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Think Maryland, think Chesapeake Bay. With the Bay - the largest estuary in the nation - flowing through its center and the Atlantic along its eastern edge, Maryland has 7,000 miles of coastline. The result: Plenty of fishing opportunities. Charter-boat expeditions are ideal for fishing in the Bay or deep-sea fishing. And, charter captains are experts when it comes to knowing where the fish are. They can also arrange cruises for sightseeing, exploring waterfront villages or visiting lighthouses. Captain John Smith spent a few years getting to know the Bay in the early 1600s. Today, let a charter captain be your guide.
Top image courtesy of Maryland Charter Boat Association |
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Spring festivals - What's your passion?
Good chance you'll find a Maryland festival that's up your alley. Here are some to consider:
- Towsontown Spring Festival, May 2, Towson, Baltimore County
- German-American Festival, May 2, Blob's Park, Jessup, Anne Arundel County
- Kent Island Day, May 15, Stevensville, Queen Anne's County
- Maryland Faerie Festival, May 15-16, Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County
- Ridgely Strawberry Festival, May 30, Sutton Park, Ridgely, Caroline County
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State parks - Musicians and naturalists
Gather at the Lake House in Western Maryland's New Germany State Park for an Old-Time Jam, Friday evening, May 7. Bring an instrument (all levels of experience welcome) or sit back and enjoy an impromptu presentation of Appalachian music. On three successive Saturday mornings, starting May 8, Southern Maryland's Smallwood State Park offers - Slither, Swim or Soar: How Animals Move - programs that include hikes and projects to take home. |
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Fine arts - Two top festivals
Visit National Harbor - along the Potomac River in Prince George's County - for the Washington International Arts Festival, May 1-2, where 135 artists will display their work. Free admission. Downtown Bethesda - already an oasis for the arts and dining - presents artwork by 140 of the nation's top artists at the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival, May 8-9. This street festival will also be brimming with live entertainment and casual fare.
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Family fun - Highlander style
Dust off your kilt and take the family to a celebration of Scottish culture - Celtic music, bagpipes, parades, traditional dancing, crafts, and old-fashioned competitions. Frederick Celtic Festival is May 8 at the Frederick Fairgrounds. A week later, May 15, the Scottish Games at Fairhill Racetrack and Fairgrounds in Cecil County - more than a wee bit of fun.
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Epicurean delights - Wine al fresco
Calvert Wine and Arts Fest, May 8 in Sunderland, showcases Southern Maryland wineries and artisans. Event also has musicians, dancers and refreshments, along with tours of a 1692 church and its labyrinth. Wine in the Woods runs May 15-16 in Columbia. Features 32 wineries, wine seminars, artisans, live entertainment. Wine in the Garden, May 27 at the Howard County Conservancy in Woodstock, features bluegrass music, local eateries and silent auction. |
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Scintillating sounds - All that jazz
On May 8, the Eastern Shore town of Berlin - 15 minutes from Ocean City - becomes an outdoor blues and jazz lounge. Berlin Blues & Jazz Bash features band competitions, concerts on two stages - accompanied by festival fare, arts & crafts. Also on May 8, enjoy smooth jazz amid two blocks of plant and shrub displays, craft exhibitors and food vendors at Carroll County's Westminster Flower and Jazz Festival. |
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Stick games - Championship action
Native North Americans played a game with a stick that one observer said was similar to the crosier used in religious ceremonies. Lacrosse has evolved and much of its recent heritage connects to Maryland. See the best of today's college game this month: NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship, May 28-30 at Towson University; and NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship, May 29-31 at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium.
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