Maryland State Fairgrounds

On their best behavior Love dogs? How about spending Sunday with more than 3,000 of them? You can, if you come to the 67th All-Breed Dog Show and Obedience Trial at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. The show is presented by the Baltimore County Kennel Club. Watch as the purebred dogs, representing 154 breeds, compete in conformation classes and obedience jumping. There will also be junior showmanship matches. And if you've got a pooch at home, you'll want to browse the vendor tables and check out the latest canine items that are for sale.

Coming out of the snowiest Maryland winter on record, thousands of Marylanders got a jump-start on spring at the Maryland Home & Garden Show where tulips, daffodils and pansies were in full bloom. Last month's blizzard inspired McCarroll Nole of Baltimore to attend the annual show on Sunday for the first time. "We are tired of the white stuff. We want to see some green. We want to see something come out of the ground," said Nole, who brought a camera with him to record ideas for sprucing up his flower garden.

Come on, come on, do the locomotion this weekend at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. The All-American Hi-Rail and Collectors Train Show and the Great Scale Model Train Show feature detailed operating displays and layouts in a variety of scales. More than 800 display tables will offer model-railroad accessories, building supplies, scenery, tools, train books, videos, toy trains, antique trains and more. There will be educational exhibits for children and a supervised kids' room showing train movies.

Legionnaires' bug at hospital Employees and patients at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson are being warned not to use the water at the hospital after routine tests showed the presence of the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease in the hot water supply. Hospital officials said the type of Legionella pneumophila found in the hospital's water is the kind that is less likely to make people sick and that there have been no cases of hospital-acquired Legionella at St. Joseph. Officials said they hope to have the situation remedied by this afternoon.

Outdoor Fun Motorcycle races at the fairgrounds Today, motorcycle races will be held by the Cockeysville Opti mist Club and the Baltimore County Trail Riders Club at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium. Practice begins at 5 p.m., rac ing at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10; $5 for ages 6-11; free for ages younger than 6. Call 410-661-MOTO.

German or not, you're welcome to attend the 107th annual German Festival at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium this weekend. Visitors can listen to traditional and popular music, watch folk-dancing, browse an array of authentic crafts and collectibles, and enjoy German food and drink. There will also be various activities for the younger set. The festival runs 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday at the fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium. $5; $4 seniors; free for ages 11 and younger with a paying adult.

For 29 years, motorcycle racers have been staging competitions to raise money for the Cockeysville Optimist Club. This year's races at the horse show ring at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium have drawn riders ages 6 and 60 since starting last month. The final races are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday. Whether they race for the fun of it or dream of glory on the professional circuit, participants in the races - co-sponsored by the Baltimore County Trail Riders Club - maintain a spirit of friendly competition.

Big sounds for little earsThe Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will be at its boldest, brassiest best Saturday as conductor Daniel Hege leads a ``Brilliant Brass'' program for children. Showcasing the musicians of the BSO's brass section, the Classically Kids Series program includes a performance of Tchaikovsky's ``1812 Overture'' with narrator Rheda Becker. The event is designed for families with children ages 7 to 12.The program takes place Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. $9. Call 410-783-8000.

Call it a kids' paradise. With more activities, games, sports and entertainment than your kid could ever possibly handle, "Kids Fest 3" at the Maryland State Fairgrounds Saturday is indeed a kids' utopia. Kids can get physical with carnival games and rides, a 24-foot climbing wall, football-toss, speed-pitch, sandbox, pony rides, jewelry-making, interactive new video games and more. Or they can sit back and watch performances by Bob the Vid-Tech, the Company Elite Dance Studio, a bicycle stunt team and various musicians.

BaltimoreSept. 9-11 P.E.O. Sisterhood, convention center. Contact: Anne Pettygrove, 515-255-3153. Estimated attendance: 3,000Sept. 11-12 Maryland RV Show, Maryland State Fairgrounds, York and Timonium roads. Contact: JonTancredi, 215-592-8601. Estimated attendance: 8,000Sept. 15-19 National League of Cities, children's and families conference, Holiday Inn, Lombard and Howard streets. Contact: John Kyle, 202-626-3030. Estimated attendance: 600Sept. 16-18 Malibu Pilots Association, Renaissance Harborplace, 200 E. Pratt St. Contact: Bill Albert, 843-785-9349.

With a background in urban search and rescue, Jenny Shilling figured she was a logical choice to take part in the county Department of Fire and Rescue Services' recent mission to aid the people of hurricane-ravaged Louisiana. Members of the unit - known as USAR - are trained in finding and extricating disaster victims. After making the 26-hour trip to rural Alexandria, Shilling and the other four members of the second relief unit sent in September by the Department of Fire and Rescue Services immediately worked an 18-hour shift.

As autumn approaches, it brings with it a flurry of festivals, an opportunity to celebrate the region's bounty and diversity. You can go high-brow or low, jazzy or classical and taste the homiest or the most exotic of flavors - sometimes all at one event. There are many opportunities to be festive. Here are just a few: Many Moons Festival 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 6. Towson University's Center for the Arts Celebrate Asian cultural traditions with performances by dancers and musicians, hands-on crafts workshops and martial arts demonstrations.

PERFORMANCE DANCE ON Dance Baltimore's season continues tomorrow and Saturday with "Ageless Grace" and "The Men's Dance." "Ageless Grace" features dancers over age 40, while "The Men's Dance" showcases the work of male dancers and choreographers. Both performances are at Theatre Project. The performances continue April 19 with "Let's Move: A Community Dance Concert," taking place at the Baltimore Museum of Art. .................... This weekend's shows are at 7:30 p.m. with "Ageless Grace" tomorrow and "The Men's Dance" Saturday.

Lauretta nostalgia At the safe distance of Owings Mills, far from the urban blight the West Baltimore neighborhood of Lauretta Avenue has become, former residents of the enclave will hold a picnic reunion to fondly remember what was. Maryland baltimoresun.com/marbella One of those nights A night like no other, a night for baseball statisticians to savor, for testing the wits of sports bloggers, for a scorekeeper to remember and for members of the Baltimore Orioles to try their best to forget.

German or not, you're welcome to attend the 107th annual German Festival at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium this weekend. Visitors can listen to traditional and popular music, watch folk-dancing, browse an array of authentic crafts and collectibles, and enjoy German food and drink. There will also be various activities for the younger set. The festival runs 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday at the fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium. $5; $4 seniors; free for ages 11 and younger with a paying adult.

Hazardous household materials will be collected Saturday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The items will be collected from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Residents may bring: paints, motor oil, antifreeze, gasoline, cleaning solvents, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, swimming pool chemicals, mercury thermometers, fluorescent light bulbs, fireworks and ammunition and other hazardous household wastes. Residents must use the Timonium Road entrance. Information: 410-887-2000. The county also collects household hazardous waste at the Eastern Sanitary Landfill, at 6259 Days Cove Road in White Marsh, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday from April through November.

Fun is on track this weekend at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. Greenberg's Train Show pulls into the station Saturday and doesn't pull out till Sunday evening. Model-train hobbyists of all ages will find plenty to get excited about - big and small operating layouts, exhibits, shopping, clinics, appraisals and more. A variety of workshops is scheduled, including a young-trainees event that will allow children to be the conductors of their own model trains. Experts and hobby celebrities will be on hand to give tips and advice to train enthusiasts.

BaltimoreSept. 15-19 National League of Cities, children and families conference, Holiday Inn, Lombard and Howard streets. Contact: John Kyle, 202-626-3030. Estimated attendance: 600Sept. 16-18 Malibu Pilots Association, Renaissance Harborplace, 200 E. Pratt. Contact: Bill Albert, 843-785-9349. Estimated attendance: 350Sept. 17-19 Maryland RV Show Part II, Maryland State Fairgrounds, York and Timonium roads. Contact: Jon Tancredi, 215-592-8601. Estimated attendance: 8,000Sept. 21-23 Supply Chain Expo, Convention Center.

Beer, bourbon and BBQ fest The lowdown -- Lovers of hops, whiskey and meat will converge on the Maryland State Fairgrounds this weekend for the Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Fest. The event includes barbecue competitions, a tasting room and a heated cigar tent. The Kelly Bell Band and classic rock cover band Mister Wilson will perform. If you go -- The festival runs noon-8 p.m. in the 4-H building at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road in Timonium. Admission is $18-$20 and includes a souvenir glass, two bourbon tickets and four beer tokens.

With the Super Bowl over and baseball season more than a month away, people looking for a dose of machismo should head to the Timonium Mid-Atlantic Motorcycle Show this weekend. Held at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, it is one of the largest motorcycle shows on the East Coast. This year, organizers expect to draw more than 40,000 people. "We're sort of the kickoff of the entire motorcycle season," said Rich Kohles, the show owner of American Recreational Promotions. "We're one week after the Super Bowl, so as far as testosterone goes, there's nothing this weekend ... and it's three weeks before everybody leaves for Daytona [Fla.