By Markian Melnyk, Realtor
Annapolis has a unique rhythm that makes it a special place to live. Its seasons feature legislative hustle and bustle, college events and graduation celebrations, boat shows and regattas, and visitors dining, shopping and wandering along Main and West streets and the brick walkways and shaded side streets of this historic town.
Most towns sleep during the cold, dark winter months but Annapolis is alive. Legislators gather in early January to begin 90 days of bill drafting, hearings, arm twisting, and voting. Built in 1772, the state capitol building has been in continuous legislative use since. Activity spills out of the capitol onto State Circle and into Lawyer’s Mall for public rallies, and to local restaurants at lunch and dinner where relationships and influence prod the direction of policy. The legislators finish up in early April just as the first trees begin to flower. There’s a brief lull and then the improving weather quickly brings tourists back to town.
The Naval Academy is the other big institution in Annapolis. By the fourth week of May family from across the United States stream into town to see their sons and daughters graduate. Hundreds of white caps simultaneously launch into the air as midshipmen turn into officers at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Spring also brings about a renewed focus on gardening and boating. On May 1st, fresh flower baskets are hung outside homes and businesses throughout the city’s historic district making it even more pleasant to walk about. And City Dock holds a spring sailboat show to mark the start of the boating season. Boat racing is another diversion. Every Wednesday from late April through August the Annapolis Yacht Club hosts races on the Severn River and the boats return to the harbor at City Dock at sunset.
If you’re more musical than nautical, summer concerts overlooking the bay, at the Annapolis Maritime Museum, provide another thing to do.
Boat mania reaches its peak in fall with the oldest and largest in-water boat shows in the country. The US Powerboat Show and the US Sailboat Show take place on two weekends in October. Floating docks are added to City Dock to park an impressive array of boats, and customers gather to learn from builders and brokers and find the next thing to fuel their hobby.
Fall winds down with a large renaissance festival in nearby Crownsville. And year round there are art galleries, museums, and horse farms in the neighboring countryside. No matter the season, Annapolis’ rhythm keeps life interesting.
