🍦Why’d they cancel the drone show?

Good morning, Columbia. TIL there’s a website called Looking Busy where you can pretend to be working and the faster you type nonsense, the busier you look. There’s even something called “Boss Mode” when you hit the “M” key and it instantly puts you into a fake video meeting.

In today’s Columbia Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Michelle Sinclair

The fireworks flew Saturday night. The drones never left their cases.

The county had promised a 12-minute Sky Elements drone show over the Lakefront – a HoCo250 upgrade for America's 250th birthday. Then the FAA issued temporary flight restrictions for July 4: no drones within a 30-nautical-mile ring around D.C., drawn for the holiday's VIP movements and military flyovers in the capital. Columbia sits well inside that ring, and so the show did not go on.

The show isn't gone for good: Rec & Parks plans to fly it later this summer. We'll tell you when they set a date.

🎈🐶 Paint with Puppies from Small Miracles Rescue! – Paint pottery while adoptable puppies wander around. $15 ticket goes directly to the rescue.

🍽️ Food Truck Wednesdays in the Merriweather District – Rotating food trucks at Merriweather Row Plaza bring international flavors for a midweek lunch. Free.

💃 Dancin' Under the People Tree – All-ages dance fitness session under the People Tree sculpture at Columbia Lakefront. Free.

🎨 Whimsical Workshop at Manor Hill – Build an enchanting fairy house from glass, clay, and natural materials in the hop field. $45 includes one drink.

🎨 Paint Your Own Hat – Design and paint your own custom hat (straw, cowgirl, baseball, or trucker style) at The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar. Milkshake included. $60ish.

⛳ Midnight Mini-Golf – 21+ night of mini-golf under the stars with lawn games, food trucks, and adult beverages. Beach party theme. $16–18.

🎬 Movie Night - Wicked – Outdoor screening of Wicked (PG) at dusk at Columbia Lakefront. Bring a blanket. Free and closed captioned.

🎈🎣 Kids Fishing Derby – Catch-and-release derby at Lake Elkhorn for youth of all ages. Bring your own gear; volunteers help with skills. Trophies awarded. $10–15.

🎈✨ Family Fun Day – Free Wicked-themed celebration at Columbia Lakefront with face painting, crafts, and character meet-and-greets with Glinda and Elphaba.

🎨 Summer Invitational Exhibition | Art Reception – Opening reception for a juried showcase of Howard County artists working across painting, drawing, and mixed media at Bernice Kish Gallery.

🎬 Movie Night - Wicked: For Good – Outdoor screening of Wicked: For Good (PG) at dusk at Columbia Lakefront. Free and closed captioned.

🍦 Mike's Gelato 10 Year Anniversary Party – A decade celebration with new flavors, DMV Taqueria food truck, music, and giveaways at Frank's Produce.

🎭 Toby's Dinner Theatre Presents: Mean Girls – Multiple performances Saturday and Sunday with buffet meals.

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🥣 Berry Big News – Jersey-born açaí chain Playa Bowls is coming to Shipley's Grant at 5725 Richards Valley Rd, off Route 108 – another Howard County outpost for the smoothie-bowl empire.

🚧 Broken Ramp Parkway – The Broken Land Parkway eastbound ramp to southbound US 29 closes today and stays closed until November while crews realign it to meet Symphony Woods Road. The detour: keep going east, take northbound 29, and double back at MD 175. Budget a few extra minutes – and maybe a podcast.

💵 Sweet Sixteen – As of July 1, minimum wage is $16 an hour at every Howard County business – small employers (14 or fewer workers) were the last group to phase in under the 2021 law. It's the final scheduled bump; starting in 2027, the county's wage floor rides the consumer price index. ($)

🎒 Calendar Shuffle – The school board tweaked the 2026–27 calendar: with mid-terms eliminated for middle and high schoolers, January 14–15 become full days, February 11–12 become elementary early dismissals for parent-teacher conferences, and three more inclement weather makeup days were added in mid-June. First bell is still August 24.

🖥️ Server Reservations – Howard County wants applicants for its new 11-member Data Center Task Force, created by the S.M.A.R.T. Siting Act – the same law that pauses new data center development countywide through November 2027. The group will define what a "data center" even is for zoning purposes, then dig into siting, water, noise, and taxes. Apply by July 24 at howardcountymd.gov/applybc.

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84 🌡️ 66 | ⛈️ | 74% ☔ | 💨 N 6 mph

84 🌡️ 67 | ⛈️ | 21% ☔ | 💨 NE 5 mph

87 🌡️ 70 | ⛈️ | 48% ☔ | 💨 SW 7 mph

Cured 1821 | Kevin Howard | 6 PM 

Collective Encore | The Ricky Wise Trio | 7:30 PM |  Ticket
Cured 1821 | Mark Kotision | 6 PM 
Judge Bench Pub | Irish Music | 7 PM

Bare Bones | Dan Ingham | 7 PM 
Collective Encore | John Nemeth | 7:30 PM |  Ticket
Cured 1821 | Joe DeCara | 5 PM 
The Morgan Inn | Down Time | 6 PM

Thanks for reading Columbia Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with the friend who samples six new flavors at the ice cream counter and still orders the same thing every time.