Activities
Heritage Parade
Time: Begins at 10:00 AM – Location: Main Street
The Middletown Heritage Festival Parade kicks off the Festival with the Frederick County Honor Guard leading the parade down Main Street from Prospect to Willow.
With its dance groups, floats, marching bands and a variety of community organizations, the parade is always a highlight of the day.
Parade participants will stage from Cone Branch to Prospect on Main Street.
Grand Marshal for the 2025 Heritage Parade
JACK REMSBERG
John Homer Remsberg, Jr. (known as “Jack”) was born on October 5, 1926, in Middletown, MD. His father, John Homer Remsberg and mother, Abby McCardell Remsberg had just purchased the 125-acre farm. The family farm named Locvale Farms included registered Holstein dairy cattle. Agriculture and cows have been a way of life for Jack since he was born 98 years ago. Jack spent his young life milking dairy cattle, participating in 4-H and FFA, and judging dairy cattle.
Jack is a 1943 graduate of Middletown High School. He graduated from the University of Maryland (class of 1951) and the College of Agriculture with a degree in Dairy Science. After college he spent 2 years in the Air Force stationed in Anchorage, Alaska during the Korean War. Upon discharge he returned home to Middletown. It was then Jack began his journey of 50 years of dairy cattle photography.
Jack was among the pioneers in the field of dairy cattle photography and he was inducted into the National Dairy Shrine on October 5, 2016. During his time behind the camera, he earned a reputation as a “patient perfectionist” because incredible patience is required in this profession. Jack explains, “You have to love cows and be a good judge of cattle if you want to be a good cattle photographer.” He pursued his career with the same passion he employed raising his family. Patience, Love, and High Standards.
At the end of his career in 2004, Jack remembers the travels and experiences working with the greatest segment of the world population, the hard working and sincere American farmer, resulting in over 40,000 professional cattle photographs. They say life is a journey not a destination. An old motto Jack has lived by: “Work as if you will live forever, but live as if you will die tomorrow.”
Heritage Festival Booth
Location: Main Street in front of Town Hall
Be sure to check out the Middletown Heritage Festival booth. We have loads of merchandise for sale to remember your day at the festival! Mugs, t-shirts and other great keepsakes await you at the Heritage Booth.
And remember you can purchase year-round from our online store! Just click “SHOP” in the header above. We will deliver to your home if you’re local or ship to you if you’re far away!
Middletown Volunteer Fire Dept
First Aid Station & Safety Information
Location: Corner of Main & S. Jefferson St.
MVFD will have lots of important information for both kids and adults on fire and personal safety in the home, bike safety, the new program “Close Before You Doze”. Check out the pieces of apparatus on display and ask questions of our firefighters and EMTs.
Christ Reformed UCC
The church will have the following activities at the church:
- Bounce House
- Bake/Craft Table
- Children’s Craft Table
- Cookbook Displays
- Historical Displays
- Live Musical Performances
Christmas in the Valley Ornament
The 2025 Christmas in the Valley Collectible Ornament, 19th in a Series
Main Street Middletown’s Welcome Center and Office
Now in its 19th year, this year’s Christmas in the Valley ornament celebrates the charm and history of Main Street Middletown’s Welcome Center and office.
Though small in size, these two historic buildings are rich in character. The larger structure, once a harness shop during the heyday of the National Road, later served as a local barbershop for over fifty years. The smaller building, originally a chicken coop relocated in the 1890s, was eventually converted for commercial use. In the early 2000s, the two were connected, forming a unique and eye-catching pair in the heart of town.
Architectural details like the Gothic Revival trim on 19 West Main and the curving eave trim on the smaller building have long drawn admiration from passersby — many affectionately call the duo “cute.”
Main Street Middletown, Inc. purchased the buildings in 2019 and has worked diligently to restore them. Today, they serve as a Welcome Center and the Main Street office — a space where visitors and locals can connect, learn about the town’s history, and discover upcoming events, and attractions.
This ornament honors not just these historic buildings, but also the community’s dedication to preserving its heritage, fostering economic vitality, and keeping Main Street Middletown as charming and welcoming as ever.
Cost: $35 (includes ornament, stand, and gift box)
Where to Buy: Town Booth at the Heritage Festival or the Town Office during business hours
Proceeds support the Christmas in the Valley celebration on December 6, 2025.
Thank you for supporting this beloved community tradition!
Welcome Center
19-21 West Main Street, Middletown
The former Bussard Barbershop new Main Street Middletown office renovation is complete and the new Welcome Center is open! Be sure to stop in to experience Middletown and its Civil War history through two professionally produced videos, pick up information about our downtown, and more. We have a small selection of Middletown gifts for sale that help us expand our programing.
