ue and Thom Rinker, age 74 and 75 respectively, were feeling very isolated in their condo in Baltimore County. “We were ready for a change,” says Sue.
“My mother had lived at a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) for 20 years and some of our friends had moved to that type of community. We really liked what a CCRC offered.”

According to seniorliving.org, a CCRC (also known as a Life Plan Community) delivers independent living and an amenity-rich lifestyle with access to onsite, higher-level care should a resident’s medical needs progress. The levels of care usually include independent, assisted, memory care, and skilled nursing as well as rehabilitation therapy on the campus. This continuum of care ensures residents that they have the comfort of remaining in the place they call home and the peace of mind that comes from knowing their future care is figured out.

“We wanted a CCRC so our two children who live in the area wouldn’t be burdened with our future healthcare,” Sue continues. “But for now, we are healthy and wanted lots of great amenities.” The Rinkers, who live at Blakehurst in Towson, say that it’s like living at a five-star resort.

Robin Somers, CEO of Broadmead, a Life Plan Community in Cockeysville, says, “Today we are seeing many of our residents coming in younger. Rather than in their 80s, they come in their 70s.”

Elizabeth O’Conner, director of marketing and sales at Blakehurst, adds that not only are residents younger, “they are very active.”

Without the drudgery of home maintenance, doing daily chores like cleaning and meal planning, and even trying to get the COVID-19 vaccine booster, there’s time for residents to be physically active and explore myriad intellectual and cultural opportunities. But for those who prefer to spend time alone or with a few friends, there’s that too.

A fitness center ranks high on must-have lists for incoming residents. In many CCRCs, residents will find state-of-the-art equipment, classes including yoga, tai chi, and aerobics, and a heated pool. Sometimes there’s even a juice bar and a spa for manicures, pedicures, and massages. Parker Williamson, 81, is an avid sailor who lives at BayWoods of Annapolis, a waterfront community. He says, “I exercise every other day, but don’t like group classes, so the personal trainer worked up a routine just for me.”

“Today’s residents want individualization,” remarks Somers.

Sharon Krulak, 79, is a new resident at Blakehurst. She’s also an artist who works in mixed-media. When the Krulaks were looking at Blakehurst, she told O’Connor, “I need a room to do my art. And they made it happen.”

At Broadmead, two residents who were trained and experienced beekeepers had a conversation with the Broadmead executive director, and the Broadmead Apiary was established in 2013. Today, there is a group of six residents who are involved. Throughout the year they inspect the beehives, feed the bees sugar syrup, and harvest the honey into jars for sale.

Usually, CCRCs have councils, committees, and their own governing body where residents can make things happen. “At Blakehurst we have 43 residential-run committees,” says Sue Rinker. “Thom is on the residents’ board and I’m on the refurbishing and jigsaw committees.”

CCRCs have concerts, guest speakers, and some arrange continuing education through Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (university-based education specifically for people 50 and older) or nearby universities. At Broadmead, they recognize artists within their community and in the greater Baltimore vicinity by having exhibits, programs, and educational outreach. This April, the Broadmead Art Council will host an exhibit of the works of Herman Maril, a Baltimore native known for painting seascapes, interiors, and landscapes. These exhibits and lectures will be open to the greater community.

Other amenities usually include endless clubs, beautiful walking trails, gardens where residents can plant vegetables and flowers, a movie theater, a library, woodworking, a beauty salon and barber shop, card and poker rooms, billiards, bocce, and a resident computer and business center. Some communities have a croquet court, a putting green, and pickleball. As most CCRCs welcome your four-legged family members, there are even dog parks. And in keeping with making life effortless, some places will deliver your incoming packages right to your door. The list of concierge services goes on, including scheduled transportation to grocery stores, shops and more. At Edenwald, a CCRC in Towson, a bus transports residents to cultural events and attractions like the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerhoff, a string quartet at Shriver Hall, and plays.

Cuisine plays an important part in daily life. The number of dining venues depends on the CCRC and so do the plans they offer. Many have a grill, café, bar, and outdoor dining. CCRCs pride themselves on having an excellent chef, offering plenty of choices on the menu, high quality ingredients, and dining experiences resembling a great restaurant.

In this area, all CCRCs are close to vibrant cities—Annapolis, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. As Parker Williamson, resident at BayWoods, says with a laugh, “What’s great is we can visit Baltimore and D.C. and take advantage of all they have to offer, but we don’t have to live there.”

The Guide to Regional Continuing Care Facilities & Senior Resources

ASBURY METHODIST VILLAGE
201 Russell Ave.
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
(301) 216-4001
asbury.org/asbury-methodist-village

ASBURY-SOLOMONS ISLAND
11100 Asbury Circle
Solomons, MD 20688
(410) 394-3000
asbury.org/asbury-solomons

BAYLEIGH CHASE
501 Dutchmans Lane
Easton, MD 21601
(410) 657-4900
actsretirement.org/communities/maryland/bayleigh-chase-easton

BAYWOODS OF ANNAPOLIS
7101 Bay Front Drive
Annapolis, MD 21403
(410) 268-9222
baywoodsofannapolis.com

BEDFORD COURT
3701 International Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20906
(301) 598-2900
sunriseseniorliving.com/communities/bedford

BLAKEHURST
1055 W. Joppa Road
Towson, MD 21204
(410) 296-2900
blakehurstlcs.com

BRIGHTVIEW SENIOR LIVING
Multiple locations
(888) 566-8854
brightviewseniorliving.com

BROADMEAD
13801 York Road
Cockeysville, MD 21030
(410) 527-1900
www.broadmead.org

BROOKE GROVE
18100 Slade School Road
Sandy Spring, MD 20860
(301) 924-2811
www.bgf.org

BUCKINGHAM’S CHOICE
3200 Baker Circle
Adamstown, MD 21710
(301) 804-2159
actsretirement.org/communities/maryland/buckinghams-choice-adamstown

CARROLL LUTHERAN VILLAGE
300 St. Luke Circle
Westminster, MD 21158
(410) 848-0090
clvillage.org

CHARLESTOWN RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
715 Maiden Choice Lane
Catonsville, MD 21228
(410) 405-7683
ericksonseniorliving.com/charlestown

COLLINGTON EPISCOPAL LIFE CARE COMMUNITY
10450 Lottsford Road
Mitchellville, MD 20721
(301) 925-9610
collington.kendal.org

EDENWALD
800 Southerly Road
Towson, MD 21286
(410) 339-6000
edenwald.org

ELIZABETH COONEY CARE NETWORK
1107 Kenilworth Drive, Ste. 200
Towson, MD 21204
(410) 323-1700
Elizabethcooneyagency.com

FAHRNEY-KEEDY
8507 Mapleville Road
Boonsboro, MD 21713-1818
(301) 733-6284
fkhv.org

FAIRHAVEN
7200 Third Ave.
Sykesville, MD 21784
(410) 892-1946
actsretirement.org/communities/maryland/fairhaven-sykesville

FRIENDS HOUSE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
17340 Quaker Lane
Sandy Spring, MD 20860
(301) 924-5100
friendshouse.com

GINGER COVE ANNAPOLIS LIFE CARE
4000 River Crescent Drive
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 266-7300
gingercove.com

GLEN MEADOWS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
11630 Glen Arm Road
Glen Arm, MD 21057
(410) 592-5310
presbyterianseniorliving.org/glen-meadows-retirement-community

GOODWILL RETIREMENT VILLAGE
891 Dorsey Hotel Road
Grantsville, MD 21536
(301) 895-5194
goodwillhome.org

HARMONY AT WALDORF
11239 Berry Road
Waldorf, MD 20603
(240) 270-2759
harmonyseniorservices.com/senior-living/md/waldorf/berry-road

HERON POINT OF CHESTERTOWN
501 Campus Ave.
Chestertown, MD 21620
(443) 214-3605
actsretirement.org/communities/maryland/heron-point-of-chestertown

HOMEWOOD AT FREDERICK
7407 Willow Road
Frederick, MD 21702
(301) 644-5600
homewoodfrederick.com

HOMEWOOD AT WILLIAMSPORT
16505 Virginia Ave.
Williamsport, MD 21795
(301) 582-1472
homewoodwilliamsport.com

INGLESIDE AT KING FARM
701 King Farm Blvd.
Rockville, Maryland 20850
(240) 557-8791
inglesideonline.org/ingleside-king-farm

LEISURE CARE: THE LANDING OF SILVER SPRINGS
13908 New Hampshire Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20904
(301) 388-7700
leisurecare.com/our-communities/landing-of-silver-spring

LUTHERAN VILLAGE AT MILLER’S GRANT
9000 Fathers Legacy
Ellicott City, MD 21042
(410) 465-2005
millersgrant.org

MAPLEWOOD PARK PLACE
9707 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 571-7444
maplewoodparkplace.com

MARYLAND MASONIC HOMES
300 International Circle
Cockeysville, MD 21030
(410) 527-1111
mdmasonichomes.com

MERCY RIDGE
2525 Pot Spring Road
Timonium, MD 21093
(410) 561-0200
mercyridge.com

NORTH OAKS
725 Mount Wilson Lane
Pikesville, MD 21208
(410) 484-7300
northoaksseniorliving.com

RIDERWOOD VILLAGE
3140 Gracefield Road
Silver Spring, MD 20904
(301) 701-4076
ericksonseniorliving.com/riderwood

ROLAND PARK PLACE
830 W. 40th St.
Baltimore, MD 21211
(410) 243-5700
rolandparkplace.org

THE RESIDENCES AT VANTAGE POINT
5400 Vantage Point Road
Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 964-5454
vantagepointresidences.org

OAK CREST VILLAGE
8800 Walther Blvd.
Parkville, MD 21234
(410) 405-7419
ericksonseniorliving.com/oak-crest

ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATES OF CENTRAL MARYLAND
Six locations in the area
(410) 644-1880
mdbonedocs.com

RECORD STREET HOME–HOME OF THE AGED
115 Record St.
Frederick, MD 21701
(301) 663-6822
recordstreethome.org

THE VILLAGE AT AUGSBURG
6811 Campfield Road
Baltimore, MD 21207
(410) 834-4143
thevillageataugsburg.org

THE VILLAGE AT ROCKVILLE
9701 Veirs Drive
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 424-9560
thevillageatrockville.org

WECARE
1852 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, MD 21208
(410) 602-3993
wecarepds.com

WILLOW VALLEY
600 Willow Valley Sq.
Lancaster, PA 17602
(717) 464-6800
willowvalleycommunities.org

Farewell sweatpants, you’ve served us well. But it’s time to step outside our comfort zones—literally—and sample some of the fall’s hottest fashion trends. If you thought the fall looks would reflect our recent forced dedication to hygge—the Danish concept of coziness—you’re only half right. While some trends still have that cozy vibe, even more are about painting the town red (safely, of course).

CABARET GLAMOUR: Sequins
For something optimistic and fun, try glistening sequins. Think of the Roaring 1920s, but with a modern twist (the Roaring 2020s, if you will): A sparkling midi skirt can make a bold statement on your reemergence. If sequins are still a bit too much, a glittering clutch or headband will do the trick.

Try: A Style Studio, 25 Hooks Lane, #111, Pikesville, 410-484-1115

APRÉS SKI: Knits
Just because the sweatpants are packed away (for now), that doesn’t mean we can’t be both cozy and glamorous. Whether you’re into a funky Fair Isle print or a classic argyle, stocking up on a quality knit is a must for this fall. Bonus trend points for those daring to match a knit cardigan with knit pants.

Try: South Moon Under, multiple locations including 815 Aliceanna Street, 410-685-7820

TAILOR-MADE: Blazers
Maybe you need a little more structure in your life? A perfect fit gives the impression of high quality while maintaining the utmost comfort. Sporting a tailored trench coat or a blazer that fits like a glove is the way to go for an easy but classic look. Wear with a slinky slip dress for an added edge.

Try: Ruth Shaw, 800 Kenilworth Drive, Suite 852, Towson, 410-532-7886

BOOT LEG: Knee-high Boots
The shoes of the season are sleek and sexy: the iconic knee-high boot. While slouchy boots and suede thigh-highs were “it” pre-COVID, this fall it’s all about calf-hugging high heels. Pair it with a mini skirt and bare legs or let them peek out beneath cuffed trousers.

Try: Poppy and Stella, multiple locations including 728 S. Broadway, 410-522-1970

It’s that perfect time of year in Baltimore. The sun is still shining while the air is turning cool and crisp. And in the evenings when you step outside it always smells like your neighbor’s burning fire pit.

With the change in season comes a bounty of fall fun, too. For families, the autumn happenings are piling up as fast as the mountain of unraked leaves in your yard. But skip the raking (or better yet, make the kids do it) and be sure you don’t miss out on any of these local activities that only come around during this gorgeous time of year.

The Barnyard at Weber’s Cider Mill Farm
Fall is the absolute best time to take a trip to Weber’s Cider Mill Farm. You can grab some delicious donuts and cider while you shop for produce or Halloween decor, but the outdoor barnyard is truly the place to be.

With its haunted house, massive slides, hay maze, and, of course, barnyard animals, kids will want to stay and play all day. Feed the goats, stuff a scarecrow, or hop on a hayride. But whatever you do to pass the time—don’t leave without a pumpkin or five.

Pumpkinfest at Irvine Nature Center
If you’re looking to get in the fall spirit, Irvine Nature Center has all the outdoor fun you can handle. It’s yearly festival which celebrates the offerings of autumn has music, food, magic shows, face painting, and more. You can get crafty painting pumpkins, hop ‘till you drop in a sack race, interact with the animals, or just relax the day away at one of Baltimore’s most scenic spots.

Great Halloween Lantern Parade and Festival in Patterson Park
It’s almost time for one of the city’s best yearly parades, produced by the Creative Alliance and Friends of Patterson Park. It happens on Saturday, October 27, and you can expect things to get spooktacular. This event comes with lanterns and costumes and candy, oh my. The festival starts at 3 p.m. and the parade lines up at 6:30. If you need assistance with your lantern-making, you can head to one of Creative Alliance’s several workshops to make sure your lantern is properly lit.

Pick Pumpkins at Gaver Farm
While it’s a bit of a hike, heading to Gaver Farm in Mount Airy this time of year is worth the trek. The pumpkin patch is now open every day to pick your own and hayrides to get you there are free. Apple picking is only open on Saturday and Sundays, so if you’re in need of a bussell for all those pies, make sure you stop by the orchard on the weekend. While you’re there, enjoy all the attractions (open until November 4) like giant slides, pedal carts, corn mazes, and more.

Honey Harvest Festival at Oregon Ridge
On October 6-7, come celebrate all things honey at the annual festival where bees are the headliners. Learn about the incredible creatures by watching honeybee hive demos. And, if you get hungry, enjoy all the food trucks have to offer, then go ahead and make some honey-flavored ice cream for dessert. The best part about this all-ages gathering (aside from the fact that you’ll take home more honey than Pooh) is that admission is totally free. How sweet is that?

Apple picking at Butler’s Orchard
Butler’s Orchard in Germantown is another sweet spot to hit up this time of year. It has some of the best harvesting around including apples galore (Stayman and Golden Delicious) for $1.99 a pound. Now that’s a lot of applesauce! There are, of course, pumpkins to pick and flowers, too. While you’re there, the kids can enjoy the fun of hayrides, pony rides, and even visiting the farm’s two miniature donkeys.

Is there a better time of year to dine outdoors in Maryland than the fall, when there’s plenty of warmth but the swelter recedes? The patio is the place to be as we soak up these lovely evenings and store them away in our memory for the colder climes of winter. Here are three patio companions to aid your evening revelry.

Wölffer Estate No. 139 Dry Rosé Cider

($16 4-pack bottles, Legends)
If you enjoy apple cider to herald the approach of fall but can’t quite let go of your love for summertime rosé, this drink is a godsend. What more can you ask for? How about having it in a can so we can chill a four-pack in a cooler or sip them poolside? Thank New York cider producer Wölffer Estate for granting all these wishes.

Jack Rudy Small Batch Elderflower Tonic
($17, The Country Vintner)
Whether you’d like to try an elderflower riff on the classic gin and tonic or mate a fuller-bodied tonic experience with heavier stuff like mezcal or rum, all you really need is your sense of adventure and an ice maker to appreciate this sumptuous syrup.

Château Pigoudet Première Rosé 2017
($14, Oslo Imports)
Rosé is a style of wine synonymous with summer, a phenomenon that got its start in Provence. This one is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. It’s a fruity style with notes of alpine strawberry, cherry, melon, and white peach.

Usually when the weather gets chilly (or, in this case, becomes a sopping mess), craft breweries get ready to release stronger, more robust beers. We love imperial stouts and flavored porters as much as the next person, but this fall we’re seeing a trend towards more session beers—aka lower octane, lighter, more crisp varieties. Lagers, in particular, have become more popular on a national level.

“The world is so saturated with IPAs and hazy beers, which have their place and definitely sell the best, but there’s something to be said for lagers,” says Colin Marshall, co-owner of Diamondback Brewing Company in Locust Point. “They are crisp and refreshing and you can drink two of them without your head buzzing. You’re in it to enjoy the full 16 ounces.”

Throughout the fall, Diamondback will be releasing three beers characterized by the style starting this week with Everything All The Time, a pale Helles lager, followed by a Kolsch called Atmospheric Changes, and a Märzen with the appropriately German name Pretzel Logic. Aside from the clean flavor profile, lagers are appealing to Marshall because of their fascinating brewing process.

“We love the maturation time, watching the beer change in the tank, and really learning how the yeast is interacting—how it cleans up from week to week,” Marshall explains. “The process really teaches you patience with beer, which is usually very ‘go, go, go.'”

All that patience will pay off when Diamondback hosts Stein Day on September 29, a festival where guest will get a 10-ounce glass and three pours with admission. The event will feature all three beers (as well as a pilsner), a traditional polka band, glass blowing from McFadden Art Glass, and German fare from 101 Baltimore.

“The season turn from this triple-digit heat into more of the flannel-sweater weather kind of excites people,” Marshall says. “They feel like they can indulge a little more—especially in beer.”

No matter what style you favor, light lagers or heavy stouts and everything in between, these local breweries have some exciting new releases (and welcome re-releases) sure to make the transition to fall that much easier.

Flying Dog Brewery: Sunday Best
Brewed especially for the Baltimore Ravens, this light lager clocks in at only 5-percent ABV. The camo-clad can premiered at M&T Bank Stadium this past Sunday and will be available all season long.

Waverly Brewing Company: Batty Noh
Yes, you read that right. This fun-loving brewery located in Waverly is releasing its take on the historically Baltimore beer, but their bohemian-style, lower ABV brew is made with real Maryland corn.

Independent Brewing Company: Your Move Paulie!
As the gold medal winner in the 2018 World Beer Cup German Märzen category, this seasonal beer is one not to miss. The light-bodied lager, with a 6-percent ABV, just got tapped at the Bel Air brewery.

Union Craft Brewing: Balt
This German-style amber ale has become a fall go-to for its clean, dry flavor profile and, new this year, debuted in a 16-ounce tall boy can. (While you’re picking up a sixer at the brewery, don’t forget about Foxy Red IPA, which has a lighter body and extra wallop of hops this year.)

Monument City Brewing: Roadways
As a part of the brewery’s Haven series, to benefit Trash Free Maryland and Blue Water Baltimore, this October release is a double rye IPA inspired by Monument’s citrusy and spicy flagship 51 Rye, but clocking in at 8.5-percent ABV.

Black Flag Brewing: Oktoberfest
This Columbia brewery returns with its Oktoberfest party featuring its titular beer that, this year, has a new lager yeast strain but still maintains its crisp, malty flavor profile. Other beers to look out for include pumpkin beer Basic Bee and Crimson Clouds, an upcoming Thanksgiving-themed Sour IPA.

Peabody Heights: Astrodon
This co-op brewery just released a hazy IPA with notes of guava and passionfruit, which is going to be a year-round core beer. The 7-percent ABV is named the Maryland state dinosaur (who knew?) and is available at local bars in the brewery’s taproom.

Checkerspot Brewing
Though they haven’t picked out a name for this beer quite yet, this newly opened South Baltimore brewery continues on its path of wild ingredients and daring brewing techniques with a Belgian quad they are aging on bourbon-soaked dates and releasing in October. Look out for parties at Barfly’s and Wiley Gunter’s.

Heavy Seas Beer: Great’er Pumpkin
One of our very favorite pumpkin beers nationwide, this imperial ale is aged in bourbon barrels and clocks in at 10-percent ABV. With notes of cinnamon, allspice, ginger, clove, brown sugar, and vanilla, this very autumnal ale is available now.

From the city’s ninth annual Baltimore Beer Week and the lederhosen-infused Oktoberfests to the ever-growing broods of local pumpkin brews, October is officially for colds ones in Baltimore and beyond. Tip back your glass at one of these seven events throughout the month.

Baltimore Craft Beer Festival

10/7.Canton Waterfront Park, 3001 Boston St. 1:30-5 p.m. $40-55. Sip your way through our state’s best beers with more than 40 Maryland breweries, a homebrew competition, and live music at this small-batch festival. 

Charm City Run Oktoberfest

10/7. Charm City Run, 7090 Deepage Dr., Columbia. 8 a.m. $40-45. After this festive 5K, refuel at Frisco Tap House with a post-race party featuring more than 100 draft beers, food, and music in Howard County.

Chilibrew XI

10/13. Zion Church of Baltimore, 400 E. Lexington St. 7-10 p.m. $10. Don’t miss this local-favorite chili cook-off and homebrew competition where you can indulge while supporting area charities.

Baltimore Beer Week

10/13-22. Locations, times & prices vary. Baltimore’s dedicated brew week is actually nine days long, with endless pairings, tap takeovers, and new releases throughout the city.

Das Best OktoberFest

10/14. M&T Bank Stadium, 1101 Russell St. 12-6 p.m. $25-59. At ground zero for Ravens Nation, revel in all things beers, brats, and bands during this giant annual German festival. 

The Spirits Pub Tour

10/19. The Wine Bin, 8390 Main St., Ellicott City. 7:30 p.m. $20. Hang out in the haunted haunts of Old Ellicott City with this monthly bar crawl throughout the historic town.

Oktobearfest

10/21. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, 1 Safari Pl. 12-4 p.m. Free-$19. Lions and tigers and beers—oh my! Savor some seasonal brews at the zoo with German-inspired eats and plenty of animals to observe. 

Dupont Normandy Cidre Bouché Brut 2015
($13, Legends)

It might be traditional to take an apple to your teacher once school begins, but a lot of the teachers we know need a little more fortification to face a new academic year. If you want to bring a teacher in your life a back-to-school gift this season, consider this delightful cider from the Normandy region of France. No sticky kids stuff here, this is mostly dry and bursting with snappy apple tones framed by a hint of brioche.

Bigallet China-China
($41, The Country Vintner)

The predominant flavor note in this French digestif is orange; it’s made by distilling sweet and bitter orange peels along with other herbs and spices like anise, quinine, and clove. The result smells like autumn in a bottle. It can be enjoyed on its own as an after-dinner sipper, but it also mixes wonderfully with ciders, sparkling wines, and apple brandies.

Alain Jaume Vacqueyras Grande Garrigues 2015

($25, Kysela Pere et Fils)

Rosé stocks are dwindling down to a trickle now that Labor Day has passed, tempting us back to the red wine section. Vacqueyras is in France’s Rhône region and might be considered the less fêted sibling of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Both wines are Grenache-based, but Vacqueyras is more rustic. This is all about cherry notes and earthiness. It’s a red that can take you from September grilling all the way to November turkey.

The fall season might conjure up thoughts about the start of school or football season, but for us this time of year is all about beer. Many local breweries are thinking of creative ways to celebrate the season, including rye barrel-aged options and flavors like peach cobbler. But there’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple and offering tried-and-true IPAs, brown lagers, and Oktoberfest beers.

“Brown beers may not be the sexiest thing to brew, but for us it’s something great for the season,” says Monument City Brewing co-owner Ken Praay. “They’re not fancy, but it’s something we would want to drink.”

Monument City currently has two varieties of its brown lager on tap—First Cup brewed with Charm City Roasters coffee, and Last Cup with slight notes of caramel and chocolate. They will both be available on Saturday at Monument’s pig and oyster roast featuring eats from Blue Pit BBQ and The Nickel Taphouse. At the event, the brewery will also be debuting its limited release Nobo, a hazy, double dry-hopped IPA.

Thankfully, this is just the start of fall and we have all season to enjoy some of these heartier brews. Here are just a few of our other favorites around town.

Flying Dog Brewery: Maryland’s largest brewery, which is gearing up to open a 150,000-square-foot space at Frederick’s Bowman Farm, releases a new beer practically every day. For fall, we like the Peach Cobbler Ale, a part of the Brewhouse Rarities series, and the Laces Out India Pale Lager, which was specifically brewed for the Ravens game in London and will be released this Sunday.

Diamondback Brewing Company: Diamondback Brewing in Locust Point will be releasing its stellar Oktoberfest Marzen-style beer at an event on October 25. For now, you can try the brewery’s Cherry Wack, a dark kettle sour with coriander, sea salt, and tart cherries.

Jailbreak Brewing: Jailbreak likes to have think outside the box down in Laurel and its fall releases are no exception. There’s The Big Lebowski-inspired White Russian coffee-cream ale and the spicy Welcome to Scoville Jalapeño IPA , which will be back on draft and in cans on September 29.

Union Craft Brewing: We mainly get excited for fall because we know that Foxy Red IPA is coming back into our lives. This seasonal offering is fruity and piny and hits all the right notes for this time of year. Another good option for fall is the cleverly named Royal Farmhouse Belgian-style Double IPA. Pairs well with a chicken box.

The Brewer’s Art: Hard to believe (aka we feel old), but The Brewer’s Art just turned 21. To celebrate the fact that its of legal drinking age, the brewpub released 21—a version of its Maryland rye beer 7 Beauties that was aged in a Sagamore Rye barrel. 

Heavy Seas: This grandaddy of Baltimore brewers has one of our favorite year-round IPAs in Loose Cannon, but come fall we can’t get enough of Greater Pumpkin Imperial Ale aged in bourbon barrels. This weekend, the Halethorpe brewery will be pouring both at Federal Hill Oktoberfest.

Black Flag Brewing: This Columbia brewery had a good time poking fun at the pumpkin-spice trend with its Basic Bee Pumpkin Pie Ale brewed with maple syrup, honey, and spices. This fall brew, along with Black Flag’s Oktoberfest, will be available on tap and in cans at a taproom event this weekend.

Milkhouse Brewery: This Mt. Airy farm brewery always has some of the freshest products in the state and, because peaches are at their peak, we recommend the Peach Farmhouse Ale, a Belgian-style ale with local hops, wildflower honey, and notes of peach and spice. The farmhouse ale is a great way to transition from summer to fall.

Transitioning between seasons can be tough on your closet, especially when the weather feels like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. We put together some outfit options featuring our favorite fall trends to ease you into autumn.

Weekend Wear
Layer a loose-knit sweater with a bomber jacket. Everyone looks cool in a bomber jacket. Rag & Bone bomber jacket ($650) at Ruth Shaw. Willow & Clay sweater ($84) at South Moon Under. AGOLDE Los Angeles high-rise skinny jeans ($158) at South Moon Under. Kate Spade Devoe Street Tinley bag, ($278) at Handbags in the City. Sam Edelman Leya leather slides ($100) at Sassanova.

SFW (Safe For Work)
Embroidery is huge this fall. We paired it with a textured bag and comfy flats. Tory Burch Sadie rug shoulder bag ($498) at Handbags in the City. Restricted Jazzie flat ($50) at Poppy & Stella. Tanya Taylor Caro embroidered dress ($550) at
Ruth Shaw.

Formal Affair
Midi-length dresses are great year-round. Add a fun accessory and you are ready for a night on the town. Azalea dress ($500) at Ruth Shaw. Patti black leather round-toe stilettos ($98) at Poppy & Stella. Milly Bite Me acrylic clutch multi OS ($295) at Sassanova.

Precious metals have been in high demand since what seems like the beginning of time. Add metallic shades like gunmetal and silver into your personal color palette for a more dramatic look.