🍦ROCO is now open

Good morning, Columbia. Punch the monkey is back in the headlines after finding a girlfriend at the Ichikawa Zoo in Japan. We’re wondering who’s cuter, 🐵 Punch or 🦛 Moo Deng?

In today’s Columbia Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Michelle Sinclair

Call me a sucker but when the branding looks like ROCO’s, I just assume the vibes are gonna be high and the food and drinks delicious.

They’re starting with a limited menu (with plans to expand it) but don’t let that dissuade you from trying it. ROCO 1.0 includes daily house made donuts, tasty breakfast tacos, three types of waffles, a few baked goods, and a smash burger.

And coffee, obviously. It’s in the name. They’re currently brewing Alma Coffee which is a Georgia-based company that sources beans from Honduras.

Stay tuned. Because we can’t wait to see ROCO’s full menu.

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🎈 = family-friendly events

💼 Mega Job/Internship Fair - Meet hiring recruiters from STEM, business, healthcare, government, nonprofits, and more. Open to students, alumni, and the public. Bring copies of your resume.

🧱 LEGO Botanicals Night - A fun night out building LEGO Botanicals. 21+.

🎈 🍕 Bingo in the Barn - Free bingo with prizes at Manor Hill Farm. Four beers on tap, brick-oven pizza from the Pizza Trolley, and 13 farm-brewed beers in the taproom. Bingo is 21+, but the farm is open to all.

🦪 Beer & Oyster Fest at Manor Hill - Manor Hill's second annual festival featuring the release of Longline Chesapeake Oyster Stout, fresh oysters shucked to order, live music, and CCA sharing why these bivalves matter.

🎈 🐣 Spring Egg Hunt - Howard County Rec & Parks egg hunt for kids ages 2–10.

🎈 🐱 ASHA Paint Night Fundraiser - Paint alongside rescue kittens at this family-friendly fundraiser. Kids get their own canvas. The kittens typically end up napping in laps by the end of the night.

📚 The Sooner I Go Book Launch - Welcome back award-winning author Heather Cumiskey for a signing of her latest novel, a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantic suspense set in New York City.

🎈 🐰 Easter Cookie Decorating & Milkshakes - Decorate five Easter-themed cookies with expert instruction, then wash it down with a Crazy Mason milkshake. Pre-registration required.

🎷 Jazz in the Mills: Linda Harris Cole - Linda Harris Cole presents "Freedom through Song."

🎈 🧙 Toby's Dinner Theatre presents: The Wizard of Oz - Dinner and a show. There's no place like Toby's.

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Gotcha again. Just 20% of you guessed the price of this Ellicott City home right on Monday. It’s $1.9 million and I think you’ll be happy to learn that because the remaining 80% of you guessed $2 million or higher. It’s a bargain!

This house is listed with Creig Northrop of Northrop Realty if you’d like a tour.

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Our boy Dodger is going to be somebody's whole world. An 8-9 month old Great Pyrenees mix with the energy of a kid on Christmas morning and the heart to match, Dodger is 45 pounds of pure, unfiltered joy — and he's still growing.

Maybe you're a seasoned dog person who's been waiting for a reason to finally commit to those longer trail hikes; or you're someone who's always secretly wanted a dog that could double as a small bear. Dodger is your guy, and we cannot stress this enough. This big, fluffy lovebug is happiest when he's got a buddy by his side — canine or human — and he will repay your patience tenfold with sloppy kisses and a wagging tail that could knock a coffee mug clean off a table.

He's still learning what it means to be a good boy, but he wants to get there so badly it'll melt your heart. Dodger needs an active family ready to grow with him, and in return he'll give you everything he's got — which, trust us, is a lot.

Go find this big sweet boy at Charm Animal Rescue. Best of all? His adoption fee was sponsored!

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53 🌡️ 33 | 🌤️ | 5% | 💨 S 6 mph

63 🌡️ 47 | ⛅ | 7% | 💨 S 10 mph

68 🌡️ 45 | 🌤️ | 15% | 💨 NW 8 mph

71 🌡️ 47 | 🌤️ | 8% | 💨S 8 mph

Collective Encore | Johnny Cash Tribute | 7:30 PM | Tickets

Bare Bones | 33 RPM | 8 PM
Blackwall Barn & Lodge | Brandt Dunn | 8 PM
Cured 1821 | Dwayne Adell | 6 PM
Kelsey’s Restaurant & Irish Pub | O’Mcpub Band | 6 PM
Looney’s Maple Lawn | The Chucks | 9 PM
The Morgan Inn | Stone Ridge Boys | 7 PM
Oversea Distillery | Billy Rooster Band, Scarlet Kiss & Velvet Divide | 7 PM
Reckless Shepherd | Shake The Room | 9 PM
Smashing Grapes | Cynthia Marie | 8 PM
Union Jack’s | Moe Stringz | 8 PM
White Oak Tavern | Dave Webber Duo | 8 PM

Bare Bones | Code Red | 8 PM
Blackwall Barn & Lodge | Rainy Day Matinee | 8 PM
Collective Encore | The Bell Bottom Blues | 1 PM | Tickets
Collective Encore | The Bell Bottom Blues | 8 PM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Tim Andrulonis | 6 PM
Kelsey’s Restaurant & Irish Pub | Ciaran Quinn | 6 PM
Looney’s Maple Lawn | Jexxa | 8 PM
The Morgan Inn | NoWhere Fast | 8 PM
Reckless Shepherd | Be Kind & Rewind | 9 PM
Smashing Grapes | Eddie Botts | 8 PM
Sonoma’s | Rob Fahey & David Bell | 7 PM
White Oak Tavern | Paul Kalamari | 8 PM

Cured 1821 | Rodney Kelly | 5 PM
Manor Hill Brewing | Curtis Tyler | 2 PM
The Morgan Inn | Soul Family Band | 2 PM
Oversea Distillery | Slade Band | 6 PM
White Oak Tavern | Jazz Brunch | 10 AM

Thanks for reading Columbia Scoop today. If you found something useful, share it with the person who first showed you Punch the Monkey.