Building off the success of their presentations in 2016, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County has asked the Symmetry Agency to help create a monthly series that highlights specific, educational topics for their partners. Free. Senator John C. Astle Conference Room. September 28 –  SEO with speaker Ben Isenberg

For most Chesapeake Bay fans, the word "skipjack" brings to mind romantic images of a Bay tradition. For watermen, the word means hard work and a long day of oyster dredging on the Bay. For trip participants on the Stanley Norman, the skipjack experience will involve a little of each! Please join us for an upcoming trip (see dates below). While aboard, you'll be invited to help hoist the sails or simply enjoy the view! You will leave with a better understanding of oysters and their role in keeping the...

Join Historic Annapolis for the 4th annual Blazers, Bourbon, Cigars, the original premier Gentlemen's event of the fall.  Enjoy an evening filled with bourbon and whiskey tastings, cigars, and delicious food from the area's finest chefs, all while enjoying the historic William Paca Garden.

Open to all levels, these classes are a refreshing way to begin your Sunday morning. Zen provided by the gardens overlooking the South River, instruction provided by various talent from the area, and yoga mat provided by you! Each week is a new theme. Event is rain or shine. Free with a suggested donation of $10 per person

Enjoy live entertainment and the works of 100 local and regional artists as you stroll along the first block of West and Calvert Streets next to Whitmore parking garage. Local restaurants set up outside cafes that are perfect for people watching and an afternoon bite to eat. Free parking for the family-friendly event is available at the state parking garage on the corner of Calvert and Bladen Streets.

The Deale Area Historical Society invites you to its Harvest Day in the Village. Experience the past with a tour of the historic village at Herrington Harbour North. Step back in time to understand life in the early 1900’s. Enjoy homemade butter, ice cream, artisans & trades of the early twentieth century. Free Admission.

Autumn is near, the cool wind begins to blow, leaves are falling from the trees, and Squirrel is very busy preparing for winter. As we read The Busy Little Squirrel, we will join Squirrel as he dashes around looking for fruits and berries to eat when the ground is covered with snow. His friends want him to play, but will he join them? Crafts, song, and a snack will follow. Space is limited; reservations encouraged. Cost: Free for Family Circle Members, $8 per child for HA Members and Volunteers, $10 per child...

Now in its 48th year, the nation’s oldest and largest in-water sailboat show featuring exclusively new boats attracts more than 50,000 boating enthusiasts from around the world to America’s Sailing Capital each year. The event is recognized worldwide as the premier sailing showcase for seminars, boating attire and accessories, foul weather gear and boats of all sizes. Cruisers University takes place October 9-12. Individuals can register to learn all they need for living aboard a boat, plan their cruise, equip and maintain their boats and feel at ease heading out....

Learn about the accomplishments of the past year and Historic Annapolis’s plans for the future.  Winners of the Preservation Awards, honoring superlative work in the areas of restoration, rehabilitation and reuse of historic properties, and individuals performing extraordinary service in the field of historic preservation will be announced. A highlight of the evening will be an update from the team of experts working on the restoration of the James Brice House. The presentation will be followed by a reception. Cost: Free Admission; Reservations Requested  

Anne Arundel Genealogical Society is pleased to announce Italian Ancestors and Cousins: Finding Them Gets Easier All of the Time! Featuring guest speaker Joe Smaldone Joe Smaldone will provide an up-to-date review of how to access Italian records, especially on-line, with tips for effective searching. He will explain how to overcome language barriers in reading Italian records and how to use the internet to find new cousins and how to communicate with them, including lots of practical examples and personal experiences for illustration.  

Celebrate American Archives Month this October with the Maryland State Archives. Free, one-on-one meetings with professional genealogists!  This is an excellent opportunity for genealogists and researchers to sign up for a consultation with one of our genealogical professionals who will help you break through your brick walls.  Fill in a gap in your family tree with this free session. All guests of the Archives must be prepared to show a government photo ID prior to entry.

Now in its 48th year, the nation’s oldest and largest in-water sailboat show featuring exclusively new boats attracts more than 50,000 boating enthusiasts from around the world to America’s Sailing Capital each year. The event is recognized worldwide as the premier sailing showcase for seminars, boating attire and accessories, foul weather gear and boats of all sizes. Cruisers University takes place October 9-12. Individuals can register to learn all they need for living aboard a boat, plan their cruise, equip and maintain their boats and feel at ease heading out....

Looking for ghost tours in Maryland? This year, instead of heading to the usual Haunted House full of unconvincing tricks, come with Watermark on a special haunted ghost tour of Annapolis during the festive month of October. Special Historic Hauntings takes guests inside one of Annapolis’ most notoriously haunted houses! Step back into time and hear the tales of the spirits that linger inside the dimly lit mansion. Only our ghoulish guides have access to bring you inside this haunted structure after dark. No visit to Annapolis is complete without...

Now in its 48th year, the nation’s oldest and largest in-water sailboat show featuring exclusively new boats attracts more than 50,000 boating enthusiasts from around the world to America’s Sailing Capital each year. The event is recognized worldwide as the premier sailing showcase for seminars, boating attire and accessories, foul weather gear and boats of all sizes. Cruisers University takes place October 9-12. Individuals can register to learn all they need for living aboard a boat, plan their cruise, equip and maintain their boats and feel at ease heading out....

Textile expert Mara Riley returns to London Town to create a pliable, comfortable linen from dried flax. Learn the process and try it yourself with hands on demonstrations that give you a real appreciation for what colonial Marylanders had to do simply to clothe themselves. Included with general admission and free for members.

Tour the Chase-Lloyd House and the Hammond-Harwood House. This tour explores the architectural highlights of Annapolis two premier 18th century jewels products of architect William Buckland. Space limited. Please call 410-263-4683 x 10 to reserve. Cost is $30 per person.  

Textile expert Mara Riley returns to London Town to create a pliable, comfortable linen from dried flax. Learn the process and try it yourself with hands on demonstrations that give you a real appreciation for what colonial Marylanders had to do simply to clothe themselves. Included with general admission and free for members.

Open to all levels, these classes are a refreshing way to begin your Sunday morning. Zen provided by the gardens overlooking the South River, instruction provided by various talent from the area, and yoga mat provided by you! Each week is a new theme. Event is rain or shine. Free with a suggested donation of $10 per person

Now in its 48th year, the nation’s oldest and largest in-water sailboat show featuring exclusively new boats attracts more than 50,000 boating enthusiasts from around the world to America’s Sailing Capital each year. The event is recognized worldwide as the premier sailing showcase for seminars, boating attire and accessories, foul weather gear and boats of all sizes. Cruisers University takes place October 9-12. Individuals can register to learn all they need for living aboard a boat, plan their cruise, equip and maintain their boats and feel at ease heading out....

Now in its 48th year, the nation’s oldest and largest in-water sailboat show featuring exclusively new boats attracts more than 50,000 boating enthusiasts from around the world to America’s Sailing Capital each year. The event is recognized worldwide as the premier sailing showcase for seminars, boating attire and accessories, foul weather gear and boats of all sizes. Cruisers University takes place October 9-12. Individuals can register to learn all they need for living aboard a boat, plan their cruise, equip and maintain their boats and feel at ease heading out....

Celebrate American Archives Month this October with the Maryland State Archives. The Maryland State Archives and The College of Information Studies, University of Maryland invite you to attend the launch of a joint project supporting the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland program.  Staff members of the Archives' Study of the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland Program will be on hand, with faculty and students from the University's Digital and Cultural Innovation Center to discuss, demonstrate and share the powerful online tools for research of slavery in Maryland. This is a free program, open to...

Join HA for October’s HA Tuesdays Happy Hour Series for a brief history of Halloween in the United States and a sweets-based glimpse into the past. Enjoy tasty treats, sweet drinks, and a stroll around the autumnal William Paca Garden. Cash bar available. 21+ only. Reservations encouraged. Cost: $10 per adult for HA Members and Volunteers, $12 per adult for Non-Members. Entry includes one drink ticket. Additional drink tickets available for purchase.  

Celebrate American Archives Month this October with the Maryland State Archives. Guest Speaker, John Emond Civil War Voices from the National Archives and Personal Collections John Emond, an antique collector and retired NASA program manager, will give a presentation on letters and documents written about and by Civil War soldiers, both Union and Confederate using their "voices".   The voices are dramatic, humorous, and poignant, and include several Maryland letters written by soldiers and civilians. Feel free to bring your lunch and your questions to this public event. This program...

A rare opportunity to step beyond a classic guided house tour awaits. Every second Wednesday this fall, visitors will peek behind closed doors, explore unique features in the extensive grounds, and discover hidden details and stories. In October, we will focus on the spookier nooks and crannies in the House. This experience transcends the content of the standard house tours and is ideal for those who love the William Paca House and are intrigued to delve deeper into the site’s long and rich history. Reservations required. Cost: $20 for HA...

All new salacious stories for 2017! ​Pirates, murder, and scandal aplenty await you on this adults-only, after-hours tour of Historic London Town and Gardens. Explore the dark underbelly of London’s history. Walk the streets of the long dead seaport, discovering its more salacious stories. Learn about the pirates who prowled the South River, an eighteenth-century bar fight, a spy who dined with the rich of our town, and a runaway sailor with ribald tattoos! Bring back alive the tavern atmosphere with alcoholic drinks and refreshments, included in the price. ​$20...

Looking for ghost tours in Maryland? This year, instead of heading to the usual Haunted House full of unconvincing tricks, come with Watermark on a special haunted ghost tour of Annapolis during the festive month of October. Special Historic Hauntings takes guests inside one of Annapolis’ most notoriously haunted houses! Step back into time and hear the tales of the spirits that linger inside the dimly lit mansion. Only our ghoulish guides have access to bring you inside this haunted structure after dark. No visit to Annapolis is complete without...

Explore local history with the SERC Archaeology Lab! Be an archaeologist for a day as you dig and sieve sediments in search of artifacts, and participate in real, ongoing archaeological research. To sign up or for more information contact: Alison Cawood at [email protected] or (443)482-2271  

Enjoy the aroma of a wood fire in our spacious hearth while volunteers demonstrate the techniques and recipes of our colonial ancestors.​ Included with general admission and free for members.

Explore local history with the SERC Archaeology Lab! Be an archaeologist for a day as you dig and sieve sediments in search of artifacts, and participate in real, ongoing archaeological research. To sign up or for more information contact: Alison Cawood at [email protected] or (443)482-2271  

Open to all levels, these classes are a refreshing way to begin your Sunday morning. Zen provided by the gardens overlooking the South River, instruction provided by various talent from the area, and yoga mat provided by you! Each week is a new theme. Event is rain or shine. Free with a suggested donation of $10 per person

Enjoy the aroma of a wood fire in our spacious hearth while volunteers demonstrate the techniques and recipes of our colonial ancestors.​ Included with general admission and free for members.

The annual Oyster Festival will take place this year on Sunday, October 15, 12:30-5 pm. A party that celebrates both the oyster and the fun of a day by the Bay with family and friends, the festival offers food from top local eateries, music from local bands, children’s activities, craft offerings, and Avery’s own “Choose It!,” a way of filling your calendar with fun all year round. Oyster lovers can get their fill any way they like ‘em: raw; fried in a basket, platter, or roll; in stew; in soup;...

During the Revolutionary War, James Brice served as Captain of the city militia and Lieutenant of the county militia, positions that earned him the honorary title “Colonel.” But James Brice wasn’t the only Colonel in the family; his youngest brother, Edmund, a professionally trained artist, was named a Lieutenant Colonel by Congress at the request of the Marquis de Lafayette. Senior Historian Glenn E. Campbell explores the fascinating life stories of two Annapolis brothers who joined the fight for American independence. These encore presentations of a lecture first delivered at...

During the Revolutionary War, James Brice served as Captain of the city militia and Lieutenant of the county militia, positions that earned him the honorary title “Colonel.” But James Brice wasn’t the only Colonel in the family; his youngest brother, Edmund, a professionally trained artist, was named a Lieutenant Colonel by Congress at the request of the Marquis de Lafayette. Senior Historian Glenn E. Campbell explores the fascinating life stories of two Annapolis brothers who joined the fight for American independence. These encore presentations of a lecture first delivered at...

Let’s read Pumpkin Jack and explore the lives of Jack-O-Lanterns. We will learn how pumpkins grow throughout the year and are harvested in the fall just in time for Halloween. A visit to Farmer Ben’s kitchen garden will follow. Crafts, songs, and snacks will reinforce the theme. Space is limited; reservations encouraged. Cost: Free for Family Circle Members, $8 per child for HA Members and Volunteers, $10 per child for Non-Members  

Keynote Robert Lee Forrest Lecture with Jim Toomey, cartoonist of Sherman's Lagoon Join SERC for the finale of our free Bay Optimism lecture series! The festivities start with a pre-lecture dessert reception at 6:30pm, followed by the lecture at 7. Jim Toomey draws the popular comic strip Sherman’s Lagoon, which appears daily in over 250 daily newspapers, including the Washington Post.  The strip’s underwater theme explores environmental issues in a way that appeals to adults and children alike.  As a syndicated cartoonist, and more recently an award-winning videographer, Jim has successfully communicated science...

Tour of the house that compares the customs and social graces of the Loockerman family, who lived in the Hammond-Harwood House in the early 19th century, with those of characters in Jane Austen novels. $10 per person/Members Free To register please call 410-263-4683 ext.10

Looking for ghost tours in Maryland? This year, instead of heading to the usual Haunted House full of unconvincing tricks, come with Watermark on a special haunted ghost tour of Annapolis during the festive month of October. Special Historic Hauntings takes guests inside one of Annapolis’ most notoriously haunted houses! Step back into time and hear the tales of the spirits that linger inside the dimly lit mansion. Only our ghoulish guides have access to bring you inside this haunted structure after dark. No visit to Annapolis is complete without...

Join us for the Hammond-Harwood House’s annual Pumpkin Walk. The event will celebrate the season with games and a costume parade around the mansion. The event will also feature several fun activities to introduce children to the architecture of the house. Wine and beer are available for purchase for parents and chaperones 21+! Admission: $10 per child, $5 Member’s child; Chaperones, free

All new salacious stories for 2017! ​Pirates, murder, and scandal aplenty await you on this adults-only, after-hours tour of Historic London Town and Gardens. Explore the dark underbelly of London’s history. Walk the streets of the long dead seaport, discovering its more salacious stories. Learn about the pirates who prowled the South River, an eighteenth-century bar fight, a spy who dined with the rich of our town, and a runaway sailor with ribald tattoos! Bring back alive the tavern atmosphere with alcoholic drinks and refreshments, included in the price. ​$20...

Historic London Town and Gardens hosts historical navigation enthusiasts from across the nation as they gather to build and use the same instruments our ancestors used to cross the Atlantic in centuries past. Included with general admission and free to members.

Rising Sun Inn welcomes Dr. Robert Selig.  Dr. Selig is the Project Historian to the National Park Systems, Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, Historic Trails Project.  His presentation will focus on the September 1781 journey that took French Troops and General Washington himself down the historic post road, which is now Generals Highway, and passed the Rising Sun Inn. Admission is $30.00 for Friends of the Rising Sun Inn members and $35.00 for non-members and includes a reception to follow.

Did you know that several of the Hammond-Harwood House’s former occupants are buried in St. Anne’s cemetery? On this interactive cemetery tour, visitors will discover the fascinating lives of the men and women who called the great house home. Stories of love, tragedy, and insanity will be unearthed in this hour long tour through the winding hills of the burying ground. Participants will receive a half hour admission ticket to the Hammond-Harwood House Museum. Tour begins at the cemetery entrance (corner of W Washington and Northwest street, Annapolis). 20% of...

Historic London Town and Gardens hosts historical navigation enthusiasts from across the nation as they gather to build and use the same instruments our ancestors used to cross the Atlantic in centuries past. Included with general admission and free to members.

Open to all levels, these classes are a refreshing way to begin your Sunday morning. Zen provided by the gardens overlooking the South River, instruction provided by various talent from the area, and yoga mat provided by you! Each week is a new theme. Event is rain or shine. Free with a suggested donation of $10 per person

Out of the Shoe Box: How to Improve Your Family Archive's Storage Come talk to the professional conservation staff at the Maryland State Archives about the best ways to preserve your family treasures. This free hands-on workshop will give a basic overview of the best ways to house, organize, and handle your precious papers and photos. Practice materials will be available for you to try out your new skills, and you can take home what you learn to apply to your own precious collections. It's time to bring those memories...

Celebrate American Archives Month this October with the Maryland State Archives. Guest Speaker, Austin Kibler Conducting Research at the Archives:  How the presence and absence of records drives a historical argument Austin Kibler is a Research Librarian at Williams and Connolly, LLP. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a MLIS and a MA in History. His thesis, “Maryland, the Marine Hospital Service, and the Medical Relief of Chesapeake Oyster Dredgers, 1870-1900,” looks at the important role played by newly professionalized bureaucracies in developing public policy through its examination...

Building off the success of their presentations in 2016, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County has asked the Symmetry Agency to help create a monthly series that highlights specific, educational topics for their partners. Free. Senator John C. Astle Conference Room. October 26 –  Blogs with speaker Darin Gilliam

All new salacious stories for 2017! ​Pirates, murder, and scandal aplenty await you on this adults-only, after-hours tour of Historic London Town and Gardens. Explore the dark underbelly of London’s history. Walk the streets of the long dead seaport, discovering its more salacious stories. Learn about the pirates who prowled the South River, an eighteenth-century bar fight, a spy who dined with the rich of our town, and a runaway sailor with ribald tattoos! Bring back alive the tavern atmosphere with alcoholic drinks and refreshments, included in the price. ​$20...

Looking for ghost tours in Maryland? This year, instead of heading to the usual Haunted House full of unconvincing tricks, come with Watermark on a special haunted ghost tour of Annapolis during the festive month of October. Special Historic Hauntings takes guests inside one of Annapolis’ most notoriously haunted houses! Step back into time and hear the tales of the spirits that linger inside the dimly lit mansion. Only our ghoulish guides have access to bring you inside this haunted structure after dark. No visit to Annapolis is complete without...

Explore the world of medical care in early Maryland by speaking with interpreters specializing in surgery and medicine of the colonial era. Saws, pills, and more to cure all that ails you! Included with general admission and free for members.

Looking for ghost tours in Maryland? This year, instead of heading to the usual Haunted House full of unconvincing tricks, come with Watermark on a special haunted ghost tour of Annapolis during the festive month of October. Special Historic Hauntings takes guests inside one of Annapolis’ most notoriously haunted houses! Step back into time and hear the tales of the spirits that linger inside the dimly lit mansion. Only our ghoulish guides have access to bring you inside this haunted structure after dark. No visit to Annapolis is complete without...

Open to all levels, these classes are a refreshing way to begin your Sunday morning. Zen provided by the gardens overlooking the South River, instruction provided by various talent from the area, and yoga mat provided by you! Each week is a new theme. Event is rain or shine. Free with a suggested donation of $10 per person

Explore the world of medical care in early Maryland by speaking with interpreters specializing in surgery and medicine of the colonial era. Saws, pills, and more to cure all that ails you! Included with general admission and free for members.

  Join Historic Annapolis for a birthday party, colonial-style! William Paca’s 277th birthday is on October 31, 2017, and there is much to do to prepare. Living historians will bring preparation for the big celebration to life as Mary Paca and her friends discuss food, tea, and party etiquette. Come for the history, stay for the sweet birthday treats! Reservations encouraged. Cost: Included with admission to the William Paca House and Garden No reservations required.

Would you like to take an imaginary ride on a broom stick with a witch and her purring cat? As we read Room on A Broom we will fly through the air, make new friends, and meet a Big Red Dragon. Crafts, songs, and a snack will reinforce the theme. Space is limited; reservations encouraged. Cost: Free for Family Circle Members, $8 per child for HA Members and Volunteers, $10 per child for Non-Members  

Featuring guest speaker Nicholas Fessenden It is a little known story that, during 1830-1914, 1.5 million immigrants landed in Baltimore, which was America's third largest port of entry. Mr. Fessenden will describe the stories of the largest groups who came here; Germans, Irish, Jews, and Poles, why they left their homeland and how they fashioned new lives in their adopted country. Nicholas Fessenden taught History in the Upper School at Friends School of Baltimore (1972-2010) and also as an adjunct at Towson University, Maryland Institute of Art, and Community College...

A crisp autumn evening is the perfect time to walk through one of the historic neighborhoods in Annapolis. The experience is even better when the doors to some of the homes are open and you are invited inside. During Annapolis by Candlelight, Historic Annapolis showcases privately-owned historic houses. Visitors see how 21st century Annapolitans care for and live in buildings built in the 20th, 19th or 18th century. Each house is a reminder of the rich architectural and cultural heritage of Maryland’s capital city and illustrates the practical and aesthetic...

November kicks off with a bang when Oldton’s Baltemore Rangers return to London Town. Representing early Maryland Militia, the Rangers come to live in the town over the weekend so they can drill, cook their food over hearth fires, and talk to you. Included with general admission and free for members.

The Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, but Emancipation in Maryland did not happen until November 1, 1864. Join the Banneker-Douglass Museum to celebrate Maryland Emancipation Day for a fun-filled day that includes Arts and Crafts Workshops, Scavenger Hunt, Goodie Bags, and Docent Guided Tours. Registration is encouraged. To make a reservation, please contact LeRonn Herbert by phone (410.216.6180) or by email ([email protected]).

Drawing on a decades-old rivalry, the annual charitable event features the longest tug-of-war over a body of water in the world, pitting downtown Annapolitans against the rebels of the mock-breakaway Maritime Republic of Eastport. Dubbed the Slaughter Across the Water, it features a 1700-foot rope, 450 tuggers and about 1,000 spectators. A festival-like atmosphere overtakes downtown Eastport and Annapolis beginning at 11:00 a.m. Tugging begins promptly (more or less) at the crack o’ noon. Free.

November kicks off with a bang when Oldton’s Baltemore Rangers return to London Town. Representing early Maryland Militia, the Rangers come to live in the town over the weekend so they can drill, cook their food over hearth fires, and talk to you. Included with general admission and free for members.

Celebrate the camellia by discovering the art of tea, which is traditionally made from Camellia sinesis. Meanwhile, enjoy a delightful brunch of light refreshments, courtesy of Palate Pleasers catering, including: homemade scones with lemon curd on the side, sliced apple cake, fresh fruit platter, tea sandwiches, and roasted vegetable quiche bites. London Town has a new operations and capital improvement plan with great things in store for the gardens. Our staff and board are finalizing a new collections policy, and big projects are underway to the entry way. Join us to learn...

Enjoy live entertainment as you stroll along the first block of West Street and Calvert Street next to Whitmore parking garage and peruse the work of 130 local and regional artists in search of unique holiday gifts. Local restaurants set up outside cafes that are perfect for people watching and an afternoon bite to eat. Free parking for the family-friendly event is available at the state parking garage on the corner of Calvert and Bladen Streets. Event includes some of the region’s best artists, crafters, musicians, and food. It’s the...