Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County always has the scoop on what is happening all across the County. Here is their list for August!
Located in the heart of Maryland, Annapolis & Anne Arundel County is the ideal destination for celebrating summer. Travel is back and Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (VAAAC) invites visitors to access its more than 500 miles of shoreline to craft their unique Chesapeake Bay adventures.
August in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County brims with possibilities for getting out on the water; savoring farm-to-table favorites at their peak; feasting on the Chesapeake Bay’s most beloved crustacean at the World’s Largest Crab Feast and taking a trip down memory lane at the Annapolis Corvette Show.
For a more complete listing of August events, festivals, activities, and adventures, getaway seekers are invited to visit the VAAAC website and events calendar.
Images are available upon request. Events are subject to change. Contact event organizers for additional information.
Tax-Free Week:
August 14–20 – Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week (Countywide) – During this time, qualifying apparel and footwear valued at $100 or less per item are exempt from the state sales tax. The first $40 of a backpack or bookbag purchase is also tax-free. Individuals are invited to update their fall wardrobes or stock up on back-to-school essentials at small family-owned businesses or from a host of national chains featured at the Annapolis Town Center, Westfield Annapolis Mall, Arundel Mills, and other shopping hotspots.
Seasonal Signature Events:
August 1 – Bay Lighthouses Cruise (Annapolis) – Honor National Lighthouse Day a few days early. Your Watermark cruise will take you under the two spans of the Bay Bridges and alongside the Sandy Point Shoal, Baltimore Harbor, and Thomas Point Shoal lighthouses.
August 2-3 – Legends in Concert: Legendary Ladies (Arundel Mills) – Treat yourself to a girls’ night out with Legendary Ladies. The epic performance at Live! Casino & Hotel pays tribute to Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Cher, and Aretha Franklin.
August 5 – Rotary Club of Annapolis Crab Feast (Downtown Annapolis) – The 77th annual fundraiser is one of Annapolis’ longest-running and most popular summer traditions. Regarded by many as the “World’s Largest Crab Feast,” the all-you-can-eat (and drink) event at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium invites folks from near and far to get their fill of Maryland’s famous blue crabs!
August 6 – Dancing Queen Cruise (Annapolis) – Mamma Mia, here we go again! Climb aboard the Dancing (Harbor) Queen for a throwback cruise featuring a live DJ playing 70s and 80s hits. Come dressed to dance in your favorite bellbottoms, leg warmers, or disco-worthy jumpsuit!
August 6 & 20 – Sunset Paddle (Greater Annapolis) – Paddle out as the sun goes down and fills the sky with color! Capital SUP will lead you through a paddle designed to end your day in peace and serenity.
August 6 & 28 – ArchiTrex Walking Tour (Annapolis) – Enjoy an award-winning tour led by a professional guide that will take you for a stroll through three centuries of architecture during the city’s peaceful, early-evening lull. The Watermark tour will highlight one of the earliest recorded residential structures from the late 1600s and historic Georgian mansions in Annapolis.
August 7 – August Cabaret (Annapolis) – Enjoy a perfect date night at The Classic Theatre of Maryland with special Broadway guest performers accompanied by the popular Unified Jazz Ensemble.
August 10 – Todd Marcus at Maryland Hall (Annapolis) – Maryland Hall’s Front Stairs Concert Series continues with a performance by world-renowned jazz musician, Todd Marcus, and his orchestra. The Baltimore native is one of a few artists worldwide who focus on the bass clarinet as the main instrument in modern jazz.
August 12 – Girl Named Tom (Annapolis) – Catch the only group ever to win NBC’s The Voice at Rams Head Tavern. The Midwest small-town sibling trio delivers distinctive harmonies and heartfelt performances that have put them on the road to becoming the best-known harmony trio of their generation.
August 12 – Full Moon Cruise (Downtown Annapolis) – Climb aboard to watch the sunset and the full moon rise over the water. What better way to unwind on a Friday night than by sipping a cool cocktail and relaxing to the tunes of soft live music by Crosby Cofod.
August 12 – 15 – USNA Plebe Parents Weekend (Annapolis) – The festive weekend provides parents, family members, and guests with an opportunity to visit with their Midshipmen and experience a taste of the traditions, academics, and atmosphere unique to the Naval Academy and Annapolis prior to the start of the fall term.
August 12 & 26 – Farm to Table Series with Graze Gourmet (Crownsville) – Enjoy a farm-fresh meal as you’ve never experienced it before out on the farm. Each meal is crafted by Chef Adrienne Shoots of Graze Gourmet with ingredients sourced completely from Wildberry Farm and served in the grove next to fields of wildflowers beneath the shade of towering trees.
August 13 – SoCa Wine Music & Food Festival (Crownsville) – Head to the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds for a summer festival under the stars with delicious Caribbean food, wine, and live music!
August 13 – Annapolis Chamber Music Festival (Annapolis) – Help celebrate the beginning of the Annapolis Chamber Music Ensemble’s seventh season with an evening of live music and wine pairings. Tickets to the “Fine and Finer Music” event at the Unitarian Universalist Church include wine tastings, a meet-and-greet with musicians, and refreshments.
August 14 – Annapolis Corvette Car Show (Annapolis) – Bring family and friends to experience a
world-class Corvette car show and indulge in a delicious Sunday brunch on Inner West Street. “Carriages on West Street” celebrates the history of West Street even as it salutes the modern high-performance “carriages” of today.
August – October – Maryland Renaissance Festival (Crownsville) – The 27-acre Village of Revel Grove comes to life for its 46th season featuring nine weekends of thrills, feasting, handmade crafts, entertainment, and merriment. Enjoy 200+ professional performers on ten stages, a 3,000-seat arena with armored jousting on magnificent steeds, and streets filled with village characters, including knights, kings, and queens. The Renaissance Festival is open every weekend from August 27th through October 23rd. Advanced tickets are highly recommended.
Recurring Seasonal Events:
Dinner Under the Stars (Downtown Annapolis) – On Wednesday evenings and select Saturdays through September 24, the first block of West Street closes to automobile traffic and welcomes visitors to dine and shop al fresco under a canopy of white lights reminiscent of old European cities. Treat yourself to an evening with family and friends enjoying live music and art demonstrations against the backdrop of Historic Annapolis.
Arundel Preserve Concert Series (Arundel Mills) – The Hotel at Arundel Preserve is presenting free entertainment for the community on select evenings. Musicians offer a variety of classic sounds perfect for a family outing or outdoor happy hour. To add to the festivities, food and dessert trucks, as well as an outdoor bar (for patrons 21 years and older), are available on site.
First Sunday Arts Festival (Downtown Annapolis) – Held the first Sunday of the month from May through November, the first blocks of West and Calvert Streets are filled with street vendors, performers, musicians, and more. In a festive celebration of the arts, thousands of visitors enjoy an afternoon of al fresco dining, live entertainment, and a stroll past the works of more than 100 artisans and craft vendors.
First Sunday Market at Honey’s Harvest Farm (Lothian) – What shopping date could be lovelier than a farmers’ market on a permaculture farm in Southern Maryland? On the first Sunday of every month, Honey’s Harvest features more than twenty local farmers, artisans, brewers, bakers, and so much more!
Friday Night Karaoke (Odenton) – Grab your friends for fun-filled Friday night Karaoke at The Hideaway! Too shy to belt out ‘Sweet Caroline’ to a room full of strangers? No problem! The family- owned restaurant will get you hooked on their Crabby Fries, Brisket Sandwich, or craft cocktails!
Food Trucks (Greater Annapolis and Severna Park) – Discover new cuisine on Friday nights with a visit to as many as ten food trucks at the site of the Anne Arundel County Farmers’ Market at the corner of Harry Truman Parkway and Riva Road in Annapolis. On Tuesday evenings, head to the grounds of the Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company in Severna Park to enjoy cuisine from 24 food trucks in rotation.
Farmers’ Markets (Countywide: Seasonal) – Support our local farmers by sourcing organic fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat, poultry, local pies and jams, honey, and so much more at any of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County’s farmers’ markets.
History Sunset Sails (Annapolis) – Experience the Annapolis skyline that has welcomed ships for centuries during history-slanted sunset sails aboard the Schooner Woodwind on Monday evenings May through September. Listen to stories that add to the history of Maryland’s capital city. Topics change weekly.
Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse Tours (Annapolis) – Two-hour tours departing from the Annapolis Maritime Museum are available three times a day most Saturdays from June 4 through October 15. These are the only excursions that provide access to an interior tour of the National Historic Landmark. It’s the only screw-pile lighthouse still in its original location on the Chesapeake Bay.
Waugh Chapel Summer Concert Series (Waugh Chapel) – Bring your lawn chair or blanket and enjoy live music from local bands on South Main Chapel Way every Wednesday night from June 8 through August 17 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Tides and Tunes Summer Concert Series (Annapolis) – Held on Thursday evenings from June 16 through August 18, the Annapolis Maritime Museum’s popular concert series includes ten weeks of music – from rock, to folk, to blues – against the incomparable backdrop of the Chesapeake Bay. Concerts are free. Donations are gratefully accepted. Food and spirits are available for purchase. Beverage sales support the museum’s education programs. No outside alcohol is permitted. Bring a chairor blanket and enjoy the show!
Day on the Bay to St. Michaels (Downtown Annapolis) – Take a roundtrip cruise on the Chesapeake Bay to St. Michaels on the Eastern Shore. The quaint historic village offers fresh seafood, boutique shopping, and historic sites within walking distance during your approximately three hours of leisure time ashore. Admission to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is included.
Annapolis Tours & Crawls Ghost Tour (Downtown Annapolis) – Take a leisurely ghost walk through the historic downtown district on a spine-tingling journey into Annapolis’ dark and troubled history, while meeting some of our more spirited residents and visiting our most horrific haunted sites! Inquire about their Haunted Pub Crawls for a delightful evening of spirits and spirits!
David’s Girls Night Out (Live! Casino) (Arundel Mills) – Have a Girls Night Out at David’s at Live! Casino. Features $6 wines & Sangria; $7 cocktails & snacks; $5 Bud Lights; and half-price bottles of wine every Thursday. Reserve your table today!
City Dock Concert Series (Downtown Annapolis) – From June 5 through September 9, Sunday nights are rocking with free entertainment at Susan Campbell Park at Annapolis City Dock from 6:00 p.m. to dusk. Bring your chair or blanket.
Summer Concerts at Quiet Waters Park (Greater Annapolis) – Join the Friends of Quiet Waters Park on Saturdays from July 16 through July 30 and on Sunday, September 4, for a fantastic lineup of performing artists in a free concert series. Bring your blanket or chair and a picnic dinner or dessert. Park admission is waived for the concerts. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
Cars and Coffee (Annapolis) – Calling all classic car enthusiasts! Browse an amazing display of different makes and models of classic and soon-to-be-classic cars in the West Lot at City Dock in Annapolis, Sundays from 8:00 a.m. until noon.
Beer Gardens (Gambrills) – Enjoy delicious food, refreshing drinks, lawn games, live music, and more at a fundraiser for the Johns Hopkins House.
Fridays at The Captain’s (Shady Side) – Head to the Captain Avery Museum this summer to enjoy Fridays at the Captain’s, a twelve-night series of engaging activities including live music, art classes, local history, and more. Refreshments are available for purchase.
