MEDIA ADVISORY

Mayor: Jennifer P. Dougherty

FROM: Amy Riley, Office of Special Events, 301-228-2845

DATE: July 12, 2004

RE: 2004 Summerfest Family Theatre

ANIMALS GALORE COMING TO SUMMERFEST FAMILY THEATRE

Frederick’s Baker Park Bandshell will become turned into a virtual zoo on Saturday, July 17th when the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo presents “Habitats of the World”. The performance, a part of the Summerfest Family Theatre series, begins at 7 PM, with an opening act by the 24/7 Dance Studio.

“Habitats of the World” will allow the audience to explore rainforests, deserts, savannas, marshes, and woodlands while discovering the unique features animals have to help them survive. Creatures such as a spiny-tailed lizard, alligator, chinchilla, parrot, and hedgehog will be featured.

The Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo, a private, family-owned and operated facility, is a 30-acre park in Thurmont, Maryland that exhibits over 350 exotic animals, including bears, boas, lions, monkeys, panthers, and prairie dogs. Interaction, entertainment, and education are always a part of The Catoctin Zoo’s programming. The group has appeared on “Late Night with Conan O'Brien," Animal Planet's "Pet Psychic," Maryland Public Television, Hagerstown’s WHAG TV 25, and Baltimore’s WJZ TV 13. Live animal programs have also been provided for National Geographic Museum Explorers Hall, National Academy of Sciences, National Capital Area Boy Scouts of America Cub Scout day camps, and hundreds of schools and learning centers throughout Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. The zoo was the host facility for the national award winning educational cable series "The Wild Life with Whitney Hahn," which is a two-time Parents' Choice Recommended Award winner.

This year’s event would not be possible without the generous support of the following corporate sponsors. The Gold Sponsors are Ausherman Homes, BB&T, Bechtel Foundation, COMSTAR Federal Credit Union, Farmers and Mechanics Bank and Sandy Spring Bank. The Silver Sponsors are Bank One, CitiMortgage, and The Frederick News-Post. The Bronze Sponsors are Cellular One, Chessie Federal Credit Union and the Frederick Arts Council.

In lieu of admission, the Summerfest Family Theatre committee encourages you to bring a canned food item to support the Frederick Community Action Agency Food Bank. To be a volunteer or for more information on this event, please call The City of Frederick Office of Special Events at 301-600-CITY (2489) or visit www.SummerfestFamily.com