🍦Cookie monsters

Good morning, Columbia. Ever wonder how Camp David got its name? It was originally called Hi-Catoctin (after the surrounding mountains) and it wasn’t even for the president. It was built in 1938 as a rustic camp for federal employees. But after the presidential yacht was deemed unsafe, FDR converted the camp to the presidential retreat in 1942. He called it Shangri-La, but Dwight Eisenhower thought that was too fancy so he renamed it Camp David after his only grandson in 1953.

In today’s Columbia Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Michelle Sinclair

Sam Bierman’s cookie side hustle is really taking off. About two years ago, Sam started Flour Fable Cookie Co. as a cottage business.

👩‍🍳 Cottage context – Maryland allows home-based food businesses without kitchen inspections for many baked goods up to $50,000 in gross annual sales.

She frequented farmers markets. She hit every festival she could. And she did weekly drops (with new flavors every month). We’re talking hundreds of cookies every week. All while balancing a full-time job.

Ten months in, it was time to go full time. About nine months after that, Sam made a huge announcement: she was opening her own storefront. That was last February. And last weekend, that dream became reality.

🆕 New name, who dis – A month after announcing the store, Sam renamed the company Flour Fable Baking Co. Cookies are still her core focus, but the ever-changing menu also includes buns, cakes, and brownies.

You can visit Flour Fable Baking Co. at 6656 Dobbin Road, Suite K Thursday through Sunday (10 AM–6 PM Thurs/Fri, 9 AM–3 PM Sat/Sun). Just be prepared to wait in line for a bit. It’s a hit.

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🎈 = family-friendly events

🎈🐮 Laurel Farmer's Market – Fresh produce and local vendors on Main Street every Thursday through October. 3 to 7 PM.

⛳ The Arc's Fairways For All Golf Tournament – A charity scramble at Waverly Woods supporting programs for people with disabilities. Shotgun start at 7:30 AM, $500 a player.

🍺 Prized Pumpkin Release (+ Pumpkins) at Manor Hill – The farm brewery taps its pumpkin ale at 4 PM, with local pumpkins for sale, brick-oven pizza, and live music from Adrian Albidress.

🎶 Friday Music: The Big Laird Band – High-energy rock covering the '70s through today at Clarksville Commons, 6 to 8:30 PM. Bring a blanket or grab dinner on the patio.

🎈🎬 Movie Nights in the Park at Color Burst Park – The free outdoor movie series opens with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, plus lawn games, trivia, and popcorn beforehand. Starts at 6:30 PM.

🎤 Mt. Joy 2026: Celebrating 10 Years Of Mt. Joy – The indie-folk band celebrates a decade with a stop at Merriweather Post Pavilion. 8:30 PM.

🎸 End of Summer Explosion – The 19th annual late-night send-off for summer brings rock, ska, and reggae to Jessup. Doors at 10 PM, $29.

🎈🌾 8th Annual Festival of India – A free two-day festival at the fairgrounds with Bollywood dance, a fashion show, a bazaar of jewelry and clothing, henna, and kids' activities. Noon to 8 PM.

🎈🐮 Barnyard Fall Festival at Mary's Land Farm – Baby animals, a 150-foot mega slide, train rides, and a pumpkin patch open the farm's fall season. 8 AM to 5 PM.

🎈🇺🇸 America@250 Celebration – A free program at the fairgrounds celebrating 250 years of the United States with arts, performances, and cultural activities. 1 to 3 PM.

🎨 Edwin Gould: Peace and Nature Reception – Meet the ceramicist behind the hand-built peace symbols, dragonflies, and turtles at the Columbia Art Center. 1 to 3 PM.

🚗 Columbia Cruise Night – Hot rods, street rods, and modern muscle roll into McGaw Plaza, 4 to 8 PM.

🎈🏃 Police Pace 5k/10k & 1 Miler – Run Centennial Park at 9 AM to fund the Howard County Police Foundation's community grants.

🎈🌾 8th Annual Festival of India – Day two runs 11 AM to 7 PM, with more Bollywood, more bazaar, and more family fun.

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🚧 Low Clearance Ahead – Howard County crews start cleaning and painting the southbound Snowden River Parkway bridge over Robert Fulton Drive on or about Monday. While the work is underway, the clearance underneath is down to 13.5 feet around the clock, so anything taller needs another route. Crews work weekdays, 8 AM to 5 PM, and the county expects to be done by early October.

🚲 Bike Amnesty Day – Got a bike nobody in your house has touched since 2023? On Saturday, October 3, every Howard County fire station takes donations for Free Bikes 4 Kidz Maryland, 9 AM to 2 PM. Volunteers spend the fall fixing them up and give them to kids who need them in December – 15,408 bikes since 2019. Any size, rideable or close to it, and there are four year-round drop-offs too.

🥩 Sign Of The Times – Somebody rolled off with the all-you-can-eat sign outside Gyu-Kaku on Stanford Boulevard, and the restaurant has the photo to prove it: three people in hoodies wheeling it across the parking lot in the middle of the day. Its Facebook page calls them "three suspiciously hungry people" and offers 10% off a table's regular AYCE price for a tip that brings it home.

💥 Cookie Explosion – Nina Ross is bringing Nina's Cookie Explosion to King's Contrivance Village Center this fall. It's been two years since she first saw the space, suite B75 at 8640 Guilford Road. Ross started the business in Baltimore in 2020 and grew up in Columbia. Along with cookies baked fresh every day, she's adding coffee, tea, matcha, and ice cream sandwiches.

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88 🌡️ 69 | ⛈️ | 42% ☔ | 💨 S 6 mph

84 🌡️ 61 | 🌤️ | 4% ☔ | 💨 N 9 mph

81 🌡️ 62 | 🌤️ | 1% ☔ | 💨 E 7 mph

81 🌡️ 63 | ⛈️ | 56% ☔ | 💨 S 9 mph

78 🌡️ 63 | ⛅ | 44% ☔ | 💨 E 9 mph

🌳🎵= Outdoor concert

Bare Bones | Adam Merkle | 7–10 PM
Cured 1821 | Artist Feature (TBA) | 5–6 PM

Bare Bones | Impulse | 8 PM–12 AM
Barn & Lodge | Andy B | 8–11 PM
The Collective Encore | Chuck Brown Band NIGHT ONE | 8 PM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Young Brothers | 6–11 PM
Looney's Maple Lawn | BonFire | TBA
Manor Hill Brewing | 🌳🎵 Adrian Albidress | 5–8 PM
Merriweather Post Pavilion | 🌳🎵 Mt. Joy | 8:30 PM | Tickets
The Morgan Inn | Stone Ridge Boys | 8–11 PM
Reckless Shepherd | The Chucks | 8–11 PM
Smashing Grapes | Cynthia Marie | 8–11 PM
White Oak Tavern | Garrett Mabe | 8–10 PM

Bare Bones | Remedy | 8 PM–12 AM
Barn & Lodge | Brandt Dunn | 8–11 PM
The Collective Encore | Chuck Brown Band NIGHT TWO | 8 PM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Alex Armbruster | 6–11 PM
Hoco Brew Hive | Scotty Pip & Mike Vance (7yr Anniversary Party) | 7 PM
Looney's Maple Lawn | FKNA | TBA
The Morgan Inn | Junction | 8–11 PM
Reckless Shepherd | The Reagan Years | 9 PM | Tickets
Smashing Grapes | Justin Taylor | 8–11 PM
White Oak Tavern | Angie Miller | 8–10 PM

Barn & Lodge | Jamie Bishop | 11 AM–2 PM
Cured 1821 | Sidestreet Duo | 5–9 PM
Manor Hill Brewing | 🌳🎵 Steve Rexroth | 2–5 PM
The Morgan Inn | Sunday Funday Music Jam with The Soul Family Band | 2–5:30 PM
Smashing Grapes | Jason Kearse | 11 AM–2 PM
White Oak Tavern | Jazzy Brunch | 11 AM–2 PM

The Collective Encore | Bachelor Boys Band Showcase | 7 PM | Tickets (free showcase, RSVP)

Thanks for reading Columbia Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who recycled cans for nickels as a kid.