From an April pig roast to concerts on the lawn, Berlin’s Calvin B. Taylor House Museum’s schedule of events is officially set for next year.
The Taylor House Museum in Berlin is pictured.
File photo
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
Berlin’s Calvin B. Taylor House Museum’s schedule of events is set for next year.
At the Berlin Town Council’s meeting Sept. 23, the governing group unanimously passed the nonprofit museum’s proposed dates for 2025 events.
The museum will host a pig roast from 4-7 p.m., April 19; the beloved Peach Festival is set 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Aug. 2; and the Book Festival will be noon to 4 p.m., Oct. 18. The “Second Sundays at the Museum,” concerts on the lawn the second Sunday of each summer month, are slated for June 8, July 13, Aug. 10 and Sept. 14. The events will begin at 6 p.m. and conclude around 7:30.
Alcohol will be permitted and served at the pig roast, the Book Festival and the summer concert series. Adult beverages will not be available at the Peach Festival.
The council expressed excitement at the museum’s 2025 schedule and the culture the facility continues to bring to Berlin.
“The museum is such a jewel for the Town of Berlin,” Councilmember Steve Green said. “It has been that way for a long time, but there is this new energy surrounding it … the Peach Festival is the hallmark event, but the concerts on the lawn where you have toddlers to 75-year-olds and kids running around the lawn … it is a special place, and I am really proud of what you guys have done.”
Melissa Reid, president of the Taylor House, added that the museum showed “Runaway Bride” on the facility’s lawn on July 27 in honor of the movie’s 25th anniversary. The film, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, was shot mainly in the Town of Berlin in 1998 and released to theaters on July 30, 1999.
Movies on the lawn were summer staples of the museum many years ago but have since fizzled out. Movies were once held on Jefferson Street on a blow up screen as well, but inconsistent attendance led to them being scrapped. However, community residents received the “Runaway Bride” movie showing well, and organizers are planning to bring the film tradition back.
“We did the ‘Runaway Bride’ movie this summer for the 25th anniversary, which was hugely popular,” Reid said. “We had an outpouring of excitement that there was a movie back in Berlin, so we are in discussions with our board of directors about starting to do movies again at the museum. That is something we will see going forward, so hopefully, we will probably do two or three next summer during the season.”
The Taylor House has already scheduled a Halloween-themed movie at the museum event. At 7 p.m., Oct. 13, the center will play “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The film will be shown on the lawn, and attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket. The event is free, but snacks will be for sale, and museum donations are welcome.
At least one elected official was delighted to see the movie at the museum event return to the Taylor House.
“I am very excited about all these events, but I am particularly excited about the movies,” Councilman Jack Orris, a member of the Taylor House board, said. “… It is a nice addition and an event held in the past that is missing and would be welcome back.”
Councilmember Shaneka Nichols suggested that the museum consider showing local movies, like “Ping Pong Summer,” a 2014 independent film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was set and shot in Ocean City, as well as “Violets Are Blue,” which was filmed in the Ocean City area and released in 1986.
Reid also added that in 2026, the Taylor House is partnering with Salisbury University to honor and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. She expects that the museum, in collaboration with SU, will host a whole year’s worth of activities and events.
Upcoming Calvin B. Taylor House ongoings can be found on the museum’s website and social media.