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Photography courtesy Annapolis Maritime Museum
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Photography courtesy Annapolis Maritime Museum
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Photography courtesy Annapolis Maritime Museum
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Photography courtesy Annapolis Maritime Museum
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Photography courtesy Annapolis Maritime Museum
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Photography courtesy Annapolis Maritime Museum
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JAY FLEMING
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JAY FLEMING
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JAY FLEMING
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JAY FLEMING
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Photography courtesy Annapolis Maritime Museum
The legendary Oyster Roast & Sock Burning was held at the Annapolis Maritime Museum on March 19th. It’s a fine time to clean out your sock drawer. Every year, attendees crowd around a fire burning on the beach and throw their old socks into the flames, heralding the arrival of spring. It’s an Eastport tradition dating back to the late 1970s.
The sold-out event was a roaring success. It raised $82,500 for the museum’s educational programs and attracted 1,034 partygoers.
“It’s a rite of spring, and an incredible event,” says Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, an annual attendee who even came to the Sock Burning regularly before his current job.
“I am an oyster guy and I got to eat oysters from every restaurant there.”
Guests enjoyed dishes from 10 different area restaurants—including Blackwall Hitch and Main & Market catering. Chesapeake Chefs won the People’s Choice Award for best offering.
The restaurants offered unlimited raw and roasted oysters, while the sounds of Them Eastport Oyster Boys and the Naptown Brass Band entertained the audience.
The event also featured tours of Back Creek and Bill Eubanks of Harbor Diving Services performed diving demonstrations.
“It’s a unique, quirky Annapolis tradition that brings the community together,” Annapolis Maritime Museum President Alice Estrada says. “There are plenty of oyster roasts around, but when you combine it with the sock burning, it makes it extra special. It’s kind of rare. It’s my favorite of about the two dozen events we put on.”
