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Annual Fun Planner
ANNUAL FUN PLANNER F
rom seasonal festivals to special holidays to unique celebrations that showcase this area’s character and culture, families in Central Maryland will find special activities all year long. Here’s a list of some of our favorite special activities during the year, organized by season. Be sure to check our online calendar for more fun things to do daily, and our seasonal event listings online to make sure you don’t miss the best family-friendly events this area has to offer.
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SPRING: MARCH–MAY
Annapolis St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Week
Marching bands, bagpipes, floats, and associated parties. facebook.com/nappadparade
Oyster Roast and Sock Burning
Sock burning party with live music and oyster roast. Annapolis Maritime Museum. amaritime.org
National Cherry Blossom Festival
(pictured above) Multi-week festival celebrating the cherry trees. Includes a parade, kite festival, performances, street festival and other activities. Washington, D.C. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org
Annapolis Film Festival
Multi-day event with films, discussions and special events. Various Annapolis locations. annapolisfilmfestival.com
Maryland Day Celebration
Events celebrate the founding of Maryland and showcase the area’s history. Southern Anne Arundel County and Annapolis. marylandday.org
Annapolis Book Festival
Activities, presentations, book sale, and author meetings. The Key School, Annapolis. keyschool.org/community/annapolisbook-festival
Chesapeake Family Life KIDS FEST
Day Camps, Overnight Camps, STEAM Activities, Summer Programs, hands-on fun and giveaways. Pip Moyer Recreation Center, Annapolis.
St. John’s v. USNA Croquet Match
The “Johnnies” and the “Mids” vie for the annual croquet title while guests enjoy a lawn party. St. John’s College Campus, Annapolis. sjc.edu
Celtic Festival and Highland Gathering
Music and dance, Celtic market and competitions. Jefferson Park and Museum, St. Leonard. cssm.org/festival
Solomons Maritime Festival
Antique boat show, crab picking and oyster shucking, music, demonstrations and more. Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons. calvertmarinemuseum.com
Chestertown Tea Party
Re-enactment of colonial uprising plus Colonial parade, street party, raft race, street performances, colonial crafts, food, wine and craft beer tasting. Historic Chestertown. chestertownteaparty.org
Blue Angels Air Show
Blue Angels flight demonstrations over Annapolis as part of USNA Commissioning Week events. Naval Academy and downtown Annapolis. usna.edu
OTHER SPRING EVENTS
Find more St. Patrick’s Day events, Easter activities and more spring fun at ChesapeakeFamily.com/Spring
SUMMER: JUNE–AUGUST
Bowiefest
Local bands, games, rides, arts and crafts fair, food, home expo and more. Allen Poind Park, Bowie. cityofbowie.org/783/bowiefest
Eastport A Rockin’
Bands, vendors, food and kids area. Back Creek and Second Street, Annapolis. eastportarockin.com
Annapolis Irish Festival
Irish music, food, activities and more plus an area for kids. Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds, Crownsville. annapolisirishfestival.com
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Two-week living cultural heritage celebration with music, dance, food and more. National Mall, D.C. festival.si.edu
Artscape
Three-day free arts festival featuring visual and performing arts, fashion, hands-on projects, children’s entertainers and more. Baltimore. artscape.org
July Fourth Celebrations
Fireworks and celebrations in several towns and D.C. Find complete listings at ChesapeakeFamily.com/july-4
Maryland Seafood Festival
Seafood, demonstrations, competitions, music, crab derby and more. Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis. mdseafoodfestival.com
Artsfest
Art, performances, kids activities, food, drinks and more. Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, Solomons. annmariegarden.org
Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival
Celebration honors and recognizes African culture and people including Kunta Kinte, a slave brought to Annapolis. City Dock, Annapolis. kuntakinte.org
Harry Potter Festival
Magic, trivia, quidditch games, a scavenger hunt, costume contest and more. Chestertown. chestertownhpfest.org
Patuxent River Appreciation Day
Boat building, canoe rides and harbor cruises, demonstrations, wine tasting, music and more. Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons. calvertmarinemuseum.com
Downrigging Weekend
Ships, schooners and wooden boats join the schooner Sultana in Chestertown for dock tours, public sails, performances, dock dog competition and other activities. Chestertown. sultanaeducation.org
Patuxent Wildlife Festival
Animals, children’s crafts, tram tours and more. National Wildlife Visitor Center, Laurel. fws.gov/refuge/patuxent
American Indian Festival
Music, dancing, storytelling, demonstrations and more showcasing Native American Culture. Patuxent River Park, Upper Marlboro. pgparks.com
Great Chesapeake Balloon and Wine Festival
Hot air balloon displays and rides, kids zone, food trucks, crafts, wine and more. Triple Creek Winery, Cordova. triplecreekwinery.com
Annapolis Rotary Crab Feast
All-you-can-eat and drink crab feast. Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis. annapolisrotary.org
Navy Fan Fest
Meet players, get autographs, and enjoy inflatable games and music. Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis. navysports.com
Maryland State Fair
Rides, games, food, exhibits, concerts and more. Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium. marylandstatefair.com
County Fairs
Entertainment, 4-H and livestock shows, exhibits, games, rides and more. Howard County Fair in August; Anne Arundel County and Calvert County Fairs in September; and others.
OTHER SUMMER EVENTS
FALL: SEPTEMBER–NOVEMBER
Light City Baltimore
Multi-day event featuring illuminated art, entertainment and kids activities. Baltimore Inner Harbor. lightcity.org
Maryland Renaissance Festival
English village with shows, games, attractions and more. Crownsville. rennfest.com
Maritime Republic of Eastport’s Tug of War
Tug of war across Spa Creek pits Annapolis and Eastport with team competitions. Eastport and Annapolis City Dock. themre.org
Fall Festivals, Haunted Houses and Halloween Events
For information about haunted houses, pumpkin patches and fall festivals see ChesapeakeFamily.com/Fall
Grand Illuminations and Tree Lightings
Lightings of town and attraction Christmas trees in November. Visit ChesapeakeFamily.com/holiday-lights
OTHER FALL EVENTS
WINTER: DECEMBER–FEBRUARY
Midnight Madness
Stores stay open late for holiday shopping, entertainment, snacks and drinks. Downtown Annapolis, downtownannapolispartnership.org/ midnight-madness, and in Historic Ellicott City, visitoldellicottcity.com
Gingerbread House Show and Contest
Enter and/or vote for your favorite gingerbread houses. Darnall’s Chance House Museum, Upper Marlboro. History.pgparks.com
B&O’s Magical Holiday Express
Trains of all sizes, holiday festivities in the roundhouse and children’s activities. B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore. borail.org
Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade
Parade of boats illuminated with colored lights. Annapolis Harbor and Spa Creek. eastportyc.org
Holiday Light Displays and Shows
Several drive-through or walk-through holiday light displays celebrate the season. For complete listings and information, visit ChesapeakeFamily. com/holiday-lights
National Menorah Lighting
Music, latkes and donuts, games and lighting of the menorah. White House Ellipse, D.C. nationalmenorah.org
Military Bowl & Parade
(pictured above - photo courtesy of MilitaryBowl.com) Parade features the Budweiser Clydesdales. Football game between ACC and AAC teams. Downtown Annapolis and Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis. militarybowl.org
New Year’s Eve Celebrations
Towns and attractions ring in the new year with special celebrations, often with early celebrations for families. Find listings at ChesapeakeFamily.com/ new-yearsπ6
Polar Bear Plunge
Plunge into the Chesapeake Bay and festival after. Raises money for Special Olympics Maryland. Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis. plungemd.com
Other Winter Celebrations
Find details about special events and celebrations for Martin Luther King Day, Black History Month and Valentine’s Day at ChesapeakeFamily.com/winter
