Summer Events Expand Capacity, Welcome More Visitors To Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS, MD — From the First Sunday Arts Festival to Dinner Under the Stars, event organizers are planning a busy summer in Annapolis. Festivals are expanding capacities, and multiple parades are on tap.

Patch partners with several local organizations to bring you their latest news. This guest contribution comes from the Inner West Street Association. Here's what Executive Director Erik Evans wrote about summer in the city:

"Events in Annapolis will start expanding in June to coincide with the successful vaccine roll out. Today about 42% of Anne Arundel County residents are fully vaccinated and another 48% have started getting their vaccination shots. This means most Anne Arundel County residents will be vaccinated over the next couple of weeks.

This is allowing popular Annapolis events[,] like the Dinner Under the Stars[,]to add additional nights. What was once a Wednesday night only tradition of dining and live music will now be a multi-evening tradition. Starting June 5th, the event adds Saturday evening to the line-up and plans to add additional evenings later this summer.

The First Sunday Arts Festival is also going to start expanding in June. During COVID[,] the festival was reduced to about a third of its normal size to allow for social distancing. Starting with the June 6th First Sunday Arts Festival the event will add about 30% more vendors. For the July 4th festival[,] the event plans to return to its original footprint and bring back live music.

As safety is still a concern[,] the First Sunday Arts Festival has teamed up with the Anne Arundel County Health Department and Visit Annapolis to offer no appointment walk up COVID Vaccines at the festival from noon to 3pm on June 6th.

"The goal is to give anyone who has not had a chance to make an appointment to get the vaccine the opportunity to do it on the spot," says Erik Evans[,] the Executive Director of the Inner West Street Association. "We strived all through the pandemic to create the safest outdoor events possible and now we want to continue to be part of the recovery effort."

Everyone that meets the age guideline is welcome to come get their vaccine. This includes area residents, employees, and tourists.

The Juneteenth Celebration is a new event coming to Annapolis the weekend of June 18th and 19th and will host both a parade and[a] festival. The event will celebrate the end of Slavery in America[,] and some refer to it as the second Independence Day.

The Annapolis Independence Day Weekend is being billed as a Welcome Back Weekend. The City and other organizations are organizing concerts and events spaced out around the City of Annapolis that Friday through Monday. The Independence Day Parade will return on Saturday July 3rd and the fireworks and First Sunday Arts Festival will be on Sunday July 4th. The goal is to spread people out all around the City to enjoy the ability to safely come out since they have been vaccinated.

Many of the popular spring and early summer events that were [canceled] due to COVID[,] like the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and [the] Annapolis Pride Parade & Festival[,] are being rescheduled for the fall.

Indoor events are returning as well[.] Rams Head On Stage, 49 West Coffeehouse, Stan and Joe’s Saloon and others have brought back live music indoors. As the arts and entertainment return, we are one step closer to returning to life as normal.

Erik Evans
Executive Director

Annapolis Arts District
Downtown Annapolis Partnership
Inner West Street Association"

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