A weeklong celebration of history starts Thursday, culminating with Maryland Day and the 392nd anniversary of the English settlement in today’s St. Mary’s County.
Settlers aboard the Ark and the Dove, led by Leonard Calvert, landed on St. Clements Island in the Potomac River on March 25, 1634.
Of course, they weren’t alone.
The Piscataway Conoy were the dominant tribe on much of the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, with the Nanticoke, Choptank and others on the Eastern Shore.
Virginia colonists had opened a trading post on Kent Island three years earlier, but most historians consider the Catholic colony the Maryland origin point.
Annapolis and Anne Arundel County have been leaning into the moment for 18 years as an opportunity to celebrate their role in that history, with exhibits, tours, open houses and more.
Some of the key events this year include:
Ongoing archaeological research into the history of the Kinder family farm opens to the public from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday and continues through the week at Kinder Farm Park in Millersville. It’s a chance to get your hands dirty.
Adam Stevenson of the United States Lighthouse Society will talk about the restoration of Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse from 2-4 p.m. at Broadneck Library.
Roots Fest, from 5-9 p.m. Saturday at The Oaks Bed & Breakfast in Annapolis, offers a low-key look at African-American traditions with tips on genealogical research.
Alex Schlegel, the great-granddaughter of Hartge Yacht Yard founder Emile Alexander Schlegel, leads tours from 1-4 p.m. Sunday at the Hartge Nautical Museum, now the site of the yacht yard in Galesville.
More than a dozen organizations will be at the Nonprofit Center in Crownsville from 5:30-8 p.m. Monday for Maritime Crossroads, with presentations on ways to experience the Chesapeake Bay in 2026.
Skipjack Heritage will premiere its new documentary during the evening, “Voices of the Skipjack,” about one of the last working sailboats in America.
Rod Cofield, executive director of Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum in Calvert County, will talk about lively colonial Chesapeake taverns from 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Drummers Lot pub. Reservations are requested.
All events are free or offered for a nominal fee.
Here are some other great things to do in the coming week.
Eat more oysters
5 p.m. Friday
Restaurants across Maryland, Virginia and D.C. are offering special dishes as part of Chesapeake Oyster Week.
Participating restaurants in the Annapolis area include Boatyard Bar and Grill, Buddy’s Crabs & Ribs, Carrol’s Creek Cafe, Donnelly’s Dockside, Federal House Bar & Grille, Seasalt and Sailor Oyster.
The promotion highlights restaurants that participate in the Oyster Recovery Partnership’s shell recycling program and runs through March 31.
Season on the bay
11 a.m. Saturday
The Harbor Queen, the 53-year-old day cruise ship operated by Watermark Tours, opens its season.
For 90 minutes, the 65-foot boat cruises the Annapolis Harbor and the Naval Academy Seawall with a recorded tour that some downtown joggers have memorized over its many years of service.
General admission is $25–$29, with discounts for children under 12. A special $1 cruise is being offered Monday through Wednesday to celebrate Maryland Day.
Dance, dance, dance
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday
Maryland Hall is reopening its dance studios with a mix of events and promotions.
Performing Arts Fest includes demonstrations and “try-its” from teachers of children’s creative movement, ballet, tap, theatre, soul line dance, pilates, and tai chi. Discounts are available for spring and summer classes, workshops and camp registration.
Performing groups include Naptown Jazz Kids, World Drumming, Guitars for Change, Bilingual Choir, Adaptive Theatre and the Exclusive Dance Team.
The event is free.
The reopening comes at the conclusion of an $8.5 million renovation to public areas and infrastructure systems, part of a multi-year upgrade effort.
Ruffles and Flourishes
1 p.m. Sunday
The Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps will perform at the Live Arts Maryland Studio at Annapolis Mall.
The group has provided the cadence for formal Naval Academy parades for 176 years, and will almost certainly perform the academy alma mater, “Anchors Aweigh.”
Free.
Love in Vane
7 p.m. Monday
The Annapolis Musicians For Musicians relief fund holds the latest in its series of fundraising concerts, “In The Vane of Eric Clapton.”
Local artists sing two of the famed rocker’s works. The lineup includes Dean Rosenthal, Stillwaters, Michael McHenry, Jennifer Schimpf, Ray Weaver, Red Betty & The Ruckus, Tim Kurtzberg, Angie Miller, The Enablers, Graham Furniss, Hurricane Kevin, Alex G. Lee, Timmie Metz plus Bryan and Aidan Ewald.
Proceeds benefit the AMFM fund for musicians who cannot work because of illness and scholarships for students.
Writers write
6:30 p.m. Wednesday
The Writers Roundtable will host a discussion of good writing and how to get published in the Martino Gallery at Maryland Hall.
Poet V.P. Loggins, editor Natalie Canavor and publisher Kymberly Taylor are scheduled to take part. Admission is free, but registration is requested.
Comments
Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines.