Past the athletic fields at 10455 Ward Road, the tree line now hides a full round of disc golf. In September 2024 the course opened with 10 holes. Calvert County Parks & Recreation announced on September 14, 2026 that it now runs a full 18 holes, almost all of it under the canopy. Down by the lower parking lot sits the other big project at Ward Farm Recreation & Nature Park. That's a $2.17 million multipurpose building with year-round restrooms, and it was supposed to open in June.
Put those two projects side by side and you can see how the park is filling in. The outdoor work has moved faster than the construction. For anyone in Dunkirk planning a late-fall weekend or a cold-weather evening, that tells you where the good stuff at Ward Farm is right now. It's in the woods, on the trails, and on the guided hikes that start once the light is gone.
Eighteen Holes, No Greens Fee
Local professional disc golfers Ryan Laur and his father, Matt Laur, designed the course. The county describes it as the only free public disc golf course in Calvert County and one of the few wooded courses in the region. Its history is a quick one. In November 2025, a county announcement reported by The BayNet listed a 10-hole disc golf course among the amenities already in place. Ten months later, it had nearly doubled.
A wooded layout suits this time of year. The tree cover that makes the course stand out also blocks the wind on a raw November afternoon. Thinner leaves open up sightlines through the trees, too. The course isn't the whole park, either. When Ward Farm opened in 2022, the county's announcement listed nature trails, paved paths and a fishing pier along with the fields and playground. The posted trail map marks an Overlook Trail among the routes.
That's a lot of finished park for one that's only been open a few years. The county bought the property in 2013 and completed the master plan in 2015. Since the 2022 ribbon cutting, the outdoor pieces of that plan have been showing up one by one.
The Building and Its Footers
The multipurpose building is a different kind of project. The county announced site preparation in November 2025 and said construction would start late that month. The design covered two needs at once, the restroom for the lower parking lot that the master plan had called for and a community building for District 3. Plans call for three restrooms, men's, women's and family, all open year-round.
Southern Maryland News reported this spring that the building would miss its target. County government spokesman Jen Sterling told the paper the project:
"experienced delays due to several factors. Early in construction unsuitable soil conditions were identified, compounded by unusually wet and icy weather in January and February. These conditions affected the project's ability to obtain the necessary structural bearing for the footers. Additionally, longer-than-anticipated material lead times contributed to the overall delay."
According to the same report, Centennial Contractors Enterprise Inc. is building it. Plans call for 3,000 square feet of programmable indoor space and a 1,000-square-foot outdoor area. The money comes from a $5.7 million state grant drawn from the Calvert County Youth Recreational Opportunity Fund. Part of that fund's revenue comes from electronic gaming in the county.
That's also why the disc golf course could pull ahead. Footers have to reach structural bearing in the soil, and trails and fairways through the trees don't. For the building's current status and an opening date, check the county's Ward Farm building page.
What Opens Up When It Does
Once it opens, the building changes what Ward Farm can host. The county has already priced it. In the FY 2027 fee schedule, effective July 1, 2026, it shows up as a rentable venue in five-hour blocks.
| Ward Farm Multi-purpose Building, per 5-hour block | Standard fee | Resident discount fee |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor only | $225 | $125 |
| Indoor with patio | $325 | $225 |
The resident rate for the indoor-only block is $100 less than the standard rate. That puts a birthday party, club meeting or team banquet in a Dunkirk park within reach once the doors open. For now, the park's posted fall and winter programs all take place outdoors, on the trails in daylight and on a guided hike after dark.
The building has a civic job as well. It was designed partly as a permanent early voting facility for District 3. The Maryland State Board of Elections lists Ward Farm Vote Center, 10455 Ward Road, among early voting centers for the 2026 General Election, with early voting running October 22 through October 29, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (elections.maryland.gov). For the June primary and in 2024, early voting at the park ran out of a mobile structure.
The Park After Dark
The Calvert Nature Society's programs here this season are outdoors, and the standout is at night. The Beaver Moon Night Hike runs on Tuesday, November 24, 6 to 8 p.m., led by naturalist Jessy Oberright. The listing describes a guided walk as twilight fades, covering moon lore, seasonal changes and nocturnal wildlife, with a pause to take in the moonrise. Members attend free. Nonmembers pay $8 per family, and spots are limited, so registration happens through the event page.
A night hike doesn't fit the park's usual schedule. The Calvert Nature Society lists Ward Farm as open dawn to dusk. That makes November 24 one of the few evenings on the calendar when you can be out on those trails after dark, with a naturalist leading the group.
New Year's Day has its own hike. The Guided First Day Hike at Ward Farm Park runs January 1, 2027, 1 to 3 p.m. The listing bills it as "A First Day Hike for those who like to sleep in!" It covers about 2 miles, isn't stroller-friendly, and welcomes well-behaved dogs on leashes. The fee is $8 per family for nonmembers. The event page currently shows registration as closed, so if the date matters to you, keep an eye on that page.
Any other day, leashed dogs are welcome without a guide. Under the Calvert County Natural Resources rules, dogs on leash are allowed in all Natural Resources parks except Battle Creek Cypress Swamp. The Nature Society's rules page points visitors to the county's Natural Resources page for hours, closures and updates. Check that page before any visit.
The Season on Ward Road and Town Center Boulevard
Here's the next stretch of the calendar, with one nearby Dunkirk stop added for the first weekend of December.
| Date | What | Where | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any day, dawn to dusk | 18-hole wooded disc golf, trails | Ward Farm, 10455 Ward Road | Free; leashed dogs allowed |
| Tue., Nov. 24, 6–8 p.m. | Beaver Moon Night Hike | Ward Farm | Free for members, $8 per family for nonmembers |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Holiday Sip & Shop | Medart Gallery & Custom Framing, 10745 Town Center Blvd., Unit 1 | Art, gifts, jewelry, refreshments |
| Fri., Jan. 1, 1–3 p.m. | Guided First Day Hike | Ward Farm | About 2 miles; registration shown as closed |
Medart Gallery & Custom Framing's annual Holiday Sip & Shop features art, gifts, jewelry and refreshments. Pair it with a morning round in the woods and you've got a Saturday that never leaves Dunkirk.
If you're organizing a league or team, the fields are booked through the Parks & Recreation Sports Office at 410-535-1600, extension 2649. When the building opens, Ward Farm becomes a place where you can spend a whole winter day, and anyone hoping to book it will want to watch the county's project page for an opening date.
At The Beckman Group, we keep track of projects like the Ward Farm building because they change how a Dunkirk street lives, well beyond what any listing shows. If you're weighing a move near Ward Road, or you'd like to know what's actually being built down the road from your own home, let's connect and book an appointment.
