Marylanders know how to appreciate the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay — they generally do it with Old Bay and a pitcher of beer. Now it is time to appreciate the watermen who bring it to our tables.
The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels is host to Waterman Appreciation Day for the ninth year, and there will be steamed crabs aplenty, plus other regional foods, live music, beer and boat rides.
But the highlight might be the spirited waterman’s rodeo and its signature boat-docking contest. Beginning at noon Sunday, Aug. 12, the competition returns to the Miles River near the museum’s 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse. Bleacher seating will be provided for spectators. And there is also a children’s rowboat competition with prizes.
The festival begins at 10 a.m., and crabs are served at noon by the watermen. Year after year, the organizers have taken pride in the ability to sell a dozen steamed crabs and corn on the cob for $25, and that will be the price this year, too.
Tickets are $18 for adults, or $8 for children 6 to 17. Tickets for museum members, watermen and their families are discounted to $10 and $6. Tickets can be purchased in advance for this rain-or-shine event at cbmm.org. Or call 410-745-2916.
Free event parking will be available at St. Michaels Middle High School, 200 Seymour Ave., with a complimentary shuttle service to the museum running throughout the day.
It is Scottish heritage weekend at Historic London Town and Gardens, and that means Scotch.
Take a tasting tour of Scotland through a variety of Scotch whiskeys from the shelves of Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits, and enjoy discussions on the differences among single malt, single grain and blended malt. The tasting costs $35 for members and $45 for non-members.
It is part of a living history weekend that includes live music, sword fighting and musketry demonstrations. London Town opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and events begin at 11 a.m. There will be games in the tavern all day and woodworking and furniture for sale in the Carpenters’ Shop. The gardens close at 4:30 p.m.
For nearly 30 years, Annapolis has showcased its art community — and its walkability — with the Annapolis Art Walk.
Again this summer, 20 galleries downtown will feature new exhibits, and artists will demonstrate their skills in various media from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 16. There will be musicians around town, and galleries will offer light refreshments.
Yellow balloons will mark the participating galleries, and a downloadable map can be printed at artinannapolis.com. You can hail the Annapolis Blue Circulator Trolley for free rides. For this event, parking is free beginning at 6 p.m. at the Bladen Street Garage.
Visit the William Paca Gardens after hours on Tuesday, Aug. 14, for an evening of cocktails and Colonial spy craft in “Secrets, Spirits and Spies: Espionage in the Garden.”
During this month’s Historic Annapolis happy hour, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., explore the ways spies passed secrets, and then pass the drinks! Decipher the codes and expose the master spy.
The William Paca House and Gardens is located at 186 Prince George St. in Annapolis. The cost is $12 for Historic Annapolis members and $15 general admission.
As part of its Diversity Awareness Month, Anne Arundel County Public Library will show a series of international films on Wednesdays in August.
“Entre Nos (2009),” a fact-based film that shows the struggles of an immigrant family from Colombia, will be shown on Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the Maryland City branch at Russett.
Library Foundation executive director Ann Glenn will introduce the film and lead a question-and-answer session after the showing. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles and is free.
The Capitol Hill Chamber Music Festival continues Saturday evening, Aug. 11, at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church with Italian four-part canzonas. These rarely-heard compositions are inspired by French and Flemish chansons which blossomed in the 1500s and 1600s with the increasing activity among violin makers in Italy. They represent the transitional style between renaissance and baroque.
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free, but a donation is appreciated. For more information, including the pieces to be performed, visit chcmf.com/annapolis.
And speaking of concerts, Zakke, a nine-piece Latin fusion band, will be at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis Saturday at 6 p.m. Originally from Washington, D.C., the band is known for its high-energy performances. The concert is free, as is admission to the park.
Tobias Russell Music will be at Historic London Town and Gardens Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m., along with food trucks for you and your dog. The concert is free, but bring a blanket or a chair.
And there will be a Motown Review at Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa Thursday, Aug. 16, from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available online at chesapeakebeachresortspa.com/events-concerts. Chesapeake Beach Resort is located at 4165 Mears Ave. in Chesapeake Beach, and the concert is part of its summer Rock the Dock series.
If you are planning to run the Annapolis 10-miler, the Lighthouse Shelter Run, the Baltimore Marathon or the Marine Corps Marathon, join running women at Athleta in Harbor Center in Annapolis on Sunday at 10 a.m. for a special conditioning class for women.
GYMGUYZ (they are actually women!) will be on hand to lead another of their popular station workouts. Bring a mat and plenty of water. The event is free, but please register at runnersconditioningclasswithgy.splashthat.com.