn Farm is an hour’s drive from Park Heights. Besides apple picking, they are really experts at mazes. They have a huge corn maze with a different theme each year. You can also try the bamboo forest maze, a mist maze, a rope maze and a straw bale maze. Pedal karts and roller racers are available. Maple Lawn Farm really tries to accommodate our community on Chol Hamoed. I was there a few years ago, and they had built a sukkah for us made out of bales of straw.
Kreider Farms: 1467 Lancaster Road, Manheim, PA 17545, 717-665-5039717-665-5039, farmtour@kreiderfarms.com.
This is where our Pride of the Farm, chalav Yisrael milk comes from. About an hour-and-a-half from Baltimore, they offer a 90-minute tour of their facility, which is coordinated with the cows’ milking time. Tours are given every day from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. During most of the tour you will be driving your car, except when you come to the actual milking carousel. The cost of the tour is $38 per car, which includes four people. More will cost extra. When I was there a number of years ago, we met the mashgiach and his wife. They lived in a trailer on the grounds. Call to reserve or to get more information.
LinVilla Orchard: 137 W Knowlton Road, Media, PA 19063, 610-876-7116610-876-7116.
This pick-your-own-fruits-and-vegetables farm is about an hour and 45 minutes from Baltimore. In October, it will probably be apples. They offer hayrides and a beautiful playground and petting zoo. No charge to enter the farm, but the hayride costs $6.
Summers Farm: 5614 Butterfly Lane, Frederick, MD 21703, 301-620-9316301-620-9316.
Summers Farm is located about one hour from Baltimore. They have mazes, hay rides, and many kinds of animals. Open Monday – Friday beginning at 1 p.m. $6.50 per person, and children under 2 are free.
Clarks Elioak Farm: 10500 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042, 410-730-4049410-730-4049.
About 25 minutes from Park Heights, this farm is open every day during October. They have lots of animals, hay rides, playground equipment, and many other activities. The cost is $5.00 for admission and $2 for the hayrides and pony rides.
Perrydell Farm: 90 Indian Rock Dam Road, York, PA 17403, 717-741-3485717-741-3485, www.perrydellfarm.com.
This is a working dairy farm that allows people to walk around to see the cows whenever they are in the area. They bottle milk on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 7 to 10, and they milk the cows and feed the calves every day at 4 p.m. Picnic area available. No charge.
Painted Spring Farm Alpacas: 280 Roth Church Road, Spring Grove, PA 17362, 717-891-8060717-891-8060, www.paintedspring.com.
This farm raises alpacas for their wool and sell the wool they produce. They are happy for people to visit their alpacas. Reservations must be made for a private tour. No charge.
Events
Here are a few events that happen to be occurring during Chol Hamoed.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center: 301-286-3978301-286-3978, nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home.
The Goddard Space Center is located in Greenbelt, Maryland, about one hour from Park Heights. A Visitor’s Center with many interesting exhibits is free. A special program, on Wednesday, October 3, 6 - 8 p.m., will allow families to work with scientists and engineers to explore the universe. There will be hands-on lessons for the children, and they will bring home resources to perform experiments at home. You must have at least one child between the ages of 10 and 14 to attend; children under 8 are not admitted. Reservations must be made in advance.
Sugar Loaf Craft Festival: sugarloafcrafts.com/festivals.
If you love crafts, the Timonium Fair Grounds is hosting a festival October 5 – 7. It will feature many artists showing their crafts, along with demonstrations of wheel-thrown pottery, wood turning, metal spinning, paper making, stone sculpting, and more. There is also children’s entertainment. $10 for adults; children under 12 free. See coupons on the website for discounts.
Classical Music Concert: Peabody on the Court is offering a free concert featuring clarinetist, Joel Weszka, on Friday, October 5, 12 – 1 p.m., at Walters Art Gallery.
Parks and Nature
Every child loves a park, and some great parks and nature sites are close by.
Kinder Farm Park: 1001 Kinder Farm Park Road, Millersville, MD 21108, 410-222-6115410-222-6115.
About half an hour from the Park Heights area, this park encompasses a lot: two attractive playgrounds, basketball courts, baseball fields, and farm animals, like cows, pigs, chickens, goats, and sheep. You will also find picnic tables and hiking trails.
Cylburn Arboretum: 4915 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21215, 410-367-2217410-367-2217.
If you don’t want to travel far, Cylburn is just five minutes away, right past Sinai’s Emergency Room. You can see the Garden of the Senses, with scented plants and culinary herbs, the Rose Garden, the Shady Garden, and many others. There are also many short hiking trails. A nature center is open Sunday, 12 – 4, and a free bird walk begins at 8 a.m. on Sunday, October 7. A map and self-guided cell phone tour can be picked up at the visitor’s center.
Irvine Nature Center: 11201 Garrison Forest Road, Owings Mills, MD 21117, 443-738-9224443-738-9224.
Irvine’s elaborate nature center, which is open every day 9 – 5, has many exhibits, including collections of birds eggs, feathers, and turtle shells. Exhibits include leaf matching, recognizing bird songs, a bee hive, and a children’s playhouse with animal costumes. On Friday, October 5, they present a program for children, at 10 a.m., with animal stories and a chance to meet some of the animals.
Ladew Topiary Gardens: 3535 Jarretsville Pike, Monkton, MD 21111, 410-557-9570410-557-9570.
Ladew Topiary Gardens is located about 40 minutes from the Park Heights area. It has about 100 topiaries, which are trees and bushes sculpted into fascinating shapes, and many very beautiful gardens. Just looking at them on the website will whet your appetite. Even in October, many annuals and perennials are still in bloom. The gardens are open from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. every day and until 5:30 on Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults and $2 for children under 12.
Howard County Conservancy: 10520 Old Fredrick Road, Woodstock, MD 21163, 410- 465- 8877410- 465- 8877.
About half an hour from Park Heights, this park has many hiking trails and waterfalls. With 140 species of birds and wildlife found in the conservancy, you are bound to glimpse some of them. Geocaches are hidden in the park. To find out where the geocaches are located, go to www.geocaching. com. Geocaching is an interesting new national sport, where people hide a small container in locations around the country and challenge others to find it using a GPS or a map. Enthusiasts of the game keep a log of the caches that they found.
Brandywine Zoo: 1001 North Park Drive, Wilmington, DE 19802, 302-571- 7747302-571- 7747.
I have never been to this zoo, and it doesn’t seem to be very big, judging from the admission price, which is only $5 for adults. But the amazing thing about this zoo is that it is almost exactly half way between Lakewood and Baltimore – about an hour-and-a-half from either place. It is a great place to meet family from Lakewood on Chol Hamoed.
Action Oriented
If your family enjoys action and excitement, here are some suggestions:
River and Trail Outfitters: 604 Valley Road, Knoxville, MD 21758, 301-695-5177301-695-5177.
If you are looking for an adventuresome activity, this may be the place to go, about an hour and 10 minutes from Baltimore, close to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Rafting, canoeing, kayaking, and biking on the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers are offered. The white water rafting includes a guide. Children as young as 7 can be accommodated. When renting a canoe, you are shuttled to the beginning of the river and then picked up at the end. There is beautiful scenery along the way, and it is very different from boating on a lake. Bikes are available for rental to ride along the C&O canal. It is six miles in each direction, but it is completely flat, so it is not hard to do. All the trips take four or five hours. Prices range from $55 for a white water rafting trip to $21 for a canoe trip. The owner, John Gonano, offered our community a special for the days of Chol Hamoed: Buy three tickets, get the fourth one free.
Hershey Park: 100 West Hesheypark Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, 800-437-7439800-437-7439.
The private park opening will be on Wednesday, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Admission includes rides, free parking, and entrance to Chocolate World (open 9 – 8 p.m.) and Zoo America (open 10 – 6 p.m.). Three sukkahs are on premises, and pizza and fries will be served out of Central PA’s Kosher Mart location. Hot dogs, burgers, tenders, and subs will be served at the Pioneer Catering Area. Purchase tickets online at www.lancastersukkot.com or by calling 866-946-9977866-946-9977, or in Baltimore, from Ohr Chadosh (check with Shayna Hefetz). $39 until September 27, then $44. For more information, call Sally Gerstein of Central PA’s Kosher Mart, 717-392-5111717-392-5111.
Players Family Fun Center: 519 Old Westminster Pike, Westminster, MD 21157, 410-876-7667410-876-7667.
TA has arranged a program on the second day of Chol Hamoed, Oct 4, 1 – 6 p.m. Players has lots of fun activities, like bumper cars, laser tag, and batting cages.
Sandy Spring Adventure Park: 16701 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860, 240-389-4386240-389-4386.
Menucha has arranged an exciting
activity for men and boys on Thursday,
October 4, 4:30 – 8 p.m. at the largest aerial forest park in North America. It has 13 courses of varying levels of difficulty, and over 150 unique challenges using zip lines and bridges made of ropes, cable, and wood. If you get your tickets in advance through Menucha, the price is greatly discounted. Usually about $50, it will be $38.50.
Pikesville Bowling Alley: 1723 Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, MD 21208, 410-486-1444410-486-1444.
Bnos has arranged special pricing for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: $5 per person for one hour of bowling, including shoes.
Monkton Bike Rental: 443-212-5951443-212-5951. Right next to the Gunpowder River, they offer bike and kayak rentals. A beautiful shady path starts right at the bike shop and runs through Gunpowder State Park. If you bring your own bikes, it is free to ride, and bikes may be rented for $12 an hour or $28 for the day. Kayaks cost $20 an hour.
Rocky Gorge Golf Practice Range and Minature Golf: Route 29 and Old Columbia Road, Laurel, MD 20723, 301-725-0888301-725-0888.
Rocky Gorge is a great place to relieve stress, I’ve been told. For $10 you get a bucket of 130 balls to use for practice on a golf course. They also offer miniature golf and batting cages.
Red Zone: 1928 Greenspring Drive, Timonium, MD 21093, 410-372-4422410-372-4422.
This family entertainment center offers four major attractions: laser tag, glow-in-the-dark miniature golf, laser maze challenge, and arcade games. Open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 10:30 a.m.. On Wednesday they are offering half off walk-in rates; on Thursday, they are having a special of $12 per person instead of $18.
GoKart Track: 10907 Pulaski Highway, White Marsh, MD 21162, 410- 335-6393410- 335-6393.
GoKart has agreed to give members of our community a special price during Chol Hamoed: $3.30 per ticket, 10 tickets for $30. The hours for this special are 12 noon – 10 p.m. Just mention the word Bnos to get the special price.
Quiet Waters Park: 600 Quiet Waters Park Road, Annapolis, MD 21403, 410- 271-7007410- 271-7007.
Not usually open at this time of the year during the week, Quiet Water Park agreed to rent canoes, paddle boats, and kayaks on Wednesday, October 3, noon to 5 p.m. They will give a special price with the mention of the word Bnos: $15 per half hour or 1 hour rental (depending on the type of boat).
Tom Mitchell Minature Golf: 301 Mitchell Drive, Reisterstown, MD 21136, 410-833-7721410-833-7721.
Tom Mitchell’s is offering one dollar off a game to people who come on Chol Hamoed. Just mention the word Bnos, and they will give you the special.â—†
