Traditions
war they fought. The display is a reminder of the sacrifice midshipmen make by attending the academy.
2) You place fresh-cut flowers outside your door on May 1
The first day of May is often one of the most idyllic days in Annapolis. For decades on May Day, residents and business owners place baskets full of freshcut flowers and multicolored ribbons outside their doors. Judges roam the street and reward the prettiest of the bunch.
The Garden Club of Olde Annapolis Towne started the May Day event in 1956 as a beautification project and it eventually became an annual tradition. Flowers are usually on display outside homes as well as cafes and businesses on Church Circle, Dock Street, Main Street, Market Space, Maryland Avenue and West Street in downtown Annapolis.
3) You burn your socks every spring
Sock burning has a long history in Annapolis. The roots of the tradition date back to the brutal winter of 1977 when a boat builder, aided by a few beers, decided to torch his socks, which had accumulated metal shavings during the course of his work. The ritual soon spread throughout Eastport and eventually up the East Coast, becoming a quirky nod to the spring equinox and the prospect of warmer weather on the water.
The Oyster Roast and Sock Burning at the Annapolis Maritime Museum started in earnest in 2010 when they decided to make it an official thing after people had used its small beach to build a sock-burning fire anyway. It is held the closest Saturday to the equinox, if not on the day. Many of the hundreds who attend doff their winter socks and toss them into the fire, while others just enjoy the festivities — music by the Eastport Oyster Boys, food and oysters every which way, and yes, adult beverages.
4) You’ve taken off work to go look at the sky
Each May, Annapolis is flooded with visitors in search of the highest perch in the city to crane their necks and peer up into the sky. What are they looking for? The Blue Angels, of course.
The famous blue jets, the U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration squadron, arrive in Annapolis every year for their performances during the Naval Academy’s Commissioning Week. Although it’s an annual event, watching the Blue Angels for the first time is a rite of passage for many of the county’s youngest residents.
5) You’ve climbed aboard the Pride of Baltimore II
Every few months, the masts of the Pride of Baltimore II make their return above the blue waters of Annapolis City Dock. The ship — a replica of the clipper ship that sailed from Baltimore during the War of 1812 — has been traveling around the world for three decades and makes regular stops in Annapolis Harbor.
The ship is now operated by a nonprofit and offers free tours.
6) You’ve been to the Linthicum urology museum
From the Museum of Historic Annapolis on City Dock to the Capt. Avery Museum in Shady Side, Anne Arundel County is home to dozens of museums. One of the county’s most unique is located in Linthicum. The William P. Didusch Center for Urologic History is dedicated to what is essentially an R-rated display of various urology injuries, both accidental and self-inflicted. It’s worth the trip, if you have a strong stomach.
7) You know where John Paul Jones is buried
The U.S. Naval Academy Yard is brimming with historical displays that visitors could spend days, if not weeks, exploring. Some are more well-hidden than others and only seasoned visitors may know about them. One of those is the burial location of John Paul Jones.
In 2016, more than 100 years since the famed naval leader died, several hundred Freemasons honored Jones with a belated memorial service. His remains were brought from France to Annapolis to rest in a crypt under the academy chapel.
8) You’ve tried a Middleton Oyster Shooter
The late Annapolis restaurant owner Jerry Hardesty is said to have brought the oyster shooter, a West Coast creation, to prominence in Annapolis. For decades, the owner of Middleton Tavern who died in 2021, began offering a shot glass filled with a freshly shucked oyster, topped with a layer of in-house cocktail sauce and a finger of vodka.
Since the moment Hardesty began selling the sauce-drenched bivalve, customers haven’t stopped ordering them. The tavern, just steps from City Dock in downtown Annapolis, has been a fixture since the 18th century.
9) You’ve taken a ghost tour in Annapolis
In the fall, as the weather starts to turn cool and pumpkins begin to appear on many a front porch, Annapolis’s micro industry of ghost tours starts to emerge. In a colonial town with numerous centuries-old buildings, it’s a natural place to take a guided walk through the streets at night and listen to ghost stories.
There are several companies that offer a scary good time, including the self-described original, Annapolis Tours & Crawls, which offers both guided tours and haunted pub crawls.