Celebrate Maryland Day in the state’s capital during Annapolis and Anne Arundel County’s Maryland Day Celebration weekend. Over 20 museums, businesses, historical sites, and more will be opening their doors for $1 or less. For more information, including event times and prices, visit Marylandday.org. Here are some of the celebratory events happening this weekend:
Nature and Environment:
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center: Enjoy a hike at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). The SERC campus boasts over 2,000 acres of forests, wetlands, and marshes, and 15 miles of protected shoreland. Kids (and adults!) can enjoy searching for the various geocache sites located along the rails. Friday and Saturday Anne Arundel County Farmers’ Market: Start your morning at the Anne Arundel County Farmers’ Market. Purchase some of Maryland’s finest fresh, local, and seasonal produce, meats, cheeses, and eggs. Local artists will be displaying homemade crafts, jewelry, and baked goods. Saturday and Sunday Greenstreet Gardens: Greenstreet Gardens will be offering tours of its production greenhouses at 1 p.m. Advance registration is required. All weekend long, Greenstreet will have native plant and perennial experts on site to answer customer questions. Saturday and Sunday Anne Arundel County Parks: Head to one of the many Anne Arundel County parks offering free admission this weekend, including Fort Smallwood Park, Quiet Waters Park, Downs Park, and Kinder Farm Park. Explore the art, history, and nature of the parks. Pack a picnic, and enjoy the beautiful weather while the kids enjoy the playground. All weekend Windermere Farms: Windermere Farms will be offering tours of their mushroom farm and log inoculation workshops. Friday and Saturday Homestead Gardens: Homestead Gardens’ Davidsonville location will be hosting Heather Wheatley, CPH, who will speak about Maryland’s historical plants and gardens. Friday and Saturday Southern High Future Farmers of America: At Southern High School, the Future Farmers of America will be opening their greenhouse and hosting a plant sale. Friday and Saturday Scenic Rivers Land Trust Bacon Ridge Natural Area: Take a hike through the history-rich Bacon Ridge Natural Area. Enjoy 900+ acres of protected forest, while learning about how humans and nature have interacted to make our current landscape. Saturday Honey’s Harvest Farm: Learn about the importance of native trees during Honey’s Harvest Farm’s native tree education session, sample paw paw fruit and elderberries, and enjoy a DNR-led tour of the native food forest project at the farm. Saturday Holiday Memories Farm: Take a tour of Holiday Memories Farm’s high-tunnel operations, blueberry fields, and Christmas trees. Fresh eggs and greens will be available for purchase. Sunday Captain Avery Museum Head to the Captain Avery Museum to learn about ospreys from speaker Greg Kearns. Kearns will cover osprey biology on the Patuxent River, the provision of nesting platforms, and more. Saturday
Art:
Banneker-Douglass Museum The Banneker-Douglass Museum serves to document, interpret, and promote African American history and culture through exhibits, projects, and programs. This weekend, Lawrence Hurst, artist in residence, will be exhibiting a fifty-year retrospective o his work. The Verda Welcome Hall exhibits Songs of the Caged Bird, curated by Lillian Thomas Burwell. Friday and Saturday Maryland Hall: Visit the Galleries at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts and enjoy the exhibitions on display. On Sunday, Maryland Hall will be hosting its ArtFest Open House. The event includes art demonstrations, music recitals, dance performances, exhibitions, hands-on activities, and children’s crafts. All weekend Maryland Federation of Art/Circle Gallery: Explore fine art, jewelry, and crafts by Maryland artists at the Maryland Federation of Art/Circle Gallery. All weekend St. John’s College Mitchell Gallery: View St. John’s College Mitchell Gallery’s current exhibition, Making Our Mark: Eight Washington Printmakers, a collective of artists drawn together printmaking All weekend
History:
The Westin Annapolis: The Westin Annapolis will be hosting The Hall of Presidents Before Washington, featuring the 14 presidents under the Articles of Confederation and the Continental Congress. The exhibit includes laser replicas of original documents signed by each of the 14 “forgotten” presidents. USNA professor Mark Croatti will provide a talk and tour of the exhibit. All weekend Historic London Town & Gardens: Celebrate Maryland Day at Historic London Town & Gardens, located on the shores of the South River. Experience a black powder demonstration, talk with costumed guides, and learn hearth cooking, rope making, and carpentry. All weekend Annapolis Maritime Museum: Find out what it takes to be a Chesapeake Bay waterman. Climb aboard a historic workboat, and enjoy waterman-themed games and activities. All weekend Pride of Baltimore II Come aboard and learn about Maryland’s renowned tall ship, Pride of Baltimore II. Explore the deck and talk to the captain and crew, and learn about the history of the Baltimore Clippers and Pride II. Tours are open to guests of all ages. Saturday and Sunday Home Tours: Take a peek inside some of the area’s most beautiful historical homes, including the Charles Carroll House, William Paca House, Governor Calvert House, Chase Lloyd House, and Hammond-Harwood House. Saturday and Sunday, times and days vary by house Hogshead: Experience Maryland Day with the tradespeople of Annapolis at Hogshead. Craftspeople of the 1700s will be sharing their carpentry, baking, spinning, and printing skills. Sunday Deale Area Historical Society: Explore the lovely historic village on the shores of Herring Bay. Learn about life before electricity, see how lath and plaster was installed, and find out how Deale got its name. Sunday Galesville Community Center and Memorial Hall: Celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Galesville Rosenwald School, and hear about the rich history of three prominent African American sites as well as other South County communities. Learn the history and creativity of the craft of boat building, and view an exhibit featuring 25 skipjack models, bugeyes, and dredges. Sunday Watermark Tours: Join Squire Hillman from Watermark: Annapolis Tours for a unique 2.1-mile saunter through the campuses of the Naval Academy and St. John’s College, and a portion of the Historic District. Saturday Brewer Hill Cemetery: Participate in a guided walking tour of this historic African American cemetery. Located in the heart of Annapolis, the Brewer Hill cemetery is one of the oldest “incorporated” cemeteries in the United States. Saturday Maryland State House: Enjoy the immersive State House exhibits and explore important historical events that occurred in the only state house that ever served as the nation’s capital. All weekend Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center: View the Carr’s and Sparrow’s Beaches exhibit, which includes combined pieces from Blacks of the Chesapeake Local Legacy Collection and the Banneker-Douglass Museum, and showcases two major stops on the “Chitlin’ Circuit.” Saturday African American History Walk Tour: Explore the history in downtown Annapolis during a walking tour, guided by esteemed historian Janice Hayes-Williams. Stops include the Kunta Kinte–Alec Haley Memorial, Middleton Tavern, Market House, Chase Lloyd House, the Maryland State House, and the Bertina Nick Historic Classroom” at the Stanton Center. Saturday
For kids:
Anne Arundel Public Library: Visit one of the Anne Arundel County Public Library branches for fun activities all weekend long. Participating libraries include Edgewater Community Library, Eastport-Annapolis Neck Community Library, Deale Community Library, and Discoveries: The Library at the Mall. All weekend Chesapeake Children’s Museum: The Chesapeake Children’s Museum will be hosting fun activities for children throughout the weekend. Kids can participate in improv theater, enjoy a picnic in the park, and watch the stars during “Lights out for Earth Hour.” Saturday
Other special events and activities:
Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Visitors Center: Information specialists at the VAAAC Visitors Center can help you plan your Maryland Day adventures. Pick up a free Maryland Day program filled with information about local things to see and do, and have your picture taken at the West Street location’s photo booth. Maryland Day Flag-Raising Ceremony On Saturday, start your day at Maryland Day Flag-Raising Ceremony at Susan Campbell Park. Presented by the Four Rivers Heritage Area and partners, the event will feature the Annapolis Drum and Bugle Corps and flag detail by the award-winning USNA League Cadets of the Training Ship Mercedes.
