From Candlelight Stroll to Military Bowl: Holiday Festivities Near Severna Park

There’s a chill in the air and Santa Claus has come to Annapolis.

Check out these winter and holiday-themed events happening in and around Annapolis:

• Lights on the Bay: Get in the holiday spirit with a drive along the shore of the Chesapeake Bay through a massive light show. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Lights on the Bay held through Jan. 1. Weather permitting, the electric wonderland will be on full display nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. at Sandy Point State Park, 1100 East College Parkway in Annapolis.
• Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating’s Holiday Party: Tuesday, Dec. 16, is the last day to RSVP for the event taking place on Thursday, Dec. 18, at the Annapolis Maritime Museum, 723 Second St., from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Meet Santa Claus: Children may sit on Santa’s lap, share their gift list, and pose for a picture at Westfield Mall in Annapolis, outside of Lord & Taylor. The jolly elf will be available through Dec. 24.
• Holiday Candlelight Stroll: Welcome the holidays with an evening stroll around Maryland’s historic State Capital, all trimmed in holiday greenery. Walk along the streets of Annapolis, past colonial mansions, Victorian townhouses and quaint shops. Includes an interior tour of the historic Hammond Harwood House. Runs through Dec. 20; tours depart from the Information Booth at City Dock.
• The Nutcracker at the Maryland Hall for the Creative: The classic holiday ballet has two performances left on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 1 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 21., at 4:30 p.m.
• 2014 Military Bowl and Parade: The Military Bowl, benefiting the USO, will match a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference against an opponent from the American Athletic Conference Dec. 27, live on ESPN. Virginia Tech and Cincinnati have accepted bids to play in this year’s Military Bowl. The game is played at 1 p.m. at U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales will again headline this year’s parade, which starts at City Dock at 9 a.m., making its way to the stadium. Gameday activities kick off at 8:15 a.m. with the first Military Bowl 5K. Also at 9 a.m., the Military Bowl tailgate will start in the Blue Lot on the west side of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Purchase tickets and parking by visiting militarybowl.org or by calling 888-841-2787.
• New Year’s Eve Celebration, Annapolis City Dock: Ring in the New Year with family and friends at the city celebration. Children’s activities include music and face painting starting at 3 p.m. There will be music and dancing in the evening and two sets of fireworks, one at 7:30 p.m. and the other at midnight to accompany the New Year countdown to 2015.

>>Image from Visit Annapolis website.

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